mexico trip part 4: grand palladium

the last part of our trip was devoted to doing something we
we've never done - a stay at a megaresort. *gasp*
{i swore as c and i both have no desire}

i know some love them because they are so easy.  food and activities are
all taken care of, entertainment is provided and everyone speaks english.
it's safe and there's no planning...you don't even have to leave the walls
of the hotel if you don't want.

for alot of reasons, this is not the experience i prefer.
the biggest being it offers no enriching cultural experience.
when we travel, c and i want to experience how people around the world
live, what they eat, how they speak, etc. 

all inclusive hotels simply don't allow for this. 
these hotels could literally be dropped anywhere in the world,
and guests wouldn't know where they were except for a themed dinner
one night, a little architectural detail/decor and overhearing the staff speaking
amongst themselves speak the language of the place.  for dozens other reasons,
inclusives are not where i want to spend my vacation.
so why did we stay at the grand palladium vallarta resort which was
exactly the controlled environment we try so hard to stay away from?

one reason - there's a really good surf break right at the hotel's beach
that's tough to get {you hike through the jungle to get there}.
since we had already had almost a week in the town of sayulita,
and hiking a distance to a surf break with fairly young boys seemed
a bit much. there's lots of years ahead for that.

finn and scout would tell you we stayed at this resort because it had a
zoo and that they could eat anything they wanted all day long,
but these weren't the real reasons.

since i couldn't capture great overall photos of the resort, i pulled
these from google {the sand writing photo was all me though}.*grin*

most of our time was spent down at the beach playing,
as we prefer the ocean and sand to a pool.
christopher surfed when the waves were up,
and when they weren't, he found other things to do.  
he met a guy from canada and while they played a few games of tennis,
the little guys and i were introduced to a game called pickleball,
which is similar to tennis but the racquets are a bit different.

later, i took a private one hour spanish lesson, beachcombed and hiked
with the boys, and we all visited the hotel's small on-site zoo multiple times.

we all grew to love this game and ended up playing every day
{sometimes a several times}. it's wonderful that the boys are a little older
because we were able to play doubles - one kid with one parent!
we had so much fun and it was great exercise.
{with all those buffets around, we needed it}

the hotel offered babysitting and clubs for kids so we visited them as a family.
they had a baby club for kids under 3, a mini club for 4-12 year olds, and a
junior club for teens.  as we walked up to the mini club to see what it offered,
the welcome sign included color cartoon characters {which we later learned were popular
from a children's television program in mexico}. the boys groaned and said it looked like
it was for preschoolers, and though i didn't say outloud, it really did.
and when we toured it, it was more or less set up for kids under 7. 

we visited the junior club which was located in the building next door.
as soon as we walked in, both boys were in heaven. the room was open and sparse with a
simple color scheme, full of  bean bags for lounging and included several game consoles.
there was a pool table as well. in my politest espanol, i asked the young worker if the boys
could stay or even just finn but the staff member said he couldn't allow it.
finn was visibly disappointed.

c and i let the boys know that we needed some adult time together and were going to drop them
off at the mini club for 2 hours.  they weren't thrilled about it it, but were good sports and
remembered they had their books with them. c and i headed over to the adult pool that had an
infinity edge and overlooked the ocean. it was lovely. we relaxed and drank a margarita.

when i went back to sign out the boys, they were watching a movie with some
other children and asked me to come back in 2 hours because it had just started.
i was more than happy to. later, when i picked them up, the young lady who oversaw
the club said they had practiced earlier for a performance that night and asked if we
could drop them off at the theater on site at 7pm so they could perform in a show.
"of course" was my response, slightly surprised finn agreed to do it.

that evening after dinner, we dropped the boys off for rehearsal and came back to see their
show.  the cast was the hotel staff and the children of guests. scout and finn were clowns
for the first few acts, and the last act was a magic show and scoutie was the assistant.

scout was a little shy on stage but he performed well, doing exactly what he had rehearsed.
finn looked like he was having the time of his life up there - grinning for his parents and dancing
like a lunatic when the gangnam style song came on. it was part of the show.
{will this song ever go away - please}  the boys had a great time and c and i gave them
a standing ovation when they came out to take their bows with the rest of the cast.
the show cheesy but the kids had fun.

a few days we practiced archery, something i hadn't done since
high school.  they didn't have a small bow so finn and scout
used two hands to draw the string back. 

 

it's early and i need to get lunches packed for boys and head to work.
{i started this post last night but was too tired to finish}.
i might have a few more trip photos to share, but for the most part,
i think i've documented our time together in mexico.

we'll be back...but not at any all-inclusive.

coming soon: a gerber baby

we get another gerber baby in our extended family this fall!

my sister-in-law heidi and her husband greg are expecting their FIRST.
i'm giddy with excitement...been thinking about this baby for weeks
{heidi called to share this new while we were in mexico}.
i promised to keep quiet until they were ready to share.

over the weekend, they shared this image on facebook:

isn't he or she just the cutest thing ever!

my heart is happy as i share this today.
heidi is truly like a little sister to me. 
i remember seeing a photo of her when c and i were dating.
she was about 10 years old and had written 'i love you with all my hart'
on a pieces of paper that he had taped to his closet door.

i found it so sweet and was thrilled when we moved to tucson
because i'd have an new little sister close by in phoenix.  

we spent lots of time together during the years c and i lived in arizona.
we'd visit often and heidi would come for sleepovers on weekends.
she even flew to florida with me when i visited my family.
{she and my sister jen are close in age and became friends} 

now she's all grown up, and at 30, is taking that leap into parenthood.
she is going to be one great mommy, and i am going to be one very doting auntie.

mexico trip part 3: sayulita and beyond

one afternoon we decided to visit the turtle reserve in san pancho.
we discovered it years ago when we stayed at costa azul.  i emailed ahead
a few weeks before we left to make sure they were still around.
i was happy to learn they are there and going very strong.
they even have to turn away dozens of volunteers. {a good problem to have}

the manager that was overseeing the reserve took us all into the large shed that they
kept heated to a specific temperature year round, to keep all the eggs that have been dug
up from nests warm.  they are kept in syrofoam coolers full of sand until they hatch and
are ready for release.

we were lucky that one group of olive ridleys sea turtles had been hatching that very
day and were being taken to the beach that night for release.  we all got to hold the
freshly hatched turtles and she encouraged scout to name one.

we had a wonderful time and will be back again when we are south of the border.
unfortunately, we weren't able to make it back that night for the turtle release.
after a full day of sun and surf, we were exhausted and ready for bed by 8:30pm!

~ there's still more of mexico to journal, but it's late and i'm going to crawl into bed.
it's been a whirlwind weekend - full of good things, but just alot packed in a weekend.
friday night i rushed home from work to take scout to piano lessons {finn had a laser tag
b-day party and missed his lessons}, saturday morning i met with the breakfast brunch,
and that evening c and i attended a wedding for an old friend at the historic la fayette hotel.
jen kept the boys over night and they had a blast with her and got to see the new lego movie.
they LOVED it!!

today {sunday}, i met my serious bookgroup at tea upon chatsworth at noon for high tea.
we all wore dresses, drank lots of different teas from pretty porcelain teacups,
and ate too many cute finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off. 
it was such a girly fun experience...and my first time having 'tea' with the girls.
was thinking i'd love to take my mom here when she visits. i think she'd enjoy it.

mexico trip part 2: sayulita and beyond

the first night we arrived in mexico was one of my most memorable evenings.
maybe it was because i was in such need of downtime.

we walked from our villa through the town of sayulita taking it all in and
familiarizing ourselves with the place that would be our home for the next week.

we ended up at the beach and spent a good hour walking along the water's edge
and talking about how quick of a trip it was but how it felt like a world away.
the boys trailed behind us playing swords with driftwood they had picked up
along the way.

just before the sun set, we stumbled on a casual restaurant that that had low slung
wooden tables and chairs set out right on the sand.  the chairs were set up around a
a fire which was important  as we needed fire/smoke to keep the mosquitos away.
we had forgotten tropical climates have BUGS at dusks. yikes!
{i reminded c we really are spoiled in san diego.  they aren't even a thought}
after that night, i was sure not to be outside at dusk without deet in hand.   

c and i enjoyed margaritas and the boys had their first fanta of the trip, a special
treat reserved for vacations to mexico.

we decided to do the most adventurous activity first - ziplining!

only in mexico {or other countries with less regulations} will kids as small as ours be
allowed to do this, so we take full advantage of it.  in the u.s., there is always an age and/or
height requirement but not in mexico...or at least where we went.

the boys remembered ziplining well from our last trip two years ago.
they were just 4 and 8 and i was a bit concerned about them.
mostly because i was afraid - it was my first time and i'm afraid of heights.
they had a choice and both decided to go and they ended up loving it.

they had it easy too as they ended up being carried from line to line,
on the shoulders of two young 20 something guides because they couldn't hike
as fast as the rest of the group.  we were sure to tip them very well.

when we arrived this time, one of the guides was still there and remembered the boys.
they meet thousands of people doing tours but my guess is they remembered the boys
because they had carried them. i assured them this year, they'd be fine walking.
and they were.

this time, the guides talked some of us veterans {repeat zipliners} into doing some crazy
stunts during our time on the cables.  christopher, scout and finn flew like superman - basically
laid on their backs and put their hands out.  i modified this to not hanging upside down but just opening my arms out wide.   

we bought the video tape of it all, and though it's much too long to share here,
i will share a few photos from our ziplining adventure!

someday we plan to be back, but until then, we have memories and a dvd to
help us remember our adventure of flying through the air above the canopies.

the evenings all ended the same way every night.
we'd all walk out of our little villa down the dirt roads to find a restaurant.
one evening we found a restaurant that overlooked the main square in town.
{and by town, we could walk end to end in about 15 minutes}.
scout and finn were happy to find pasta on the menu.

while c and i met a nice couple from washington state and shared travel stories
{and book recommendations}, the boys read their harry potter books that they
carried with them to dinner every night.




one of our nightly walks to dinner

mexico trip part 1: sayulita

there's always three parts of any vacation for me:
the planning, the trip itself and the recollection of it.

i love all three parts for different reasons but the recollection
and journaling is one of my favorites because it takes me back,
and allows me time to reflect on the experiences we had.

so before any more time passes and i forget these things,
i'm spending time tonight at the kitchen table typing.

the trip began with the family driving to a park-and- ride just 10 minutes from the
us/mexico border. for $8/day, we left our car in a secured lot, and were shuttled
a drop off place right at the border.  we walked on a sidewalk and 7 minutes later
crossed into mexico.  super easy! from here we took a quick taxi ride to the tijuana airport,
and from here is when we all began trying to speak espanol. {try being the key word}.

after we got through security, we made a quick stop at starbucks for one last taste of america.

we arrived in puerta vallarta mid afternoon, rented a car and got out of the city pronto.
we drove about 1 1/2 hrs north to sayulita, a small fishing village that is popular with surfers,
and travelers who are looking for more of a laid back vacation and who want to experience 
more of what life is like in small town mexico.

we had visited sayulita many times in the past, but had never stayed here.
it's actually bigger than san pancho, where we had wanted to stay originally,
but our favorite little hotel on the beach has closed down and we found a condo
community called los almendros that had all the comforts of home for the first week.

each building was situated around the pool and each contained 5 villas.
we stayed in villa oleandra, and were pleasantly surprised how nice it was as most of
the places we stay at tend to be a bit rustic.  this one had all the comforts of home.
more than we needed really- we didn't cook so we didn't need a full kitchen,
the tv or the phone, but i loved that fans were in every room - including outside on the
balconies!

this condo was so comfy - even larger than the beach cottage we lived in on diamond street
all those years. it had 2 bathrooms which is always a treat for a woman who is surrounded
by boys.  my favorite things about our villa were the large french doors off the living room
that opened up onto a balcony and overlooked the pool, and the location.  we were just
blocks from the beach and a street lined with shops and cafes.  there was even an elementary
school just around the corner for us.

as we walked to and from the beach every day, we'd walk by the school and see children
in their cute uniforms playing in the school yard or studying in open air classrooms.
{there were no windows at all....just simple openings that allowed for ventilation}.

i have so much more to share about the trip - ziplining, a trip to the turtle farm, beach days and
scout and finn even performed on stage on night. more to come tomorrow night. 

~ i arrived home to finn telling me he finished the last book (#7) in the harry potter series,
and scout telling me he is a quarter way through book 6.  the boys have devoured these books
ever since receiving the box set for christmas. they haven't gone many places without one 
of these books in hand.

they will glady tell anyone who will listen to them that harry potter is "the best series ever"!
the popularity of the books around the world says thousands of children {and adults} would agree.
what a gift jk rowling has.  a whole magical world exists in their imaginations all because of her writing.

sharing love

happy valentine's day lovelies!

i'm up before the sun today so i get to krispy kreme early
to pick up these sweets for all my sweet coworkers.

my podmate and i have been planning this for weeks.
we have a slight obsession with kk donuts but we try to wait for special
occasions to  justify eating them.

so this morning, i'm off to pick up 2 dozens,
and will be sure to grab the complimentary valentine's that
offer a free donut {for my little loves}.  i'll be sure to take
them here one morning this weekend while we let c sleep in.

wishing you all a fabulous friday and valentine's day!!

xoxo

boy approved valentines

i received emails from both the boys' teacher's a few weeks ago
informing parents their classes would be having a small v-day party.

when i mentioned to the boys, scout was excited and said he wanted
his valentine cards to be "cool".  finn's reponse was "my teacher said
valentine's were optional", his way of saying he didn't really care.

one evening i jumped on the internet and googled boy valentines
and a few minutes later, i found these!




via



via

 

 

 

i've never been a fan of storebought kid's valentines,

but i don't have the talent or alot of time to try my

hand at creating something as cool as these.

 

i am SO grateful talented designers share free downloadable
printables for moms like me who are looking for something

a little more unique and special.  these represented my two
so well.

 

i showed the images to the boys and they really liked them,
even my big 10 year old. {i had a feeling he would}

 

since the boys don't have school tomorrow or monday

{teacher work day and president's day},
their party was today so i sent them off to school with
2 dozen cards. they were both excited to hand them out

to their friends. scout mentioned the GIRLS in his class

probably wouldn't like them. 

{as the saying goes, you can't please everyone}.

~ c and i celebrated valentine's day early like last year.

we find it easier than fighting crowds and we prefer not having to order 

from pre-fixed menus.  last night {with help from auntie jen}, we snuck

off to dinner and then to see this play. it's by the pulitzer prize winning playwright,
ayad akhtar.  i cried, laughed, and left the theater emotionally exhausted.

tomorrow night, we're doing something really special...loving on our

friend's sweet baby boy jackson while they go to an opera. we're excited!
we watched him a few months back, and have been missing him.

finn's number 10

Nasa Director: This could be the worst disaster NASA's ever faced.
Gene Kranz: With all due respect sir, I believe this is gonna be our finest hour.
- Apollo 13 {the movie, 1995}

what a memorable line from the movie apollo 13

of all the movies finn could have selected for his outdoor birthday movie,
he chose this.  it's a movie our family has probably seen a dozen times,
but i'm not complaining.  i love this movie, and as a parent, it would be
hard to pick a better space movie for my family than this one.

this one has it all - a rocket launch, explosions suspense, and all the while it
shows committment, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, perseverence,
AND it's based on a historical event.

since the party was themed around this movie and space,
we needed something to help make it feel like a space party.
auntie jen picked up a few mylar stars to hang outside on the tree,
and i ordered customizable printables from paper and cake.
with this stuff, the space birthday party was ready for launch! 

christopher used a boxed cake mix and glass pyrex bowl to create the moon cake,

and happily announced it was the easiest cake he's ever made for the boys.

with all that extra time he had, he set up the movie screen and projector,

and by 4:30pm, the backyard was filled with a dozen rambunctious boys.
{girls were strictly forbidden}

the boys played until it was time for dinner {pizza} and cake followed.
the cake was a hit.  though I always make cupcakes, the kids most often
want a slice of the cake.

in order to have these kids ready for pick-up by 8:30pm, we started the movie directly after.

it was a cool night, so the kids were dressed in sweaters and some even had sleeping bags to
crawl into during the movie.

 





the birthday guests were delivered safely to their parents and on their way out the door,
were given astronaut ice cream to take home.  i was hesitant to even get this as i think it's
disgusting, but finn swears he loves it.  he also shared it's yet another reason he could be an
astronaut and i couldn't. {i can't eat astronaut food and i failed the g-force test on the spinning
swing earlier in the week).

the birthday boy went to bed exhausted from all the festivities, and c and i half joked that
he went to bed with  dreams of  all things SPACE in his head.

oh how we love our 10 year old spacing loving boy! 


~ i wish i had taken a few more photos of the snack table.
what doesn't show up is the cute printables on the glass jars. 
one jar was full or orange cheese balls read 'Meteors',
and another jar was full of popcorn and read 'Asteroids'.
the boys got a kick out of the names. 





life is like riding a bike

happy happy friday!!

i've had my eye on this print from restyle for a while,
and it seemed fitting to post today.

it's not only Adorable - the retro print, the colors
and and the cute beach cruiser, but it's message was
right on...so relevant to me as i struggled this week.

via

we had our healthcare folks from all over the u.s. fly in
for a few days for our annual budget planning meeting. 
days were long and i wasn't home as much in the evenings.

when i was, i was spreading myself thin which caused me to fall
off my bike once. i'll just say that one of finn's piano practices
was a bit rocky. we made it through but ended up with a skinned knee.
{as scout would point out, that's a 'metaphor'}. *grin*

i'm back on my bike and looking forward to some downtime with the boys,
and some fun time with a new group of ladies from my neighborhood tonight.
we;re heading here for happy hour!

i haven't forgotten birthday photos {or to post about our mexico trip}.
be patient peeps... they are coming. it's just been one of those weeks -
filled with evening work events, parent/teacher conferences, homework,
piano practices and being sure thank you cards get written by mr. finn.

my life is full, and despite the craziness at times,
i am so grateful for all of it!
i just have to remember this week's lesson:
it's not the end of the world to fall off my bike and skin my knee,
the important thing is that i jump back on and keep pedaling.

fab find: Q&A 3 year journal for kids

i was perusing anthropologie a week ago
{for no good reason since i had no money to shop},
but i was so glad i wandered in because i found this
awesome little book in the back of the store.





















it's so cleverly written.
each page includes a single question and a few lines
for writing in a response for each of the 3 years.  

some sample questions:
- what made you laugh today
- if you could fly right now, where would you go
- what are you passionate about

these questions are easy to answer and fun too.
since writing is not one of finn's passions or strengths,
a traditional journal would never work for him,
but this one would. 

i picked it up and presented it to him on his actual
birthday {along with his special breakfast}.
i'm not sure who's enjoying this little book more,
finn or christopher and me.    

all i know is it's a hit at home and we have scoutie
asking for one for his next birthday.

done.

~ finn's birthday post to come eventually. i didn't get but a handful of photos.
it was an evening party and i don't have the proper flash for night time photography.
he had a great celebration - claiming it was his best party EVER. 
{i think he said that last year too}. *grin* 

meet elsie

i've been meaning to post about christi's beautiful baby girl forever!

elsie noelle arrived december 7th, 2014,
a perfect christmas gift for new parents, christi and tyler.
she is SO beautiful.  well see for yourself

when christi shared these photos with me, i sat staring at them for quite some time.
after having had her caring for my babies, and now seeing her with her own is a beautiful
reminder that life moves forward and that there is a season for everything.

as christi begins a new season in her life, i'm reminded that season in mine has passed.
as a new mommy, she is making her way through diapers, breastfeeding, schedules and
trying to get some sleep, and i'm navigating grade school and all the challenges that comes
with that - new friendships, monitoring screen time, appropriate books/movies and activities. 
it's so very different than being a mom to a baby.     

elsie's birth reminds me most of all to savor motherhood - every phase of it,
because our children grow so quicky.  when looking at elsie's tiny toes, it feels like 18 far away,
but it comes fast.  so very very fast. finn's double digit birthday was another reminder.

congratulations christi and tyler on the birth of your beautiful baby girl.
she is a lucky little girl to have you both as her parents.
and i'm sure you two feel like the lucky ones to have her..

i so hope to meet her sometime over the next year.

xo

~ this nursery is so sweet and so unique - definitely not something out of
a pottery barn catalogue.  i admire how christi has a way of pulling together
a variety of items to create a personal and beautiful spaces. it's not easy to do. 
i'm in awe of her talent!