Joy Ride

All the Jersey Shore weekend pics(38).



Or, more like the song: "Highway to he@#!!. Ian has developed a strong disliking for his car seat. The sound of the 'click' throws him into a panic: Contorted face, swollen lips and cheeks, a shade of red that would put a tomato to shame. No matter how many times I remind myself about perspective, when it comes right down to it, perspective just doesn't get me by. The good news is that Noah has become QUITE the entertainer. He leans way over in his own car seat and offers several 'goo-goo, gaa-gaa's baaaabee!" "It's okay, baby"...and even, yes, you got it - "You're my best friend in the whole world Ian." That is until he reaches his own breaking point, at which pt., he leans way over and starts screaming right back at little brother. This moment, for the driver especially, is well, special.

Our Jersey Shore trip last weekend was awesome. This is our annual reunion with our buddies from Connor's undergraduate school (Kettering) and their families. This year, as Jersey Shore would have it, we had a definite Situation.

The Situation:
During their mid-stop layover, or 3 hours from home, as they are pulling into their booked hotel for the night, Joe and Amy hear a burp from the backseat. This precedes one of those special events only the parents of a two-year-old can fully appreciate: The (Toddler-Style) Stomach Bug. Messy, stinky, sticky, tearful (mom and child), and all together memorable. They headed back home the next morning. Their trip was eventful, to say the least. Sadly so, we missed out on the Tommy-Noah Show and Cake.

Nonetheless, we had a wonderful time together with Ken and Mer - who definitely has The Glow, and Brent and his lady-friend, Susie. All in the trip was a major success - windy weather - PERFECT for kite flying, excellent food (ken, you could totally quit your day-job for chef-dom), Patron margaritas (that's what I'm talkin' about!), great conversation, lots of laughs, and a couple of MTV episodes of Jersey Shore on someone's laptop. A success!


214 Steps up, up,up! We are at the top of a lighthouse.




Back at home - Ian splashin' in water. You wouldn't believe for a minute that I am the unhappy car seat baby, would you?


ian and i


And, this nicely sums it up:

And the Trouble I Find Is That the Trouble Finds Me

"Daddy, look, it's very GLUE-y." (objects glued together, dripping glue all over the couches)
(large crash from somewhere downstairs) "I'm Sorry Mom!"
"You're my best friend in the whole world!" - Noah

Love my boys

Will update soon on our Jersey Shore weekend...

Olympics 2010

Heather and Charlie at the Super G event. Heather and I attended this on Day One with our little dudes.


One of our Go Canada rotations!


Super G track behind us - Lindsey Vonn takes the Bronze for the U.S.


View from our balcony

We began our journey with a Baltimore to Seattle flight. Night one we stayed with Pete and Heather, Lena and Charlie. The three hour time differential was easily absorbed by all the excitement and sleeplessness of our adventure's start. The next morning, we packed up our rental Jeep and drove about 6 hours north, across the border, into Vancouver and finally ending in Whistler. We stayed right in the main Village where all the ceremonies, concerts and bustle occurred. It was like being in a movie! Very cool thing I must point out - chillin' at the playground one rainy morning, I lost one of my Olympic pins (these things are quite the commodity - I am guessing if you Googled Olympic pins it might tell you more). A tall blonde woman with fantastically bright pants and legs that went on forever glided over to me. Here, she said, you can have one of mine. In chit-chatting with her, we learned that she was in the 1998 Games in Japan for Ski Arials. "Did you win anything?" Pete asked. She said, "Yes. I won." Nikki Stone, baby! Google her.

The whole experience was incredibly EXCITING - and sleepless and all around, energizing - and deflating afterward. Memories we will all carry with us for a lifetime.

All the Pictures.
We packed up in Whistler - then drove to............

Osoyooooooos

Bayna & ian

When we completed the "Olympics" portion of our Olympics trip, we drove through North Vancouver, stayed with Connor's cousin Allan and family for a night, then drove through a take-your-breathe-away-beautiful mountain pass to reach Osoyoos. This beautiful section of B.C. is home of Connor's Aunt Donna and Uncle Mike and his grandpa Bayna. Having the boys meet their Great Grandpa was incredibly special.

Our visit to see Bayna's home - the boys had a wonderful time with Great Grandpa! For days after our trip Noah said he wanted to be a soccer player. Some conversation he had with Bayna triggered this notion for him.


Family road trip! Final 6 hour stretch - Leavenworth

Me & my boys :)

Special note on travel with children - be prepared mentally. You must bring yourself down to ground zero. Roll with it, go with it, turn off all 'stress-trigger' switches, and go to your happy place.
ian: Does not like car rides.

Plane rides are better.

Points for Honesty

Noah: Turn your head that way.
Me: Why?
Noah:Because I'm going to do something I don't want you to see.

Hrm.

That was this morning.... just now, from the next room (Noah): Mom, don't come in here. I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing.

Sure enough. That would be climbing the shelves (thankfully bolted to the wall).