Party All The Time

I couldn't be happier to be at the tail-end of party-palooza. We arrived at my parents house on Thursday and settled in and just hung out as a family. I of course ADORE this but the party was in the back of my mind and I knew I had to get organized. We always have a great turn out with my family. Because they are such good sports, we decided to encourage people to wear disguises to the birthday party.

The birthday party featured a picture of Michael wearing a mustache he got at a candy store. He is so unfazed by people staring at him when he wears it. Instead, Michael is able to completely dead pan and just act like nothing is happening. We encouraged people to wear disguises to the party to go along with the 'Spy' theme. The winners of the disguise portion of the party were my Grandma and my Dad's brother- Bob's family. They were awesome! Such enthusiasm and creativity! We loved it!!!!!

The party went really well. We opted to have a barbecue (despite the fact that it did snow on his party day . . . mind you it was April!). The food was delicious and we all had a great time. Downstairs in my Dad's movie room, we had the movie Spy Kids playing and the bigger kids loved it! The rest of us just sat around and enjoyed each other's company. When it came time to open presents, we were all anxious to
see Michael's reaction to Gina's gift. It was by far the biggest present out there and we were all in on the joke. See- Gina bought Michael the DVD Big with Tom Hanks. Gina did the whole 'box after box' gag and Michael had never seen that before. There was all this anticipation for him to get to the smallest box which was seriously under 15 over boxes. We kept telling him it was really 'big' and he kept tearing open box after box. When he finally reached the DVD- he wasn't happy at all. I think he said, 'I thought it was big!' and we all said, 'It is!'. All the build up and Gina might as well have given him some socks!

The funniest part of this story was when I was driving Damien and Michael to the airport the next afternoon (Claire, Matthew, and I stayed a few days longer). I asked him if he liked Gina's present. 'You mean the adult movie?'. He didn't make the connection that the movie he loves (which is Big) was the movie Gina gave him. I explained that the movie she gave him is the one where Josh Baskin makes a wish to a Zoltar machine to be Big. Michael thought about it and then perked up. Then he started screaming!!! 'You mean the one with the giant piano in the toy store?', Michael asked. I told him yes and he went absolutely nuts. With all the build up to Gina's gift, he really didn't look to see what DVD it was! Anyway, Gina was relieved to hear the story later that evening. We had a great trip and it was so nice to see everyone! And after it was all said and done, Michael's birthday season finally came to an end.

20 Energetic Kindergarteners

So, yesterday was the big family/friend party at our house. We kind of had to change things up a bit this year because Michael is at a place where he actually has school aged friends. Having a party in preschool or even before that is purely driven by the parents. But now that Michael has a big group of buddies- he had some definite ideas of how his first-ever class party would go!

We started the party at Round Table Pizza in Willow Glen. Damien and I wanted to have the party somewhere where the boys would actually eat the food (what little boy doesn't like pizza?) and where they could run around and have fun without causing a scene! We were expecting 20 boys and were thrilled that Heather was able to help us corral the boys and make sure that we kept track of each and every kid with a sugar high! They had an absolute ball and actually did really well. Basically- there was no drama! They ate a lot of pizza, opened gifts, played video games, and then had cake.

After all the hoopla at Round Table, we asked the boys to all hold hands so that we could cross the street safely to go to Powell's Sweet Shoppe (which was across the street). This was the only part of the birthday party that made me nervous. But with Damien manning the front of the pack, me in the middle, and Heather at the end- we made it in one piece! It was funny to see the boy's reactions as they crossed the street and realized they were doing it successfully. I was impressed because they recognized the seriousness of following our directions but also giggled as they snaked across Lincoln Avenue.

Powell's Sweet Shoppe did not disappoint. They offer a 'scavenger hunt' of sorts for birthday parties. You go in about a week in advance and pre-buy 7 or so pieces of candy (per child) that they incorporate into a Candy Land board game. The kids then receive their own Candy Land game board and wander through the candy store to find the 7 pieces of candy you chose. They had to look high and low to find the candies that we chose for them and then once they found them all- showed it to a Powell's employee who either sent them to hunt for more or congratulated them on successfully completing the scavenger hunt. It was so great and they boys did so well. After it was over, they all sat on the sidewalk with their candy bags and waited for their parents to come and pick them up.

Michael had a great time and really enjoyed being the center of attention on his special day. Party #2 was over and now it was time to regroup and focus on the next weekend's party at my parents house. All this celebrating is really getting out of hand!

Michael Turns 7!

Seven Years Old. Seriously- how did this happen? We have officially been blessed for the last seven years by having Michael in our lives. We have been through a lot, seen him overcome overwhelming odds, and have watched him mature into a respectful, fun-loving, sensitive little boy!

For some reason, 7 years old seems so old to me! I am sure I will read this post years from now and wish that he was seven again, but for the time being- Michael as a seven year old is just plain crazy! It has been a big year for him. First of all, he started Kindergarten and goes to school every day. No more lazy mornings and afternoons with him (until summer!). He lost two teeth this year, moved into a new house, made all new friends at school, and continues to be a wonderful big brother to Claire and Matthew.

As customary here, Michael started his 'birthday season' in full swing! We started the festivities on his actual birthday with a family/friend party. It was a great crowd of supportive and loving people who helped us celebrate Michael and his big seven years with us. We had an inaugural barbecue in the new backyard and could not have ordered better weather. The temperature hit mid 80s that day and all the cleaning and prep of the house proved useless as we stayed outside the whole time!!!

The kids had a picnic together on the lawn while the adults happily chatted together on the patio. I was happy to have Damien's family here and also thrilled to have such a great turn out from our friends from Santa Clara University. The kids smacked the bat at the piñata, they all shot hoops, they drew with chalk and just had a great time hanging out.

When everyone had left the party, we cleaned up and got ready for his class party the next day. Matthew was a mess from not getting a nap and we were all tired with getting both kids to their soccer games and planning a party all in one day. At this point- I was really happy with my decision to have the party out of the house. 20 Kindergarten aged boys + pizza parlour = good idea!

Claire Loses 2nd Tooth

Just as I was starting to get used to Claire with a big hole in her smile, she goes and loses tooth #2! Claire's whole mouth is practically loose. Just as she loses one tooth, we find that more are loose. The bottom two have been wiggly for a while but weren't quite ready to come out. That was until Claire came to us yesterday saying her tooth hurt so bad she couldn't eat. After further inspection, she had reason to be uncomfortable! The bottom right tooth was hanging on be a thread!

As I mentioned before, Damien is the designated 'tooth puller' in our house. We asked her to muster up the courage to let Dad pull it out. She decided that she could do it and sat on a chair in the dining room. Damien assumed the position and it was tooth pulling time. But before you think that you know the end of the story- you should know that Claire didn't lose her tooth that night! As she was crying a little and was squirming, Damien tried to pull it out and the kleenex slipped. Claire was so mad and thwarted every effort we made to let Daddy try it again. (We didn't blame her, though.)


It wasn't until the next morning before school that she decided it was time. She sat down with Damien and in a matter of seconds, Claire's tiny bottom right tooth was in the palm of his hand. That night, Claire put the envelope containing her tooth under her pillow and by morning- she was the proud owner of four shiny quarters. One more tooth is gone but her piggy bank is richer. Stay tuned for the next episode The Dramatic Loss of Tooth #3! I am sure it is coming soon!

A Friend In Need

I think that sometimes it is easier to go through something difficult than to see someone you know and love traverse through a difficult journey. This past October, we got some amazing news that our great friends Aaron and Eileen were expecting their second baby! We couldn't have been happier for them. Damien and Aaron went to high school together and all four of us graduated from Santa Clara University together. We have known each other since we were both dating and it has been amazing to stay in touch and watch our families grow! That being said, another baby for Aaron and Eileen was a huge source of excitement for us! With all I have been through in my pregnancies, Eileen has been one of the most sincere people who has really supported me. She truly cared about my outcome and her friendship and support were priceless.

When Eileen was pregnant with her first child, she went into preterm labor. She did some bedrest but nothing could stop the eventual birth of their adorably beautiful baby girl. She was born at 34 weeks and 1 day and seemed to be really healthy. However, a small (yet stubborn) complication kept her in the NICU for over 2 months! It was a long and difficult road for them and Damien and I both could relate with our past dramatic pregnancies and births. This shared experience brought us even closer and we have a real connection today with their little girl who is now 2 1/2 and healthy!

Knowing that Aaron and Eileen were facing another pregnancy without knowing it's eventual course was hard. Each day is so precious and each week even better! We have chatted on the phone frequently and cheered the months that passed without incident. That is why it was hard to hear the news that at 26 weeks, Eileen had gone into premature labor. After a brief hospitalization and with no real answer to the cause of her preterm labor, Eileen was 'sentenced' to bedrest for the vast remainder of the pregnancy. I did what I could to support and help her and give her any tips I used to get through Claire and Matthew's pregnancies. It takes a strong woman, a strong relationship with your partner, and a large circle of understanding and supportive family/friends to make it to your goal on bedrest. I know that Eileen and Aaron had all of this and were equipped for long long journey ahead.

With each new hiccup Eileen has experienced, I have had to push away the very real and fresh feelings I had during my difficult pregnancies. I know that I have been through it and made it to the other side- but these experiences will never fully leave my heart. We have laughed together, consoled each other, and cheered the days that have passed in her pregnancy! Eileen is amazing and I am so incredibly proud of her determination and recognition of her very important role and responsibility. With the help of her husband, the hope her daughter gives her, and the amazing support of her family- she is on her way!

We brought them up dinner tonight in an effort to 'lighten their load'. It was great to see her looking so good and strong. We barely talked about the pregnancy- instead we enjoyed each other's company and tried to give them the strength and encouragement they'll need for this final stretch. They don't know if it is going to be a boy or a girl but one thing is for sure. This baby will be blessed to be in their family and will be so proud of his/her Mom and Dad for dedicating themselves to the journey. It is hard to slow life down at times like this- to do the right thing. However, in the end- it will have all been worth it.

Welcome Baby Caitlin!

My dear sister in law, Lani, has been such the trooper with her third pregnancy. Every time I saw her, she seemed to be in control and handling things so well! I don't get to see her all that often because we live about 2 hours away from each other, but when we did see each other, I couldn't believe how fast her pregnancy was flying! Her doctor had told her that she would probably deliver early which threw everyone into a tailspin waiting for her new little girl. There was one false alarm (I didn't want to see Hearst Castle anyway) but lucky for her; Lani's doctor set an induction date in case her labor didn't get the show on the road!

Days past and before I knew it- the day was here! She was set to be induced on April 1st and thanks to Damien taking care of my two older kids, Matthew and I made it up north for the big delivery. We set out at 6:00 a.m. and Lani didn't know we were coming. When we did arrive, she was so surprised and happy to see us and we were equally as happy to be there for the delivery of my new niece and Matthew's new cousin! Lani's labor started out well and as expected- quickly turned intense which led to the birth of Caitlin! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to be there when she delivered because of Matthew, but like the trooper he is, he napped in my arms for most of it. He did wake up just as she started pushing, but sat quietly in my arms for the big debut!

It was AWESOME to be there for the birth of Caitlin. I love everything about birth. It is such a miraculous occasion where you get to witness a tiny little person entering our world and taking their first breath. The only other birth I have seen was Lani's first daughter- Megan (who is now 2 years old). It is truly a gift if someone allows you to be in the delivery room. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been there and will certainly never forget it. Lani was so strong- so focused and handled the pain so well. I am so proud of her and was so blessed to have been a part of it all.

That afternoon, Damien brought Michael and Claire to the hospital to meet their new cousin. After it was all said and done, Lani sat in bed with her three children and looked so beautiful and so happy. Caitlin is here and so lucky to Lani and Eric as parents! Welcome Caitlin to this Big Big World!

Mowgli The Man Cub

Matthew does not like the feeling of grass. He doesn't mind sitting on it- but HATES lying down on it or crawling on it. In an effort to avoid this feeling, he has changed the way he crawls on grass. He looks so silly and knows he is being silly when he crawls like this. I affectionately call him Mowgli the Man Cub. If you think back to The Jungle Book, Baloo the Bear tries to teach Mowgli how to crawl like a bear and it looks exactly like Matthew in this picture.

Matthew has started taking many more steps these days, however, once he falls, he crawls to his destination. After a good day of outdoor play, his little knees, feet, and toes are all scratched up. He never complains- but I feel bad for him. I sense that this 'scratchy-ness' has started to really bug him so I have found that he not only assumes the Mowgli crawl on the grass, but on the flagstone, too! He is so funny!

Easter

This year's Easter season seemed to be jam-packed full of fun events! It started in early March with an Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt at Santa Clara University. Damien and I try and get back to campus as much as possible and this seemed like a great event to see some friends and also let the kids have a great time hunting for Easter eggs. They had the Easter Bunny come out for pictures and even this proved amusing when Matthew freaked out while having to get his picture taken with him. He freaked out in the same way he did with Santa, but louder! Of course, I loved it. It makes for a great memory of the event.

There are two times a year when I try and buy new outfits for the kids. One is Christmas and the other Easter. They don't have to be super matchy matchy, but I do like them to coordinate. This way I can get a good picture of them and then maybe when they look back on the pictures years from now- they will have thought that I had it together! This year (with all the dozens of events packed into March) the outfit buying seemed difficult. But in the end- I found them. Phew! I got their picture taken at The Picture People and amazingly, it turned out adorable! I was more than thrilled!

The plan this year for Easter was to join Damien's family at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn for an Easter brunch. For many many years Mark and Marlene have hosted this event at their home, but after the success of last year's brunch at the hotel, they decided to do it there again. We all thought that was great idea as it requires so much less work to have it there instead of at their home. It was a gorgeous Easter morning as the kids unwrapped piece after piece of 'breakfast chocolate'. Once they were totally sick, we dressed them in their Easter outfits and piled into the car for the hour ride to Sonoma. Matthew was exhausted so the car ride was the perfect chance for him to get in a long morning nap before the madness began!

The brunch was delicious, the weather was unbelievable, and it was great seeing everyone. We basically had to force feed Michael and Claire as they wanted to stay outside the whole time. But Matthew- in true form- didn't really leave my side . . . or my hip, rather. That's what makes him my little mama's boy! We had an Easter egg hunt and even a little chance for a photo opp with all the grand kids (9 in total, but Lani was due to deliver #10 within a week!). After the brunch, we all went swimming in the hotel's pool and enjoyed the day before we headed back home in time for the kids to get some sleep for school the next day.

This Easter was really nice. The thing I loved the most was that Michael really understood the real meaning of Easter. He knew that on Easter- Jesus rose from the dead. He understood the ultimate sacrifice He made for us and to see the look on his face Easter morning when he retold me Jesus' story was priceless. It was a wonderful day.

The Map of Ireland

I've been told many times while shopping, walking down the street, etc. that Michael wears the map of Ireland on his face. For some reason (and I think it is cute), people can't resist telling me how much they love his look, how Irish he looks, or how they love Michael's red hair. Then, a lot of the time the question will follow, 'Is he yours?'. Yes! He is ALL mine!

While on a shopping trip with my Mom, we found these adorable St. Patrick's Day t-shirts. Being that I am a sucker for every most every holiday- I had to buy the shirts! Michael fell in love with his t-shirt (pictured on top) and wears it quite frequently. He even wore it to soccer practice and all the boys started chiming in about it. After a few minutes of comments from his friends- he ran over to me looking worried and said, "Mom, do Irish girls really love me?" I said, "Of course they do and I'm sure they will when you're a little older!" Apparently, I gave him the right answer because he yelled SWEET! and ran over to tell his friends. I guess they were telling him that Irish girls don't love him and he felt he proved them wrong. Seriously- it was pure comedy!

This year (and every year for that matter), St. Patrick's Day falls on Marlene's birthday. This year was a big birthday for her and the whole family (even Damien's brother's family from England) came over for the big celebration. We had invited Marlene's friends and surrounding family to the party in an effort to celebrate her and have a great day! We served up a delicious lunch of fresh crepes, salads, and breads. Then we all headed outside to see a banner plane fly by with a special message for her.

The party was far from over. A pony arrived to take all the kids for a pony ride. Michael and Claire were all over it, but it took a little coaxing to get Matthew to ride the pony. It was his first time and he did great! Would you believe that we also talked Marlene into taking a ride on the pony? It was classic! After the pony rides, we all returned inside for a presentation for Marlene and enjoyed the rest of the day.

The same day we were celebrating St. Patrick's Day, my family was toasting to St. Joseph with their 4th Annual La Festa Di San Giuseppe. In record numbers, family and friends came out to participate in this amazing celebration while also raising money to help those less fortunate in Malawi, Africa. They raised more money than ever before this year and I am so proud of my family that they have found a way to bring family and friends together while also changing the lives of those across the world.

Michael and Claire Play Soccer

I have so many wonderful sports memories from when I was younger. To be truthful, most of them revolve around soccer. Saturday mornings meant getting in my uniform as soon as I woke up, walking out to the family room with a blanket, and nuzzling up to the television to watch The Gummy Bears, The Smurfs, or whatever was in the cartoon line-up that morning. I would sit there with Jill and wait until my Dad told us it was time to go. I loved it!


I really want my kids to enjoy whatever it is they want to do. I don't want to push them- but instead encourage them to try new things. We signed Michael and Claire up to play Spring Soccer. Michael was all for it, but Claire was a bit more apprehensive. Because they are getting older- this would be the first time that they weren't on the same team. Claire really didn't like this! As much as the two of them bicker, she really needs him. Michael gives her the support and courage she needs sometimes to try something new- especially if it is in a new environment. I was proud of Claire though- she decided she could do it!


Michael is on an 8 and under boy's team called The Mighty Dragons. A couple of his buddies from his Kindergarten class are on the team and he is having the best time! They practice once a week and have games on Saturdays and he enjoys getting outside and running around. He mostly plays defense and seems to take the job pretty seriously. He cracks me up! So intense, so focused. It is such a thrill to seem him running around out there and watching his thought process as he maneuvers himself through the game.


Claire is on a 6 and under coed team called The Strikers. She didn't know anyone on the team but really did a good job of adapting. On the first day, they had the kids sit in a circle in order to introduce them to one another. They were supposed to say their name and their favorite food. She said, "My name is Claire and my favorite food is Tunafish Casserole." I don't know why, but hearing her say that made me laugh hysterically. Something about meeting new friends for the first time and tunafish casserole didn't sound right. Claire is really starting to understand the game and has a lot of fun at her games. To put it nicely, their team doesn't generally do that well (although as a team- they are getting a lot better!). They get scored on a lot and it is hard sometimes for the kids to not get defeated. Claire was really intense the first game and ran her little heart out. Each time the other team scored, I noticed that she started crying. Not the crying where she needed my support, but she was just so frustrated when they got beat. But she wiped her tears and kept going. I was really proud of her and after the game tried to help her understand that winning isn't everything. But let's be real here, I am still trying to learn this lesson. They now win and lose games (although in this league they don't keep score) but she doesn't cry or get frustrated. She just know that she needs to try her very best and whatever else happens is out of her control.


I love seeing the kids play during their practices and their games. What I didn't anticipate is how much more difficult two practices and two games a week would be! To think of the many activities I had each week as a child and to think that my sisters were really involved, too- makes me wonder how my parents stayed sane? I suddenly understand why the color-coded calendar my parents taped on the side of the cabinet was a necessity. With all the different activities- you have to stay on top of it or it might take you over!

Matthew's First Step

It has happened. Matthew took his first step! As I mentioned in an earlier post, Matthew decided to take this 'giant leap' while we were in Costa Rica- but lucky for us, my Mom and Gina were there to witness the whole thing! Over the past few months, I have had so many people ask if Matthew was walking yet. A lot of people were surprised that he wasn't and even more people were surprised at my real lack of urgency to have him up and moving. I just knew that when the time was right for him- he would walk. Plus, do I really need another mobile child running around the house getting into mischief? I think not! But apparently, March 3rd, 2008, was the day for Matthew to strut his stuff!

My kids have all hit their developmental milestones within the normal range. Michael was on the longer side- taking his first step at 17 months (the day before I gave birth to Claire). Claire was probably right on target taking her first step at 11 1/2 months. Because Matthew is my third, I am so relaxed with when he chooses to hit his big milestones. I have placed no pressure around these steps, instead choosing to sit back and watch as he begins to fit into the big world around him.

When we returned from our trip, it was so wonderful to see him take a step. While he will always be my baby, it is so surreal to see your child taking steps toward independence. I know that this one step is just the beginning to Matthew walking around and getting himself what he needs. And while I rejoice in this new found skill, it also reminds me to cherish each and every babyish moment while he still has them.

Clairey Loses A Tooth!

I was sitting in Michael's room with Gina, Michael and Claire the morning I was going to be leaving for Costa Rica. We were all hanging out and having a good time when I looked over at Claire's mouth. See, Claire has always had these sweet two front teeth that completely touched one other making one of the cutest mouths I have ever seen in my life. But as she turned my way, I noticed that she had a considerable gap between them. I told Gina, "Look how much Claire is growing! Even her teeth are spreading." We both quickly mourned the gap between her two front teeth. Gina always loved Claire's teeth, too. I scooted closer to her to get a better look. It looked strange. How could this gap just appear over night? I reached out to touch her front right tooth and it was super loose. I thought, How could this be? Her front teeth weren't even loose? How could she be losing her top teeth when she hasn't even lost her bottom teeth?


I sat for a few seconds trying to make sense of this. My first clue to the puzzle was the mysterious way the crib had broken the night before. I went to put Matthew to sleep in the crib around 9pm and noticed that entire sliding portion of the crib was off, posing serious danger if he somehow got wedged in there. But how did that happen? I called Damien in and showed him the crib and he was dumbfounded. Cribs just don't break like this and certainly Matthew isn't capable of breaking his crib (at least not yet). Because we were leaving the next day, Damien needed to fix the crib so we could leave my Mom with a functional place to put Matthew to sleep. But where was all the hardware (screws, bolts) that fell off the crib? We searched high and low until I saw something shiny under Matthew's dresser. Damien got lower to investigate and sure enough- there were all screws and brackets tucked neatly in a pile. Hmmmmm. Something was up.


First clue- we have a broken crib. Second clue- Claire's front tooth is unusually loose. Third clue- The bandit (or bandits) that broke the crib tried to hide the evidence (screws). This called for a serious investigation. I asked Claire how her tooth got loose and she told me that she hit it on Matthew's dresser (which is right next to his crib). I asked her, Were you in Matthew's crib? She replied, "No." I left Claire and cornered Michael. "Hey Buddy, what happened to Matthew's crib? He told me that Claire was pulling on the sliding side. I asked him if she hit her mouth (because surely, if you hit your mouth hard enough to bust out your front tooth- someone would have noticed) but he had no real answer.


So, we have filed the case under "No Real Evidence to Support the New Gap in Claire's Teeth". As you have probably guessed, Claire lost her tooth while we were in Costa Rica. She lost it the day before we got home when Michael wrestled her to the ground and it just popped out. She wanted to wait for the tooth fairy to come until we came home (which I loved). I was a little nervous to see Claire with her new tooth- or lack there of. She woke up the next morning and came out to see me. She looked so big- a real big girl now. I was proud of her and happy that my Mom was here to help her though it. Now that I am more used to it, I love it. Clairey, Clairey. Such a character and now this only adds to her personality.

Costa Rica

What would you do if you were offered a free trip to an exotic location? 6 days, 5 nights away from the kids where all you could do was relax and take care of yourself? When I learned that Damien had qualified for his company's incentive trip, I was so excited! This year, the trip's location was Costa Rica. For all those in the company that qualified, you were given a free round trip flight to Costa Rica, a five night stay at an all inclusive five-star resort, and opportunities to do things that you might never get the chance to do again!

As soon as the first swell of excitement rushed over me, I realized that this trip was going to be a reality. The first thing I thought was that if I wanted to go, I had to leave the kids. At the time- Matthew was still breastfeeding and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to wean him in time. However, once I introduced cow's milk- he had NO problem at all! First problem- check. The next problem was figuring out who would be able to watch my kids for nearly a week! My mom accepted the opportunity gracefully and my second problem was now over. Now- it was my turn to overcome my fears of traveling to another country without them and finding time to take care of myself and my marriage.

Damien kept saying that this was going to be our second honeymoon. Over eight years ago, we traveled newly married to Maui, Hawaii at the fresh age of 23. We were taking a giant leap in our lives at such a young age but it felt so right. Now, with many more life experiences, we were on our way to take some time to relax and enjoy one another. No middle of the night bottle feeds, no driving carpools, no making breakfast, lunch and dinner. This trip sounded AMAZING!

My Mom and my sister Gina flew in on Friday. Now that my re-enforcements were in place- nothing was stopping me from getting out of here for almost a week! Lucky for us, we packed early so we could enjoy their company and have the opportunity to transition the hectic schedule to my Mom and Gina. I wanted to make the goodbye quick as I knew that if I drew it out, I would blubber all over them and make them anxious. I quickly kissed them goodbye and told them I'd be back soon with a special gift. And just like that- we were on our way!

We left on a Continental flight at 11pm and flew across the country to Newark, New Jersey. Since you can't fly directly into Liberia, Costa Rica- we wanted to fly the route with the fewest stops which would allow us to get some sleep along the way. Because I was seriously sleep deprived, I passed out for most all of the six hours. We had a two hour layover in Newark and then hopped on another six hour flight which brought us into Liberia. The airport was small and somewhat primitive. As we walked off the flight, the heat hit us immediately! It was exciting to know that we would be able to enjoy this heat and just relax for the next week! We piled onto a bus with some of Damien's workmates and started the hour and a half ride to La Paradisus Playa Conchal Resort. The drive was amazing. To see such a different culture as we passed through, a different way of life- was really amazing. One thing that really stuck out was the way each house was designed. Because of the overwhelming presence of termites in Costa Rica, most every house is made of concrete. But the really interesting thing about each house was that all of them had a front patio with rocking chairs on it. When you drove by, there were usually people sitting out there, relaxing, and spending time with family. Maybe we have a thing or two to learn from them . . .

We pulled up to our hotel and it was breathtaking. When I had imagined what this resort would look like, I pictured a hotel right on the beach with oceanfront views. But this was not the case. The rooms were spaced out over this very lush and beautiful property. At first I was a little disappointed, but once we understood the lay of the land, I realized it was perfect. They had golf carts everywhere ready to take you to any part of the resort. This allowed you to go to the beach, the restaurants, or the Spa, and then return to the peacefulness of your room amongst the gorgeous foliage. It was so relaxing and really helped us to slow down and enjoy each other.

On the first day, we explored the property and then joined his company for a welcome dinner. It was nice to match the faces to the names that I hear on a daily basis. It was a traditional Costa Rican dinner with entertainment. During dinner, I had to keep shaking my head to realize that I was in Central America! (And also to realize that I didn't have kids hanging on me!) We turned in relatively early in order to start the next day bright and early. Because we were so close the equator, it got pitch black at 6pm. So turning in early wasn't a really big deal.


We woke up early the next morning, got breakfast, and then met in the main lobby with a group we would join to take Surfing Lessons! We all piled into another bus and drove 20 minutes to a small town that apparently was the best place to surf. When I was a junior in college, we played in a tournament in Hawaii and on the last day, our coach brought us all to the beach and signed us up for surfing lessons. While I had some success then, I was really looking forward to taking lessons again because I really wanted to ride some waves! Damien and I changed into our surf shirts (provided by the instructor) and headed to the beach. The instructor taught us what to do and then we were off to try it on our own! It was awesome. While Damien was a total natural (he is really good at skateboarding and snowboarding), I had to work harder to stay balanced. After a good thirty minutes of practicing- I had it down! Damien and I caught the same wave a few times and were able to surf the wave and reach out and touch each other's hand. It was awesome! Definitely something I will never forget for the rest of my life!

So, it is no secret that I am not the most brave person when it comes to animals, especially reptiles. I was worried that there were going to be a lot of snakes in Costa Rica but lucky for me, they really aren't prevalent there. What were prevalent were wild iguanas! You would be walking and suddenly a 16 inch iguana would walk out in front of you. The picture to the right was of me walking around in the town. I just happened to glance down- and alas . . . there was a freakin' iguana! Ahhhhhhhh!

The following day, we went on an excursion arranged by his company to one of the many canopies in the Costa Rican jungle. This adventure tour promised to be amazing and we couldn't wait to go. It was again, an hour and a half bus ride to the middle of a jungle (situated beneath a volcano) and we were given options on what activities we wanted to partake in. First, we chose to take an inner tube ride down Level 3 rapids. Seriously, it was if Disneyland had taken hold of this particular river and made it the one of the most incredible rides of your life! We had to wear helmets (the rapids were no joke) and you had to wear tennis shoes to push off of rocks and to save yourself from cascading right into giant boulders! Between the swells of rapids, we drifted peacefully down the brisk river and relaxed while enjoying the sight of monkeys in the trees (they were so cute!). The tour guides thought it would be funny to scare the girl riders by putting frogs on our shoulders. Those of you that know me well, know that I was not too pleased by this! After we finished the 90 minute ride, we took a little bus back to the tour center and had lunch with the rest of our group.


From there, we took a 30 minute horse ride (my horse was a total bully) to a waterfall and were allowed to jump off and swim in the clear blue water. It was so cool! Damien and I both jumped and then at the end, we jumped together which was incredible. We rode back to the center and then got ready for our last adventure of the day. We had heard before we came that we were going to be able to ride zip-lines through the jungle. Between the two of us- I am more of the dare devil . I was so excited for it, but Damien was more apprehensive. Too late to back out, we took a safety course and off we went. The first zip line was relatively easy. Damien opted to go before me every time because I think if he went after me and saw what he was going to do- he would've been too nervous. I think there were a total of 10 or 11 zip lines and as we proceeded through them, they increased in difficulty and were more frightening. It was amazing to zip line over a gorge that was seriously 500 feet deep and then wait on a tiny platform to attempt the next one. I LOVED it and I think Damien really liked it. I would totally do it again, but Damien said that once was enough for him.

The rest of the trip we just relaxed and enjoyed the moments of peace and quiet (we knew what we were going to go back to!). We laid out by the pool, relaxed next to the ocean, took a shopping trip into town to by some goodies, ate tons of food (when the resort is all inclusive you have to go for it!) and then got ready for the black-tie dinner on the last night. It was nice to meet so many of the people that Damien works with, but we also kept a lot of distance from the group to truly take advantage of the trip! I have said this to a few of you, but I was really looking forward to this trip to get in touch with Damien and really reflect on our marriage/love and what it has done for us. What I didn't expect was to really get in touch with myself. It was amazing to sit in the sun and have full fluid thoughts going through my mind. There were no interruptions from my little kiddos, I could really think about things and get some great perspective on my life. This trip was something that kind of fell into our laps (well, actually Damien worked his tail off for it) but the trip was just what we needed.

When we came back, my Mom (and Gina) had everything under control. I know that it was hectic while we were gone to keep up with school, ballet, and soccer schedules- but it was all done beautifully. The only things that had changed when we returned was that Claire had lost her front tooth and my little Matthew had taken his first step. A lot of people wondered if that bothered me that I missed his first step- but it really didn't. What a gift for my Mom to be the recipient of that! She, nor I, will ever forget that! Both Damien and I are blessed to have had such an amazing time in Costa Rica. Had it not been for his company, we would have most definitely have not planned something like this for us. I had a hard time being away from the kids, but I am a better mother and wife for getting away and taking care of myself.