Bahamas

As you all know, Leo gets to work from home. Although it has its challenges, it works well for our family. Since everyone in the company also works from home, Valiant has to make special effort to get the entire company together for meetings and whatnot. They have always had some kind of yearly meeting which included something fun and not entirely work related, and the boss' vision has always been to go someplace other than the local bowling alley. So this year we went to the Bahamas. Yeah, they just skipped over the little stuff and brought us all to Paradise. Paradise Island specifically but they call is that for a reason. It is a little piece of heaven.

After I got the ok from my mom that the kids would be in her hands while we were away, we booked my ticket to come along for the ride. We left early on a dark and cold Wednesday, January 7th. I have to say, there is something about going someplace warm in the middle of winter. It's such a nice break. And right after the holidays was a treat too. There was so much going on in the weeks leading up to it that I barely had time to anticipate it coming. But being in the cold (well, NC cold, not real cold of the north) I could hardly imagine what warm breezes would feel like. We got a good taste of that the second the door opened on the plane. The warm Caribbean air flooded in. The rum and coke was feeling good to me then. Let vacation begin!

From the air we saw the blue waters. From the ground we heard the sway of the palm trees. I floated away with whatever was happening. Life is so much better this way. We got through customs no problem (we could have brought an elephant there), got our chartered bus and were off. The driver gave a (very) detailed route around on the way to Atlantis where we would stay for the next five days. We saw the stadium and where Anna Nicole Smith is buried. Yes, it was the grand tour. We stopped for cheap liquor and snacks then got to our destination. At the front desk I urged Leo to ask for an ocean view. It was worth it to ask and even to wait for one if necessary. It was perfect. On the 7th floor, facing the blue water and beach, I didn't need to even go elsewhere for a while. So we opened the balcony door, poured some drinks and sat in the room, decompressing with friends for a while.

By the way, we had great company on the trip. Twenty of us in all it was Matt & Shea, Kristi & Dan, Cat & Jason, Natalie & Marshall, Heather, Brittany, Ed & Emily, Tommy & Anne, Justin & Trisha, Jeff & Jesse, and us. I only knew a few but we were all friends by the end.

We changed and ventured out for dinner. I had picked a place off property that I heard was a bit less expensive, outdoors, casual and Bahamian authentic. It was all those things, including somewhat hard to find. But we did. We watched the sun set and the cruise ships light up in the bay.

On the way in and out of Atlantis, you can walk through the marina where there are shops, restaurants and gorgeous yachts. That was one of my favorite things, looking at each of these monsters and picking out a favorite. I liked the one named "Imagine".

We took a stroll through the convention center part of the resort where one of the biggest yearly poker events was happening. We knew our buddy Daniel Negraneu would be there. In the back they were filming for a new poker show and you could go back there and watch and even walk around the outside of the players, with the understanding that you would be filmed in the background. We stood by and hung around when we saw Daniel was playing. We stayed for a quite a while hoping he would have a break so we could say hi. He finally did and came over to talk to a guy next to us he knew. Leo make eye contact and said, "Hey, do you remember us?" He came over and shook hands, gave a mumbly "sure, how are ya" and went back to play. Clearly having no idea who we were we went on our way. Later that night Leo had gone through again to watch and had a chance to say hi again and pulled him over to remind Daniel of our trip in '06 when we paid for some winners to come to Las Vegas and hang for a few days. He seemed to truly remember Leo at that point and he said "You've grown up!" I wish I could have been there for that part but I was snuggly in bed with tea and a book, the balcony door open, the sounds of the ocean coming in. I was having a fine time already.

Thursday, the Valiant crew had to actually do some work. So they were up and at 'em early. Since it was yet another beautiful day and there was no going back to sleep (and what a waste anyway!) I got up and ready to go out and explore. I planned to go on my own since I didn't know who was up yet but Dan called the room and we planned to explore together. Marshall came along too. This was what I really wanted. To just walk as far as I could and see it all. And see it all we did. We ran into the under water tunnels where sting rays and sharks float overhead, pools with giant turtles creeping along, swimming pools, bars with DJ booths, the beach, water activities, the other hotel buildings on the properties, the restaurants (oh how I wanted to eat at Bobby Flay's Mesa), the private pools (for the elite hotel guests), the dolphin cay and through the marina. We went everywhere! The beer by the pool, in the sun after our exploration was simply divine. It was actually the cooler of all the days, with the sun in and out of the clouds and the wind fairly rough. But a good full day it was. The work crew was done by 3:30 and we all relaxed for a bit before dinner.

Dinner was a paid-for pre-planned meal at Carmine's near the marina. It was ok Italian food, lots of variety, and giant family-style dishes. But, to be honest, it was too much and went on for too long. We were there for three hours and both of us were just done. We excused ourselves and went to explore.

I had heard over and over to go see The Dig, so we headed that way, in the lobby of the Coral Towers. Into a gigantic open space, marbles and columned, with waterfalls dancing down the walls, you then take a grand staircase down. In front of you to the left and right is the biggest expanse of fish tank I have ever seen. It seemed to go on forever on either direction. I followed a giant manta-ray back and forth as if he were the tour guide and wanted me to see it all. I think there may have been another section with more actual museum-like displays but it was closed for a private party. It didn't matter as I was happy to just hang out there and watch the fish swim about.

We took a walk back towards our room, but walked the perimeter of the building, just on the outside of the casino and shops. I couldn't get enough of the warm, island air.

Friday was my favorite day. It was a dream day. The girls were going on an excursion. We met up in our "living room", which we had established early in the trip. It was the place where the four "wings" on our building met up and a comfy couch, chairs and TV occupied the middle, near the elevators. We were frequently the picture of envy as we lounged about several times a day to meet up, bottles of wine and vodka here and there.

Anyway, we met up there and made it to another marina where we boarded a boat to take us to Rose Island. We traveling past large homes with yachts parked out front all along the waterway. To be one of those people, huh? We passed another small island where Blue Lagoon was filmed. And then after 30 or so minutes we arrived at Rose Island. We were welcomed with an island drink, direction on where to go and what to do and off we went. We all settled on the unpopulated beach first. It was a lovely breezy sunny day and perfect for laying out. We took trips to the beach bar, some went off for beach side massages (I should have done this!), some to the "hammock garden" for quiet nap time. We had a nice island lunch together then split up for the afternoon activities, kayaking or tubing. Kristi and I hung together for the afternoon and ended with a bit of time in the hammocks. Before we knew it, it was time to go. It went much too fast and no one was ready to leave. I would go back again, get a massage first, lay in the hammock next and have someone bring my drinks to me! (It's not fun getting in and out of those things!).

When we returned, we were looking forward to showers and naps. The guys were still out from their all day exploring. But Natalie got the idea we should go surprise them where they were, and before anyone had time to say no, I strongly persuaded the rest of the girls to get in the taxi and go. It took longer than expected to cross the bridge and meander through the busy streets to Senior Frogs. But worth it. The guys were very surprised to see us show up. The place was packed with cruise ship guests. We settled in with drinks, food and talk of our day. There was stage dancing, conga lines, and all sorts of silliness at this place. We couldn't have planned it any better. Sandy, sweaty and everything - it was a perfect afternoon/ evening. We stayed until we couldn't dance anymore and headed back. Everyone said the next day it was the best time.

Saturday was a lazy day for most. Since we didn't have our phones on (to avoid international charges) we couldn't really communicate with each other to make plans to meet up other than the hotel room phone. But when we wandered off, we ended up seeing people all day. Leo and I explored the water rides, the other parts of the property he hadn't seen yet and Dolphin Cay which I had only seen from afar two days before. I have to say, it was pretty cool to see those animals up close and doing tricks on demand. I wished the boys were there to see it. I was getting sad about missing them when two little boys with their parents appeared near us to watch too. That was our cue to move along before I got too homesick!

We found some others at a pool and settled in for a while longer in the sun. Knowing it was our last chance to hang by the pool, it was hard to leave it, at least for me. Fresh air, sun, no kids to worry about. Heaven.

That evening we dressed up for the last meal together. We went to one of the fancier places, a steak house. The food was good (better than Carmines) and there was a magician doing his thing at each table. Afterwards, everyone went as a group to the casino to put money on a number. We hit it! Hopefully it is a sign of another good year for Valiant and another trip like this.

Sunday it was hard to leave but we had our boys to look forward to. We had to leave early to get through customs going out, a longer process than coming in. Once on the plane there was a random delay that had the potential to make us miss our connecting flight in Atlanta, but it all worked out. Except our bags. But they arrived later that night. No harm done.

When we were landing I looked out my window and saw our neighborhood. I sent a text to my mom about it and she said Nathan thought that was the coolest. They were ready and waiting when we got home, standing in front of the door, jumping up and down. So excited to see mommy and daddy! They made a welcome home cake for us. So cute. They were very good for Gigi and Grandpa. They made it easy for us to consider going away like this again, knowing the boys are so good and that they are well taken care of while we are away.

Reality was rough of course, the next day. We had cold, dark, rainy days almost all week. But whenever I start missing it, I look at my pictures, imagine that the planes overhead is the sound of the ocean, and I sit real close to the heat coming out of the vents. If it weren't for the legos all over the floor, I could almost imagine the sand under my toes!

Happy Birthday Benny!

Our sweet Baby Boy turns three today! (Or six if you ask him) We will celebrate all week of course. Cupcakes in class to today, gifts at home after school, dinner out with Gigi and Grandpa tomorrow, on Saturday with Nonni and Poppi and on Sunday with another joint Birthday/ Super Bowl Party. We can't be any happier about celebrating our happy little guy.

Happy New Year 2015

Happy New Year! I write from my new laptop (thank you Leo!) with only a small leftover hangover from last nights' celebrations with the neighbors. While not in perfect condition, I can't complain about a thing (I brought the pain upon myself!).

When Nathan tracked out in November, we seized the free weekend ahead of it and took off for the mountains. I always liked the idea of doing this but we don't do it all that often. It was a good idea. We found a great spot on Sugar Mountain, right across from Grandfather Mountain. We had an amazing view, a big two bedroom, two floor condo to stretch out in and two nights to enjoy it. I won't lie, traveling with these kids is not always awesome. The boys resisted the night time set up, Benny refused to wear his jacket in the freezing cold and they ran around like lunatics for the most part, but hopefully we got some memorable moments in there for them. We all liked the view from the living room best - amazing sunrise I was able to see (consolation for an early wake up). We went to Lynn Caverns, did some "mining" and found some cool rocks at a place right near our place and spent several hours on Grandfather mountain. We missed the leaves of the season, but we did have some snow on the ground when we got there the first night. I had been battling a little cold which took away some fun for me, and being between leaf and ski seasons, it seemed many restaurants were closed. We made due and used the kitchen in the condo, though a meal out would have suited me better. We did end up going to a brewery in Greensboro on the way home where the food was good. As for the beer, well, it was too early and they couldn't serve it yet. Oops!

Out trip to NY for Thanksgiving was a really good one. I personally have been doing better, physically, which matters because I have been able to sleep! For a while, I couldn't sleep no matter where I was, no matter what I did and the trips away from home were rough as the accumulative lose of rest wore me down. This time, no problems. Well, the boys were not all that cooperative in where exactly they should sleep but eventually they won and slept on the floor of our room, blankets spread about, little bodies in various positions by morning. One time I found a sleeping Benny head first halfway under the bed, to his waist! The roll and wiggle so much it's amazing they didn't wake each other or end up in the hallway.

We spent a lot of time with Julia and Lily and of course the uncles. Those little girls are growing so fast. Julia is walking and starting to talk - a much different baby from the last time we saw her. The little boys and little girls had fun playing together. It's nice as they get older they are more self sufficient, leaving more time for the big kids (us) to chat.

Thanksgiving morning Pop dropped off the Kepler Kids at Rockland Lake for the Turkey Trot. I had run for a bit to prepare for it. It seemed to pay off as I don't feel like I was in too much pain for says after versus Joey who seemed to be limping a bit. Although he did finish first out of the 5 of us, then Tim, TJ, Me then Greg who walked. I finished under 53 minutes and I had to walk/ run it after the three mile walk because of the awful feeling I get in my left knee after a certain distance. I was mad since I was feeling so good otherwise. Oh well, I did it. And it wasn't even my decision to do it! But I did.

The day before it had snowed. It was a thick wet snow but snow all the same. We had a nice white landscape to run along and more fat flakes were falling by the time the race was over. A well-deserved feeding frenzied filled the day of course. I'm not sure why we go through the trouble of making a turkey and all the trimmings when I'm perfectly happy eating shrimp and cheese all day.

That night cousin Kristen came over and all sat around playing a hilarious game of Wits and Wagers. We put the Lego movie on that night, and most other nights in order to have a few hours of fun without the kids underfoot. It worked for the most part. Almost too well. We were all up way late, until Lily hit her threshold and had a little freak out at the end. I'm surprised ours didn't do the same. They did however go to bed without too much fuss, completely spent from the long day of play.

Benny adjusted for these late nights by having late naps. He fell asleep every day on the couch right around dinner time. While he missed actual meal time, it was rather enjoyable to have one less plate to fuss over and a little less fight between Nathan and Benny. Between his naps and his camouflage PJ's that he insists on wearing every day, it was easy to miss Benny!

Friday was had a slow morning but then went into the city to see a Sesame Street exhibit at the Lincoln Center Library. We saw Oscar in his can, Super Grover overhead, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie and Big Bird! He really is a BIG BIRD! The kids were less enthused, but Greg and I were were loving it. I would have liked to spend more time reading, less time chasing. But still, it was a good experience. We had lunch across the street then ventured home; the cold wind made for a quick trip with the little ones.

Saturday Tim and Jen came back up for another visit and dinner, Sunday was a laid back day. We could have gone home then but we were glad to have waited until Monday after the holiday traffic died down. It's hell on 95. But we made it in great time, leaving at 5am and getting home well before dark. Early is the way to go. It was a nice trip. The only thing lacking was Matt and his girlfriend Katie who were supposed to join us until plans changed last minute. One of these days perhaps we will all be together again at the same time.

The week we returned we had lots of little things happening, Disney on Ice - Frozen (that everyone we know went to!), book club, guys night out, etc. Nathan had school for two weeks, then a two week break again for the holidays. A strange time, these on again, off again times at school. But he has continuously adjusted well.

This break for holidays has been nice. It's been raining a bunch so not a ton of outside stuff happening. But I think the boys really just like being home. And now with Christmas behind us, they have lots (I mean LOTS) of things to keep them busy. They make out well every year. While I cringe at the stuff they acquire (it's freakin' everywhere) I must think less of the mess and more of the love that is showered on them everywhere we turn.

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Since I last wrote Benny has made some great strides. We changed his bed from crib to toddler bed. While in NY he was still having potty trouble. But since he seemed to be doing it on purpose (going #2 in his pants) we started to punish him for it. It didn't work. So we stopped and when we did Benny asked me, "I'm not gonna have to go to my room now?" I told him no, he was a big boy and had to make up his own mind about it. The day after that he put the stuff from his body to the potty and has been amazing with it ever since with few accidents. He's now out of his diapers even at night. We are very proud (and relieved!) that the diaper days are behind us. Benny also likes to ride Nathan's big boy bike, with the training wheels. He is such a big boy now. Yet, he will still curl up on me and fall asleep, like today. My baby.

My Big Baby is anything but. He had a friend over last week and we were outside on bikes and scooter. After not avoiding the muddy sidewalk like I has suggested, Nathan was on the ground, crying, and there was blood. Lots of it. Dripping down his nose, I corralled the kids back one by one, got Leo to come help and then we were discussing where to go for emergencies. Leo took him to the new ER down the road and he came home with four stitches. Yikes. We were lucky to have gotten almost six years without emergencies. The luck had to run out sometime.

But like I said, Nathan was not a baby. He cried. He freaked a little when stitches were first talked about. But he got used to the idea. By the time he was numb, he was a brave boy and got fixed up. I wasn't there for it, which I both hated and was grateful for. Leo said it was sad and traumatizing, plus I would have fainted watching a needle go through my kids face. Soooo, maybe better not to be there. In any case, the stitches were out a couple days after Christmas, the scab has fallen off and it's healing nicely already, only a week and a few days after it happened. Here's to no more ER visits anytime soon.

New Years, as mentioned, was spent with family and neighbors. In the afternoon, G'pa Truck and the Kokers came over for lunch, a long walk after and kid play time. Then, with no rest we went up the street. We've been close with the Carroll's for years and have gotten to know the Ladwigs this year as well. The kids are comfortable there and we always have a good time. We know we are so lucky to have close neighbors that are so much like family.

Big Leo's house has begun being built and he expects it to be done before spring, so another family member, turned NC resident. My own Dad was here a few days ago on his way down to Florida for the winter. On Christmas Day we had almost all the parents here too. These kids are so lucky to have them all around so often.

And so a new year begins. Last year was a great one; Leo is doing great at work among all the other blessings we have. We hope it's not a matter of having that Fraggle Rock which Leo had since Christmas last year. I made him another once since strange things were happening suddenly as soon as we passed it along to Danielle. On the other hand, if it does have good luck, I hope it works for her this year!

Speaking of good stuff with work, because it was a banner year for Valiant, the yearly meeting is being held in the Bahamas! (Sure beats bowling!) We will be staying at Atlantis with a large group of his work people. We leave Wednesday and Gigi and Grandpa get the boys for five whole days. Wow. That's a long time. They will have a blast. I'm pretty sure we will too. Not a bad way to start 2015.