We moved into our new rooms today... Much better, and we got to unpack. Yeah! Now it feels like home for a week. Although, our new room must be a dead zone for my phone... a blessing and a curse! Our friends Brian and Tammy with their kids Jack and Ellie came in yesterday, which was nice and called for some celebratory drinks. The weather itself was not so great, but the sun is making more appearances today than yesterday so we're hopeful.
Big chess board was fun.
Ava, where are you?
Dave's favorite Godfather impersonation.
Ava would jump into the pool, only to hurry under her towel.
The kids always make friends here. This is Victoria, who will be 6 in May. She was... Kind of a pain, but Ava had fun. Nolan and Max made friends with Steven, who was 7 and spoke only Spanish.
For the first time, I got a global service on my phone. Which is nice because I can stay connected. But also not so nice, because I can stay connected. I already had a phone call. And answered email. And had my mom yell at me because I was using my phone. But, I can also blog about vacation each night, if I choose, which means it's more likely to get done!
We left NY before 6 this morning and flew out. All was really too uneventful, and even Ava slept 3 hours of a 3 hour and 45 minute flight. We landed and then realize the airport was different, bigger. We missed the sign that says "You finally made it!" But did not miss having to wait until after customers to go to the bathroom.
As seems to be customary, we had to fight with then over our room as well. They like to downgrade our room but not tell us. So, Dave argued and we get to move into our "regular" room tomorrow.
And finally, day 1 wouldn't be complete without the girls getting their hair done! Ava cried but in the end she (and I) were happy she did it!
Get nails done. Check. Pack swimsuit. Check. Wrap up work. Check. Sit at urology office waiting for the results of your kidney CT scan because you know you have a bladder infection and are fairly certain you're passing a kidney stone. Check.
Each year, it seems a nearly monumental task to get everything for Dominican. There's stuff to find, pack, buy. Work to be done and sleep that should be had, but is the first thing to go.
But every year, no matter, I make time to get my nails done. It's usually the only time all year that I do, an this year, because of a last minute dinner for Dave, I had company.
It's strange to me to think back to all of the friends I have from different times in my life. Elementary school friends and high school friends, college friends and first job friends, current job friends and parents of kids at school friends. They've all made up a part of my life, and even stranger is that some of them have been friends for over 25 years! I cannot possibly be that old!
Last week I had the chance to get together with a friend from college who I studied in Europe with. Sarah was a few years behind me in school, and while we weren't great friends, we did tend to travel together. She came over to my house with her husband and her 2 year old son, and she brought her photo albums. We clearly did travel together, as I was in so many of her pictures. Yikes! Not such a flattering time for me.
Apparently, Sarah moved from the Quad Cities to this area after graduation, and then to West Bend about 8 years ago. I only noticed this when I was looking at Facebook while in The Bahamas, and was chatting with her electronically. Even more than that, I work with her sister in law! I just think it's so strange, and such a small, small world! Now I'm dying to go back and look at my old Europe pictures. I guess the one good thing about growing old is... More great memories!
Some things, you just have to write. I could have titled this post The Kids are Making Me Crazy, or I Can't Believe This is My Life, or Those Wacky Kidoodlos. But instead I decided to call it like it is.
Last weekend (yes, it's taken me a full week to write about it!) Ava and Max were playing with Rayva across the street, at Rayva's house. They were playing with a doll, I believe. For some reason (and this is where the story gets fuzzy), they thought it would be a good idea to put the doll in the sink, and then Max and Ava would get up on the counter and pee on the doll. SERIOUSLY?!? And, not just any doll, mind you, but an AMERICAN GIRL DOLL. Nope, no random barbies for them.
I really have no idea what was going through their minds. At least Max felt bad and knew he did something wrong. Ava just fought it, and fought it, and argued and argued. Really? You peed on a doll. It doesn't get more cut and dry on right and wrong than that.
It's been over a week and I'm still a little dumbfounded. Something tells me I will be for a long while to come.
But, there's this cute video of Ava singing her new favorite song. While it doesn't erase the visual of them climbing up on the sink to pee on a doll, it does make me smile nonetheless.
Abby, Nolan, Max, Ava... They look harmless enough! And really, they are. I may never have guessed how my life would turn out, but I couldn't imagine it any other way.
