The weekend after I got back from Kathy’s celebration cruise, was pretty laid back. Saturday, the kids both had dentist appointments right after Calie’s dance class – no cavities x2! Hurrah! Then we went to a carnival set up at Intel. There were bounce houses, pony rides, face painting, and fish feeding. But by the time we arrived, the lines were too long, and the fish were no longer interested in eating. We did some carnival games and won inflatable bats and stuffed animals. Zach was super excited to win the last dolphin on his last attempt, the very last minute before the carnival shut down.

  

James won tickets for free hot dogs (yuck), but they ran out, so we got hamburgers instead (yea!). We also had tickets for sno-cones. There was a small dispenser for the flavors, which allowed me to control the amount of artificial flavor/color my children ingest. As we had extra food tickets, I gave some to one of the guys on my team.

 

The kids played indoors in the afternoon, but the weather was so nice/warm, that we kicked them outside in the evening for dinner. We have a shady backyard and a new patio set, so it would be a shame not to use it!

 

  

On Sunday, Calie had a playdate with Cassie. We met up at a park near our home, which has play structures, sand, shaded picnic tables, and a water feature.

  

We had a picnic lunch at the park and then headed home in time to attend Kaitlyn’s birthday party at The Bounce Spot. I thought maybe Zach would be too old for a bounce house party – it’s been awhile since he’s been to one – but he had a great time! He had so much fun rough housing that he lost a wiggly tooth (#7). Happy 8th Birthday Kaitlyn!

 

  

During the week, I hosted guests from Microsoft, which meant long days (through dinner), as I wanted to get the most out of our on site collaboration. I also attended an interactive murder mystery team builder (Suspects). While it was fun, the combination of the 2 day Microsoft visit and the afternoon off resulted in late night catch up work. I was exhausted. The three day weekend could not have come soon enough! We kicked off Memorial Day weekend with a casual dinner playdate at Alex and Nicole’s house, where we played games. Crockpot barbecue pulled-chicken in Hawaiian sweet rolls = yummy! Our original plan for the long weekend was 2 nights of camping in Tahoe. We even had the car loaded in preparation. However, the weather forecast predicted below freezing temperatures and scattered thunderstorms, so we aborted mission. As it was the day before, we forfeited our payment – at least it went to a good cause, supporting California parks.

 

  

Saturday, after Calie’s dance class and lunch, we arrived at Marine World around 2pm. My work gave us 4 season passes with free parking. As it was a long weekend with ideal weather (70s), we had to park in an overflow lot – according to the parking attendees it was one of their busiest days yet! Knowing that Tava’s Jungleland is the least popular section, we decided to hang out there for most of the day. Since we had season passes (as well as a free weekday from work later in June to go), there was no reason to fight the crowds. Zach is now over 48″, which unlocked a number of good rides: Wave Swinger, Thrilla Gorilla, and Boomerang. He also went on Bumper Buggies, Scat-A-Bout, Monkey Business, Cobra, and The Ark.

  

  

We interspersed these rides with kiddie rides for Calie and a walk through the butterfly pavilion. The kids played in Zoe’s tree house a lot longer than I expected too. As I predicted, Tava’s Jungleland was very empty which allowed us to get on ride after ride after ride … Frog Hopper (x7), Monkey Around (x4), Tava’s Elephant Parade (x5), Congo Queen (x5), Safari Jeep Tout (x10!) Pretty fun day for only ~$40 in food and gas!

 

Sunday, we drove north to Pollock Pines (1 hr 15 min) for a short hike to Bassi Falls. It was definately a high ROI hike, perfect for kids, even as young as Calie. Depending on where you park, it could be as short as a 1/2 mile hike to the waterfalls (1 mile round trip). We had a picnic lunch, and then the kids burned off energy climbing over rock formations and jumping small streams. As we were hiking towards the falls, another hiker (who camped the night before) said it was very cold and many people gave up/drove off in the middle of the night. I was glad we made the call not to tough it out. We live so close to Tahoe, we’ll just go a different (warmer!) weekend – and maybe convince some friends to join us too!

  

 

On Memorial Day, Bev and I took our boys to put together sack lunches for the homeless. I was feeling pleased that I was teaching Zach to contribute to those less fortunate. However, my moment as super parent was quickly dashed when Zachary announced to the other volunteers,”This lunch is better than the ones I get!” After assembling the sandwiches, we headed into the city to hand out food. There was a big line and we ran out! Zach had a good time, and we decided next time we’d like to buy some food to donate.

 

  

In the afternoon, we hung out at home … played Monopoly, did chalk art outside on the patio, put together puzzles, and um… packed.

Last but not least, I got in some good exercise this weekend -jogged 2x and took 3 yoga classes … thanks Sam and Bev for being great workout buddies!

On Mother’s Day, I had breakfast with the family, and then headed down to San Francisco for a 2-day cruise to Vancouver!

Day 1: All aboard the Star Princess to celebrate my dear friend Kathy’s 40th birthday! Welcome aboard: Karen, Sheri, Lily, Jennifer, Sandy, Kathy, Chite, Melissa, and Karen – otherwise known as “Kathy and the BFFs.” What a great view of San Francisco … and having seen the Golden Gate bridge so many times from the highway, it felt surreal going under it!

 

It was quite windy, so after getting a group photo (a non-trivial task with all the hair flying), we headed to our rooms and explored the ship. Our block of rooms included 2 balcony suites and Kathy’s elite cruising status with Princess gave us access to free mini bar drinks.

  

First night (after the obligatory safety drill of course) included a nice dinner, followed by a show, and then … karaoke. I am a terrible singer, so I was dreading this part of the evening, but once we started dancing on stage, the energy was contagious. As we sang Mama Mia, the crowd started clapping and singing along – so fun! We stayed for the other singers. .. and while there were some great vocalists, we had the strongest crowd appeal. From then on, we’d be stopped periodically by other guests who recognized us. Celebrity status? Check!

 

At about 11pm or so, we headed to the night club to continue dancing. There were enough people to make it fun, but not so crowded that we were always bumping into people. I requested the song “Baby Got Back”, and I guess the DJ thought our group liked butts because after that, there were a few more songs in a row on that very topic. I hadn’t danced in forever, and had forgotten how fun it was. (Bonus: no blisters despite 4″ heels - Louboutins are quality!) I brought a book to read (ha-ha) but crashed as soon as we got back to our room.

Day 2: Despite staying up late the previous night, Melissa and I (cabinmates) made a pact to exercise the following morning. And we did! I ran 3 miles while Melissa did the elliptical. Calorie-wise, it was all downhill (a steep one) from there. We had breakfast with a few of the other girls, and then split up again to hit the pools. Then it was lunch, checking out the shops and exploring the boat, followed by regrouping all together at 3pm for afternoon tea. A bit concerning since dinner was 5:45pm, and as far as I know, only newborns should be eating full meals every 2-3 hours.

 

Oh gosh, and I almost forgot. We ran into a cafe between tea and dinner … they had different desserts, including a peanut butter chocolate one that Melissa had to get (it’s her favorite.) So I kept her company by eating a shrimp salad … with a side of Greek salad. No wonder my evening gown felt snug!

  

We had a champagne toast in Kathy’s honor during dinner – cheers to Kathy! Post dinner (which included a great duck appetizer and lots of dessert), we split up to watch 2 shows. There was a comedian who was named “Princess Entertainer of the Year” and most of the girls decided to see that. A few of the non-native English speakers had concerns about understanding a comedy show (a concern I am very familiar with after cruising with my parents a few weeks ago) and decided to watch the Showtime (singing/dancing) production instead. I decided to go with Showtime, as I figured I could go to comedy shows more easily on land. Plus my English is surprisingly bad for someone born in this country.

 

We met up at 10pm for an encore of Kathy and the BFFs … this time singing “Summer Nights” from the Grease soundtrack. We split into two groups based on quick assessment of manliness – so obviously I ended up in the John Travolta camp. I think there was also an underground movement to cover up the worst singers, so each side needed a decent lead vocalist. And if that shuffling wasn’t confusing enough, the karaoke video switched the male vocal to pink and female vocal to blue … and there was a few second audio-video lag. Luckily the lead vocalists (Kathy and Melissa) caught on right away, but I spent the majority of the song fuming that everyone was disregarding the video’s cues. The last few verses, I simply gave up and started dancing – and ended with an impromptu mime skit with Sheri. Pretend to be a man? Check!

Most of us went to bed after that, but Sandy and Melissa went back to the night club … where we later found out, Sandy asked a sailor to dance. Too bad Sheri and I weren’t there – we would’ve bought the guy a drink and written Kathy’s cabin number on the napkin.

Day 3: We had breakfast (loved their poached eggs over lox and bagel sandwich) and then headed out to the deck, where we had a great view of the Vancouver skyline. We passed snow capped mountains, the famous bright yellow sulfur piles, the lush Stanley park, and went underneath Lions Gate bridge to the dreaded Canada Place, where we knew our mini-cruise would end. NOoooo!

 

After we got off the ship, Kathy treated us all to high tea at The Urban Tea Merchant. It was walking distance, so we strolled along the bustling Vancouver streets dragging our luggage. Pretty sure it’s the best afternoon tea I’ve ever had … what a comprehensive list of teas! I couldn’t leave without picking up a container of “Happy Birthday tea” as a souvenir. After tea, we walked around a mall before heading to YVR airport … where I got to wait in Air Canada’s lounge as Kathy and Melissa’s guests. Arrived home past midnight, ready to head into work bright and early the next day.

 

What an awesome get-together! Fun, food, and friends? Check, check, check! It was wonderful spending time with such a great group of women. Surrounded by such successful, capable, and confident ladies, I’m thinking the 40s look pretty good. Happy 40th Birthday Kathy!!!  (For Kathy’s blog on the trip: http://witwikk.blogspot.com/2012/05)

Okay, so what happened after we got back from our cruise … well, we flew back on a Friday, which meant I had the weekend to rest. Saturday after Calie’s ballet class, we took the kids to “Kids Day in the Park.” The kids did crafts, carnival games, and bounce houses.

  

  

In the evening, Calie went to Cassie’s birthday party at Tricks … so much fun, especially the trampoline and swing! Happy 4th Birthday Cassie!

  

 

Sunday, after a short jog with Bev, I took the kids to the Sacramento Children’s museum. Since we’re members, we were able to get in an hour earlier than public hours, before it got too crowded. There was a new string exhibit, and the kids potted wild flowers. Back at home we planted the flowers, as well as 2 tomato plants, and some basil.

  

  

Taking advantage of jetlag, I took a few 5:45am yoga classes the following work week. I was hoping to make it a habit, but it was too much. I can’t get up to exercise at 5:15am, put in a full work day, play with kids and manage the household in the evening, and then log into work and catch up on housework after the kids are in bed. A more capable (or highly caffeinated) person maybe, but not me. At least not long term - I know my limits!

The following weekend, we drove to San Francisco to celebrate James’ Intel Achievement Award (IAA) with a 2-night stay at the Fairmont hotel. Friday night, there was a dessert reception. Since we didn’t have time for dinner, we made impromptu mini sandwiches from the cheese platter. Dessert was terrific … lots of bit sized treats from cupcakes to fruit tarts to cheese cake. There was also a made-to-order banana foster station. To entertain the kids, Kinect game stations were set up around the room.

  

Upon seeing James’ award, Zach asked,”How come Mommy didn’t one?” I’m glad he believes I am capable of getting one – and of course I’m going to try and prove it!

 

Saturday, we thought we would take a trolley to Pier 39. While waiting for the trolley, James calculated that it would cost us almost $50 for the trip. We had some concerns since Calie’s only 3 … but cheapness prevailed and we decided to walk it. It was actually a great decision because the weather was terrific and we got some exercise. We strolled around Pier 39, the kids rode on the carousel, we looked over the pier and saw Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz, and then had lunch at Boudin before heading to Ghirardelli Square for dessert. With our bellies full, the kids and I sang the whole way back as a distraction from the uphill climb – totally sweaty, but we made it! $48 saved…  ka-ching! While James watched the kids back at The Fairmont, I walked around San Francisco for 2 hours. I love walking around the city … I treated myself to a Lululemon jacket and leggings, and got a manicure. When I got back, it was time to get ready for the “Awards Ceremony.”

  

 

The IAA was very nice … it started with mingling, networking, and cocktails in a smaller room. We were one of the first arrivals. and it wasn’t very crowded at all. Suddenly James said,”Hey, look behind you.” I turned around and my face lit up as I saw a waiter walk by with a platter of hor d’oeuvres, in arm’s reach. Yes! My mouth was full when James corrected me with:”Um. I meant Paul.” Our CEO was standing right next to us.  I walked over to introduce myself as part of the Graphics Software team, and told him how great it was that babysitting was provided upstairs. I told him James also worked at Intel, and he replied with “Maybe you’ll win next time.”  After talking to a few other executives and IAA winners (including Melissa’s brother Greg), we were escorted to the main dining room.

 

For Paul’s keynote/welcome speech, he mentioned the babysitting upstairs with all the details I told him in our short conversation. I was pleased he remembered! James said,”Must be nice not being another guy in a dark suit.” But let’s face it, I’m also a better conversationalist. At the end of the speech, Paul revealed a pile of Ultrabooks behind the curtains – this year, all the winners would take home an Ultrabook. During dinner, we were entertained with professional Tango dancing and short, entertaining videos of the 20 winning accomplishments. After dinner, there was dancing (and drinks and desserts) back at the cocktail room, but babysitting was only open until 10pm, so we called it a night.

  

The next morning, we met up with my Aunt Helena, Cousin Ricky, my sisters and their significant others for dim sum at Koi Palace.

 

After brunch, we drove to my Grandparents’ grave site to pay our respects. My kids have never been to a cemetery before, so I was a bit concerned about how they would act, but they did fine. They kowtow’d with the rest of us. Calie found some Easter toys next to a headstone that I had to put back, and Zach was mostly interesting in doing the math to figure out how long people lived.

 

The drive home was uneventful, and we got home early enough to rest up for the work week ahead! Kicked it up a notch these past 2 weeks with either yoga or jogging or boxing 4-5x a week. Alas the scale is not budging, but at least I feel stronger and more toned. Sort of. Maybe. Thursday after work, we went to Zach’s school open house. Then on Friday, a Mother’s Day Tea in Calista’s class. Unfortunately I had a work meeting scheduled on top of the first half hour.

Me: “Calista, I have something to tell you. I am going to be late for your tea party because I have a meeting at work. Is that okay?”

Calie: “Oh Mommy! Don’t be sad. It’ll be okay, I promise. You have a job to do. Just don’t be all the way late” (ie miss the whole thing)

And that’s the exact quote. Sometimes it’s hard to believe she’s only 3. Anyway, fortunately I found out it was open house style, so parents will be coming in an out … and hence not a big deal to come in 30 minutes late.

  

 

(Note: We do not have a fish tank)

After the tea, it was cardio boxing with Melissa followed by dinner at Chicago Fire and dessert at Pinkberry with our families. Saturday was ballet for Calie, a morning jog and yoga for me with coworkers (plus a 2nd yoga class in the late afternoon with Calie). We also had Alex and Nicole over for a games playdate … we are now 0 for 3 in Pandemic. In the evening, James and I went to Chez Daniels for our date night – how wonderful to have such a romantic restaurant, with such good food, in our small town. We shared an escargot appetizer, James had beef tenderloin, and I had lamb. The price went up since our last visit, but it’s still a great deal – soup, salad, entree, and dessert for $30 Prix Fixe.

 

 

Tomorrow morning … I’m off on a girl’s getaway with my BFFs to celebrate Kathy’s 40th birthday! (Feeling like I’m living out of a suitcase lately, but NOT complaining!)

Mid/end of April, I received an extra week off work. Not willing to spend my days milling around town, I decided to take my parents on a cruise. My dad mentioned there were cruises leaving out of the Baltimore port, which would be extremely convenient for them since they live minutes away. With my friend Kathy’s help, I booked 2 rooms on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas. Since James had to work and Zach had school, my travel companion and cabin mate was Calista. Our ports were Bermuda (2 days) and Boston, MA (1.5 days.) Without further ado, the highlights of our 8-day cruise:

Bermuda: I originally thought we were stopping in the Bahamas, which I’ve visited before. So I did no research. The weekend before my trip, my friend Kathy caught my mistake and informed me I was actually heading to Bermuda. WHAT?! Well, she was right, and I was unprepared in terms of what to do. My parents and I perused the excursions but none of them seemed interesting. We decided to explore the island ourselves, taking the famous pink buses. We docked in King’s Wharf and rode a ferry to the capital, Hamilton. Then it was off to St. George’s via the pink buses! On the way, we passed by some very expensive homes, including one that used a real cave as a swim up bar. There were numerous golf courses and tennis courts. We also stopped for a tour at Crystal Caves … which for $20/person was a bit overpriced (Luray Caverns in Maryland is much more impressive.)

 

  

We finally reached St. Georges and walked around town … saw St Peter’s church (oldest Anglican church in the Western hemisphere) and King’s Square. Had I done my research, I would have also wanted to see the Unfinished Cathedral, but we didn’t know about it.  

  

 

The next day, we stayed in Hamilton and King’s Wharf, not wanting to stray too far from the ship the day of departure. We visited Bermuda Cathedral in Hamilton, walked down Front Street (famous for high end stores), and the Naval Dockyard (shopping, a small park, and a hidden cove!)

  

 

  

The below photo of my mom walking with Calista (holding an ice cream) brought back memories of living in England. Sophie was about the same age as Calista is now.

  

The cove was very empty, had shallow/calm waters, and so many shells - We wished we had more time to spend there!

 

  

Bermuda was the highlight of our trip – what a great island with friendly people. Very much unlike the Bahamas, where we were constantly being harassed to buy stuff, get our hair braided, or take tours in questionable looking vans.

Boston: Since we’ve all (minus Calie) been to Boston before, it didn’t make sense to take any tours. I lived there for 5 years after all. (Note: The T is now using electronic cards, they added a silver line, and rides are $2 … vs. 85 cents. Wow, I feel old!) We took the T from the ship dock to Kendall Square … walked through the Media Center and the Infinite Corridor.

   

(Warning! Trip down memory lane: I remember how tough it was going from a straight-A student in high school to a struggling B student at MIT – I didn’t know it at the time, but not being an A student was one of life’s best lessons. It taught me how to prioritize and focus on the big picture, not stress or over think details. I remember my friend Natalie and I boosting our own crushed egos by reminding each other what great attributes we had beyond the score on our exams. Dr. Natalie and I are both doing pretty well, if I do say so myself! )

 

  

Anyway, I digress. My parents, Calista, and I crossed Harvard Bridge for lunch (we were all craving Chinese food) on Beacon street.  After lunch, we got off at Downtown Crossing to check out deals but realized Filene’s Basement was closed. So we walked around Boston Commons instead before heading back to the ship.

At sea days: The weather was cool and windy, so we didn’t get to use the pool. Calista and I did sit in a hot tub once by ourselves though. I made it to the top of the rock wall on the top deck … quite nerving looking down into the ocean from the top! There was no line, and I was told that a few weeks ago, the line wrapped around the deck; there were 800+ kids on the ship because of spring break vs only 50 on our week. Nice! I also wanted to try the bungee jumping, but it was always closed when I checked due to strong winds.

 

  

Also at sea, we made jewelry sets … earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. They sold additional kits for $10, but we only made the complimentary ones. And of course, there was evening entertainment and a few deck parties. There was also a section of shops onboard with raffles – out of literally hundreds of people, Calie won 3 $10 items of her choice. She picked a red evening purse, a purple slap bracelet watch with rhinestones, and a tie for James.  Another indoor activity was perusing the walls of passenger photos and critiquing them. So judgmental! (And so fun … tee hee hee!) 

  

  

And no post of mine would be complete without food. There was nothing super impressive, but everything was very good. My favorite meal was the made-to-order salad lunch at My Fair Lady – I love a fresh, substantial (read: not healthy) salad!

 

  

(It seemed, every evening someone was celebrating a birthday or anniversary, so Calista asked if we could pretend it was her birthday. The waiters were happy to oblige, and it totally made her evening!)

 

Overall, a good trip. The ship was a bit older/dated and the weather was not ideal, but the staff was very friendly. And of course you can’t beat spending quality time with your family (parents), not doing housework, and sleeping in. After all, that’s what vacation is about!