Birthday on the Big Boat

Little c likes a good party!  She's seen the big Al and Alma's boats on Lake Minnetonka and said she'd like to go on one someday (me too!). 

B-Real surprised us with a boat trip for our birthday.  It was unseasonably cool for 7/26 (think sixties and wind) but we made the most of it. The girls made a friend on the boat which made it much more fun for them.  

I am grateful for a husband who remembers things we mention might be fun! And for a husband who takes over my mom responsibilities (all of the driving!!) for a day so I can have time to do activities I enjoy (massage, painting the dog house, reading my new book, a long bath).  Our dinner on the boat was the first thing he'd eaten yet that day.  He told me he had been too busy to find time to eat breakfast or lunch.  Ahh, welcome to my world honey!!

It was a great birthday, shared with my favorite seven year old! 

Fourth of July with Friends

It's our third annual Lake Minnetonka Fourth of July celebration with the Mein family!  And woo-hoo, how much fun do we all have together.  It's pretty special when you find a family where the kids get along, the moms click, and the dads gel!  And we've found that in the Meins!  Last year Mom Mein, Big C, and I spent part of our fourth in the emergency room while they treated Big C for a broken arm.  This year was much less 'eventful' but fun as always!

Stuff they don't write about in the parenting books!

Home Depot can get to a girl!  Especially if you are a sensitive nine year old girl! 

Big C and I went to the Depot this week for a quick paint pick-up.  No biggie right?  A particular advertisement got to her in a way I could not understand.   There was a sign suggesting you, the consumer, not throw your money away and showcased a toppling cute white piggy bank. The bank never hit the floor, in fact there wasn't even a floor in the ad.  Big C broke into tears and told me she found the ad upsetting but could not expand on why.  So here I am, trying to get my shopping done at the Depot, all the while attempting to avoid the aisle with the offensive ad, and dodging the Home Depot guys asking if I needed help finding anything.  How do you explain "Can you help me recall which aisle has the piggy bank ad because we need to go around that aisle?" 

These are the tricky parts of parenting.  Do you push your child through the uncomfortable feeling they are experiencing?  Life is full of them and you won't always be able to walk around them.   Do you force your child to express what's unsettling to them and hope you can find some sort of resolution so they can move on?   Or do you just honor their 'uniqueness' and skip around the Depot, running down each aisle ahead of your child, looking for that darn pig, protecting her from feelings that may be too big for her to understand? 

Key Lime Rice Krispie Bars

Walmart carries key lime flavored marshmallows and key lime is one of little c's favorite things.  We whipped up some key lime Rice Krispie bars and they were a different take on a summer favorite. Simple but delicious! 

Key Lime Krispie Bars
1 bag key lime marshmallows
5 cups Rice Krispies
3 T. butter

Melt butter on stove.
Add in marshmallows and stir constantly until dissolved.
Remove from heat
Mix in the krispies
Smoosh into a pan

 Let cool and serve!

My Baby's Birthday

Today is my baby's seventh birthday!  And my 37th!  Seven years ago today she made me a mommy for the second time and it's not possible for there to be any better of a present.  She came into the world easily and quickly and gave us a run for our money those first two years with colic.  Since then, I haven't met anyone as flexible, easygoing, happy, fun and upbeat as the sweet daughter who shares my birthday!

The doctor told me her due date was 7/22 and I told B-real on the car ride home from our appointment that I was sure she would be born on my birthday.  At 11:54 p.m. on my 30th birthday I reached down and pulled her out of me.  Hands down the most beautiful experience of my life.

The years only get better.  Today I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.  I have a husband who adores me, two children who bring me such joy, so many friends from different parts of my life, the opportunity to travel, time to do things that I value and enjoy, family who lives close by and can be a part of my weekly life.  Most importantly my life is peaceful and I value that more than anything.  

I never knew 37 could be this good!  I hope little-c feels the same way about 7!

Monaco

Our second stop and main reason for our European tour was a conference Brent was attending in Monaco.  My first impression of Monaco is that it's expensive and that I was glad IBM was paying for our accomodations.  The short cab ride from the Nice airport to our hotel was $140.  I guess we could have taken the helicopter instead; for reals, there is helicopter service from the airport into Monaco!

This was the view from our hotel room.   I have a thing for boats, although I would call these vessels yachts, not boats!   My grandparents had one growing up that they kept on the inter-coastal waterway along the East coast.  Some of my most favorite memories are the times I spent with them on their boat. 

 I spent one morning at the hotel pool reading my book and magazine.  I wish I had done more relaxing!

 But a girl must see the sights!  While Brent worked I decided to take the train from Monaco into Antibes, France and explore.  The topography is amazing -- ocean and mountains in the background.  

I stopped at the beach and noticed the topless sunbathers.  I realized the people who choose to go topless are not the people who should be flaunting it.   Brent said it is a generational thing, the younger people don't do it as often.  How does he know these things? 

 
Another day I went on a tour of the French Riveria.  I met a sweet, older couple from Iraq.  It was interesting to hear their true stories about their life in Iraq during and after Saddam Hussein's reign.  Sadly they felt forced to move to Jordan because it had become too unsafe in Iraq.  We visited Cannes and the site of the film festival, Grasse, a perfume factory, medieval towns, and drove our little bus down the route of the Monte Carlo car race. 

I had read about a private, quiet beach within walking distance of our hotel.  Swimming in the Med was on our bucket list and we accomplished that dream on the private little beach.  I think there were maybe five other people there!  We decided to try to walk home along the ocean and I was so glad we did it.  There were some parts of the walk that could be barricaded if the surf was too strong.  I got a little panicky at those parts. 

IBM hosted a James Bond themed party for its customers and we were invited to attend.  They gave away diamonds in a few of the drinks but I heard from the other ladies that the diamonds were pretty small.  Brent and I were wiped from my long travel day and his long work day.  We decided to hit the casino and have a romantic dinner instead.   The casino was pretty but not as large as I would have imagined.   I enjoyed watching roulette and wanted to try it, mostly because only men were playing, and I thought it would be cool to be the only girl. The cars outside were amazing.  My personal favorite was the Honda CRV next to the Bentley! That had to be an ooops on the part of the valet. 

One of my favorite parts of Monaco was a dinner we shared with some of Brent's British colleagues. We happened to be at the same outdoor restaurant but dining separately and they asked us to  join them.  Just interesting, intelligent conversationalists.  I personally love the manners and language of the British.  They rarely say "um" or "like".  I remember thinking to myself, "Remember this moment, the way the air feels and smells, the stars, moon, and mountains".  It was one of those nights I never wanted to end!

Even Monaco has McDonald's.  I was happy about that too as I was on my own for all lunches and sometimes dinner too.  Having the Happy Meal as an option was pretty nice! 

Prague

B-Real and I traveled in June.  The trip was partly in celebration of our twelve year wedding anniversary and partly because he had work in Monaco.  Figuring it would be his first and last trip to Monaco, B-Real wanted me to see one of the most expensive places in the world.

Our first stop on our thirteen day trip was a two day layover in Prague.  Holy heck were we tired when we arrived there at 10 a.m. but we've both learned NOT to go to sleep.  We power through until at least seven, maybe eight at night.  I also find Melatonin helps me get on a regular sleep cycle when we transition into a completely different time zone.   When we traveled with the girls to London and Paris I used Melatonin to get the girls on a the European time zone too.

Prague was historic, beautiful and very walkable. I love the old buildings, red tiled roofs, Prague Castle on the hill, and the Vltava River.  There is so much going on all over the city, especially on the Charles bridge over the river and the squares.  People drinking and eating at restaurants in the plazas.  B-real liked being able to grab a beer on the street and walk around while enjoying his Pilsner Urquell.   It's less about specific sight seeing and more about taking in the vibe of the city.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Prague

 Love locks in Prague, wish we had one to lock onto the bridge.  It symbolizes everlasting love. 

That's B-real with the tour group we 'joined'.  It was a group of people from India but their tour guide spoke English  so we followed them and listened to their guide.  Brent so tried to blend in but it was pretty obvious he was a little different!

I'm glad we saw Prague and felt like two days was enough to take in the city.   Off to Monaco next!