Ah ha! December 10, 2008

Sushi Boy is much more technologically able than I am. Apparently I have to turn the camera ON before  the pictures will download…psssshh…

Here are a few of the pictures from our trip to the coast this last weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sushi Boy, myself and C at Shore Acres. (Please keep in mind we’d just traveled 220 miles!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

My sister and I (and C’s head in the corner.) Apparently there was a memo to put our hands on our hips awkwardly…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sushi Boy and I at my aunt’s party. We’d obviously been enjoying the hosted bar….

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the first time EVER, my sister is a brunette…turns out it’s actually her natural color now! She said she feels much smarter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

My sister’s fiance to the far left, my sister and the birthday girl, aka The Damn Hottest 50 year old I know!

I have more that I will post later.

Thoughts Before I Go On Vacation November 20, 2008

I get to spend 9 whole days with my sister!!! 9 days! With my one and only baby sissy. I’m so excited, I actually have tears in my eyes right now because I am so excited. My sister is my best friend, my rock. She makes me laugh harder than any one else in this world. From our tumultuous childhoods to having children ourselves now, she’s been the only constant in my life. Aside from my son, she is my everything. I am so stoked to not only get to spend 9 days with her, but get to spend Thanksgiving with her, AND go on vacation with her.

And I get to spend 9 days with Julia Gulia, my neice who is taking steps now!!! Unfortunately my older princess, Riley, is going to be with her father, so that’s a bummer.

I wonder how many times my sister and I will fight. Of course we fight, we’re siblings. Just because I love her to pieces and think that she’s pretty much the shit doesn’t mean we never fight. I bet it’s within the first 4 hours in the car.

I’m going to really miss SushiBoy. I’m going to miss our first holiday together. Part of me really thought about canceling the San Fran trip to spend Thanksgiving with SushiBoy. As much as I want to be with him, I can’t pass up this opportunity. And I can’t take this away from Christian. He’s SO excited. And I am so excited. I’m just really going to miss waking up in Sushi Boy’s arms. And seeing his smile.

I don’t think I have enough luggage to pack for 9 days for 2 people. Crap.

I wish my digital camera wasn’t broken. I’ll have to make sure Brandi brings hers.

I really need to start my Christmas shopping. I can’t believe Christmas is only a matter of weeks away. Sweet! I can put up a tree when I get home from San Fran!

I’ve Got the GoingOnVacationAndHaven’tPackedYet Blues… November 19, 2008

I need to pack. Desperately. I am so far behind my normal packing regimen. I’m kind of, okay, completely anal when it comes to packing for a vacation. I’ve been this way ever since I was a kid. I remember being in 4th grade and packing for a week long vacation with my Aunt Tammy. I had my packing list prepared a month in advance, and was packed with at least a week to go before we left town.

I am leaving in 2 days for the coast to meet up with my sister and her family, and then we leave on Saturday for San Francisco. I have nothing packed. I don’t have my laundry done. I don’t even have my list started. Typically my list is a beautifully orchestratedExcel spreadsheet that lists each days outfit, complete with shoes, handbags and accessories. Of course there are back up outfits, special occasion outfits, and usually a workout outfit in case I get some wild hair and decide to exercise while on vacation (this outfit never gets worn!) I haven’t even looked to see what kind of weather to expect! I am so far behind.

Not only do I have to pack for me for this trip, I have to pack for Christian too. Which will require a completely separate list. Thankfully he is a boy and doesn’t require accessorizing. Phew…

I guess I have my work cut out for me today.

The San Francisco Treat November 11, 2008

In ten days I am going on my first vacation in way too long. This summer I took a few mini-vacations: Vegas for 4 days and camping/white water rafting for 4 days, but nothing that was long enough. I haven’t been on a “vacation” vacation since I went to Puerto Vallarta in January of 2007 with 3 of my girlfriends for a week. And C and I haven’t been on a big vacation together for even longer. AND my sister and I haven’t been on a vacation together since….um…I don’t know when! At least a decade ago.

Next Friday evening my sister, her fiance, their 29 kids, my son and I are driving (YES! DRIVING!) to San Francisco. I am so excited. We will be there for 9 days. My sister’s fiance’s favorite cousin lives down there and invited them down for Thanksgiving. My sister and I are kind of a package deal on holidays. Thankfully Omar and Regina (the cousin and his wife) have a large home and have welcomed C and I as well. I guess they technically live about an hour outside of San Fran, but close enough for me! Also, my amazing college roommate lives in SF so I’ll get to meet her sweet son and she’ll get to meet C! I can’t wait!

The last time I was “in” San Francisco I was 7 and we drove through it on our way home from DisneyLand. I think I slept half of the time. I’m excited to get to do the touristy sight-seeing things with my son and my sister and her family. A true family vacation.

So sweet, knowledgable Internet friends, have any advice on what I MUST do or what is worth passing on? Any insider tips? Also, any advice on how to keep 29 kids occupied for 8 hours in a car? We’ll be driving down at night, so hopefully they will sleep most of the way there, but we’ll be driving home during the day.