Four Feet More

Our dock on lake Tahoe

After driving home from Tucson, I was understandably very tired and not really looking forward to the Tahoe vacation I had planned with the girls for the week after we got home.  They wanted to drive out at 9 pm Tuesday night, which would mean a 1 am arrival in Tahoe, and just the thought of it made my head ache.  I guess I'm getting old.  But, since I had agreed to this trip months ago, I decided to "take one for the team" and follow their plans.  I'm glad I did, because it wound up being a very relaxing and fun getaway.

In all my 25 years of living in California, I had never really been to Tahoe before.  Sure, I'd gone up for a day-trip to a ski resort, and visited briefly for my mom's wedding, but on those trips I had not actually seen Lake Tahoe, nor had I gotten a good feel for what Tahoe was like.  That all changed after this mini-break.  The plan was for us to stay at a lake house being rented by Jaime's step-dad, Bob.  We all pictured a rustic dwelling and planned accordingly.  I brought pillows and even a roll of eco-friendly toilet paper.  As we got closer to the property, it began to look as if the house wouldn't be as rustic as we had assumed.  We pulled into the driveway of a modest, wooden dwelling in front of which Bob was waiting for us.  It was dark, so I couldn't see much of the house, but it looked serviceable enough.  And I could rough it for a few days, no big deal. 

It turned out that the dwelling I was looking at was actually just the garage.  As we walked into the house, it quickly became apparent that the eco-friendly toilet paper I brought would not be needed.  Simply put, the house was HUGE.  The kitchen itself was as big as my entire living room and the back wall was made up entirely of windows overlooking the lake.  The main living room was dominated by a stone fireplace two-stories high and it was off of this room that my bedroom was located.  I got my own private room, complete with a sitting area and bathroom.  James got her own room with bathroom and deck overlooking the lake, and Mel and Am shared a room downstairs which had their own private living room, bathroom and pool table.  We all looked around the place in slack-jawed amazement.  Once Bob left us alone, Jaime and I squealed like little girls, jumping up and down in excitement over our rooms.  Mel and Am kept saying how this was insane, and the four of us decided that we could easily just spend our entire break holed up in the house.  

The view of our house from the dock

 But of course, that was not what we came to Tahoe for, so we compromised.  Our mornings were spent lazing around the house, having breakfast at one of the tables located on the property and looking out at the lake.  During the afternoon, we would do an activity exploring Tahoe.  The first day, it was a hike to Vikingsholm, a Scandanavian-inspired property on Emerald Bay.  The trail seemed easy enough, but the views of the beach soon lured us off the trail and down to the shore.  We had lunch near a group of rocks and were befriended by a very bold chipmunk who actually caught in his hands a squishy grape that James threw away.  This chipmunk was skilled.  After lunch, we attempted to find our way back to the trail, without success - we were lost.  Fortunately, we could follow the shoreline all the way to Vikingsholm.  Unfortunately, the shoreline was littered with fallen trees that we had to clamber over, and a plant rehabilitation area which we unknowingly stomped through.   Felling like very bad humans, we eventually make it to our destination, enjoyed the beauty of the area, and then correctly followed the trail back to our car.  That night we were a bit exhausted from the exertions of the day, so we had dinner in and watched "Footloose' on the big-screen TV before heading to bed.

James, Mel, Am and I with our bikes

On our second day in Tahoe we rented bikes and rode around the lake.  It was beautiful and on bike we were able to explore areas we could not get to by car.  That night we headed to a casino where we watched "Artie" (Party with Artie) perform dance hits to a group of drunken girls at a bachelorette party.  There was also this Swedish girl who kept walking around the dance floor with one arm raised high (as if she were saluting the casino) and the other hand holding a glass of wine.  It was very strange and Artie seemed to be enjoying the show on the dance floor as much as we were. 

The next day, Friday, was our last day in Tahoe.  After a morning breakfast, enjoying the view of our dock and the blue waters beyond, we packed up and headed into town to see "Eat, Pray, Love" (which I didn't really like, BTW.   Despite her year-long search for enlightenment, it seemed to me that Liz learned NOTHING and was was as self-absorbed in the end as she was at the beginning of the story.  I didn't read the book though, so maybe I missed something).  The movie was followed by an excellent dinner - we had nothing but great food in Tahoe - and the long drive home.  Even though I wasn't looking forward to this trip so close on the heels of our Tucson vacation, I'm glad I went.  It was a great time out with the girls and gave us all the chance to relax and explore without the normal distractions of a vacation with the kids.  I definitely plan to go back, next time with Jeff and the kids, to share some of the adventures I had with the girls.  I suppose our lodging will be a bit more rustic the next time around though.  :)

Me, James and Mel on our deck

I'm back.  Did you miss me?  I've been gone for much of the month, and it feels nice to be home, settled back into our normal routines.  I did have a couple of great vacations though, the first of which was a road trip to Arizona with the family.

We left early on July 30th and drove all day to Tucson, Arizona - my home town.  It was a 13-hour drive, but the kids did great.  It's amazing how much a portable DVD player can reduce the "are we there yet?" nonsense.  We arrived in Tucson around 8pm, and met up with my mom and Ed at their time-share resort in the foothills.  It is a beautiful place, and if you can ignore the solpugids that wander into your room, it's quite relaxing.

Gila Woodpecker on an ocotillo

We spent many of our mornings sitting on the porch, watching the local wildlife, which was made up mostly of birds.  We were fortunate in that the first few days were cooler due to recent monsoon storms, and there were plenty of birds out.  A covey of quail visited our porch daily, a mother cardinal fed her baby in a nearby Palo Verde, and Morning Doves, cactus wrens and Gila Woodpeckers perched on the ocotillo and saguaros out back.  There were also occasional cottontails, trying to blend in with the desert sand, numerous lizards, and during the nighttime, a herd of javelinas that visited the grounds around our room.  Vika and Eamon had a great time exploring the Sonoran Desert and trying to lure in animals for a pet or two.

Family at Midway Molina's

While watching desert wildlife was a huge part of our trip, the reason we went down to Tucson was family.  Our second night in town we had dinner with the cousins at Midway Molina's - a truly great Mexican restaurant with the best cheese crisps in the world.  We caught up on each others' lives, met new family members and remembered my great aunt Mary, who passed away in June.  This was the first time that Vika and Eamon had met many of the family members, and fortunately, they made a good impression.  It is a bit sad to see how the Arizona family has changed though.  It seems that all we have left now are cousins because the older generation has all passed on, and others (including us) have moved away.  The family I grew up with simply no longer exists.  But the new family that is evolving in its place is pretty cool too, and hopefully Vika and Eamon will grow up with fond memories of them.

Old friends catching up

In Tucson, I also had the opportunity to visit my oldest friend, Kathy.  She and I have been friends since the age of 5, and much of my childhood was spent at her house.  Through Facebook, I have reconnected with other childhood friends as well, one of whom was Howard, a boy I played soccer with and who was a good friend to both me and my brother Joe.  Howard goes by Jason now (I think Howard was his middle name), but despite the name change and goatee, he looks exactly the same!  It was strange and cool to see him after 25 years.  He, Kathy and I met up at a local park and chatted about our lives now and old times while Jeff and the kids played.  Vika and Eamon loved Kathy's dog, Dookie, even though her enthusiasm sometimes resulted in them being dragged around the park.  They also liked meeting these friends from my past, and we all had a fun afternoon together.

Me, my sisters, mom and Eamon

The highlight of the trip was having dinner with my sisters and their families.  What?  You didn't know I had sisters?  Well, neither did my kids.  Basically, I have three half-sisters from my dad's first marriage.  I didn't really meet them until after my mom and dad split up, but once they got divorced, my sisters were over all the time.  In fact, they kind of adopted my mom as a member of their family.  Sadly, after my mom married her second husband and we moved to California, we didn't see the girls as often and drifted further apart.  In fact, it has been 6 years since I saw them last, and they had not yet met Vika and Eamon, so this reunion was one we were all looking forward too.  And it was a great time!  We met up with two of my sisters, Kelly and Traci, at Kelly's house out in Marana.  She lives on 5 acres, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and has a bunch of dogs and two horses.  When Vika saw them, her eyes grew wide and she could hardly contain her joy.  She loves horses, but has never before been near a real one.  Eamon was very excited too, and before you knew it, Kelly and her husband Jake had the kids mounted up on horseback and were leading them around the property.  Both kids were in heaven, and I took about a thousand pictures during their 45-minute ride.  During this time, my nephew Andy (who is in his 20's and a firefighter) taught Jeff how to use a lasso, and he later gave Eamon some lessons as well.  After the ride, the kids fed the horses and we all went inside.

Vika pretending to go for a ride

All of us except Eamon and Jake, that is.  Jake has a golf cart which he drives around his property, and after taking Eamon for a spin in the vehicle, he got out from behind the wheel and said, "You want to try driving this thing?"  Naturally, Eamon shrilled an excited "YES!" and the driving lessons began.  I was too nervous to watch, so I went inside, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.  Eamon came back a while later, safe and sound, and bubbling over with the thrill of driving his first car.  Vika was slightly jealous, but was soon distracted by the many Chihuahuas around the property.  Kelly does Chihuahua rescue and Vika connected to one dog in particular, a blue teacup named Willie.  I actually fell for this dog too and wanted to smuggle him home in my purse, but Kelly kept too sharp an eye on him.  Dang it.

The best thing about this night with my sisters, and the whole trip to Tucson really, was the relaxed feeling of not needing to be anything other than who you are.  My kids were able to play around and be noisy children, and I didn't need to worry about them getting in the way or offending anybody.  Things are a bit slower down there then they are in the Bay Area, and since were were on vacation, we had no major schedule to stick too.  It was as if I could truly take a deep breath and relax.  What a wonderful feeling.  The day-trips to Mission San Xavier and Mt. Lemmon, an evening at Trail Dust Town (complete with Western stunt show and dinner at my favorite restaurant, Pinnacle Peak), and the discovery of Ethiopian food (who knew they had such a great African restaurant in Tucson?), all made the trip a memorable one.

Family at Pinnacle Peak for dinner

In front of Mission San Xavier del Bac

I got this idea from mom, and thought that since this month marks the start of a new decade, it would be nice to recap the decade that passed.

1999

• Jeff and I buy our first home.
• Vacation in Cancun – we climb to the top of Chitzen Itza (although I thought I might die in the process)

2000

• Y2K – nothing special and thankfully the world did not come to an end.
• Jeff quits his job at UPS and goes into real estate.
• Jeff, Ali and I travel to San Diego in the summer.
• I buy my first ever brand new car! Mel, James and I take it on a road trip a week later.

2001

• September 11^th – awful, horrid day.
• Jeff, Ali and I visit Disneyworld.
• Jeff and I get engaged on June 9^th (after a day-long scavenger hunt in which I actually had to dig up a treasure chest containing my ring!)
• Although we didn’t know it at the time, Vika was born in Russia.

2002

• Jeff and I get married on April 28^th and honeymoon in Australia.
• Jeff and I decide we could easily live in Australia.
• Vacation in Hawaii to celebrate my birthday.
• Trip to Chicago to visit my uncle’s family and my grandpa, and to attend the baptism of my cousin.
• Mom and Ed get married.
  
• We didn’t know it at the time, but Eamon was born in Russia.

2003

• I learn I am finally pregnant, but lose the baby 2 months later.
• Road trip with Ali to visit family in Arizona and see Arches National Park in Utah.
• We try again to get pregnant, but this effort is brief as I am over it already!
• I begin taking night classes to get my teaching credential.

2004

• Jeff and I begin the adoption process.
• We travel with Ali to London and Paris.
• Still working on my teaching credential.
• Jeff’s mom passes away, and the hub of his family (a wonderful person) is gone.

2005

• I quit my job at Stanford to begin student teaching.
• Jeff’s dad passes away.
• In June, I get my teaching credential.
• We get a referral for Vika and Eamon, and after 2 trips to Russia, our adoption of them is complete!
• On Christmas Eve, we bring our kids home.

2006

• I begin writing in this blog.
• Jeff and I adjust to being the parents of two very active children who speak no English (but learn it rapidly).
• I work as a substitute teacher so that I can spend time at home with the kids.
• Jeff and I take Ali and the kids to Chicago to visit my uncle’s family and my grandfather, who is now living in a nursing home.
• Family vacation in Disneyworld.

2007

• My brother Joe gets married!
• Road trip to Arizona with Mom & Ed and Joe’s family. We force our spouses and kids to join us on a trip down "memory lane."
  
• In July, I get my first full-time teaching job! I teach 6^th grade and become good friends with my teaching partner/mentor, J9.
• Ed’s mom passes away.
• Gramps passes away in October – we travel to Chicago in December for his memorial service.

2008

• I get my first ever pink-slip when my district lays off all new teachers.
• Vacation to Disneyland where we meet up with Mel and her family.
• I am rehired at my school and begin teaching 5^th grade.
• Ed’s father, Grandpa Clyde passes away.

2009

• My nephew Tyson and cousin Alex are born!
• I get laid off from my teaching job again (this is an annual occurrence for new teachers in our school district).
• We take the kids to Disneyworld in the summer.
• In August, I am rehired at my school, this time as a kindergarten teacher.
  

What adventures/memories/milestones did the past decade bring for you? If you write a list, please include the link in my comments so that I can check it out!

Well, we're back. Back from our Disney World vacation and back to the daily grind. *sigh* It's always hard to return to normal life, but we did make some good memories on the trip. Here are a few highlights:

• As always, the FOOD. We love the Boma restaurant in the Animal Kingdom lodge and returned there this trip. Excellent African-inspired dishes and a delicious bread pudding with chocolate rum sauce for dessert! If you're heading to DisneyWorld in the future, I recommend checking this place out. Just make your reservations for sometime in the 4-5 pm hour, otherwise you may have to wait in long lines to get your food.
  
• We also went to the Coral Reef restaurant in Epcot, which was quite an experience. The entire wall is a window into a giant aquarium, and we were seated right next to it. The view, the food, and the service were all excellent. There's just something so relaxing about watching sea turtles and stingrays glide by as you enjoy a well-cooked meal.
• Meeting the Mad Hatter at breakfast. I'm not really an Alice in Wonderland fan - for some reason, I find it all a bit disturbing. But the guy who did the Mad Hatter was a lot of fun. He reminded me of many of the actors I worked with in musical theatre (IF you know what I mean....) and he sat and chatted with us for quite a while. Vika and Eamon were completely charmed by him, unlike the girl at the next table who ran to her mother, wailing hysterically as he approached.
• The absolute, number 1 highlight of this vacation for me was supplied by Eamon. Now, there's no way to sugar-coat this, but for much of the trip, the boy was a bit of a pansy. He got really scared on Splash Mountain and cried (with tears) through Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, screaming "I WANT TO GET OFF!" soon after the ride began. It was strange because he loved both rides last year at Disneyland - I'm not sure what happened to heighten his fear. In line for every ride we went of after Thunder Mountain, Eamon asked, "Is this one fast? Are there any bumps?" In the Winnie The Pooh ride line he asked this! So, Jeff and I pretty much agreed that Expedition Everest was not going to be Eamon's cup of tea (for those of you who haven't been to DW recently, it's a roller coaster that goes through "Mt. Everest" at high speeds, both forwards and backwards, with a close encounter of the Yeti kind). Finally, the day came when we were ready to tackle Everest. Jeff and I had devised a plan where we would take turns on the ride, so one of us could be with Eamon at all times. However, as we approached the line, Eamon said, "I wanna do it." "What?" I asked, "Are you sure?" Eamon replied, "Yes Mama, I think I can do it." As we walked through the line, Eamon was very quiet and tense, taking everything in. When it was our turn to get onto the train, Eamon sat down stiffly and began to shake. "Are you OK?" I asked, and he just nodded. Then the train began moving, and I looked over, prepared to see an expression of terror on the boy's face. What I saw instead completely surprised me - Eamon had lifted his hands in the air and was wearing a big smile on his face! He kept his hands up for most of the ride, sometimes letting out an exhilarated yell. The boy looked like he was having so much fun, only betraying his fear once towards the end of the ride when he asked, "Mama, is it almost over?" When I answered yes, he replied, "Good!" However, after the ride, Eames was completely giddy that he had done it. I was so proud of him for conquering his fear and enjoying the ride, and it was clear that he was pretty proud of himself too. What a little stud!
  

Unfortunately, all good things must end, so now we're home, with piles of laundry to do and groceries to buy (which I hope Jeff is out doing right now, since I'm plopped in front of the computer).

One other bit of news happened during my vacation. I got a call from the district offering me a teaching job! Kind of.... but I'll get to that in a bit. The original offer was to teach 2nd grade at the lowest performing school in the district. It wasn't an ideal position, but there are some benefits to teaching in the primary grades, regardless of the school, so I was prepared to accept it. Then, when I got home, I heard a rumor that I was put in a kindergarten position at my old school instead. I confirmed the rumor this afternoon, so now it looks as if I'll be teaching really little kids this year! It's going to be quite a change, but I'll be in a school I know, with teachers who are my friends and who will help me find my footing.

The main bummer about this whole thing is that this isn't a real teaching position. Our district is re-hiring laid-off teachers as "long-term subs," which means that we'll be doing all the same work, but for less than half of our regular teaching salary and no benefits. And, if I don't accept the position, then I'll be off the District re-hire list for good. Nice, don't you think? They may make it a temporary contract in October (what all newer teachers are hired under), which would get me back to my regular pay. If they don't though, I'll have to reassess what I'm going to do at that time. I mean, if they are going to pay me as a sub, with no benefits, than I might as well work as a day sub, with the flexibility and shorter hours justified by the lower pay (no after school meetings or evening/weekend grading). Hopefully that won't happen though and I, along with the other 60 teachers who have been hired back, will get a regular teaching contract. I'll keep you posted.

This past year has been a difficult one at school. In addition to the budget cuts and the knowledge that I most likely won't have a job next year is the increased work-load heaped upon us by the district. Just the other day we all received books for a new art program which we are supposed to implement somewhere in our already packed schedules. It's really hard to stay motivated and positive, but I'm doing my best for the sake of my students.

It's been a hard year for Jeff too. As a real estate broker during the current economic crisis, deals have been pretty thin. Add to that the fact that he has to make three trips to the kids' school each day (Eamon is a "late-bird" and therefore starts school 3 hours after Vika), and it seems that Jeff has had little or no free time since September.

The kids see our stress and exhaustion and I'm sure they're feeling it too. So, even though we don't have a huge amount of disposable income, it's clear that we all need a vacation this summer. But where could we get away from it all without spending a lot of money. The answer may surprise you: Walt Disney World.

At the risk of raising Kate's anti-Disney ire, I have to say that I absolutely LOVE both Disneyland and Disney World. I grew up taking road trips from Arizona to Disneyland, and the park is the highlight of many childhood memories. However, in recent years, we've gone to Disney World more than Dinseyland - even though it's on the other side of the country. There's one simple reason for this: the food. Jeff and I are foodies, and Disney World offers much more in the way of dining than Disneyland. The Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to one of our favorite restaurants, Boma, at which you can sample African dishes such as bobotie, fufu and cocomisu (probably not really African, but still good). Epcot also offers samples of cuisine from all over the world, which we enjoy despite the fact that much of it is "Disneyfied." Since I am on a personal mission to both give my kids wonderful childhood Disney memories and have them grow into foodies like their parents, Dinsey World is always on my list of potential vacation spots.

The last time we went, in September of 2006, we were able to get the free dining plan, which saved us around $1000! Jeff and I enjoyed it so much that we swore that if they offered free dining again, we would try to take advantage of it. Well, check it out: Score! Because of tough economic times across the country, we were able to get a discounted rate on a room and park tickets as well. And, thanks to our air miles program, we are flying to Florida practically for free! It's almost as if we can't afford not to go to Disney World. That's how I'm justifying it anyway.

So, now we all have something to look forward to this August. The idea that we wouldn't be able to swing a family vacation this year was depressing me quite a bit, truth be told. Jeff and I have worked too hard! And while Disney World may not be the relaxing vacation we probably need, is there really such a thing as a relaxing vacation with kids? My guess is no. So we'll just embrace the crowds, the humidity and the chaos of the four Disney parks and have a great time making memories.

Here are my excuses. First of all, we’ve been decompressing after our trip to Disneyland. Which was awesome! Some highlights:

• Vika was selected to become a Padawan at the Jedi Training Academy. And she was FIERCE! Seriously, Darth Vader was shaking in his boots when he had to face her. Vika even got to stand in the place of honor next to the Jedi Master, who had a little comedic interlude with her while she looked at him as if he were crazy. Good job playing right into his hands Vix! I did feel a little bad for Eamon though, who wanted to be a Jedi in the worst way. He was just too small to be selected. He was also very scared of Darth Maul, so it was probably best that he didn’t get picked for the training.
• Meeting with my best friend Mel and her family on her son Chad’s 3rd birthday. We had a breakfast with Minnie and Friends, and later met for dinner at the Blue Bayou and watched fireworks over the castle. Unfortunately, we were in a “secret spot” behind the castle, so we spent the whole time frantically turning our heads from side to side because the fireworks were exploding all around us. We were right under Tinkerbell though (I couldn’t confirm the rumor that she is actually a large man in a fairy costume), and it was a spectacular show.
• Going on Splash Mountain with Eamon. It was his first time on the ride, and he let out this huge, victorious belly laugh after we made it down safely through the briar patch drop.
• Going on Indiana Jones with Vika for her first time. She was scared to death in line and on the ride, but when it was over, she looked at me and exclaimed, “That was FRICKIN’ AWESOME!!!” (note to self – stop using the word “frickin’” around the children).
• Watching fireworks with Jeff outside of our hotel room. It was our first night at the resort, and the kids were already asleep (although how they could sleep through all that thunderous noise is a mystery). Jeff and I slipped out onto a little balcony area with our cups of hot tea and watched the fireworks display. It was a nice little bit of alone time after a long day on the road.

After returning from Disneyland, we had two other family events. First was Vika’s 7th birthday. We did a mini-celebration at home on Monday, and then did a bigger joint celebration with my mom (who’s birthday was Friday) at my brother Joe’s house. Joe has a pool, and Vika learned to swim without floaties! She was so excited to be chugging around the water in her little goggles, and wowed us all with her swim moves. Eamon was content to keep the floaties on and take running jumps into the pool. Over and over again. He also coaxed his Uncle Joe-Monkey into throwing him high into the air so he could splash down into the water. Again and again.
















The second family event is my dad’s visit from Tennessee. He’s been here almost a week now, and the kids have really enjoyed hanging out with him and visiting with the rest of the family. Eamon has become Dad's little shadow, following him around everywhere. Both kids will miss him after he leaves.

Tomorrow, dad returns home, and my life should return to normal. Or our family’s definition of normal anyway. I have one other exciting development to write about, but I’m going to do that in a separate post. I don’t want it to get lost in this quickly-thrown-together-recap of our week.

Tomorrow, we will hit the open road, headed for Disneyland. I'm so excited, I could just spit! Except that I don't spit when I'm excited. That's just gross. But you get the idea.

Anyway, I'm thrilled that we're taking the kids down south to visit Mickey and the gang. I grew up going to Disneyland often, and I want my kids to have the same happy memories there that I do. There's just something about walking through those gates and into Main Street, USA that lifts my spirits every time.

Two years ago we took the kids to Disney World in Orlando, FL and while it may have been a bit soon for them to be exposed to so much Disney goodness (they'd only been home for 9 months, and sensory overload was definitely an issue), we still had fun. The video below captures some of the memories we made at the Magic Kingdom and also features Cathy and Matte, our good friends who got engaged right next to the castle. It is amazing to see how little the kids were! Eamon especially has grown a ton in the past 2 years. And yes, he does wiggle his butt like that when he's excited. Vika spontaneously breaks into dance. Often. Sad thing is, she has some better moves than her Mama. Dang kid.

While we're gone, feel free to capture some Disney culinary magic yourself by visiting this site: Disney Recipes. Pretty much anything from Boma is good, and the Sweet Potato Pancakes from Boatwrights are GLORIOUS. Have fun, fellow foodies.

Oh, and before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY!!!! I hope you have a great one!

Enjoy the video!