A Night Out (well, sort of . . . )

Rich had to travel for a production run yesterday leaving me here with the kiddos on a Friday evening. I will say in his defense that it is not often that he has to travel on the weekend and at least I don't have to worry about getting Ian up and off to school in time the next day.

One of the nice things that we have here in town is a second-run movie theater. Since I am generally not very good at getting to the movies in general when they first come out, it suits me just fine to watch them after they are not quite a "hot ticket" and for substantially less than it costs at the regular theater (especially now that the curly one is now of the age where we need a ticket for her too). The other nice benefit is that it is such a family friendly theater and so even though Ian and Kyra are reasonably well behaved when it comes to going to the movies, it's definitely a more "causal" atmosphere in which to watch a movie.

So, I took the kids for subs at Jimmy John's and then we went to see Monsters vs. Aliens. I wasn't quite sure what to expect as I hadn't really paid attention to the reviews when it first came out, but I will say that it was highly entertaining and provided quite a few laughs for everyone. It was definitely a treat for all even though we wish Daddy could have been watching it with us!

Warming Up

This weekend, we decided to head to Madison for the Madison Quarter Marathon. The whole story about why we decided to go was quite humorous. Our friends have run in the race the past few years and afterwards always have a great post-race BBQ. After talking it through, we decided to sign up and head to Mad Town. When I ended up talking to Ms. B to cordinate her watching Ian and Kyra, I found out that Mr. S & Co. didn't sign up BUT that was no reason not to have the post-race party.

So, I got to run the race "with" Rich. As you notice, I put that in quotes as he took off like a jackrabbit on steroids at the opening bullhorn. I didn't see him until the finish line. We both finished with good times. I ran in 58:51 which put me 12th out of 87 in my division and 106th amongst 624 females.

All in all, it was a nice warm up for the Bellin in three weeks and a nice half trial run!

Note to Self

When staying at a hotel, always make sure you check the alarm clock before going to bed to make sure that curious three-year old fingers have not turned on the alarm clock to go off at odd hours of the night! (I will look back on this some year and laugh, won't I?)

We're Back!

WARNING: This is going to be a photo-heavy entry!

What can I say to describe the last week? Our journey started on the 19th as we drove to Milwaukee to spend the night before taking off early the next morning. We had my birthday dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and then promptly headed to the hotel to go to sleep. We woke up Saturday morning at an unuasually early hour and made it to the airport only to find there were "maintenance issues." So, instead of going by plane, we were put on a bus to O'Hare. Actually, it took just about the same amount of time as it would to fly and the bus was comfortable.

The kids were extremely well-behaved on the flight down to Mexico. The drive to the resort was eye-opening. There is such a huge contrast between the luxury resorts and the villages that surround them. I did my best to point this out to Ian and Kyra.




The resort itself couldn not have been more perfect for us. They had an "Explorer's Club" that we could check the kids into. Each day, they had a schedule of activities and Ian would choose what he wanted to do and we would check him in and out. We did have the kids in there for lunch and dinner so Rich and I could have a quiet dinner each night. By the end of the first day, Kyra was counting to ten in Spanish (Ian can get even higher). We have nothing but good things to say about the kids club. Kyra and Ian both enjoyed their time and their teachers. The pictures above are a couple of the various kids' activities. One night they had a "show" and another night, they took part in the Mexican fiesta. Kyra and Ian were "co-winners" in the "Viva Mexico" contest. When you had the sombrero on your head, you had to shout "Viva Mexico!". Ian was the most entusiastic and Kyra was just a ham!








Aside from the kids' activities, there was no shortage of things to do at the resort. Each day we started with a huge breakfast and then headed down to the beach/pool. We spent LOTS of time in the pool! Kyra was a little hesitant the first few days, but by the end of the week, she was "swimming" like a pro and jumping into the deep end (provided we were there to catch her). They both also enjoyed the ocean trampoline (which made Mommy seasick).




When the kids were busy with the kids club, we got to play too. Rich participated in Beach Olympics. Here he is after a game where they had to pass flour over their heads in a line. We also played quite a bit of beach and tequilla volleyball (and yes, the latter does involve beverage).






I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the food and drink available! It was actually overwhelming and we often didn't know what to choose (although I would have been just as happy munching on fresh guacamole and chips). Even my pickiest eater found new things to try! Ian discovered he loved pollenta and he found that everything (including bacon) tastes better with Nutella! In the evening, we went to several "adult" only restaurants including Asian, French and Italian. I discovered it is far too easy to drink a bottle of Merlot by one's lonesome when said bottle is left at the table (but oh was it good!). Kyra, in true princess fashion, has an affinity for being served by room service. In fact, I am surprised that she did not demand a fruit plate and tres leches cake (Miss M, I may need a recipe sometime)before nap time today! The kids also discovered rather quickly that the bars were not for adults only! Their favorite drink? "Happy Kids", of course!







On Wednesday, Ian got to go on an excursion with us to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. The view was absolutely spectacular! It was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen! The boys also found a "virtual" geocache.




And here is the Mexican equivalant of the squirrel - the iguana. The first time one of these scurried across my path, I was a little freaked out. But then I soon realized they were EVERYWHERE and, much to Kyra's delight, they were really fun to chase! But you could sneak up on them (and with the help of an ultra zoom) get some decent shots of them!

In addition to everything else, Ian was able to go snailing, snorkeling and kayaking for the first time. He is extremely excited about snorkeling and even wants to keep practicing and is interested in looking into scuba lessons. I think we may have opened a(n expensive) can of worms here!

We got back late last night and the kids were exhausted though extremely good travelers. We're all a little sad to have left our slice of paradise, but at the same time, theer's no place like home! I look forward to catching nup with everyone soon!

Another benefit of weight loss

Clothing takes up way less space in a suitcase (and you can bring more!)

Some pictures from the long weekend

Well, it was a very busy weekend and I can't say that I ever want to be in a car for that long again for a good while. Now that Kyra is fully potty trained, there's even more stops in between making for close to a 6-hour trip one way. We are home now - physically and mentally exhausted. Here are some pictures from the weekend though:

Kyra enjoying the 4th of July cookout at Grandma Pokey & Grandpa Tiger's house

Ian and my nephews chilling out after playing "running bases" most of the day

Swimming at the hotel after a long day was a great way for the kids to unwind before bedtime. I just love Kyra's expression in this one

Cannonball!!!!

On our last night, Kyra got "brave" and attempted to swim all by herself. I swear she is smiling while she is partially submerged as she was so proud of herself.

And, to appease Ms. Arlyn, here is a picture of me. No visit "home" would be complete without a visit with my two best friends from high school.

To panic or not to panic?

That is the question, isn't it? Back in January, I re-upped for another annual crop with the wonderful women at Lifetime Moments. At the time, it seemed so far off that there was no way I wasn't going to be prepared. In fact, I even joked that one could feasibly get pregnant, deliver and still make it to the crop (and one person almost actually succeeded in that feat).

So, here we are, three days before the big event. Am I packed? Heavens no! Do I know what I am going to be working on? Of course not! All I know is that as of Wednesday evening, I am turning in my Mommy card for four days of nothing but good friends and good times! Why should I panic?

Sure is quiet around here!

Wow! Has it really been over two weeks since I last posted on my blog? I guess that's just the way summer goes. Actually, I have been keeping pretty busy running Ian around and I've been spending more time in my scrapbooking room than on the computer. Throw in a trip back to visit family at the beginning of the month and, well, July pretty much flew by without me really knowing it.

Anyhow, it hasn't just been quiet on this blog, it is quiet in my house right now. Rich left this morning for his annual trip to the IFT conference. This year it is in Chicago so at least he didn't have to travel very far to get there. He left this morning with a couple of co-workers.

Even stranger though is that Ian is away at Cub Scout camp. This is the first time he has ever gone away somewhere longer than one evening without a family member being present. Though he is only 40 minutes away, I am a very nervous Mom and tons of things are rushing through my head. I know he is in very capable hands though and right about now, they are probably gathered around the campfire roasting marshmellows and having a blast. One of the chaperones has a camera with him and has been insructed to take as many pictures as he humanly can.

So, it is just Kyra and I for the next couple of days. Am I that boring that she was already looking for her Daddy tonight? Probably not, but routine is routine. As for me, now that she is in bed, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the relative peace and quiet.