Woolsey Family Chronicles

Our trip probably wouldn't have felt like such a failure if Preston didn't come down with a fever yesterday afternoon. He was fussy and burning up. Also, the little kids were too young to fully appreciate the awesome sights at the aquarium like Ava did. I feel Ava got a little shortchanges (and so did we) because the little kids were tired and were done with the fish after the first tank. Thankfully my parents were with us to help with the kids; one kid per adult is a very ideal situation for us, and it was nice having them along. 

We first stopped in beautiful San Juan Bautista to see the donkeys, chickens and cats at my Aunts and Uncles house and that was really fun for the kids. We did some swimming in the hotel pool, we went to a very awesome park called the Denise The Menace Park and had some fun and then we went out to The Fisherman's Grotto for dinner right on the wharf. Everybody was very accommodating to us in Monterey. The Embassy Suites provided us the three pack n plays for sleeping, and for breakfast everyone ran around getting booster seats and providing Chris and I with a therapeutic cup of coffee amidst the madness. Of course, we ran into another triplet family – 8 year old triplets – who told me 3 years old was their worst year and it only got better from there. Three years old was Ava's hardest year, so triplet mom's comment did not surprise me.

Oh yes, we "had our hands full" a majority of this trip. If I had to do it all over again, would I do it? Hell no. Our next family trip will be taking place in 2012. Until then, we will stick to day trips and experiencing the beauty out our back door, so to speak. As Chris reminds me, we pay the big bucks to live in California because it is a wonderful state with so much to do and see.

The good news is that we got our first second night at the hotel comp'd because the air conditioner was broken (rendering the Woolsey 6 sweltering in our hotel room) and then we got the rest of the bill comp'd when Chris told the hotel reservation worker that he liked his jacket. Seriously. I guess that guy needed a little pump up that day. We all have those days don't we, where we need someone to say something nice to us and put a smile on our face.

Well, at least we tried. I think the highlight of the trip were the hours we spent in the sunshine at Dennis The Menace Park.  Our life is a learning lesson from one day to the next and an exercise in regrouping, refocusing and moving on. It is what it is.

Until next time, the mothership is signing off.