January

As 2014 started I made a vow to have more adventures this year, whether its just a day adventure or a true exploration, I'm taking charge this year. And so it begins...
We kicked off the year of travel with Legoland in Carlsbad, CA. While it was very fun and worth the trip, we found the 7 hours the park was open to be just enough time to see all that we wanted to see. As a family we explored our first roller coasters as finally everyone is at the minimum height limit! We built Lego racers and explored the mini world of Lego Star Wars (yes this is where we spend nearly an hour). It was fun, it was exciting, it was the perfect start.
Our adventure continued the next day with whale watching. We sailed with Newport Whales (http://www.newportwhales.com/) and found our captain to be friendly and entertaining. Of course it helped that we did find whales on our outing also! We found a mama and her calf swimming fairly close together and a bunch of sea lions hanging out on a buoy. All in all it was a great day!

Much of our last hour was spent exploring Miniland USA with more time in the Star Wars area than any other. The builders truly did a fantastic job!

This triceratops jump started my imagination for the day, another great build. 

Our vessel for the day's adventure 

You can barely see the whale at about 2 seconds in. Unfortunately we didn't get any great photos or video's of them as we were in such awe we didn't think about it until we were nearly done with our encounter.

This apparently, is the hang out spot for a sea lion.

Life Choices

I always tell my kids life is about the choices you make and how you handle the choices others make for you. That you can't control others, only yourself. Its important they know to always take 100% responsibility for their part in their relationships with others so if something negative comes out of it they'll know they tried their best. I want them to learn this hard truth years before I did, I want to save them the trouble of learning how to take ownership. With any luck it will click with them before it did for me, though I recognize they are on their own path of self discovery and that inherently will mean a path uniquely theirs. However there are still times I find myself angry over someone else's choice. Angry enough that I just want to shake them. I know their experiences along their path to who they are today are different from my own, but non the less, angry I become. So how do you truly let go when you find yourself still angry? How do I practice what I preach?

The Christmas Calendar

This year for Christmas

You’re getting a very special treat

Something you’re Mom, Dad and I

Sure thought would be very neat

This Thing you are getting

Will be with you all the coming year

To build memories with

To hold so very near

This year you are getting,

A calendar of sorts

Trips you’ll be going on

And adventuring at the source

Some trips will be big

And some will be small

Some will need this bag

And some, none at all

So take a peek inside

Check out what lies ahead

While your imagination takes over

Allow the sights unseen to begin to fill your head

Merry Christmas,

St. Nicholas

Death As Your Friend

I, like many others, work in senior living. An industry and profession I find deeply satisfying. So death is a topic that is not uncommon in my workplace. It's even one that is regularly discussed on different levels. Another common topic is kids, everyone likes kids, our residents like kids or staff like kids, kids are a deemed safe topic. Which is perhaps why the reaction to a recent conversation seems so surprising to me. A group of us were talking about what we'd like to see our kids grow to be as adults, both professionally and personally. When the question was posed to me I answered anything other than in the healthcare field. Doctors and nurses have such a better understanding of the human body and such a needed understanding of it. It has to be painful for them when they see that there is no more they can do and the person they're assisting is going to die. Now imagine when they're at the end of life with their parents? I never want to see that helpless look in the eyes of my children. I always want there to be hope. Can a doctor have hope in their eyes when they medically know their parent is going to die and there is nothing they or anyone else can do to stop it?
My response silenced the group, one of the gals said she'd never thought of doctors that way before but perhaps that's because she isn't a parent yet? Doctors and nurses are people too, with families and lives outside of the office and there will be a day for each of us when we take that last breath. Hopefully I'll be surrounded by my family and loved ones and my children will be at peace with what is going on versus going through the medical steps of how my body is finally betraying me. Or perhaps if my children do go into the healthcare field being able to go through the final steps of death will help them? Death isn't scary, Death is a friend for life, it walks beside you every step of the way and then finally welcomes you home in the end.

Here's Your Sign: I'm Broken

The thing is, Divorce HURTS. I know that there are times when it's best. I know that it is going to be okay. But it still hurts. I wish there was a way to make parting easier, even when it's so necessary. I wish it didn't have to hurt so much. I wish people wouldn't ask if you were okay and that somehow you'd just be okay. I know I will. I know there is certainly life after this. I'm just tired of the hurt. I want to scream sometimes and can't. I hate faking okay. I wish I could go a little nuts and not have to worry about what would happen if I did. I wish I had the freedom to drive to the beach right this very second and breath. I am so tired of feeling so constricted. Life will turn around soon because it has to. It will make since soon because it will be behind me and then I will be able to see. Okay so maybe that doesn't make that much since but it does to me.

I'm screaming inside right now and nobody sees the pain. Which is the point I guess. Nobody really wants to see someone else fall apart do they? I guess I already kind of am.

Twilight, Love Story?

So I've finally read the first novel in the saga, Twilight. At first I wasn't impressed. It had all the makings of a good book but it wasn't packaged right, there was something missing, deepth missing. I realized later though that possibly what is missing is Me. It's a love story that is so basic I almost missed it. It is of two beings so in love so in need of each other they over come all to be together even when it may not be best for either of them. They still have the strength to move forward with their love.

So as I go to bed tonight thinking not of sugar plums but of Edward Cullen, I have to hand it to Stephanie Meyers for passing her story off on so many. Bravo!

Aerosmith

I heard on the radio today that Aerosmith is considering moving on without Steven Tyler. I don't get it, how can a band like Aerosmith think any of it's members are interchangeable? No way I say! All members stay. When you've been around as long as they have they don't get to make changes like that, JOE PERRY!!!! Aerosmith is Aerosmith, it wouldn't be it with some guy from Ohio feeling in for Tyler. It doesn't work that way. Try again please.