Day 19: The Plan Actually Worked

A Night of Mr Worldwide

River actually enjoyed some of the entertainment last night. He found a little circular planting area and walked round and round in time to the music like it was his personal racetrack. Summer, meanwhile, was at the front making friends and getting very involved in the quiz.

Our room is perfect for us, right by everything: main bar, pool, sensory room. Of course, that also means noise. It’s a family resort so the main music stops by 10:30pm. We tried to get River to bed earlier, but it’s tricky to fall asleep with Pitbull vibrating through the walls. I mean, it’s Mr Worldwide, even I’m tempted to get up and start shouting “Dale!” But around 9.30pm, he was done. He retreated to his dark room, sensory lights on, blackcurrant bottle juice in hand. (Yes, I bought Robinsons squash from the local shop… and some emergency gummies.)

He was asleep pretty quickly and Mum offered to sit with him while Kike and I had a drink and did a bit of quality people watching.

The Caffeine Confession

I couldn’t sleep last night.

A couple of years ago, after some medical issues, I had to cut everything from my diet and reintroduce food slowly to see what made me sick. Tea went first.

Now, I’m English, tea is practically a blood type but I realised I’d only been drinking it out of habit.

So, no tea meant no caffeine. For two years.

I told Kike recently, rather smugly: “I haven’t had caffeine in two years.”
He looked at me quizzically and said, “What about your Lucozades?”
“What about them?”
“They’re full of caffeine, babe.”

Oh. Well. That explains the nightly heart palpitations. I just assumed I was having small, polite heart attacks and didn’t want to bother anyone.

So, no more Lucozades.
Which brings me back to last night: I think there was caffeine in my rum and Coke.

Morning at the Water Park

So this morning was a bit blurry, but Kike got up with River and we all made it to breakfast for a civilised 9am. River has chosen his table now, so we now sit there.

Swimwear, suncream and off to the water park… except we arrived at 10:22am and it didn’t open until 10:30am. Rookie mistake. That was a long eight minutes sitting on the floor trying to find Halloween shorts on Kike’s phone because I hadn’t brought mine.

At 10:30am a siren went and the doors opened. We had the place to ourselves. Perfect. The eight minutes long forgotten. I went up to the top of the slides and Kike stayed at the bottom so we could watch both kids at all times. They were loving it and dare I say it, I was too. The sun was out, I was soaking wet and everyone was happy.

We stayed a full hour until I spotted River’s “zone outs”. Those blank stares that last 10–60 seconds. I’d once asked a therapist if it was a mini-seizure but she said it’s common in neurodiverse kids and could just a sign of being overwhelmed. Still, I probably should check it out.

We left with only a few tears, “A Bye, bye slides” and went back to the room. River was happily naked back in bed with his ipad and Summer headed to kids’ club for a quick hour (which she loved obviously) and then her first swimming lesson. She’ll nail it by the end of the week.

Downtime & Sensory Space

After lunch, River was falling asleep. I took him back to the room… only for him to get distracted turning all the light switches on and off. Not a nap, but some iPad downtime instead.

At 3pm, we went to collect the sensory room key. We had a nice time, watching the bubbles again and changing the lights on the sensory tubes. River loved it, Summer joined in and Grandma got to see her very first sensory room.

Afternoon Pool Split

At 4pm, swimwear went back on. We did a pool split: Summer practising in the big pool, River playing in the baby pool. Kike and I switched between the two until 5:30pm, when River decided he was “too wet”, perfect excuse to go back to the room, shower and change for dinner.

The Dinner Rush

As I was writing this evening, ready to sign off with the Halloween hum next to me, I looked down and saw River asleep. Not at 7pm before dinner!

Quick shout to Kike and suddenly River’s being bounced, thrown in the air, and we’re all off to Sunday Roast night. This hotel is very British!

We managed a few spoonfuls of rice and some jelly (he’s already eaten his bodyweight in jelly in the two days we’ve been here) before the eyes started drooping again.

Pyjamas, in bed by 8pm. Goodnights said… but now Cotton Eye Joe is blaring outside.

Last night it was Mr Worldwide. Tonight it’s Mr Where-Did-You-Come-From-Where-Did-You-Go.
What tunes will tomorrow bring?

It feels almost dangerous to say this out loud… but it’s been a really good day. The plan worked. Tomorrow: Water park, 10:30am sharp.