Oh, The Sh!t You’ll Pack, Spring Break Edition

This past weekend wrapped up the kid’s two week spring break and concluded our first proper family road trip.  It was amazing, but oh, the shit we had to pack. Two weeks on the road glamping in the mountains, hiking in the desert, visiting friends, riding bikes and surprising the kids with a trip to LEGOLAND.  We packed a LOT! And thanks to my parents and the “spending money” given to the kids (which we absolutely loved!), we came home with even more.

Below are just a few stories from the road, posted on the dates.

Visiting Friends and Family

The last leg of our trip included a quick stop to see Neff in San Clemente before spending the night in Ojai to see Greg and Ellie and then one final night in San Luis Obispo to see Aunt Gini, Uncle Juvie and Livi.

After nearly 2 weeks on the road we were tired, but it was still so great seeing everyone.

We all got to meet Baby Ruby, who is actually no longer a baby and see Neff and Chad’s new home.

We took in the charm of Ojai and had a great dinner with Greg and Ellie at their favorite Italian restaurant Boccali’s with their ridiculous strawberry shortcake dessert.  It was that night that I realized how much easier travelling has become with the kids getting older.  At 7pm, we still hadn’t eaten and yet the kids had fun running around the grassy area and sitting on my lap to snuggle. It might have helped that we gave them chocolate right before dinner and they had a chance to swim in the pool that afternoon. But lack of food, too much sugar and exhaustion could have just as easily turned against us.

And it was also in Ojai that we finally got to take the family bike ride I had envisioned us enjoying in Yosemite.  Technically Alva just walked beside her scooter the entire time and therefore, I only rode the bike for 30 seconds.  But hey, I was actually on a bike.  Something I told Martin I would never do when we first started dating and something I hadn’t done since college when I hit a parked car.

And then we came to an end in SLO. The original plan was to have two nights in town, Thursday for the Farmers Market and then all day Friday to show the kids around my second hometown.  But just like it did at the very beginning of the trip, the weather had different ideas.  With rain forecasted, Farmers Market cancelled, and our clean clothes down to one pair of underwear, we made the decision to stay only one night. But that one night was perfect. Gini and Juvie invited us over for dinner and it was such a warm embrace of family and “home" that I didn’t realize I needed after being on the road for so long.

Aunt Gini hid Easter eggs in their courtyard for the kids to find, Uncle Juvie kept them entertained with the ice machine in the fridge and we all got to enjoy a home cooked meal of Grandpa Gimbel’s favorite pasta sauce with a nice bottle of red wine. Before the evening ended, Gini and Juvie had one more treat for the kids - red balloons which they kept blowing up and letting go all over their house, ensuring the best kids’ laughter and adult giggles.     

We drove home Friday morning and by Friday evening we had the car unpacked, the laundry started, and Oskar and Alva were back to their rooms to play with their new souvenirs from the trip.

LEGOLAND!

 Even in the best times, Martin is not a fan of crowds and I knew getting him to an amusement park would take some convincing.  So to say I was surprised when Martin agreed to a trip to LEGOLAND in the midst of the pandemic would be more than an understatement.  But I wasn’t going to question it.  Before he had a chance to change his mind, I booked two nights at the LEGOLAND Hotel and the 2 Day Hopper Pass. We were going to do this and it was going to be a surprise for the kids.

Easter Sunday morning the kids woke up in Yucca Valley to find Easter eggs hidden, their baskets full of new clothes and, buried under it all, two “tickets” to LEGOLAND.  It took Oskar a few minutes to register what it actually meant, but once it clicked, he became as focused on LEGOLAND as Alva was on reaching the hot tub in Joshua Tree. Thank goodness we didn’t tell him earlier… we only had one final night in town before we headed to the coast and the mecca for LEGO lovers.

There are no words to describe seeing the kids so excited and happy. The two days were perfection.

We arrived Monday afternoon and, after dropping off our luggage (they would text me when the room was ready), we headed into the Park for a few hours before they closed at 6pm. Side note: thank you for closing at 6PM LEGOLAND.  It allowed our kids to get to bed at a reasonable hour without feeling like they were missing out on anything cool.

The hotel itself was completely geared towards kids.  Our room had bunk beds in a separate alcove to allow them a place to sleep and the parents a chance to keep the lights on a little later.  Each elevator ride turned into a disco dance party as soon as the doors closed, complete with disco balls, colorful lights and fun music.  The breakfast buffet was designed for kids and parents willing to turn a blind eye to nutrition while on vacation.  And the access to the park was unbeatable, including early access for us Tuesday morning.

The park seemed to be designed for younger families and was perfectly manageable for our two kids, with enough to see and do to keep them excited but not too much to overwhelm or exhaust them. We did all of the rides, checked out all of the various “lands” or areas of the park and each kid found their moments of joy.  Oskar loved his Technic Roller Coaster while Alva loved the Beetle Bounce.  Alva ran around silly in the water fountains while Oskar soaked people with a water gun on the nearby ride. And throughout it all, Martin held it together.

The highlight for both kids was probably the LEGO driving school.  Thanks to our early access, we were first in line Tuesday morning.  And with limited crowds, Oskar and Alva were able to continue driving over and over again until Martin and I said no.  I am pretty sure they drove those cars from 10am to 10:30am uninterrupted other than to run back around and through the empty line between turns.

We left the area on Wednesday with new Legos and big smiles on our face.

Storybook Cruise

Skipper School... I am pretty sure Alva flunked after managing to turn the boat backwards

Oskar's new Lego Set

Building boats to race down the rive

Her happy place

Beetle Bounce

Oskar didn't want to stop building

A visit to San Francisco

Joshua Tree in 2 Words: Hot Tub

I am pretty sure if, in twenty years, I ask the kids about our trip to Joshua Tree, the only thing they will remember or care about was the hot tub.  The entire drive down, Alva kept asking when we would get to the hot tub.  And once there, both kids refused to get out of the water.

But in order to remind them, and myself, about all of the other things we did while in Joshua Tree, here is a quick summary.

We went for “hike” on the Hidden Valley Loop where Oskar proved he is part mountain goat and Alva clung to me like a koala bear.

One of the few "five minute" breaks where Alva actually walked

We checked out the Hi-Desert Nature Museum where Oskar wanted to color and Alva kept staring at the bugs and snakes.

We attempted another “hike” at Split Rock, but both kids refused to get out of the car due to the cold wind (this is after 3 nights in the freezing cold at Yosemite, so go figure).

We ate amazing fresh baked bread and berry pie from the local bakery Boos and cooked in most nights. Side note, the bread was so good we ate almost a full loaf while sitting on our tailgate just after purchasing it and Martin had to go back to buy two more loaves.

We dyed Easter Eggs 

Martin got to go on a solo bike ride and I got to grab coffee and do a little shopping with a friend.

Oskar, Alva and I hung out with some baby goats at Pioneertown. 

And most importantly, we got to stay at the incredibly beautiful Mojave Moon House that Martin helped design with the owners a few years ago. Both Martin and I were more than a little jealous and tempted to purchase our own home in the area to renovate.  We thankfully left before things got too crazy.

Luxury in Bakersfield

No, that isn’t a typo. It is all relative.

After a late start leaving Yosemite Wednesday morning, plus an unexpected puke stop for Alva and a little map SNAFU by me, we (meaning I) made the executive decision to bypass stopping in Sequoia for the night and continue driving south towards our next stop Joshua Tree.  The kids started to get restless just north of Bakersfield, so that is where we spent our night in transit. 

We opted for the Fairfield by Marriott because it offered a clean room with a bathtub. And for $30 more we upgraded to the corner suite and spent the night like kings and queens.  While Martin made a few work calls, the kids got to ride on the luggage trolley and hit all of the elevator buttons as we unpacked the car and got situated. After 2 years of COVID lock down, the hotel was a huge novelty for them including the hotel lobby and free breakfast in the morning.

I had a decadent 15 minute hot shower and the kids spent close to an hour in the bath splashing around like they hadn’t bathed in 3 days (which they hadn’t). 

We ordered room service for dinner and watched TV from the beds. Even the views of the parking lot and droning sound of the freeway nearby couldn’t deter this euphoric feeling I had of being clean and warm. I will never forget this level of joy.

Frozen in Yosemite

The week leading up to our trip, Yosemite experienced more than a few days of 70+ degree weather with sunny days and colder nights.  And that seemed perfect to me.  It had been a while since I was in Yosemite and I was looking forward to introducing Oskar and Alva to the “camping” experience.  True, we were staying in a tent cabin in Curry Village not a true tent, but it seemed like a good start.  I had big plans to go for a hike to Lower Yosemite Falls, ride bikes to Mirror Pond (including me, and I will let one sink in) and share a little bit of my childhood with them.

And like all great plans during the pandemic, we were in store for something else. Those warm sunny days the week before were replaced by forecasts of rain, snow and below freezing nights.  Refusing to forgo the entire camping experience and book a hotel room, I upgraded our tent cabin to at least have a heater.  And thank god I did.  Because it was cold.  It was rainy.  It hailed. And the kids had a blast.

Did we ride bikes? Nope. Did I pack rain gear for me and Oskar? No, because I had packed so much other shit. Did the kids have more fun throwing sticks in the icy river than walking to Yosemite Falls?  Yes. Did we eat every meal outside because of COVID, including in the rain, hail and snow? Yes.  Does this make me the best wife ever?  Absolutely.   Did the kids complain at all? Not really. 

The fun to work factor is definitely starting to point more towards fun than work with these two kiddos and travelling.

Sunday afternoon Martin showed the kids his rock climbing skills

Oskar was a quick understudy

My 13 year-old self would be dying of embarrassment right now.  As was Oskar, he was not amused

So he got an umbrella instead... which meant Alva got an umbrella

Snack time outside

Not a care in the world

Finally a sunny day.  The kids had more fun riding the bus than anything else

We stopped 5 minutes from the bus stop to watch the river and chunks of ice floating by

Finally on our way to the Lower Falls

A stop at the river one more time to throw sticks

Oskar embracing the camping life

Doh!

After countless revisions, mind-numbing proofreads and 100+ copies sold, a grammatical error was identified in my book by one of my mom’s friends. Face to palm.

So for those who have already supported my side hustle and purchased a copy, consider yourself in possession of the now limited and very rare first edition copy.  This could be a collector’s item one day.

And for those who haven’t yet checked out the book, then please ignore the above.  It is perfect, and has been since it was first released back in January.

You can purchase it here and here for reference. And always, thank you so much for your support!! 

Can’t Focus, So Look at Some Photos

 These past few months have been a doozy.  I can't focus, my creativity is gone and well, it was year-end at work.  So check out a few fun photos that shows I have been somewhat alive these winter and spring: 

I got to visit Erin in New Jersey and meet her chickens. 

We spent Presidents Day weekend in Dunsmuir with Neomi and Family

After filing the 10-K, I snuck away to Scottsdale for a quick girls trip

And the following weekend Martin got away to Timber Cove leaving Oskar, Alva and I to play "tourists" in San Francisco... We rode the carousel on Pier 39. 

We played carnival games at Musee Mecanique

And enjoyed snacks in Fishermans Wharf

Not pictured (because I can't figure out videos) is the fun time doing science experiments with Aunt Dana at my parents house and my few nights in NYC for work!