St Augustine and Ponte Vedra- the wedding

Thursday

We go to the beach today
R has ZERO interest - we passed by the association's pool and that is what he wants to go in.
So we try for a little while ( I enjoy the water tremendously )
And then we go back and play in the pool and he is very pleased and approving

Then we shower and go down to the Castillo de ( something ). This is an old Spanish fortress . I am fascinated by their building and saddened by their cruelty to the Seminoles.

There is so much cruelty in human history

R is somewhat grumpy as he is hungry so we give him some options and he chooses the ubiquitous Mc Nuggets !

We eat lunch at a very reputed  restaurant that is all the rage in the reviews - Gypsy Cab Fare

But the food is sort of average

We go to the lighthouse museum - we take turns

I go up first

When I look down at R and DH below I suddenly have a strange thought

This is the way books always imagine being dead must be like

They are down below managing without me and I am up ( as heaven is supposed to be ) watching down

Strangely disassociated but still caring

I call DH and his voice is so real that the illusion vanishes and I am so glad to be alive and with these two that I love so very much

Here Dh is from above using the focus of my camera - sitting on a bench and reading a map

Later in the evening we go down to the Spanich Quarter and this is a lot of fun

We sleep so so in the night but it is a HUGE improvement over yesterday

The next morning is simply insane !!!

We are to meet with my classmate and are 30 minutes late - she is gracious about it but I feel HORRIBLE
Still love getting to see her and her ADORABLE daughter for a little bit and have lunch with her

And then we head off to Ponte Vedra for the wedding

For some reason my friend REALLY wants us all to have hair and make up done together at the SPA

Its a 129 dollars to do this but I sense its something important to her so we go ahead and do it

The lady doing my make up  keeps showering on the compliments and we are all in a rush so I dont want her to feel bad so when she does the Ta- da and shows me how I look - its a shock

OMG I LOOK AWFUL

I go to the pool to get DH and R and they are having a BLAST - DH bursts out laughing when he sees me and cannot stop

I dont blame him as I look like a clown

I run back to the hotel room -

but DH must take a picture of my hideaous appearance- cheeks that have a life of their own - small beady eyes and thin lips  - so here I am

I wash everything off my face and take a shower

My hair looks like a birds nest ( though the stylist assures me that I am SO HOLLYWOOD )

I would wash it if I could -but there is no time  so I have to be content with a birds nest on my head
At least once I take the clown-make u off my face looks fine

and the sari is gorgeous.

I go and help the bride and the bridesmaids get dressed - they are all wearing eastern garb as the bride is Indian.
 But she is as Western as they come and no one has any idea how to put on Indian Jewelery without breaking their hands or how to drape chunris

The wedding is marvelous - The groooms side - all are wonderful Minnesotans -seemingly stoic but so emotional and warm when you get to know them

R is at the babysitter - they have a babysitter for all the kids ( my friend -the bride -  has arranged this and she has foundone who is used to auties . what good friends I have)

When my other friend goes to see her son -who is at the same sitters - R runs to her and puts his arms around her waist and looks at her "pleadingly"

When she returns she tells me that R is the most emotionally expressive child she has ever seen and also insists that he be brought from the sitters as he "looks like he is sad and would prefer to be the wedding party "

Since the wedding party is over and we are all sitting outside on the beach - Dh goes and gets him

R quickly charms everyone by kissing all the ladies's hands and  then goes and lies down on the beach and makes sand angels.

I think we did our bit for Autism Awareness that day

We retun the next day and R is good as gold on the flight back.

I am glad of the lovely time becuse I have to leave for work again the next day and do the cycle of unpack - do laudry - and pack clean clothes. I also have to  cook all the gluten free meals for R for the week

The work week is also calling for 14 hour days ( which is my fault - as when I travel - i try to pack as much as I can into the days so I have to be out the least amount)

Also R's school bus is again causing problems for us -

His school is only 2 miles away but turns out he will have to be on the bus for an hour

This is giving me acidity as I am finishing up this post outside in a Starbucks and feeling anxious getting ready for my next meeting