Tom Visits Hailey's Class

Just before Spring Break, Hailey's teacher sent out an email asking parents who had STEM-related jobs if they would like to come into the classroom and talk to the kids about their work. With Hailey's permission, Tom sent an email back to the teacher saying that he'd be more than happy to talk about architecture and how it relates to STEM. 

The teacher took him up on his offer so off he went one Monday morning (three days before we had to leave for Spring Break) to talk with Hailey's class. Tom designs schools so we thought this would make an even better presentation AND he had moveable "blocks" so the kids could move the blocks (which were components of a school - gym, library, cafeteria, classrooms, etc.) around and design their own school too.  

The class seemed interested in Tom's work and presentation, and Tom came home that night saying it went well. Then Hailey's teacher sends out the pictures of Tom's presentation and Hailey's face tells the entire story of what she thought of her Dad coming to school! 

"Dad," she said, "I already knew all the stuff you were talking about so it was boring!" (Hailey used to be our easiest kid but now she definitely has her own opinions and she'll gladly tell you what they are!) 

"Next time," said Tom, "I won't take time out of my workday three days before I have to go on vacation when I am slammed at work to come to your school!" 

She's definitely not our easiest kid anymore. But hopefully someday she'll realize how cool it was that her Dad came in to talk about his job and to spend the time with her class. 

 The pictures though...they tell it all!

Hailey is in black, arms crossed

Top left corner, looking thrilled

Far back center - is this over yet?

I Wrote This For Them...

And, now they are both gone. 

Seventeen years ago this month, I embarked on writing a blog. Originally, I started it because of a work project. Blogs were becoming huge and I did it to understand the intricacies of how they worked. But my aunts were reading it. They lived far away and though we didn't talk all the time, they always knew what was going on with me, my dog or my kids because of what I wrote on my blog. 

Me and my Auntie Jo and Auntie Do Do

But that all ended first on February 11 and then on March 23 when they both passed away within 6 weeks of each other. To say they will both be deeply missed is an understatement. Even though we didn't live close for the majority of my life (we really only lived in the same state about 5 years of my whole life), I felt especially close to both of them. My parents made a great effort to bring us there for many family holidays or summer vacation. We loved our time hanging out at my aunt's flower shop or on their farm or laughing at my Grandma (their mom) when she asked us why we drink "this shit" when we poured cups of sugar into Kool Aid. We bonded with our cousins and embarked on lots of adventures especially to Friendly's or Canobie Lake (amusement park). Often, I would go there without my parents when I got older. Sometimes I would bring friends too or a significant other. They would welcome everyone with open arms. When I had kids, we would go there too and I made it a point when each of my kids were five to go on a trip with just them to Boston. My aunts would pick us up from the bus stop and take us to lunch. And once when I was actually working and had brought Austen when he was five, they took care of him and spoiled him to death. 

So many great memories of my childhood holidays are wrapped up in them. I know I don't need to write this for them anymore because they can see everything now but I may have stopped writing this a long time ago if it wasn't for them. And now I have a gift. A gift I can give my children as it chronicles their whole lives since I started it before they were born. I hope to wrap this all up into a pretty book someday for them as a keepsake. So I'll keep on writing for them now and I'll carry the beautiful memories of my aunts in my heart forever.   

Bora Bora 2023 (Part 2)

It was a glorious 8 days in Bora Bora, and it was hot. Now below the equator, we went through 4 bottles of sunscreen and still got a lot of sun. Usually, we build in a break day if we're on a beach vacation that long but there was no breaks from the sun since all of our excursions were hot too!

Our view!

One day, we went on a full day trip to the Lagoonarium. We met the shuttle boat at the dock at 8am to take us to Bora Bora, Once there we were loaded into another shuttle to take us to another boat where we were taken out to sea to snorkel. We had three sets of snorkel gear that we brought so Austen and Peyton got the full experience while Tom and I switched off monitoring Hailey. Lots of coral reefs and fish to explore. Once back in the boat, we took a scenic boat ride around the island seeing all the different hotels until we reached a spot where black tipped sharks and stingrays were swimming. We all got out of the boat and swam with them too. Imagine being circled by sharks. Hailey loved it and got to pet the stingray. Then it was time for lunch so we boated over to another private island where we enjoyed a delicious Polynesian lunch (barbecue chicken and pork) with many authentic dishes. We learned how to open a coconut and tie a pareo (a scarf to make a dress or skirt/shorts). We explored the island a bit too. Swam with lemon sharks off the beach there and then when we were tired and spent, traveled back to our hotel. It was a long, hot day but what an experience. It was amazing. 

Two days later, we went ATVing. We had our own private guide who gave us a tour around the island then we went off roading through the jungle to some of Bora Bora's highest points where we could see the gorgeous views. It was stunning. The ATVs were a lot of fun but a bit scary too since they were true 4x4s and some of these points were really steep and rocky. Peyton rode with me while Tom had Hailey and Austen was pretty pumped to have his own to drive. We did well and came out unscathed. It was boiling hot when we stopped but our guide had icy water for us, pineapple juice and a snack of unsweetened coconut mixed with sweet bananas. Delicious! 

It was a great trip marked by some funny and rather frustrating moments like when Peyton decided to lock the safe in their room but entered the wrong code and we had to call maintenance to get it back open and get their stuff out. Or how Austen realized how messy his sisters really were as he had to share a bungalow with them and mentioned to us more than once how they just left their stuff all over the room (welcome to my world, Austen). 

On our last day in Bora Bora, we had a later flight so we used the pools and the beach after check out and each took turns using their day room to change and get ready for our flight. Hailey went last as she refused to get out of the pool. She said, "I'm not leaving!" And, then she swam to the middle of the pool so we couldn't grab her and take her out. I guess she had a good trip!

Going home isn't too awful though when you have First Class to look forward to, and thank God we did! We had a 3-4 hour layover in Tahiti on the way home and it was hot and a small open air airport. Which means no AC - except for those flying First Class. We had to wait an hour to check in but once we did, we got to relax in the Lounge with AC and snacks. It would have been brutal otherwise! We flew back to San Fran then on a comfortable red eye. The 8 hour trip is certainly too short on a Dreamliner then again on to Chicago for another 4 hours. It was an easy trip despite all the travel. 

This is one destination that I'd definitely go back to. I'd stay at a different resort even though I loved ours but just to get that different experience. However, I'm on to planning our next vacations and considering everyone ranked this one in their top 2 vacations we've ever taken, I'm not sure I can top this! It was magnifique! 

Snorkeling on the Lagoonarium excursion

Protecting his shoulders from the sun on the excursion

Polynesian feast!

Delicious fruit!

Bananas with coconut milk, cucumbers and fresh fish, etc. Yum! All the plates were made out of palms.

Swimming w/ the sharks! Yikes!

The pareos!

Coconut water

ATV trip

The stingrays and sharks would come out at night below our bungalows

Spring Break 2023 - Bora Bora! (Part 1)

We decided to go big this year. Not that we don't every spring break but somehow it feels like time is running out on how many we have left as a family of five. Soon Austen will be off to college so that now leaves just two spring breaks remaining for all of us, together.  

So why not make them memorable and a bit extravagant?! I actually waited awhile to book this one because I could not decide on where we should go (each trip is getting harder to top). I liked Bora Bora but every time I called to check on the price, I couldn't fathom spending that much money on a trip. Okay, so I wanted to stay at the Four Seasons and that was just ungodly expensive so once one of my friend's convinced me to take a look at where she stayed (Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts) and I learned it was absolutely gorgeous too and 1/2 the price, I was sold. 

The view from our bungalow

So off we went a bit early from school break. It took a bit to get there but now that the kids are older it's pretty easy to travel with them (that and the fact that for these long haul flights we do First Class which is, as I've said, another trip in and of itself). First, we flew to San Francisco. We had about a 2-hour layover which passed quickly in the Polaris Club Lounge with food/drink. Then we boarded United's Dreamliner for our 9 hour flight to Papeete, Tahiti. We arrived at night so had to spend one night in Tahiti at the Intercontinental before we could take an inter-island flight the next morning to Bora Bora. The first thing I notice when we get off the plane is the heat, or rather the humidity. It's hot and sticky. We board our shuttle to the hotel, take a quick evening stroll around the property and go to bed. The next morning, it's breakfast at the hotel and another quick stroll before taking a shuttle back to board our short flight to Bora Bora. Once in Bora Bora, a boat from the hotel arrives and takes us to the resort but not before being crowned with palms and flowers. 

We rented two overwater bungalows and were lucky that they were next door to each other so the kids slept in one room, and Tom and I in the other. They're old enough now and I think they rather liked the independence. Let's just say the rooms/bungalows were amazing. The water was beautiful and the views of Mount Otemanu were stunning. If this wasn't paradise, I don't know what is. It's simply the most beautiful place I've ever been. 

Swimming off the lagoon was our favorite morning activity as was feeding the fish through the opening below our bungalows. We saw stingrays and sharks and a small octopus! It was like our very own aquarium. In the afternoons we ventured to the beach to kayak and stand up paddle board or lay out by the pool and enjoy some drinks (milkshakes or coconut water for the kids) at the swim up bar. I got a massage at the spa (ambience was beautiful) and Tom, Austen and Peyton did some jet skiing around Bora Bora.

Each night, we had 3 course meals and each morning we had big buffet breakfasts (which Austen loved). Hailey ate the same thing for breakfast each morning - Nutella crepes, watermelon, white sticky rice, bacon and a chocolate croissant. And, for dinner our favorite thing was of course the seafood (Mahi Mahi, tuna, shrimp) and the steaks as well as the coconut ice cream. Hailey also liked feeding the island's stray dogs our leftovers each time we went to the Mikki Mikki restaurant. We'd cut up our leftover meat or chicken and tell her to walk down the path away from the restaurant to feed them. But most of the time, she would get too anxious and dump all the food out in one spot too close to where we were eating and then she'd take the long way around the pool back to the restaurant so the dogs wouldn't follow her back! 

We also did two excursions too which I will write more about in part 2 of our trip .... stay tuned...

Mount Otemanu in the background

My favorite place to hang out

Swim up bar

Hailey's standard breakfast

First day arrival into Bora Bora

Paddleboard