A Weekend Down Memory Lane
Last weekend Ava, Chris and I took a wonderful trip to San Diego. It was a trip we took for Chris's work called "Home Team" which basically is a team building, no work all fun trip with kid attendance optional. Ava has heard a lot about San Diego over the years since Chris goes there for work from time to time and she knows that mommy and daddy lived there once upon a time before she was born.
I haven't been back to San Diego since I was five months pregnant with Ava. I have to admit that I have been hesitant to go back since I have so many fond memories of living there for eight years and I didn't want to suffer too much from nostalgia. San Diego is such a wonderful place of beauty and an irresistable ocean. Chris and I bought our first home there in Carlsbad - a charming three bedroom home only miles from the beach. One day when I was working Chris called me up and said "Megan! I can see the ocean from our balcony! We have an ocean view." We were both so excited to be able to enjoy that stretch of ocean from a distance when you were standing just right on our balcony on a perfectly clear day. Back then I worked for a "luxury lifestyle" magazine out of La Jolla, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe, which gave me my own freelance writing schedule as well as access to the most beautiful homes, people and events around. I once had breakfast with Audrey Geisel, wife to the famous Dr. Suess, a sophisticated lady who taught me that coffee really is better when the cream is heated up just so. Another time I got a private tour from the owner of a $40 million home in Rancho Santa Fe. The owner's EX husband was a surgeon and the inventor of a heart tansplant device. I would get free spa treatments for including the companies in my articles, rides in Aston Martin's and attend high class fashion shows. Oh, it was the life. Life was so simple then, and when I think back on my San Diego days, it brings me a smile.
So, going back to San Diego was very special to me. My life is so stressful and busy these days and I wasn't in the best mood the morning Ava and I left to meet Chris. We made the drive from the airport up to the Four Seasons Aviara and the minute I stepped out of our car on to the grounds of the resort I breathed in a deep breath and was filled with some happiness that I knew I needed. Ava and I dropped off our stuff in the beautiful room and headed down to the very fancy California Bistro in the hotel and sat outside to have our lunch. I ordered not one, but two fruity cocktails. I told the kind waitress to bring me something fruity with vodka in it. I enjoyed a steak sandwhich while Ava munched on her chicken tenders and drank her smoothie. We just sat there and took our time cherishing each and every bite while we breathed in the fresh San Diego air. I kept my nostalgia at bay.
Our lunch spot on the balconyIt was just a magical weekend. The babies were at home being cared for by the domestics from Southern California so I didn't have to worry about them and I could relax and spend quality time with Chris and Ava. The Four Seasons Aviara is so amazing because of how kid friendly it is. They have a playground, a kid pool and jacuzzi and an arcade. When we went down for breakfast each morning the servers provided princess silverware and special cups. Breakfast was free for kids under 5 which I thought was a pretty awesome deal.
That night after a good long swim in the pool we went to an old favorite place on the beach in Carlsbad called Harbor Fish. It is this hole in the wall outdoor fish n chips and fish tacos joint. Chris's entire work team was there with all of their kids and I must say that they were collectively the most beautiful bunch of kids I have ever seen sitting at one table together. They were well behaved as they colored and ate their dinners. It was a peaceful evening.
The next day we went to the Wild Animal Park which I highly recommend. Ava was a little tired from her partying the night before but I still think it was worth it for everyone. We took a tram through the property to see the gazelle and giraffe, zebras and rhinocerosis. We even got to see a baby Carabou being born - the feet dangled out of the momma as she trotted around the perimeter of the fence looking very stressed and intruded upon during what was supposed to be a private moment. Ava slept in the car for the next 1 1/2 hours while Chris and I drove around Carlsbad reflecting back on the old days. We drove by our first home and I peeked over the fence and admired all of the landscaping that Chris and I slaved to complete every weekend. I felt the cool breeze coming up from the ocean that we would enjoy year round - I especially thought of that since I had a $600 electric bill waiting for me at home for all the air conditioning necessary to keep our house at 80 degrees for one month. Sigh.
When we got back to the hotel I snuck down to the tranquility pool that plays relaxing music under water. I layed on my back and floated and felt truly relaxed for the first time in awhile. As I floated a waft of marijuana floated past my nostrils. The roudy crowd in the Cabana to my right were partying hard. I went up to the hot tub and there were some rowdy adults up there as well. I thought to myself, the kid pool and spa consists of better behaved humans that the adult one I believe.
The Tranquility Pool
That night we went to our old favorite restaurant in Encinitas called Vigilucci's. It is seriously the best Italian food you may have outside of Italy. We had great wine and pasta dishes. Ava had a fantastic spaghetti with meatballs and then we enjoyed some Gelato and chocolate cake as the Italians do and headed down to the beach. It was a dark night and there was a glow on the waves from the lifeguard tower. Ava has been really timid around the ocean for several years. We haven't even been able to get her very close to the waves. I walked right out and stood in the low tide and let the water wash over my feet and legs. Ava saw this and recognized potential for adventure so she followed me in. For the next hour we ran along the beach and in and out of the waves. In the end, Ava and I were soaking wet and full of sand. Ava told us that she wanted to live at the beach. It was a very special night we will always remember.
Meanwhile back at home after our lovely little weekend vaca, Violet has been undergoing many an evaluation to see if she qualifies for in-home physical and speech therapy. Her gross motor skills are behind since she just started walking and has a little disability in her left leg (for now). Her speech is behind also. Cognitively she scores at a two year old level. This is great because this means that her brain is working well, but she just needs some therapy to smooth out her walking, strengthen her mid-section and some speech therapy to learn to say words. She will do very well with this early intervention.
With Kindergarten in full swing, there is a lot of juggling a new schedule for me. My head is spinning. I have to figure out things for Ava to do in the morning before school, and activities for her after school (otherwise she gets bored and drives us crazy) and then I have to figure out activities for the babies to get them out of the house and activities for them to stay stimulated in the house. I still work around two naps a day for the babies because they are great little sleepers. Some days, like today, when we load all the babies up and take them to the park, I wonder if it is all worth it. Are they getting a lot out of it or is it just a major amount of work for me? I got all their suits on and took them in the new fountains that spray water everywhere. They liked it for about five minutes and then they were over it, so I changed them all into regular clothes and took them over to the park section where they really just wanted to eat snacks and hook up their stroller straps more than play on the play structure. I was left feeling like I should've just put them in the backyard with a bunch of food and strollers and let them have at it. Seriously. If I really wanted to accommodate each of the babies' needs I would line up the booster chairs for Elsa to hook up, gather a bunch of books for Violet to read by herself (she would rather read by herself than be read to right now) and turn the hose on a wee bit or get the pink vacuum out for Preston and call it a day. Oh, if life were that simple for me.
Until next time, the mothership is signing off.
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