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!