Sanibel Stories: Where's Zach?

So we spent the first evening on Sanibel Island....well, on Captiva Island!

We were "captivated" by the island fun there!

It was a great way to spend the time while we anxiously waited for Tim, Andrew and Zach to arrive from their cross country treck.

Every so often we'd think to ourselves..".they are still in the car..."

Then we would shudder and eat some more seafood quesadillas.

It really bothered us a lot!...
No...seriously, I was more and more anxious as the day and evening wore on.  I knew they must be exhausted, and once it got dark, all I could think about was their safe arrival.

But eventually, around midnight on a dark moonless* night, they got there and fell into bed, only to wake up the next morning to paradise!

It was a georgous Sunday morning.

I know it was moonless because I had imagined this fantasy where as soon as Tim got there, we would grab hands and run out onto the moonlit beach and rejoice in our good fortune, the balmy air, the waves crashing around us...  But as midnight drew near and I looked out the window, it was SO dark (Sanibel Island allows NO streetlights etc.) and chilly that my romantic reunion plans quickly went up in smoke.  Instead, I stood in the winding parking lot directing them right and left via cellphone until they finally found our condo. Then we unloaded their car.  

The youngest always cares the most about having the family all together!
The view out the balcony behind Tim is the pool and then the ocean!

(Take a good look at Zach.... you won't see him much for awhile!)

We went to the Sanibel Community Church, which turned out to be fantastic, although I don't have any pictures of the event because it would be considered rude, I think, to snap pictures at church....although I have done so in foreign countries....but always discreetly and outside the sanctuary... anyway....

after church, Zach sort of...disappeared...

Where's Zach?

Mom, Katie, Lily and I explored the Farmer's Market.

It was WONDERFUL!

Lily was all over the girly stuff!

Big surprise there.

But where's Zach?

We got back from the Farmer's Market and settled in on the beach right outside our condo.

Delightful!

That's my mom and Lily  in the background.

Grandmas are a real plus to have around on vacation...Lily can use every pair of eyes on her she can get!

But where's Zach?

Later in the evening...

Lily cornered Grandma Marsha.....literally!

The game is called "Slamwich" and it quickly became Lily's favorite game...until...

...we pulled out the Uno cards....

Can you tell she's serious about this????
Playing Uno is no laughing matter until...

She WINS!
Can you tell she loves to WIN?....

..A LOT!!!

But whhhhhhere's Zach?

Hints: 

1.  BASKETBALL was flowing full throttle through his blood.

2.  It was MARCH.

3.  His mother was MAD at him all the time because we were on a family vacation in the tropics and he just wanted to do research on college basketball players...

BASKETBALL....MARCH...MAD.....If you live in the United States of America, you know exactly where I am going with this.  Collegiate basketball "bracketology" (yes there is such a word... refers to the study and action of choosing who will win EACH and EVERY game in the tournament).  Well, it stole my son.  It took over his brain and made him hide in closets and research statistics.  

Luckily, the deadline for "picks" was only 24 hours of our vacation.  Or else one of us was goin' down.  It was going to be me or his brackets!  But I gave him the 24 hours grace period.  Lucky for him.

Because of March Madness, there was an interesting, unexpected undercurrent to all of our fun...well...a picture is worth a thousand words:

...at the pool

....at dinner

...at random moments when I least expected it... usually when I was taking a sip of hot coffee.....

slosh!

...and bless his (Timmy's) heart....when his team lost, and all seemed hopeless and the world was darkened, we still made him come down to the beach (in dressy clothes no less!) for a family photo shoot instead of hiding under the (kingsize!) bed licking his bracketological (now this may not be a word) wounds.

Ya gotta love "Pillow Pets" when the world treats ya wrong...

(Note...I really really wanted to say something to him at this point about sand getting in the fur of the pillow pet and getting dragged into his bed....but I took my tongue and placed it firmly between my incisor teeth and held it there until the urge went away.   Or until I remembered I wasn't the one sleeping in his bed with him....)

Zachary did eventually emerge from the cocoon of March Madness Bracketology...but only because most of his teams lost.

Just wasn't our year for basketball, I guess.

(Note:  despite his desolation, Timmy experienced a comeback in the brackets.  Just so you don't feel too badly for him!)