The Boy returned from summer camp yesterday. After 5 days of intense baseball at Clemson, we picked up he and his BFF up and headed home. They were full of stories about what was evidently a rewarding week.
I had missed the drop-off last Sunday. The Husband was of the opinion that it should be a father/son deal...however, he was "ok with me coming". Despite this warm invitation, I had to skip due to a last minute pool-party invitation for Little One's softball team. I waited anxiously for the call from The Boy to let me know how his dorm room was, and how he felt. The Boy is always a bit short on the phone, so when he finally called, I couldn't really decipher his tone. He was physically prepared for the week, having run and worked out and played ball for several weeks. But the whole dorm situation was new. He wasn't too worried, as he had the BFF along, and together, they usually feel pretty invincible.
The Husband left him with 3 instructions: 1)Challenge yourself 2)Work harder than anyone else, and 3) Have fun when appropriate. I agreed with all of these, but I had a few other roll-your-eyes instructions that we won't discuss. Being mom, I am always concerned with character and kindness...but I digress...
The Boy called the first night with a report. Tired, sore, missing home. However, these words came in between laughing and disruptions from all around. I didn't sleep much that night, because as usual, I had been given something to worry about, so I did. During his break the next day, he called to say he was fine. He had a few complaints,but all-in-all, it was good. I asked to speak with BFF, who is like son #2. "Hello second mom" he began. "I really, really need apple juice. And the bathrooms are gross." Ok, all was fine.
The Husband and I decided to take a discreet trip up the next night to watch his game. His team would be playing in the stadium, and the Husband couldn't pass up a chance to watch his son play ball on the field of his alma mater. We got there a few minutes before the game and hid, so that The Boy wouldn't know we were there. This was going fine until BFF walked by on the way to his game. Little One and I injured ourselves diving behind a pole, but we kept our cover. Minutes later, we saw him. My heart skipped a beat. I looked over at The Husband and we smiled. As he ran on to the field and over to first base, it was an exciting moment. One of those "let me remember this" moments....The game flew by. The Boy played well, and finally, we decided to come out of hiding. He was standing on second base when he spotted us. He waved and waved. Even Little One had to laugh...
The next day was his birthday. We decided to make the long drive back up to see him again. We had decided to take the plunge and get him a phone. We weren't going to leave it with him, but we wanted him to see it. The Husband found him on the practice field when we got there and held up the phone....he nodded and smiled, a little distracted by the fact that he would be pitching that night. But on a break, he ran over to say hello and take a look. "I AM SO HAPPY!" he yelled. Of course, I told myself it was because we were there...but in truth...it was the phone.
That night, he called to tell us the schedule for the last day. There would be a full morning of drills, followed by an awards ceremony. "I won't win the pitching or hitting award" he said. "The older guys are better." However, he felt he had a shot at the hustle award. His coach had complimented him on his hard work and he was hopeful. In the end, he didn't get an award, but he was ok with it, knowing that he had given it his best effort.
On the drive home, we were entertained with stories of all-you-can eat cafeterias, gross communal showers,'hot chicks' from volleyball camp, and new friendships. There were the requisite not-so-great moments. As The Boy said, some people just will not play nice in the sandbox. This is our term for guys who are just not so nice. I use to advise The Boy to "leave the sandbox" when this happens. But as he gets older, I kind of agree with The Husband that it is time to throw sand back at someone if they can't be nice...
Thankfully, the good moments much outweighed the bad. Between the experience and the knowledge learned, it was great week. And it was a good learning experience for me, too. After all, this 'letting go' thing has to start sometime. You have to sit back and hope (and pray) that the advice you have given is taken. You have to hope that you have encouraged independence. And you have to hope that you have a little luck...and things go well...
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
On The Lessons Learned from Family Vacation...
We're settling back in after the family vacation. After a few aborted attempts to blog on the trip, I decided to wait awhile and gain some perspective. After all, sometimes the best conclusions can only be drawn after you've had time to look back, forget the bad, and concentrate on the good...
In retrospect, I think one of the lessons learned from a family vacation is that everyone is on their own agenda. Each of us has our own expectations of what we want to do or accomplish, and any problems arise when these expectations aren't met. I'm thinking that next time, a pre-vacation family meeting is in order. Everyone needs to lay out what they want to get out of the trip...This hopefully gives everyone an idea of what is to come...and eliminates those pesky "perfect fantasy" notions that some of us tend to hang our hat on before we leave...
On this past trip, we all knew that we were going to see a lot of baseball. This was fine with everyone. But let's review each family member's pre-vacation perspective:
Little One: Little One is fairly easy to please. She harbors a certain set of fears that many reading this blog know of, but cannot be stated for many reasons. As long as these set of fears are respected and avoided...she can pretty much hang with anything. Throw in an occasional stuffed animal and a couple nights of sleeping with mom, and she is good to go...
The Boy: The Boy is easy. It's all about the meals, the sleep, the psp, and the Braves game. The Boy is a planner. He likes to know each morning (which for him would start at 12:00 if he had his way) what and where his meals will be. If he knows this...and he can be assured of at least one barbecue burger, he's a happy camper. If he is allowed to bring his psp, he is even happier...and if you assure him that he gets to watch the Braves game...he has hit the Holy Grail....life is good.
Ok. Now The Husband. This is the tricky one. The Husband truly wants everyone to have a good time. Really. But he also needs for everyone to abide by his schedule. And you need to know up front that he is in a race. We have never quite figured out the specifics of this race, but suffice it to say that no matter where you are, YOU MUST HURRY. If you are in the airport, you must race to your gate, even if you are 2 hours early. If you are attending a game, you must race to and from your car. If you are unable to keep up with him, you are in deep trouble. This means everyone must memorize all of the specifics...where you are parked....where the hotel is....in case you get left behind. Also, if you are travelling with The Husband, you must be aware that there will be little "surprises" along the way. He may decide to alter the plan at any given moment...and you better be ready to make the adjustment. And one more thing....vacation does not mean that The Husband does not work. It is a given that he will be on the blackberry 3 hours a day. If it rings in the car, the noise level had better be lowered quickly. Once you arrive at your hotel, he WILL be on the computer for a minimum of 2 hours an evening. Do Not make the mistake of bringing this subject up, or you may get the "how do you think we can take this trip?" lecture...
Ok, that leaves me. Now, The Husband thinks I am going to act like a Saint and declare that all I want is for everyone to be happy and get along. But I have decided to come clean here. I DO want everyone to be happy. I do want everyone to get along. But I have a few more minor requests:
1) I need coffee within 45 minutes of my waking time. If I don't get this, I may be...grumpy.
2) I need some sort of breakfast-related item to eat before I can have lunch. The Husband and Boy skip breakfast and then eat Mexican for lunch. NO. I cannot do it. Please, an apple....a doughnut....something....
3) I hate to rush. I'm never late, and I can abide by a schedule, but it goes against my distracted nature to rush. I like to "saunter". The Husband may refer to this as "dilly-dallying",but who cares?
4)I do not like to pre-eat. This is the term I use to describe what The Husband and Boy do at a buffet. They eat enough so that they will not be hungry later on. Not so for me. I want to be hungry later on. I want to eat at the ball stadium. I want to stop 40 times and try different stuff...
5) I have to sleep. If I don't, I may be....grumpy. The Husband makes few allowances for things like sleep. This creates "issues".
In the end, it's all about negotiating different personalities, isn't it? Just because you are on vacation, it doesn't guarantee that every moment will be fun. Let's face it, when you put 4 personalities in a car and hotel room for 7 days, there are likely to be "issues". I think the way to deal with this is to let go of the idea of the "perfect" vacation. You have to remember that being in a different state or even country doesn't mean that we are different.
Patience...that is the key word. And negotiation. And thankfulness. Because not everyone gets to take a vacation, and so just the ability to take one should be a check in the "grateful' column...
All of this considered....it was a good trip....
In retrospect, I think one of the lessons learned from a family vacation is that everyone is on their own agenda. Each of us has our own expectations of what we want to do or accomplish, and any problems arise when these expectations aren't met. I'm thinking that next time, a pre-vacation family meeting is in order. Everyone needs to lay out what they want to get out of the trip...This hopefully gives everyone an idea of what is to come...and eliminates those pesky "perfect fantasy" notions that some of us tend to hang our hat on before we leave...
On this past trip, we all knew that we were going to see a lot of baseball. This was fine with everyone. But let's review each family member's pre-vacation perspective:
Little One: Little One is fairly easy to please. She harbors a certain set of fears that many reading this blog know of, but cannot be stated for many reasons. As long as these set of fears are respected and avoided...she can pretty much hang with anything. Throw in an occasional stuffed animal and a couple nights of sleeping with mom, and she is good to go...
The Boy: The Boy is easy. It's all about the meals, the sleep, the psp, and the Braves game. The Boy is a planner. He likes to know each morning (which for him would start at 12:00 if he had his way) what and where his meals will be. If he knows this...and he can be assured of at least one barbecue burger, he's a happy camper. If he is allowed to bring his psp, he is even happier...and if you assure him that he gets to watch the Braves game...he has hit the Holy Grail....life is good.
Ok. Now The Husband. This is the tricky one. The Husband truly wants everyone to have a good time. Really. But he also needs for everyone to abide by his schedule. And you need to know up front that he is in a race. We have never quite figured out the specifics of this race, but suffice it to say that no matter where you are, YOU MUST HURRY. If you are in the airport, you must race to your gate, even if you are 2 hours early. If you are attending a game, you must race to and from your car. If you are unable to keep up with him, you are in deep trouble. This means everyone must memorize all of the specifics...where you are parked....where the hotel is....in case you get left behind. Also, if you are travelling with The Husband, you must be aware that there will be little "surprises" along the way. He may decide to alter the plan at any given moment...and you better be ready to make the adjustment. And one more thing....vacation does not mean that The Husband does not work. It is a given that he will be on the blackberry 3 hours a day. If it rings in the car, the noise level had better be lowered quickly. Once you arrive at your hotel, he WILL be on the computer for a minimum of 2 hours an evening. Do Not make the mistake of bringing this subject up, or you may get the "how do you think we can take this trip?" lecture...
Ok, that leaves me. Now, The Husband thinks I am going to act like a Saint and declare that all I want is for everyone to be happy and get along. But I have decided to come clean here. I DO want everyone to be happy. I do want everyone to get along. But I have a few more minor requests:
1) I need coffee within 45 minutes of my waking time. If I don't get this, I may be...grumpy.
2) I need some sort of breakfast-related item to eat before I can have lunch. The Husband and Boy skip breakfast and then eat Mexican for lunch. NO. I cannot do it. Please, an apple....a doughnut....something....
3) I hate to rush. I'm never late, and I can abide by a schedule, but it goes against my distracted nature to rush. I like to "saunter". The Husband may refer to this as "dilly-dallying",but who cares?
4)I do not like to pre-eat. This is the term I use to describe what The Husband and Boy do at a buffet. They eat enough so that they will not be hungry later on. Not so for me. I want to be hungry later on. I want to eat at the ball stadium. I want to stop 40 times and try different stuff...
5) I have to sleep. If I don't, I may be....grumpy. The Husband makes few allowances for things like sleep. This creates "issues".
In the end, it's all about negotiating different personalities, isn't it? Just because you are on vacation, it doesn't guarantee that every moment will be fun. Let's face it, when you put 4 personalities in a car and hotel room for 7 days, there are likely to be "issues". I think the way to deal with this is to let go of the idea of the "perfect" vacation. You have to remember that being in a different state or even country doesn't mean that we are different.
Patience...that is the key word. And negotiation. And thankfulness. Because not everyone gets to take a vacation, and so just the ability to take one should be a check in the "grateful' column...
All of this considered....it was a good trip....
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Family Vacation.....
As the saying goes,"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." Or in my case, like my second home. A few days at Grandma's house after our week of vacation was just what I needed. It was an interesting week. The definition for the word vacation is "an extended period of time for pleasure, rest or relaxation." The rest and relaxation part did not apply to our trip. 7 days, 2 flights, 1500 miles of driving, 4 states, 8 baseball games, 2 memorials, 1 museum, 4 universities, 5 hotels...like I said, not much rest or relaxation, but there was pleasure along the way.
As with any vacation, there is always "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". Whenever you put 4 personalities in a car and hotel room together for 7 days and nights, there are bound to be "issues". But let's start with the "Good"....
Everything baseball-related was terrific. We saw 4 major league games, 1 minor league game and 3 College World Series games. Yes, it was a little over-the-top, but it was fun to get to see the different stadiums. The Husband took some great pictures, The Boy is still convinced he wants to be a major league player, and Little One and I now know who has the best concession stands and cotton candy...
We also visited 4 university campuses: U of Texas, U of Oklahoma, TCU and Texas A&M. The Boy liked TCU and Oklahoma. Even Little One could see herself at Oklahoma...a surprisingly pretty and homey-looking campus. The Husband had planned for us to spend 2 days in Austin, but as we drove into the city and past the university football stadium, he said "That is not the main campus...just a satellite campus." The Boy and I looked at each other and shook our heads. "Look at the stadium. Holds at least 50,000" I noted. "Yeah dad, UT is in Austin". Still, The Husband insisted we were wrong....Of course, the next day when we drove to the campus, it turned out we were right. The Husband had to ask at least 5 people, somehow thinking that we had contacted everyone in Austin, and they were trying to fool him......Finally, when we walked into a campus store, he asked the guy behind the counter "Is this the main campus for UT?"....I wish you could have seen the look on the guy's face, surrounded by all of the UT merchandise. The Boy and I left the area in order to burst out laughing...
Later that day, we attended a minor league ball game. It was so much fun, and The Husband actually caught a foul ball. This made him a minor celebrity...and he proceeded to give autographs. He kept waiting for the announcer to praise him for his catch...but alas, it was a minor league game, so there was no announcer....
There is a story about spending hours on a bridge in Austin to see a million bats fly out at dusk. I won't tell the story because The Husband feels I embellish sometimes. I would like to say that I feel this is a myth...we were there from dusk to night time...and I believe we saw 4 pigeons....
The Husband had scheduled several trips to "Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives", but after driving a couple hours out of the way only to find one closed...and being totally disappointed by another...we sort of abandoned that little side-story. We had some really great meals, but The Boy continued his record of the most number of consecutive meals which include a barbecue burger and fries....
Next it was on to Dallas for the JFK museum by the "Grassy Knoll". This was very interesting, although The Boy felt that he already "knew it all from school"...and The Husband had deja-vu and realised he had taken the tour before with an ex-girlfriend. Of course he had no idea who, when or where...but that is normal with The Husband. There were many previous who's, when's and where's.....
Finally, we arrived at our main destination: the College World Series. Clemson, The Huband's alma mater, had made it to the final week...a really nice turn of events since you can't plan on things like that. Unfortunately, the temperature was hovering around 95. But we sat through 3 sweltering games and saw some great baseball. Unfortunately, Clemson lost...but still, it was a great experience.
Let me tip-toe around something for a moment: here is the problem at events such as these. The Husband is always in a hurry. He is also impatient. This does not bode well for any older people, handicapped people...or generally anyone who gets in his way. The Boy and I are just the opposite. We stroll. We get distracted. We apologize for everything. If you mix these two personalities together...you get trouble. Thank goodness for The Boy. He is forever the Mediator. He stays in the middle between me and The Husband and tries to slow him down...and speed me up. It's a thankless job...but he does it well.
Our last city was Kansas City. I love this city, and though we only had a short time there, we enjoyed it. But let me touch on another "issue". The Husband and Boy wanted to watch a ballgame on TV on a Saturday night. (Yes, you understand...after a week of 7 games, they had to watch another on TV). This delayed dinner until 9:00 on Saturday night in a city known for it's dining. Well, off we go at 9:00 to find a place. As previously discussed, The Husband does not like to wait. This means nowhere with a wait of more than....say 20 minutes. So here is what happens....The Husband drops me at the restaurant door (where there is already a line around the building) to ask how long the "wait" is....by the time I get back with the bad news...he has already driven a mile down the street due to traffic. This means that I literally have to sprint to catch the car. This little scenario plays out about 5 times. Finally, I fib and say that the wait is only 20 minutes so that I don't have to sprint anymore. Thankfully, we ended up at a great little Italian place and the wait wasn't too bad.....All's well that ends well...
And so we headed back home, going straight from the airport to another ballgame...The Boy wanted to see his beloved Braves. It was another hot afternoon, but So worth it to see The Boy have such a good time.
So that brings us to the end of the vacation blog. After a brief discussion with The Husband, I was forced to abandon and edit many stories. He feels that I often "create" or "tamper" with stories in the blog. I insist that this is not true. I feel that it is sometimes difficult to see the truth in print...but this is a subject for another day...
On a final note, I do want to say (under duress) that this vacation would not have been possible, except for the amazing sense of direction and driving skills of The Husband. You could drop this man anywhere, and he could find the nearest baseball stadium in 10 minutes. ( Of course, anybody in his way better darn well move out of the way, but anyhow....)
Thanks to The Boy for his sunny attitude...and to Little One for being such a trooper....
It's good to be home.
As with any vacation, there is always "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". Whenever you put 4 personalities in a car and hotel room together for 7 days and nights, there are bound to be "issues". But let's start with the "Good"....
Everything baseball-related was terrific. We saw 4 major league games, 1 minor league game and 3 College World Series games. Yes, it was a little over-the-top, but it was fun to get to see the different stadiums. The Husband took some great pictures, The Boy is still convinced he wants to be a major league player, and Little One and I now know who has the best concession stands and cotton candy...
We also visited 4 university campuses: U of Texas, U of Oklahoma, TCU and Texas A&M. The Boy liked TCU and Oklahoma. Even Little One could see herself at Oklahoma...a surprisingly pretty and homey-looking campus. The Husband had planned for us to spend 2 days in Austin, but as we drove into the city and past the university football stadium, he said "That is not the main campus...just a satellite campus." The Boy and I looked at each other and shook our heads. "Look at the stadium. Holds at least 50,000" I noted. "Yeah dad, UT is in Austin". Still, The Husband insisted we were wrong....Of course, the next day when we drove to the campus, it turned out we were right. The Husband had to ask at least 5 people, somehow thinking that we had contacted everyone in Austin, and they were trying to fool him......Finally, when we walked into a campus store, he asked the guy behind the counter "Is this the main campus for UT?"....I wish you could have seen the look on the guy's face, surrounded by all of the UT merchandise. The Boy and I left the area in order to burst out laughing...
Later that day, we attended a minor league ball game. It was so much fun, and The Husband actually caught a foul ball. This made him a minor celebrity...and he proceeded to give autographs. He kept waiting for the announcer to praise him for his catch...but alas, it was a minor league game, so there was no announcer....
There is a story about spending hours on a bridge in Austin to see a million bats fly out at dusk. I won't tell the story because The Husband feels I embellish sometimes. I would like to say that I feel this is a myth...we were there from dusk to night time...and I believe we saw 4 pigeons....
The Husband had scheduled several trips to "Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives", but after driving a couple hours out of the way only to find one closed...and being totally disappointed by another...we sort of abandoned that little side-story. We had some really great meals, but The Boy continued his record of the most number of consecutive meals which include a barbecue burger and fries....
Next it was on to Dallas for the JFK museum by the "Grassy Knoll". This was very interesting, although The Boy felt that he already "knew it all from school"...and The Husband had deja-vu and realised he had taken the tour before with an ex-girlfriend. Of course he had no idea who, when or where...but that is normal with The Husband. There were many previous who's, when's and where's.....
Finally, we arrived at our main destination: the College World Series. Clemson, The Huband's alma mater, had made it to the final week...a really nice turn of events since you can't plan on things like that. Unfortunately, the temperature was hovering around 95. But we sat through 3 sweltering games and saw some great baseball. Unfortunately, Clemson lost...but still, it was a great experience.
Let me tip-toe around something for a moment: here is the problem at events such as these. The Husband is always in a hurry. He is also impatient. This does not bode well for any older people, handicapped people...or generally anyone who gets in his way. The Boy and I are just the opposite. We stroll. We get distracted. We apologize for everything. If you mix these two personalities together...you get trouble. Thank goodness for The Boy. He is forever the Mediator. He stays in the middle between me and The Husband and tries to slow him down...and speed me up. It's a thankless job...but he does it well.
Our last city was Kansas City. I love this city, and though we only had a short time there, we enjoyed it. But let me touch on another "issue". The Husband and Boy wanted to watch a ballgame on TV on a Saturday night. (Yes, you understand...after a week of 7 games, they had to watch another on TV). This delayed dinner until 9:00 on Saturday night in a city known for it's dining. Well, off we go at 9:00 to find a place. As previously discussed, The Husband does not like to wait. This means nowhere with a wait of more than....say 20 minutes. So here is what happens....The Husband drops me at the restaurant door (where there is already a line around the building) to ask how long the "wait" is....by the time I get back with the bad news...he has already driven a mile down the street due to traffic. This means that I literally have to sprint to catch the car. This little scenario plays out about 5 times. Finally, I fib and say that the wait is only 20 minutes so that I don't have to sprint anymore. Thankfully, we ended up at a great little Italian place and the wait wasn't too bad.....All's well that ends well...
And so we headed back home, going straight from the airport to another ballgame...The Boy wanted to see his beloved Braves. It was another hot afternoon, but So worth it to see The Boy have such a good time.
So that brings us to the end of the vacation blog. After a brief discussion with The Husband, I was forced to abandon and edit many stories. He feels that I often "create" or "tamper" with stories in the blog. I insist that this is not true. I feel that it is sometimes difficult to see the truth in print...but this is a subject for another day...
On a final note, I do want to say (under duress) that this vacation would not have been possible, except for the amazing sense of direction and driving skills of The Husband. You could drop this man anywhere, and he could find the nearest baseball stadium in 10 minutes. ( Of course, anybody in his way better darn well move out of the way, but anyhow....)
Thanks to The Boy for his sunny attitude...and to Little One for being such a trooper....
It's good to be home.
Friday, June 25, 2010
On Why I Just Can't Joke About it Yet...
I know. I had promised to blog all week. A sort of daily vacation report. I keep getting messages asking for some details. But there are 2 good reasons that I haven't. The first is the practical one. This is WAY different than the beach trips where I have the whole morning to sit on the balcony in my swimsuit and write. This morning is the first morning on the trip that we have not gotten up early and left our hotel for our next destination. In the first 2 days, we saw 3 baseball games, a museum and 2 historical sites. We literally crawled into our beds in a new hotel each night.
The second reason is more personal, but with my apologies to those who were looking for some sarcasm...here goes:
We headed into Arlington Park Tuesday night to see the Rangers play. It had been a long day, and we were all hot, tired and a little grumpy (Ok, maybe it was just me). I asked The Husband if we could eat in the Grill that overlooked the park and watch batting practice to avoid the heat. You had to have a certain level of tickets to get into the Grill, and thankfully, ours were good. As we walked in, we looked for a table by the window so we could watch. There were none available, so we sort of frustratingly walked back towards the back. Suddenly, a man sitting alone at table for 4 looked up at me and said, "Here, take this one." The Husband said " No man, keep it". But he insisted, saying he would grab one alone in the back, and he took off. We sat down gratefully, and The Husband sent a beer to his table. A few minutes later, he walked over and said thanks. He explained that he was an active duty soldier. He trains our troops before they are sent overseas. In his spare time, he coaches his local high school football team in Iowa. For Father's Day, his wife had given him one ticket so he could come to the game and enjoy his beloved baseball. He was so excited that you could just feel it.
We chatted with him for a while, and then he went back to his table. I looked at the kids...and then unfortunately, I launched into the "Mom lecture" on thankfulness and gratefulness and being a little spoiled. I was actually lecturing myself. The kids were very impressed by this man. The Boy suggested we ask him to eat with us, but The Husband pointed out that he looked very content eating his hot dog, drinking his beer, and reading his program. On his way out, He thanked Us again...
And so today, as we prepare to got to the College World Series and watch The Husband's Alma mater that has amazingly made it to the finals on the day we are here...I am determined to overlook the 95 degree heat and be thankful...
But you know, by the time I get home next week, I am sure I will be ready to discuss the realities of the trip. From waiting on a bridge for hours for bats that never came...to The Husband catching a foul ball at a game and deciding to give autographs...there will be plenty to talk about.
But for today....only a sincere sense of thankfulness for a vacation that may have been different, but terrific...
With 3 days and 4 games to go.....
The second reason is more personal, but with my apologies to those who were looking for some sarcasm...here goes:
We headed into Arlington Park Tuesday night to see the Rangers play. It had been a long day, and we were all hot, tired and a little grumpy (Ok, maybe it was just me). I asked The Husband if we could eat in the Grill that overlooked the park and watch batting practice to avoid the heat. You had to have a certain level of tickets to get into the Grill, and thankfully, ours were good. As we walked in, we looked for a table by the window so we could watch. There were none available, so we sort of frustratingly walked back towards the back. Suddenly, a man sitting alone at table for 4 looked up at me and said, "Here, take this one." The Husband said " No man, keep it". But he insisted, saying he would grab one alone in the back, and he took off. We sat down gratefully, and The Husband sent a beer to his table. A few minutes later, he walked over and said thanks. He explained that he was an active duty soldier. He trains our troops before they are sent overseas. In his spare time, he coaches his local high school football team in Iowa. For Father's Day, his wife had given him one ticket so he could come to the game and enjoy his beloved baseball. He was so excited that you could just feel it.
We chatted with him for a while, and then he went back to his table. I looked at the kids...and then unfortunately, I launched into the "Mom lecture" on thankfulness and gratefulness and being a little spoiled. I was actually lecturing myself. The kids were very impressed by this man. The Boy suggested we ask him to eat with us, but The Husband pointed out that he looked very content eating his hot dog, drinking his beer, and reading his program. On his way out, He thanked Us again...
And so today, as we prepare to got to the College World Series and watch The Husband's Alma mater that has amazingly made it to the finals on the day we are here...I am determined to overlook the 95 degree heat and be thankful...
But you know, by the time I get home next week, I am sure I will be ready to discuss the realities of the trip. From waiting on a bridge for hours for bats that never came...to The Husband catching a foul ball at a game and deciding to give autographs...there will be plenty to talk about.
But for today....only a sincere sense of thankfulness for a vacation that may have been different, but terrific...
With 3 days and 4 games to go.....
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Texas Crawl...Pre-Trip
Well, it's almost here. Sunday morning marks the beginning of the "Texas Crawl". This is when we begin our trip that will take us to Houston, Austin, Dallas,Topeka, Wichita, Omaha and Kansas City. We will see 6 baseball games in 7 days, including the College World Series. The bags are packed (almost), the tickets are bought (more on that later) and the hotels are booked (not exactly).
The Husband began suggesting this trip a couple months back. His favorite description of it included the terms "something different" and "a change of pace". I threw out the idea of a trip to Paris...now this would be a change of pace. Especially after our year of baseball and softball tournaments. But The Husband really wanted to see that College World Series, and also some other stadiums. Let me me quickly state that I am not martyr in this situation. A few people have said "Oh you are such a good sport" or "Oh you are such a trooper"...and though I love these accolades....they are not quite true. Frankly, I love baseball, too. If you read the blog, you know that growing up with 3 brothers and a father who was president of the Hawks (basketball), my childhood was consumed with sports. We lived at the baseball field or the basketball arena...so I am very comfortable at either place. A few summers ago when we took our disastrous trip to Connecticut and New York, it was my idea to go to Yankees stadium one more time before they tore it down....so my point is, don't feel sorry for me for this part of it...
There are many things to be thankful about regarding this trip. Number one...I get my own carry-on bag. Usually I have to share with Little One, but The Husband agreed to all of us having our own. The down-side of this is that this trip really does not require anything besides t-shirts and tennis shoes. (Ok, I did sneak in a t-shirt dress and sandals...)
Secondly, I have heard and read that Austin is a neat city. I am not a cowboy boot or hat-wearing type girl, but I am always open to new things. A friend sent me a link to the Blanton Museum there which looks fabulous....and despite The Husband's "We don't want to overwhelm the kids with that stuff" comment (really...6 games in 6 days...and we don't want to overwhelm anyone?), I will be searching this place out.
Next, The Husband loves that Food Network show "Diners,Drive-ins and Dives". Every night about 10:00, our tv ends up on this channel. Turns out there are about 5 of these places within a 7 hour detour of where we are going....and we will be hitting them all. This works out great for the Husband and The Boy, who have never met a plate of deep fried food they haven't loved. Maybe not so great for me and The Little One who really like to have an occasional vegetable or fruit...
The hotel selection was another debate. I am not high maintenance....but I do like clean and convenient. I am not big on driving 4 hours out of the way for anything either. And I cannot be plied with the comment "but they have a buffet breakfast". This caused a few bumps in the road, but all in all, I am happy with the ones I booked. The Husband has decided to leave a few to chance....this leads me to picture us on the side of the road in our car....
Last night, The Husband explained to me that the tickets we have to the College World Series do not actually guarantee us a seat. They only guaranteed us the right to line up outside the stadium after midnight and hope for a spot. Also, The Husband said, if you don't get in, you can watch on a big screen outside. Let's review....a trip across the US to see 2 games....and the chance of not getting in. Before the night was over...we had reserved seats.
So here we are, 2 days out from the big trip. I am prepared and excited. A friend has suggested that I re-watch "Family Vacation" with Chevy Chase to prepare. Another friend reminded me to pack the Tums. Brother-in-law merely wrote "t-shirts and sunscreen"...
I know there will be lessons to be learned on this trip. But you know, it is indeed a "Family Vacation", with all of the memories, good and bad, that go with those. I am prepared to be thankful and have a great time...
Yee Haa....Texas bound....I'll keep you posted....
The Husband began suggesting this trip a couple months back. His favorite description of it included the terms "something different" and "a change of pace". I threw out the idea of a trip to Paris...now this would be a change of pace. Especially after our year of baseball and softball tournaments. But The Husband really wanted to see that College World Series, and also some other stadiums. Let me me quickly state that I am not martyr in this situation. A few people have said "Oh you are such a good sport" or "Oh you are such a trooper"...and though I love these accolades....they are not quite true. Frankly, I love baseball, too. If you read the blog, you know that growing up with 3 brothers and a father who was president of the Hawks (basketball), my childhood was consumed with sports. We lived at the baseball field or the basketball arena...so I am very comfortable at either place. A few summers ago when we took our disastrous trip to Connecticut and New York, it was my idea to go to Yankees stadium one more time before they tore it down....so my point is, don't feel sorry for me for this part of it...
There are many things to be thankful about regarding this trip. Number one...I get my own carry-on bag. Usually I have to share with Little One, but The Husband agreed to all of us having our own. The down-side of this is that this trip really does not require anything besides t-shirts and tennis shoes. (Ok, I did sneak in a t-shirt dress and sandals...)
Secondly, I have heard and read that Austin is a neat city. I am not a cowboy boot or hat-wearing type girl, but I am always open to new things. A friend sent me a link to the Blanton Museum there which looks fabulous....and despite The Husband's "We don't want to overwhelm the kids with that stuff" comment (really...6 games in 6 days...and we don't want to overwhelm anyone?), I will be searching this place out.
Next, The Husband loves that Food Network show "Diners,Drive-ins and Dives". Every night about 10:00, our tv ends up on this channel. Turns out there are about 5 of these places within a 7 hour detour of where we are going....and we will be hitting them all. This works out great for the Husband and The Boy, who have never met a plate of deep fried food they haven't loved. Maybe not so great for me and The Little One who really like to have an occasional vegetable or fruit...
The hotel selection was another debate. I am not high maintenance....but I do like clean and convenient. I am not big on driving 4 hours out of the way for anything either. And I cannot be plied with the comment "but they have a buffet breakfast". This caused a few bumps in the road, but all in all, I am happy with the ones I booked. The Husband has decided to leave a few to chance....this leads me to picture us on the side of the road in our car....
Last night, The Husband explained to me that the tickets we have to the College World Series do not actually guarantee us a seat. They only guaranteed us the right to line up outside the stadium after midnight and hope for a spot. Also, The Husband said, if you don't get in, you can watch on a big screen outside. Let's review....a trip across the US to see 2 games....and the chance of not getting in. Before the night was over...we had reserved seats.
So here we are, 2 days out from the big trip. I am prepared and excited. A friend has suggested that I re-watch "Family Vacation" with Chevy Chase to prepare. Another friend reminded me to pack the Tums. Brother-in-law merely wrote "t-shirts and sunscreen"...
I know there will be lessons to be learned on this trip. But you know, it is indeed a "Family Vacation", with all of the memories, good and bad, that go with those. I am prepared to be thankful and have a great time...
Yee Haa....Texas bound....I'll keep you posted....
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
She'll Always Have Paris...
One of Big Sis's friends e-mailed me over the weekend. She and her husband were in Switzerland visiting her in-laws, and they had been gifted with a 2 night trip to Paris. This was to be her first trip there, and she wanted to know what I thought she should see or do.
My first thought was, how lucky! To have the opportunity to take a quick 2 night, romantic trip to Paris is just amazing. Then I tried to give it some serious thought. After all, she hadn't been there before, and I wanted her to get the best she could out of her two days. I thought back to my first trip there years ago, taken with my sister-in-law. After years of studying french and dreaming of Paris, I had asked her to join me. In addition to her desire to see the City of Light, she wanted to retrace her father's steps during the war. He had lived right outside of Paris for a time, and she wanted to see if we could track down the house where he had stayed. This gave our trip a neat framework. We were there for a week,so we would have a chance to see the "biggies", including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Given my love of art and fashion, I also wanted to see the Louvre and a few of the couture shops.
I remember flying over the city right before we landed and seeing the Eiffel Tower in the distance. I had tears in my eyes, tears that would reappear many times over the next 7 days. As I thought about what to suggest to A. for her 2 day trip, I tried to remember what had meant the most to me during my stay. Of course I loved seeing the Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame....but the most precious memories were not of actual sights. The first morning there , when our breakfast was delivered to our room, I can still picture it. A perfectly set tray of croissants, espresso, fruit, and tiny jars of honey and jam, of which I would allow myself one so that I could stash the others to bring home, hoping to bring into my life a bit of Paris. The next memory which stood out was standing in front of the American Embassy trying to take a picture (sister-in-law's dad had been there), and being told by gendarmes that we were not allowed to photograph the Embassy. These same gendarmes were not allowed to be photographed, but they discreetly posed for us when we hid behind trees and snapped away.
My next best memory would be purchasing a pair of pink suede boots in a shop called Ines de ls Fressange. Ines was a famous model for Chanel, and she had opened a small shop of beautiful well-made clothes with prices that were more approachable than Chanel. As soon as I spotted these boots (in the sale section no less), I knew I had to have them. 20 years later, they sit on my shelf, still looking like new despite years of wear.
And lastly, the most haunting memory is taking the train outside of Paris to search for the house of my S-I-L's father. This required a bit of courage, because we would be totally dependent on my french to get us around and ask the pertinent questions. My french was certainly good enough, but my courage was iffy. But after a few hours of scouring neighborhoods and asking questions, we found what we thought was the house. My sister-in-law had tears in her eyes. I did too. It was a magical moment in life.
So as I visited memories, I tried to remember that Paris is more than just the museums and the Tower. Paris, for me at least, is a way of life. So while I suggested seeing the Louvre and the Tuilleries, I also suggested just taking the time to sit in a cafe and have an espresso or a glass of wine and just watch the people walk by. Because after all, it is the small moments that are sometimes the most meaningful...
I wish A. a lovely trip...I hope that 20 years from now, she will look back and feel the way I did when I think of my first trip there...
My first thought was, how lucky! To have the opportunity to take a quick 2 night, romantic trip to Paris is just amazing. Then I tried to give it some serious thought. After all, she hadn't been there before, and I wanted her to get the best she could out of her two days. I thought back to my first trip there years ago, taken with my sister-in-law. After years of studying french and dreaming of Paris, I had asked her to join me. In addition to her desire to see the City of Light, she wanted to retrace her father's steps during the war. He had lived right outside of Paris for a time, and she wanted to see if we could track down the house where he had stayed. This gave our trip a neat framework. We were there for a week,so we would have a chance to see the "biggies", including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Given my love of art and fashion, I also wanted to see the Louvre and a few of the couture shops.
I remember flying over the city right before we landed and seeing the Eiffel Tower in the distance. I had tears in my eyes, tears that would reappear many times over the next 7 days. As I thought about what to suggest to A. for her 2 day trip, I tried to remember what had meant the most to me during my stay. Of course I loved seeing the Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame....but the most precious memories were not of actual sights. The first morning there , when our breakfast was delivered to our room, I can still picture it. A perfectly set tray of croissants, espresso, fruit, and tiny jars of honey and jam, of which I would allow myself one so that I could stash the others to bring home, hoping to bring into my life a bit of Paris. The next memory which stood out was standing in front of the American Embassy trying to take a picture (sister-in-law's dad had been there), and being told by gendarmes that we were not allowed to photograph the Embassy. These same gendarmes were not allowed to be photographed, but they discreetly posed for us when we hid behind trees and snapped away.
My next best memory would be purchasing a pair of pink suede boots in a shop called Ines de ls Fressange. Ines was a famous model for Chanel, and she had opened a small shop of beautiful well-made clothes with prices that were more approachable than Chanel. As soon as I spotted these boots (in the sale section no less), I knew I had to have them. 20 years later, they sit on my shelf, still looking like new despite years of wear.
And lastly, the most haunting memory is taking the train outside of Paris to search for the house of my S-I-L's father. This required a bit of courage, because we would be totally dependent on my french to get us around and ask the pertinent questions. My french was certainly good enough, but my courage was iffy. But after a few hours of scouring neighborhoods and asking questions, we found what we thought was the house. My sister-in-law had tears in her eyes. I did too. It was a magical moment in life.
So as I visited memories, I tried to remember that Paris is more than just the museums and the Tower. Paris, for me at least, is a way of life. So while I suggested seeing the Louvre and the Tuilleries, I also suggested just taking the time to sit in a cafe and have an espresso or a glass of wine and just watch the people walk by. Because after all, it is the small moments that are sometimes the most meaningful...
I wish A. a lovely trip...I hope that 20 years from now, she will look back and feel the way I did when I think of my first trip there...
Friday, May 28, 2010
If You Don't Leave, You Can't Come back...
Here is the thing. If you leave without making a big deal out of it, then you are able to sneak back for a visit every now and then, right? It's been several weeks since my "final" blog, and in that time, an unbelievable amount of life has happened. At first, I continued to construct the blog in my mind, even though I wasn't writing it. It was a relief not to have to take the time to actually write it down. But the last few days, I missed it. Not the result or the feedback, which is what I expected to miss, but the act of putting it all into words. So over the summer, I've decided to jump back into the blog. I don't know how often. I guess I'll just see if anything interesting happens...
Today was the last day of school. The last few weeks have been a blur. 2 baseball tournaments, 1 softball tournament,a play, 2 dance recitals...and an exchange student from Paris. The last was by far the most rewarding, but I'll save that for another day.
This morning was not unlike many recent mornings in our house. After letting Little One and the Boy stay up way too late, their grumpiness was overwhelming. I thought I had prepared for this...you know, it's always my thought process that being totally prepared insures a smooth morning. Why do I never learn my lesson? When you have a 12 year old boy and 10 year old girl involved, mornings are never smooth sailing...
The Boy had to wear a shirt and tie for Honors Day. I had the shirt ironed and the tie and belt and shoes laying out....what I didn't expect is that the pants that had fit 2 months ago would now hover somewhere around the ankles. A year ago, The Boy would have said "they're fine, Mom". Not anymore. Out came the ironing board and a search for the proper fit.
Little One was having her Field Day. This required athletic shorts and a t-shirt. You'd think this would be easy....you'd think. Thankfully, she had laid it all out on her bed the night before. Unfortunately, the hair was not cooperating.Coupled with the fact that she could not find a library book that should have been turned in a week ago, she was a mess.
Normally, I roll my eyes and shake my head, and we head out the door at about the same time each day. But this morning, I was suppose to have breakfast with 2 friends to celebrate our last morning in lower school drop-off line.I hadn't let myself think about this too deeply...after all, a few weeks ago I had witnessed The Senior graduate from college. The fact that I would have 2 middle schoolers next year hadn't settled in. But if there was a way to find humor in this, these two would find it...so I was determined to be on time.
As I dropped them off and watched Little One enter the building for what would be her last time, I wasn't sure what to feel. Happy? Relieved? Sad? Not really any of the above. During our breakfast, my friends and I managed to discuss everything BUT this ending, so I was still left to ponder it throughout the day. I picked the kids up from school, and we were all strangely quiet. We headed to our traditional Last Day of School meal at the Pub near Grandma's. This has been a favorite with the kids since they were toddlers. The Husband joined us....and as I looked around table, I was once again reminded of how fast is all goes. The boy looked over and winked at me, like he was reading my mind. "Late bedtime tonight, right mom?" Well of course. Little One continued to plot out our next few days.
A few days at Grandma's house is always the cure for everything...I've been at this road in life before, but I won't be here again. It's an interesting place. I'm not really one to sit still and reflect...I'm usually planning my next step...But today, it's worth taking a moment to take it all in....
The last day of school is also the first day of summer....
Today was the last day of school. The last few weeks have been a blur. 2 baseball tournaments, 1 softball tournament,a play, 2 dance recitals...and an exchange student from Paris. The last was by far the most rewarding, but I'll save that for another day.
This morning was not unlike many recent mornings in our house. After letting Little One and the Boy stay up way too late, their grumpiness was overwhelming. I thought I had prepared for this...you know, it's always my thought process that being totally prepared insures a smooth morning. Why do I never learn my lesson? When you have a 12 year old boy and 10 year old girl involved, mornings are never smooth sailing...
The Boy had to wear a shirt and tie for Honors Day. I had the shirt ironed and the tie and belt and shoes laying out....what I didn't expect is that the pants that had fit 2 months ago would now hover somewhere around the ankles. A year ago, The Boy would have said "they're fine, Mom". Not anymore. Out came the ironing board and a search for the proper fit.
Little One was having her Field Day. This required athletic shorts and a t-shirt. You'd think this would be easy....you'd think. Thankfully, she had laid it all out on her bed the night before. Unfortunately, the hair was not cooperating.Coupled with the fact that she could not find a library book that should have been turned in a week ago, she was a mess.
Normally, I roll my eyes and shake my head, and we head out the door at about the same time each day. But this morning, I was suppose to have breakfast with 2 friends to celebrate our last morning in lower school drop-off line.I hadn't let myself think about this too deeply...after all, a few weeks ago I had witnessed The Senior graduate from college. The fact that I would have 2 middle schoolers next year hadn't settled in. But if there was a way to find humor in this, these two would find it...so I was determined to be on time.
As I dropped them off and watched Little One enter the building for what would be her last time, I wasn't sure what to feel. Happy? Relieved? Sad? Not really any of the above. During our breakfast, my friends and I managed to discuss everything BUT this ending, so I was still left to ponder it throughout the day. I picked the kids up from school, and we were all strangely quiet. We headed to our traditional Last Day of School meal at the Pub near Grandma's. This has been a favorite with the kids since they were toddlers. The Husband joined us....and as I looked around table, I was once again reminded of how fast is all goes. The boy looked over and winked at me, like he was reading my mind. "Late bedtime tonight, right mom?" Well of course. Little One continued to plot out our next few days.
A few days at Grandma's house is always the cure for everything...I've been at this road in life before, but I won't be here again. It's an interesting place. I'm not really one to sit still and reflect...I'm usually planning my next step...But today, it's worth taking a moment to take it all in....
The last day of school is also the first day of summer....
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