Seattle

Diego, Luis and I headed out to Seattle for our first real family vacation since early 2008 (when we were still in India)! We all needed the time away and the time together. We flew out to Seattle and stayed with our friends the Stader-Tull's, much like we did in November. We planned to spend a couple of days skiing (and introducing Luis to snow sports) and a couple of days visiting. Turned out that we had amazing weather in Seattle - blue skies and warm temps which allowed Diego and David to golf Friday and Sunday afternoons, and cold-enough weather that allowed skiing/boarding on Saturday and Monday mornings.

I was a little nervous about the four hour flight there, but Luis did great. And truthfully, Diego did even better. I had been up very late the night before working and was exhausted on the plane. I took the window seat, and with Diego's help (entertaining Luis), slept for almost 2 hours of the flight. It was GREAT!

After a short rest at Erika's house, Luis, Erika and I picked up Skylar from school and headed out to collect ski rental equipment for the kiddos. It required two stops to get it all, but in the process, Luis scored free goggles from a patron at one of the stores. Luis and Skylar were happy to play together, which made the errand running much easier.

Skylar, Luis and the new (free) goggles

Saturday morning, we got up early, loaded the tired kids into the cars and set off for Steven's Pass, a mountain resort about 2 hours east of Seattle. Luis was not convinced about the idea of ski lessons, and required some extra sales pitches on the way up. Erika and I found a great deal at Steven's Pass where Skylar and Luis could have a private lesson together - 90 minutes of instruction for just the two of them. It took the kids a bit to warm up to Coach Dan, but by the end of the lesson, they were enjoying themselves (though they had not increased their skiing knowledge much).

Diego and David on the slopes

Luis catches some rays after his ski lesson, sporting his new snow clothes.

On the way up the mountain. Something about this picture with Luis in his hat and mittens is very cute (funny) to me.

Luis slept all the way home from the mountain - a nap he very much needed. That night, Diego and I went to an engagement party for Ashley Schweickart (my cousin's daughter) and her fiance, Kyle. I was a little nervous when 85% of the attendees were 25 or younger. But to be fair, it was one of the funniest nights I've had in a long time. Marielle, Ashley's sister, hosted a version of the Newlywed game with Kyle & Ashley, two other engaged couples (and friends of Ashley's) and Randy & Michelle (my cousin, Ashley's parents). It was hilarious. The couples were great sports about the ribbings they took and offered some painfully honest and funny stories. It was a great night. Luis stayed with Erika, David & Skylar, and also had a fun night.

Luis's post-ski routine was a POWER nap in the car.

On Sunday, the boys took the kids to the park in the morning, but it turned out to be a little cold for park play. So Skylar and Luis ran around the house playing (and generally entertaining themselves). It was great for Erika and me, who were happy to have a chance to chat and catch up. Kitty Mac also provided much entertainment for the kids.

Skylar put these magnetic squares together, and then on Kitty Mac's head. Kitty Mac was a very popular playmate all weekend - and a very patient and tolerant playmate.

Diego and David headed out for an afternoon round of golf. After lunch, Luis took a monster 4 1/2 hour nap - much to Skylar's chagrin. She kept saying to me, "Miss Mary, you need to wake Luis up - he's sleeping tooooooooooo long!" Still fighting jetlag and exhausted from a day on the slopes, I felt that Luis was sleeping just the right amount of time. Once he finally woke up, we took the kiddos out to Whale Park - one of Erika & Skylar's favorites. Luis loved it too, as it had a very nice "fireman's pole".

Luis sliding down the "fireman's pole" at Whale Park. It was a beautiful day for a park run!

Monday, we headed back up to Stephen's Pass for another morning of boarding for the adults and ski lessons for the kids (and coffee sipping for the pregnant lady). This time, the ski lesson was a BIG hit for both Luis and Skylar. Coach Dan took the kids up the ski lift a couple of times and then directed them back down the mountain. Skylar did awesome, skiing down the green slope on her own, actually choosing her path and stopping on her own. Luis also would ski down himself, but with a little less discipline. Luis was particularly disappointed when the lesson was over and begged me to ski some with him. While I would have liked nothing better, I declined. Erika graciously trekked with him up the bunny slope and gave him a push down to me, so he could have a few more runs. I'm not sure if Luis will remember any skiing technique next season, but I think we have definitely cemented the idea that skiing is fun in his little head. Success!!

After a lunch break, David and Diego headed back out for a bit more boarding and Erika & I gathered the kids up to go home. Skylar had a bit of a meltdown, mostly due to being tired (I think). She ended up sitting on Erika's lap crying for quite a bit. Luis was very concerned about his friend - walked over to her, patted her back and told her, "I'm sorry you're feeling sad, Skylar". It was so sweet I almost cried. Then he stood there for several minutes, not talking, just standing near her, patting her back. We had come a long way since our last trip (when, at the airport to fly home, Luis said his favorite thing about Seattle was 'being mean to Skylar').

Luis and Skylar playing in the snow at Steven's Pass

Not actually getting up on the slopes, I didn't really take any pictures of the slopes. This was the closest I got.

Monday night, Erika and David arranged for a babysitter to come over and we went out for grown up dinner in Redmond. We started with cocktails and appetizers at the top of a tower, with a great view of the bay, before heading to a delicious seafood restaurant. It was a beautiful night, we were with great friends, eating fresh, yummy seafood - hard to ask for a better night.

Tuesday morning, David had to go back to work, but the rest of us trekked into Seattle, met up with my cousin Vicki, and had a great visit to the Seattle Aquarium. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of this part of the trip. After 5 great days of warm, sunny skies, the cool, rainy weather of Seattle crept back in, and we had to dash home in the rain. And I mean DASH. We hadn't actually packed our suitcases, but arrived back at Erika's house with approximately 20 minutes to pack and head back out to the airport. Both kids fell asleep in the car on the way home and slept through the frenzied packing (Diego packing ski/board gear, me packing clothes, and Erika packing us a bountiful feast of food to enjoy on the long trip home). But we made it in time, and without problem.

We were all sad to leave - having each spent time with one of our closest friends, and having had a fantastic vacation. Since returning, Luis continues to refer to Skylar as "his sister", and talks regularly about Coach Dan. We definitely hope to plan a similar trip for next year...

Travelling with Luis AND Diego allowed me to actually read a book on the plane; a real treat!

SNOW!

I arrived back from South Carolina after part two of my big case, late, late, late on Wednesday night. I had vague recollections of hearing about the potential for snow, but didn't really make much of it. Until we woke up Thursday morning to snow everywhere! Big, beautiful, puffy snow that had already covered everything in a light dusting. Luis was so surprised to see that I had mysteriously shown up in bed in the morning (having arrived late in the night), that he didn't notice the snow at first.

I was both thrilled by the snow (I love love love snow) and heartbroken that school might be cancelled. I had just worked 50+ hours in four days on a very tense and nerve-wracking trial. I was e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d, and really needed Luis to be entertained/watched by other people for 6 hours. After breakfast, Luis put his Froggy Boots and Big Jacket on over his PJ's and went outside with Diego to help D clean off his car for work. Luis LOVED the snow.

This was the scene at about 9:3oa

Luis traipsing around the backyard.

After Diego left, I went out with Luis into the backyard for a bit of a play. He stomped around for about an hour - "cleaning" the snow off all the patio furniture, sweeping the walk between the house and guest house, making snow angels and such. He tried to use his little plastic lawn mower, but the snow turned out to be too thick for that.

Luis loved picking up big chunks of snow (and wearing my gloves)

Luis "lawn-mowering" in the snow

Cleaning off the outdoor furniture

Much to my surprise (and delight), school was open when we got there about 10a (an hour late). Luis's teacher had gotten special permission to take the kids out to one of the grassy areas on the church grounds to play in the snow. They spent about an hour outside playing, and even built a snowman.

The snowman they built at school, several hours after they had finished. A snowman only a parent could love!

The snow continued in a pretty, leisurely way all day. In the end, I think we got between 8-10". After school, I changed Luis into another outfit (without anything that was either water proof or water resistant, we went through a lot of clothes that day) and we went back out to play. Our neighbors and dogs were out, so we played in the snow with them. Luis would get really, really wet - but never complained about the coldness OR the wetness. I finally made him go back inside just about the time that Diego made it home from work. Diego was up for more snow play, so we changed Luis's clothes one more time and sent him back out. They took Ashley with them and traipsed around the neighborhood soon. (Diego's got some great Flip video, which I hope to one day post!)

Loving the snow!

Ashley loved the snow too - it was as if she felt like a puppy again (though she certainly was sore after the snow playing!)

Happy Valentines Day!

Luis and I made pink, heart-shaped cupcakes for Valentines Day this year.

Based on the reading selection, which of the following can be inferred?

I have found, in my life, that the only things that I am SURE to do are the things that I vow I will NEVER do. In high school, when asked what I wanted to major in in college, my response was Not Science. One Physics degree later, turns out I was wrong. As part of the high-school-aged right of passage of spending summers with Thomas, I was required to get a Blood Sweat and Tears job one summer. When Thomas suggested I work construction (like my brothers before me), I refused. When Luis was born, I had a decade of construction experience under my belt. Over the years, Thomas has often encouraged me to take the LSAT's, "in case I ever need them." But since I was prone to disagreeing with my dad (mostly on general principle), and because I was sure I'd never need them, I never took them. Until Saturday. Wrong again.

Unfortunately (for me), I decided very late in the game to take them, and only had about 3 1/2 weeks between when I signed up and when I sat for the test. Then, it took me about a week to get my act together and start reading the Princeton Review book. It became very clear, very quickly that I would really benefit from more than 2 1/2 weeks to study. Regardless, I put in as many hours as I could in that time, did LOTS of practice problems, and set out to put my best foot forward on the test.

Honestly, my biggest concern going in to the test was not anything to do with test performance, but rather whether my already small bladder, squished by pregnancy, would be able to hold until the first break. You can use the restroom during the test, but you don't get the time back - and I knew from the practice tests I'd done that I couldn't afford to lose any time! (In the end, my bladder held, but barely.)

I got to the testing center and waited in a big hallway with about 100 other people - most of whom were nervously fidgeting with their number two pencils, nervously pacing up and down the hallway, nervously chatting with the person next to them (sometimes stranger, sometimes friend) or nervously trying not to look nervous. There were also some people nervously sucking down cigarettes outside. Oddly enough, I was not nervous.

When I opened the test booklet, I had a frightening flashback to college. My last exam my senior year was in a class - I've honestly blocked out the name of the course and the name of the professor, though I still remember the room and the seat I sat in - that I did not understand. At all. I failed every test. Spent countless hours in the prof's office getting help with problem sets. Had to redo all of the homework assignments because they were all wrong. It was TERRIBLE. I spent several days studying for the final (which was several days minus a few hours more than I'd spent ever studying for a final) and felt pretty good going in to the test. Until I opened the book. I didn't know how to do one single problem. In fact, I gave a quick look around, feeling sure that the professor had handed out the wrong exam. But he hadn't; the rest of my classmates were furiously writing in their blue books. Panic set in. What was I to do? I re-read the questions, just to make sure, but I still didn't have a clue as to how to start the problems, much less solve them. In the end, I filled the blue book with every fact, equation, variable, and example I could remember from class. To be thorough in my demonstration that, although I had not learned how to actually solve anything during the course of the semester, I had shown up to every class and paid close attention, I also included in my blue book all of the anecdotes and personal stories that the professor had told as well. Turns out that all of this took only about 45 minutes. I had some real panic that I was going to fail that class. That upper level, required for graduation, class. That I wasn't going to graduate. That my four parents, two brothers and grandfather were not going to be particularly understanding of the need to cancel their trip to Boston at the last minute. (I was particularly worried about the opinions of the people who had generously financed my time at BC.) In the end, the professor gave me D+. It was an extraordinarily generous gift, and I gave serious consideration to writing a thank you note (but didn't).

A large digression, but important to set the stage. I opened my LSAT exam and realized that I had NO IDEA how to solve the first logic problem. I couldn't even figure out a diagram. Ouch. Not a good way to start. Instead of panicking, I muddled my way through the rest of the problems in that section. A few sections later, when I came opened up another logic section, I was relieved: Clearly that first section was the experimental section and wouldn't count toward my score. My relief lasted about 15 minutes until I realized that the second logic section was just as hard as the first - and also provided a very similar scenario (and SIX questions) that I had no idea how to solve. Sigh.

When the test was done, I packed my essential belongings back into my Ziploc bag (it was the only bag I could bring into the testing center - with my number 2 pencils, mechanical sharpener, eraser, tissue, keys, and personal identification), and got in my car. It didn't really go like I wanted it go, but I wasn't that surprised either. I knew going in to it, that 2 1/2 weeks wasn't enough time to study. I was sure that, given more time, I could do better (I could figure out how to draw that damned logic problem diagram that stumped me in both sections). So I resolved to take it again (in June, when I'd be about 36 weeks pregnant and have a much smaller, more squished bladder).

Driving home, I felt at peace - an odd feeling for me. I was thinking about what it had been like that morning. Luis had woken up at 5:30a, and woken me up too. We watched some TV, ate some breakfast and I left about 7a. I hadn't gotten as much sleep as I wanted or as much coffee as I'd wanted (too afraid I'd have to pee!). I hadn't prepared as much as I'd wanted to. When I started the car to head out, tears came to my eyes. Lots of them. And I cried. But they were the most amazing tears - tears of confidence and contentment and peace. Despite the setup being far from what I had hoped for, I KNEW that I was in exactly the right spot in the universe. The little voice that sent me out to Arizona (and then eventually brought me back) was talking to me again. It told me that no matter how today went, I was doing the right thing, that I was on the right path. I'm not sure how all this will work out - if I'll every actually need the LSATs, but I know that I need to take them again, to listen to this voice and to stay on this road.

Comfy on the Couch

These pictures were taken while I was in SC for business - so I'm not really sure the story behind them. But I think they're super cute!

It's PUZZLE Time!

For Christmas, Liz gave Luis this big, cool, road-construction-themed floor puzzle. It's been a little over a month since he got it, and Luis has probably put it together 30 times. Usually, he likes to do it back to back before putting it away.

Luis is pretty good at solving the puzzle. Though to be honest, his technique drives me a bit batty. In each puzzle that we own, there is a particular part of the scene that is his "favorite". So when solving a puzzle, he finds all the pieces that go with his favorite part and put those together. Then he picks another section of the puzzle and puts those pieces together. This continues until he has the puzzle mostly solved, but in several big chunks. Then he puts it all together. No matter how much I encourage, he refuses to adopt the "edge pieces first to establish the frame of the puzzle" technique. Sigh. Wonder where he gets that stubbornness from??

Here is Luis sitting on top of the completed puzzle - quite proud of himself.