Park Hopping

This is an old picture, but we've temporarily misplaced the battery charger for our camera.

In college, we used to go "bar hopping." I'm not to sure what we were in search of, but we would aimlessly hop from bar to bar until they closed and we had to be dragged out kicking and screaming. Sometimes we would buy a diet coke and then head into the bathroom to mix in an itty-bitty bottle of rum that we had concealed in our purse. Other times we would bat our heavily made up eyes and get nice boys to buy us drinks. I realize now that this sounds pretty desperate, but we always had great stories the next day. That was then. These days, Ellie and I are busy park hopping. Yeah, it's pretty intense. Sometimes we go just the two of us. Other times we meet friends. On Tuesdays, my Mom's group has a whole park schedule where we rotate to a new park every week. On the weekends, Knute is lucky enough to join in on the fun. We pack a picnic lunch and away we go! My little Earth Muffin loves being outdoors, and because shopping trips to Broadway Plaza are off limits these days, this is a good, cheap way to have a nice time (at least I have convinced myself of this). Let me know if you would like to join in our adventures in park hopping. We love new recruits!

*If someone had told me a year ago that this is what I would be blogging about, I would have laughed in their face.

Sand and Sun

Last week we packed up our flip-flops, bathing suites, and SPF 60, and headed to the beautiful, sometimes rainy, island of Kauai. It was nice to leave the gray weather behind us and enjoy some quality time with our little family of three. We ate Macadamia nuts and fresh pineapple (little wedges accompanied with our strawberry daiquiris, of course) while lounging pool-side. We walked along beautiful beaches. We saw waterfalls, sea lions, gorgeous sunsets, and hula dancers. We read on the balcony that looked out over the ocean while Ellie napped. We dined early in the evening and had tons of delicious sushi. We went to bed early (not necessarily by choice). We woke up VERY early (also not necessarily by choice).

Unfortunately, the trip was not all sunshine and rainbows (and there were some lovely rainbows). Ellie had an ear infection which landed us in Urgent Care. Looking back, I think she probably had it before we even left. We knew that something was either wrong or our child had morphed into a Monster overnight. Luckily, she was prescribed a big, pink bottle of Amoxicillin. I'm pretty sure it's a miracle drug. We were able to fly home with a nice, peaceful baby.

Now it's back to the real world, which I don't have much to complain about these days. The wonderful thing about vacation is that it gives you time to reflect. I rested. I reflected. It's a good life. For now.

A Day Without Rain

We had a nice reprieve from the constant rain today. Not that I don't enjoy cuddling on the couch on a gloomy day with my favorite Snuggle Bug, but it was a treat to have the sun show it's lovely face. Spring is creeping closer and it makes me excited for pastels, florals, Easter eggs, and longer days. Am I sounding like a Hallmark card yet? I know it's only the beginning of March and we probably have plenty of stormy, dark weather in the near future, but the break was so appreciated!

Wicked!

[Insert evil cackle of a laugh here]. My friend Lindsay oh-so-generously offered me a free ticket to see the show "Wicked" with her at the Orpheum last Saturday night. Fortunately for me, her brother was unable to go. I only had about two hours notice, which didn't help with my "I never have anything to wear" issue, but I was too excited to care. I have been wanting to see this show ever since I heard about it over two years ago. I am a sucker for musicals! I told Knute that it was comparable to him being offered court side seats to a Warriors game.

We had a delicious and extremely garlicky Mediterranean dinner before heading over to the theater. The seats were incredible, the company delightful, and the show was beyond entertaining. I would highly recommend it to anyone, like me, who can't resist a great performance. It makes you want to jump out of your seat and break into song and dance (a very scary thought). Now I can finally retire my Jersey Boys CD that I've been playing in the car for almost three years.