Crazy Trip 2010: Part 4

CHAPTER FIVE: Where we walk up hills.

We finally disembarked at the foot of Lombard Street, the world's crookedest/curviest street.



The views were absolutely spectacular.



With temperatures in the 60s and breezy, we couldn't have hoped for better weather.



CHAPTER SIX: Just desserts after a vigorous hike.

Since Ghirardelli is located right near the top of Lombard Street, we knew it would be a perfect time to kick back with a chocolate treat. Can you imagine that the kids were in full agreement with us?



Although Maya and Austin had an incident involving a photo shoot, wet paint, and sullied clothes, I think that the sundaes helped them overcome their distress.



Avery led the group in some (as far as I'm concerned) fully justified worship.



CHAPTER SEVEN: Bridge over chilly waters.



I kept pinching myself as we walked along the beach towards the Municipal Pier. I could not believe that just over 24 ago I had an ordinary Tuesday planned ... and now here I was, toes in the Pacific and overlooking Alcatraz!



Here, in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, we dodged birds ...



... admired crab catches ...



... and one of us even found a comfy spot for a rest.



The kids were thrilled to visit the beach (no matter how small) and, despite the frigid water temps, seized the opportunity to frolic.









Maya took a moment to dub our trip "Crazy Trip 2010". I love how this title leaves the possibility for crazy trips in future years.

Crazy Trip 2010: Part 3

CHAPTER THREE: We hit the ground running.

Lexy and I travel together at the same pace and with the same goals in mind. We decided we would explore San Francisco on foot and by public transport with our goal to see the city rather than go inside to see particular museums or exhibits. We designated Tuesday as our tourist day, leaving Wednesday morning for our pilgrimage to the Golden Gate Bridge before flying out on Wednesday afternoon.

The 4-hour flight left our little people with ... ummm ... a bit of pent-up energy. Fortunately, the moving sidewalk provided a quick way to decompress.



We crammed into an airport shuttle, zipped to Heather's place to drop our bags, then caught the bus downtown to begin our adventures.



With so little time to plan the trip, we plunged into everything with a clueless exuberance. We boarded the bus that we thought would get us to our destination ... only to realize we had missed our stop. With a frantic yank on the stop-request cord, we tumbled out in the heart of Chinatown to begin retracing our steps ... with a few moments spent ogling architecture, signs, and fresh laundry.



Finally, after traipsing through a funky tunnel and along crowded streets, we emerged at Union Square. First stop? Lunch! We bumped into Lori's, a delightful 50s-style diner with great food, wonderful ambiance, and the worst service ever.



We dined, we rested, we prepared for seeing the sights.

CHAPTER FOUR: In which a screeching friend and a quick-thinking cable car driver save me from a near decapitation.

One of our Must Do In San Francisco items was to ride on a cable car.



I figured out the location of the cable car turnaround (a gloriously low-tech event) ...



... so we hopped in line and began our wait. What a treat! The ride was more wonderful than I imagined. We zipped along the streets and did some speedy sightseeing on our way to Lombard Street. I got the brilliant idea to lean out an take a photo of the kids riding on the running board.



Cute photo, right? Before I knew what was happening, Heather screamed ... the driver screeched to a halt and leaped over our seat ... to grab me!



I was completely oblivious to the oncoming cable car and ... um ... my near decapitation. I sat down and asked if this was our stop, while Heather and the driver, wild-eyed, panted at the near miss. Whew!

Perhaps the cars do pass a little too close for comfort.

Crazy Trip 2010: Part 2

CHAPTER TWO: I confront my terror.

5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning

My fantastic husband drove us to the airport, backpacks crammed with the bare essentials (for me, a bunch of distraction techniques for the airplane, including: a now-tattered printout of prayers, several books ranging from spiritual to humorous, knitting, a difficult crochet pattern, Benja's GameBoy with Lego StarWars cartridge, and a guidebook to San Francisco -- my optimistic inner self harboring at least an iota of hope that we would actually survive the flight).

I had informed Lexy after I purchased our tickets that I was freaking out. I told her that I didn't really care where the kids sat, but I would need to sit by her, holding her hand, the entire flight. "I'm steeling myself," she said. "We all have our challenges on this trip," she continued. For all of Lexy's wonderful qualities, touchy-feely is not one of them.

While the kids devoured breakfast, I got some last-minute "fear of flying" tips from some people at the Jet Blue counter. I sipped some water, nibbled some eggs, and fretted.

We boarded the plane and learned that Maya, Benja, and I were seated in the very (very!) back row. I sat down then burst into tears from all the stress. I didn't want to make the kids nervous, so I sniffled, "This is just how I respond to excitement. Really. Everything's fine."

And you know what? It was! (With the minor exception of a strange grinding noise that the Platinum Flyer next to me couldn't identify. And the dreadful airplane crash scene in the movie Leap Year, the in-flight film. And my minor mishap involving over-hydration and several uncomfortable moments in line for the toilet.) But otherwise, the flight was great. Don't get me wrong -- I was nervous the entire time and shaking and pretty close to some sort of cardiac issue -- but I survived and (other than the 10-second crying episode) no one around me had any clue about my inner turmoil.

One amazing gift on this trip was the spectacular people I encountered along the way. Donna, a friend of mine, happened to be on the same flight and taking advantage of the same $10 deal. She and I chatted about travel and friends and books ... and I can't begin to tell how how grateful I am for the distraction she provided me from my worries.

Crazy Trip 2010: The Saga Begins

Or: Be Careful When Answering Early-Morning Phone Calls
Or: Don't Send Courtney A Text Message Unless You Really Mean It

PROLOGUE

The following completely true blog entry shares the 48-hour adventures of two moms and five kids as they jet-set across the country, battle deep-seated terrors, make new friends and catch up with old friends, and have the time of their lives.

CHAPTER ONE: An early morning phone call brings delightful chaos to the week.

Monday morning, I scuffled out of bed and fired up my computer to check in with blogs and reply to e-mail messages. My cell phone rang at 8:30, so I stifled my yawn as I answered.

Me: Hello?
Lexy: Hi.
(note: Lexy isn't a phone lover, so a call from her any day is a treat ... but an early-morning call is quite extraordinary)
Me: Hey! How are you? What's up?
Lexy: I'm just wondering ... how's your fear of flying these days.
Me: (silence)
Me: Ummmmm ... hmmmm ... well, um, why?

Lexy proceeded to share with me news about JetBlue's celebratory anniversary ticket offer: $10 per ticket to fly anywhere. TEN DOLLARS!

Lexy: Wanna go to San Francisco tomorrow?
Me: (silence)
Lexy: Well, you can just call me back when you decide.

Heart racing, hands sweating ... I hung up the phone and began pacing. When some people say that they don't like to fly, they're still able to fly. I had developed a TERROR of flying. In fact, I hadn't flown in more than 11 years! I dreamed about airplanes, then woke up with my heart pounding and intense relief that it had only been a dream. Fortunately our family adores road trips, because we have spent many, many hours on the road in the past 11 years.

After an ever-so-brief therapy session from my husband, I dashed back to the computer and purchased 3 round-trip tickets to San Francisco. (Poor Jay had to stay home on deadline. Maybe -- if he's a very good boy -- we'll take him next time.)

As soon as I had officially purchased the tickets, I recalled a text message from Heather. (Remember Heather of the Lost-And-Found-Dog Saga?) She and her family relocated to San Francisco only a few weeks prior, so she was trying to settle in, find new friends, etc. Late Sunday night, I received this message:

I want you to come stay up late and drink wine at my house.

Sounds like an invitation to me, don't you think? I called Heather immediately to let her know that Lexy and I ... and our 5 children ... would be arriving Tuesday night.

Heather: Tomorrow? You're coming here tomorrow?

Oh yes, sweet Heather, 'cause that's how we roll! I spent Monday afternoon canceling all activities for Tuesday and Wednesday, packing bags, and thanking my husband profusely. Ok, perhaps there was some time set aside for frantic worry, therapy calls to my mom and sister, and one-or-two visits to Jay's office (so glad he works at home!) for hugs and reassurance.

ten

We celebrated Benja's 10th birthday this past week ... 3 times!

ONE: With Grandmother, Nana, and Maya at lunch







TWO: With friends at Austin's Park and Pizza. (These 3 friends have shared their birthdays together this past year at AP&P. By the time Benja's birthday rolled around, they had well established their routine.)










(Sorry 'bout the angle -- I think the near-100 temperatures affected my balance!)









THREE: With friends and family at Biki and Greg's pool






(No comment on the face that Maya has spent hours perfecting.)




(Jay and Matt react to one of Greg's Catch Phrase "clues".)


(Clapping along to The Birthday Polka, a song from Biki's iPod.)


(Rounding out the afternoon with a rousing game of "Curses".)

Happy, happy birthday, my double-digit boy!

Great! Wolf!

No, the title of this post isn't one of Batman's exclamations ...

We spent last weekend in Ft. Worth for the annual PSIA state meet. After winning the regional competition in March, the kids went on to compete at state: Maya in spelling, Benja in listening skills. Since the competition was to be held on Saturday, we opted to head up a few days early so we could check out the much-lauded Great Wolf Lodge with some friends.

Wow, wow, triple-wow! The combination of a weekday visit and big kids made this an outstanding destination for the whole family. We all enjoyed the water slides, wave pool, and other activities in a completely line-free environment.

We hit the road early on Thursday morning, our car crammed with meals for the weekend. If you check out the back seat, you'll see a bag stuffed with homemade baguettes. Since the lodge offered a large fridge and microwave in each room, we were able to save big-time by bringing our own food.





Within moments of arriving ...



... we had donned our suits and hit the water. I quickly snapped a couple of photos before my waterproof camera died a soggy death.





The slides for each ride zipped inside and outside the building. It was fun to figure out when we had left the building and were soaring above the parking lot.



Envision if you will the following scenario at the top of the biggest slide (shown above), aptly named The Tornado.

Me (at the bottom of the slide): I don't want to do it.
Friends: Oh, go ahead. It's fun.
Me: I'm scared.
Friends: It's really not that bad (snicker snicker).
Me (falling victim to peer pressure): Ok. I'll do it.
~interlude as I climb up (and up!) so many, many stairs ... where I will board an inflatable raft that will hurtle me 4 stories to my doom~
Me (at the top of the slide): I don't want to do it.
Maya: C'mon, mom!
Me (again with the peer pressure!): Ok.
Me: (looking at guard at top of slide): I'll do it. But I don't want to go backwards.
~queue ominous music~
Guard: Really? Oh.
~guard proceeds to intentionally spin the raft so I go down (you guessed it!) backwards~

After my near-death experience, I needed to collect myself. I decided to enjoy some time on firm earth ... chilling out in the hot tub. With a strict 21-and-over policy, I soaked in delicious solitude while the family continued pitching themselves down slide after slide.



If you ask Benja, the best part of the day was when he found a one dollar bill floating in the wave pool. He immediately pocketed the cash ... only to blow it at the first possible opportunity.



After a water-filled day of play, we dried off and returned to our room for the evening's festivities. Oddly enough, the highlight for me involved this:



I was endlessly amused when the evening sun illuminated Jay's ears to a rosy glow. I just could not stop giggling. The effect was an enchanting mixture of bizarre and hilarious.

We woke up early, zipped down to the in-house Starbucks ...



... and spent the majority of Friday playing at the water park. After transferring to another hotel in the evening, we met up with some friends for a spontaneous party. While the kids watched Akeelah and The Bee to get psyched up for the competitions, the parents enjoyed storytelling in the adjoining hotel room.

Saturday morning, we headed to Texas Christian University for a full day of events. Home to the Horned Frogs, TCU boasted a delightful campus with plenty of room to sprawl outside while waiting for each competition.



And yes, I did say "Horned Frog". That's their mascot. The horned frog. Which actually looks like a lizard. Because it is a lizard. But I digress.



The weather was spectacular, cool and breezy, just perfect for lounging around (the grownups) and running around (the kids). Although there was a bit of running around for the grownups when we showed up to Maya's test grading ... only to find out that the room had changed!



After a mad dash across campus, we arrived just as Maya's name was called. Whew! That was close! By the day's end, Maya took 4th place in spelling, and Benja took 9th place in listening skills. Their friends did well, and the group as a whole was outstanding.







By this time we were all pretty much exhausted, but we still had to drive home to Austin. Fortunately, we met up with some friends in Waco for dinner and merriment ...



... and a few(!) cups of just-right Southern sweet tea to help me stay awake during the drive home. The weekend was just perfect. In fact, we're already planning a return visit to Great Wolf Lodge with a pack of friends.