Why C an't You Behave

I'm so sorry. I've neglected my blogging. It's been months and well.............I'm a mom who works and tries to stay fit amidst the chaos.

My husband and I survived the summer with our children going to summer camps and all. My schedule was FULL at ACT and our business kept us busy. But, there is nothing more satisfying than going on a vacation when all the work is done.

We went to Northern, Northern California to experience the Giant Redwoods. We rented a beautiful farmhouse in Ferndale called "Morningstar". My cousin decided that she and her family would like to join us and off we went. Thank goodness for minivans. All 8 of us drove up and it was a blast!!! The house was huge and everyone slept comfortably in their own rooms. The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

These redwoods were GINORMOUS!!! Our boys and my nieces had the best time finding their "caves" inside the trees. As I walked near these trees, I couldn't help think how old these trees were and how much history these trees have witnessed. It was quite profound. We looked so small in comparison to the large tree trunks.

The kids did a great job with all the hiking we did in the forests. My husband had to teach the kids about poison oak which was in abundance. The kids got really good at spotting them and leaving them alone. We eventually came upon a river that had little water in it, but enough for the kids to experiment.

What we also loved about our vacation home were the dairy cows that would greet us. We were on a few acres of land and right next to the house was a pasture for these cute yearlings. The kids just enjoyed them and I think the cows enjoyed watching them as well.
As fun as the giant redwoods were, the kids really enjoyed the beaches the most. I think the tidepools were a hit and just playing in the water. It was quite overcast on one day, but we had another day at the beach where it was sunny and windy (quite cool actually).


We had the best food up there. I had a great time relaxing and getting the "city" out of me. It was fun, fun, fun.

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Now, is that the real title of the song? Hmmm.......

Well, Greg was home from the road and we decided that we were not going to fly anywhere too far or drive across 2 states for our family vacation this year. We decided on staying in California and exploring it. I'm getting excited about it since it's so typical of us to not really get to know the state we live in because we're always thinking about what's "out there". Greg, being from Arizona, really wants to see the Sequoia Redwoods. After he brought that up, I realized it's been eons since I've visited them. The Avenue of the Giants, if I remember.

So, off we go doing research on the area. Luckily, I"m a member of AAA and just received the Via magazine. Lo and behold, it's Ferndale. The Victorian Village of Northern California!!! Wow, what amazing kismet. I look around and find some great B&B's; however, not much for kids. Hmmm...I think.....and then I do the "I Love Lucy" look....BINGO! A vacation home rental is the answer. I find this 3,000 sq. ft. farmhouse that has been converted to a home with modern amenities (http://www.vacationferndale.com/) . I"m getting excited now. It's about 1 mile from the main street of Ferndale which has one grocery store, one gas station, and one pharmacy with a lot of boutiques along the main street. It's about 2 miles from the Lost Coast and has farmland all around. Even better, the kids are welcomed!!! The backyard is huge and a private patio for BBQ's. The best part is that the land is also used to raise Arabian horses. My kids will think I'm the bomb!!! My in-laws have a quarter Arabian. They are horse lovers and ride a lot. My children love my in-laws horses and now we'll have them nearby. The Avenue of the Giants is only 30 minutes away. This is just heaven for me as well as my family. We are very excited!

You have to love California and it's diversity in land and people.

It's Too Darn Hot!!!

I've been away for awhile..........sorry! So busy as the school year starts to come to an end. Teacher appreciation week, field trips, etc. So fun and yet so busy.

So, our minivan read 100 degrees yesterday @ 3pm. What? It's really hot right now. We typically get that 3pm breeze here, but it was just a hot breeze. Out came the slippery slide for the boys. They stayed cool this way and no cooking. Not having it right now. Too hot!

Still hot now, but a bit cooler....I think. Not sure. We Bay Area-ites get so spoiled when the temperatures get extreme. We're wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.....but isn't that what we pay for? Oh well. Needless to say, most of us don't have a/c because we normally don't need it.

Well, off to take the boys to their swim lessons. Maybe it's BBQ time for dinner tonight.

It's a Small World

So, we have been officially deemed parents of a child in elementary school. Why? Well......just think spring break at Disneyland with half the other part of the world. It was crazy!!!! Just a sea of people with children having meltdowns by midday. It was nuts!

We hit Disney Monday and Tues. Geoffrey's best friend from school was meeting us down there with his family. Well, being it was their first time (our second) and both of them Civil Engineers everything was down to a science. They had subscribed to a program called Ridemax.com. This program will figure out for you where you need to go at what time and who should be getting the fast passes. All to maximize "ride time" during a busy time of year....like now. We weren't sure if it worked or not, but worth the try. So, Monday morning, Greg drops us off at the Guest Drop off and he goes to park the car (7a.m. right now) We find gate 13 or 20 like the program tells us to do. We meet up with Geoffrey's friend, Michael. We do the whole Disney count down thing and gates open at 8a.m. We get through, Michael's mom goes to rent a stroller, Greg runs to get fast passes at....don't remember, but somewhere while the kids and I literally are jogging to the Finding Nemo attraction. So far so good because our wait time was maybe 10 minutes and it moved quickly. Then off to other places. By the end of the day (11pm), we got in about 10 rides if not more. Pretty good is what I'm thinking considering the amount of people there.





Day 2 is a little more relaxed after Space Mountain and we had a blast! Greg and I were thoroughly exhausted. We needed all day Wednesday to just chill out. My college roommate let us stay at her house while she was on spring break with her kids so it was so nice to have a kitchen, backyard, and tons of toys for the kids rather than a hotel.



Caught up with a dear friend of mine from my dance years in L.A. It was great!!! Francine and I go way back when we used to dance and just hang out. We had our dogs and it was just such a special time. It was great to catch up with her and her 10 year son, Adin. All of our boys had a wonderful time.

Then to UCLA (go Bruins) and the La Brea Tar Pits on Friday. Why not brainwash my kids to my alma mater! We start them young even though I know I would support them in whatever and wherever they want to do or go. Go Bruins (had to put that in).



For the last 2 days of our stay, we'll be at the Kyoto Grand in Downtown L.A. as Greg has to continue working the show. Then back home. Wow, spring break does go by quickly and then back to the grind, eh? Well, it was great to see everyone and to have had such a success at Disneyland. Pictures to come when we get home.

I Enjoy Being a Girl

It's been a while since I've blogged. I've been so very busy with the boys. Also, my husband has been working on the Tour of Sweeney Todd around the country so I've been handling things on my own for the time being. However, Greg, my husband, does get some breaks here and there. So, he comes home and helps out tremendously. This time he came home knowing how tough it's been during the long stretch of him being on the road that he arrived with some wonderful gifts.

He always has something for the boys. This time he had something in a blue box for me. I saw the box and know the that robin blue/turquoise signature color....yup! Tiffany's. I got some beautiful earrings from him and then a few days later I get my Nikon D40. I"m new to photography, but have always loved photos and have always wondered how the photographer did that. So, now I get to experiment and learn.

Love my hubby!

New York, New York part deux

My cousin and I have been back from New York and loved our time there. Although it was short and quick, it was well worth the trip. As I mentioned before, having kids and travelling without them can create 1) worry whether the kids are all right 2) stress to make sure homework and permission slips are filled out and turned in 3) guilt that we, as moms, are having a blast. So, what do we do to combat such emotions? Ahhhhh..............a drink. Martini? Gin and tonic?

Yes, our trip started out by taking the red-eye and sleeping on the plane. Well, my cousin is a nervous flier and so as before, we take Nyquil to knock us out. My cousin likes to fortify it with some alcohol. Whatever it takes to sleep on the red-eye, right? This time we realize we can't take the Nyquil through security. So, my cousin says to take it prior to security and just dump out the bottle. We do just that. We get through security and get a nice bowl of soup from the Soup Exchange. My cousin, Tami, looks at me and says, "Gee....I"m feeling like I'm walking on clouds?"
Me: "No, it's the Nyquil."

We get to the gate and we discover that we're delayed an hour. Now, Tam says: "Oh Vivian, I'm hurting. I want to sleep right now". Me: "You can't or else you won't sleep on the plane. Go for a walk." Tam comes back with coffee. I tell her she shouldn't, but she does and shares some with me. She goes for a longer walk and comes back to find me asleep! We finally board and we sleep till we arrive in Jersey where my sister comes to pick us up.

Let me backup a bit, the theme of this trip was all about service!!! We arrive at the Park N Fly (I had already had my reservation through the internet) and the shuttle follows us to our parking space and picks up our luggage and then hands me a card with our parking number. Tam was so impressed. She was shocked how efficient they were!

Back to Jersey. We arrive around 7:30a.m. and my sis is there. We head over to her apartment and clean up for our day. My sister gives us directions via bus to Manhattan since we had our facial appts at 11:30a.m. and my sister didn't have to go into work till 12:30pm. We figure our way through and head onto the subway to the East Village. We run into Christine Chin's Salon and are greeted with the most exquisite complexions. Let me slow down here, this place is not the foo-foo facials that I really don't like. I want to get some work done. And here we are at Christine's where it's the more clinical facial that I like. I'm talking extractions where they will even go there with a "scalpel" and get rid of stuff. After my microdermbrasion (diamond) and then my extractions, I had this very icy cold green tea mask that left my skin looking great when I left. Nope, no beat up face here. It was wonderful!!!

Off to 88 Orchard for our lunch. A quick and lovely meal. Then some shopping and then uptown to my sister's office in midtown. On our way there, we were so relaxed!! I don't think I've ever been that relaxed in Manhattan and I lived there. I think it was combination of our Nyquil and the facial that left us feeling like we were finally taking care of US! So off to the subway and as we were walking, Tami says, "hey, here's a cab waiting for us!" I'm thinking...no, cheaper to take the subway. Tami: "Come on....it's like it was waiting for us?" So, off we go on the cab. This was the typical NYC cab driver that I LOVE!!! In and out weaving throughout the traffic and really pushing the metal to the pedal. It was awesome!!! I think NYC cab drivers should teach a course on "How to drive a Taxi".

We meet up with my sis and change at her office. Off to Le Bernadin for dinner. This place was all about service. As a mom, I appreciate this so much. We get in and no need to wait to get our coats off. Three people take off three customers coats. NO waiting! Our table is ready for us and the decor is not over the top too visually stimulating. Our server introduces us to the taste menu and prixe fix meal options. Most importantly, asks us if we're off to see a show, which we were and suggested we don't do the taste menu due to the time. Our food is excellent, but not over the top great. The service was ............let's just say I haven't to a restaurant with this kind of service that was so "smart". Tam and I agree that really good service is knowing when to gauge the clients. Our whole wait staff did not once interrupt our conversations with "is everything okay?" They only asked when the timing was appropriate. It was amazing!

Finally, to a show which was great. Then we meet up with my girlfriend, MaryAnn, who is in South Pacific at the Lincoln center. We go to The Mandarin for drinks and some catching up on old times. It was just fabulous.

We head back to my sis' apartment and sleep very soundly. We fly out the next day late afternoon. We have a stop over in Dulles where we take pics with Obama, Clinton, and McCain....lifesize cardboard cutouts. Yes, we had fun.
please note: do not confuse pics with political affiliations
Park N Fly picks us up and we are back to our car. It was exactly what we needed and deserve.

New York, New York

Well, I'm still getting over the end of the flu/cold. You know, that hacking, annoying cough that lingers. Sigh! I've been so busy getting ready for my presentation with some architects tomorrow and now I'm afraid I might go into a cough spasm. I just hate that!

In addition to the presentation, I'm getting ready to head to NYC to meet up with my sister. My cousin is coming along with me. We, as mothers, don't have a lot of time to ourselves and this has become our annual or every other year trip. We can only afford the 48 hours that we are gone. So, we take the red-eye out and arrive early next morning. Then we hit Manhattan. I lived there a while ago and it's always so fun to walk the city and bump into my friends. My sister and my cousin want to see "Young Frankenstein" and so I will be seeing it again. I saw it this past summer since my husband was working on the premiere in Seattle. It was a fun show, but I had an opportunity to see Patti LuPone for "Gypsy". Love Patti. Oh well. Maybe next time. Of course, there will be drinks after the show. My sister mentioned some place that will give me 50% off drinks if I show my Equity card. Have to make sure I have that with me. Yup, still Equity and proud of it!

Till the next time................I'll have to write about this new facialist we'll be seeing and the restaurant we chose. Wow, after all that we fly right back. The conflicts of mothers...want time to ourselves and then feel guilty the minute we leave them. sigh...again.