June 19, 2013
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We kicked off last weekend (James/my last day of work before a 2 month sabbatical!) with a trip to Castello di Amorosa in Napa for a work celebration. James’ parents drove up to watch the kids – thank you, thank you, thank you! It was an awesome party. There were buses that picked us up (and later dropped us off) at our work parking lot, which just so happens to be less than 2 miles from our home. Intel rented the entire winery.
The food was terrific … open bar in the terrace overlooking the vineyard, buffet stations in the courtyard, featuring 3 varieties of gourmet pizzas and Caeser salad, Indian kabobs, butternut squash ravioli and steak salad, and seafood paella. There was the biggest cheese spread I’d ever seen in the Chapel, and another bar in the Great Hall. Down a labyrinth to the Grand Barrel room, there was a table full of mini desserts.
There was also a dance floor which was super crowded – I don’t think the planner expected so many engineers (myself and James included!) to dance. My feet were killing me at the end of the night, so we rested by one of the fire pits drinking tea and coffee, while waiting for our bus. Definitely a good party!
The next morning, we (plus Grandma and Grandpa) went to see Calista’s dance recital. I loved that it was during regular class time, Saturday morning (vs Tricks which had dress rehearsal and recital during work hours!) Also, it was super casual … the girls could wear anything they wanted. Though we pretty much forced Calista to wear her Tricks costume from last year, which I recall ran us ~$60.
Sunday was Father’s Day, and we went to Fairytale town. Zachary moaned and groaned about it, but I think he had fun once he got there. At least he was a good sport about it.
Monday, we went to the Aquatic Center, as Zachary wanted to do some kayaking. Calista protested, so we stayed near the shore and played with sand and water … and a gazillion geese. The water was pretty dingy and very cold. It wasn’t Hawaii or the Caribbean, that was for sure. As you can see, we’re running into an issue with our kids having very different interests. James/I insist on doing most things as a family, but it sometimes takes prodding. My youngest sister and I are almost 7-years apart in age, and I remember my parents doing the same thing.
Today (Tuesday), we went to Story Time at the library. It was super cute … pirate themed, songs, 3 books, games, very interactive. I felt like I was sitting in on a preschool class, but with a bunch of other moms. I think my friend Dana would have like it, but it really wasn’t my thing. The kids both joined the library’s summer reading program – and since we didn’t have plans the rest of the morning, they buckled down and completed the program requirements in a few hours. This earned them a free book of their choice, pencil, punch balloon, and gift cards for pizza, cupcake, and admission to LEGOLAND.
With no work or summer school, Calista is taking swim lessons every day, going on 4 days in a row. She’s making progress and SO close to being able to really swim (big arms, side breath ect.) We’re paying hand over fist, but I know we’re going to lose some momentum with our upcoming travel plans, so we’re buffering. Please, please, please learn to swim soon!
Two days into our sabbatical, and so far lots of downtime. Everything we had to cram in along with our 40+ hour work week, we can do much more leisurely. Little things like picking up the house, paying bills, laundry, errands/shopping, meal prepping … they can all be done throughout the day vs. during a rushed lunch hour or after the kids are in bed. James and I are taking exercise classes during the day, and I’ve gone out to lunch with a co-worker. Felt odd to drop her off at work and go home. Almost … guilty or maybe underutilized? I’ve been told by co-workers that it takes 1-2 weeks to get used to it. Oh, I am sure I can get used to this! And I’ll know I’ve succeeded when I lose track of what day of the week it is.
