Grateful for The Weather in Orlando, Florida

Bikini or no bikini?

When I moved to Orlando about a year ago, I thought we'd be in bikinis all year round. Nice and warm weather, no hassle with the cold and forever done with the cold. Nothing is less true. At the end of November, I was busy buying winter clothes because all kinds of predictions had been made for the winter. I could already picture it: winter coat, boots, scarf, several layers of clothes, and grumpy people on the street.

Very soon the temperature in December became lower and colder. Until Christmas and then suddenly it was 28 Fahrenheit in Orlando. OMG, I immediately wondered why I moved to Orlando if the temperature here also drops below freezing point. And yet I can't complain and not be dissatisfied, because after Christmas it started to get nice and warm again.

Ready steady? Put on the warm clothes!

As you might understand, I am very curious about what it will look like in January and February, but at least we are taking the right measures.

My princess and I have made good agreements about warm clothes inside and outside, temperature in the house, temperature in the bathroom and temperature in the bedroom.

When we lived in New Jersey I had 3 electric blankets for her, so she is always warm. There were 2 in her bedroom and one in the living room. During Christmas I asked her if she needs an electric blanket again and she said no because it's going to be way too hot. It's our first Orlando winter, so we're both kind of watching how the cold will play out.

Despite she said no to the electric blanket, I bought one anyway. Because I always see her walking around with fleece blankets, so if she needs a warmer blanket, she can just take it out of the closet.

We are still following the same rules:

• Dress warm
• Put on our warm socks
• Fleece blankets everywhere in the house
• Warm temperatures in the house
• Stay hydrated
• Drink daily medicines/vitamins

How is my princess doing?

I am proud to say that she is doing much better in Orlando, Florida than in Hillsborough, New Jersey. She's healthier, she's enjoying school, she's got the normal teenage issues with mean girls at school. As a mom I'm so grateful that she is more in school than sick at home or in the hospital. And I'm also grateful that she has normal teenage “issues” and has fun friends. She has playdates, sleepovers, and she enjoys her daily activities and her puppy Cooper.

A friend asked me around Christmas if I was still thinking about taking her on a clinical trial to cure her sickle cell disease, and I explained to her that if there's one that we both feel good about, I'll let her take part with minimal risks. But right now, my focus is to let her enjoy life as much as possible and to finish her school year successfully.

Very often we are looking for more and better, but 2022 taught me that we need to enjoy the present and be grateful for what we do have and what goes well at the moment.

Gratitude! That's my word for 2023.

Happy New Year.