Seems like my cousins are all getting into this destination wedding craze. First one was a few years ago, a Tuscan wedding in a villa in the outskirts of San Gimignano, Italy. My cousin, a designer, studied in Milan married a wine merchant and so they chose a place that melded their two lives.

The villa itself was beautiful, almost the entire family was able to stay there as the place had several converted buildings and accommodated most of the 40+ family members. This made it really easy for us to hangout and party together as everyone gathered at the end of the day around large dining room table eating, drinking and telling old family stories.

Most recently we attended another cousin’s wedding in the Loire Valley in France. My cousin is a jewelry designer who married a Frenchman from Bordeaux. They got married at the Chateau du Challain and our girls were the flower girls. The girls were thrilled to be part of this princess-like wedding complete with castle and horse-drawn carriage. The fireworks at the end of the night were spectacular and such a great ending to a beautiful day. This was such a great wedding the photographer’s work was featured here.

We headed to the Bear Valley area to go camping for a weekend. Over 30 campers converged in a clearing among large pines next to the shore of Lake Union. Although the days were warm, the nights were very cool and the lake water cold.

We’ve camped here many times but it’s been a while since we’ve gone camping as my cousins and I have been busy growing our families. During the lapse in time we just thought it was too difficult bringing our little babies camping. Well, now they’ve grown a bit and we don’t have to watch over them as closely. It’s time to go camping again.

My cousin has a boat and he is our ferry to take camping gear from the ramp to the camp site about a quarter of a mile away. The rest of us try and lug what we can over the trails to the clearing. It’s not that far but the amount of stuff we bring on these camping trips makes you wonder just how long we plan on staying. Each family fills their SUVs full of stuff to provide comfort and convenience to the outdoors and most importantly supply food to ever hungry campers.

There is no running water, no toilets, no showers, no bbq pits, nothing. We have to set up camp and prepare for all the necessities. It’s really quite a production. We set up the toilet tent, lay out our showers to start warming in the sun, put up the tent with blow up mattresses, set up the lines for our towels to dry, the kitchen area complete with camping stoves, bbq pit created, wood gathered for campfires and fishing lines readied in the water.

All well worth the effort once camp is set up, a cold beer in one hand and the other is your face with food. It seems that camping brings out the hunger in everyone. In the morning breakfast is such a production cooking eggs, bacon, pancakes and bulad, that’s dried fish for you non-Filipinos. Once we’re done with clean up from breakfast, we have enough time to go off on a walk for the nearest swimming hole. Then back to the campsite for lunch. Another walk or siesta after lunch. The more energetic get in canoes or kayaks and paddle around the lake. Catching fish is in the day’s agenda but that’s rather frustrating as this last trip got us 3 little fish, not enough for dinner.

After dinner, sitting around the campfire is both relaxing and dangerous as the kids like to play too close to the fire. Drawn to the light like bugs, you have to pull them away before someone gets hurt. Sitting around long enough makes you hungry again. This time for some Cup o’Noodles which goes really well with the rum cokes that have been going around all evening.

We’ve all decided that camping trips are really more about eating than anything else. All we do is eat and take breaks in between for other activities. That being said, I’ve decided we can’t go camping too often. It’s bad for my health.

10 year’s ago I got married to a wonderful man. I know it sounds so cliche, but really, he is a great guy and he’s gotten better as we’ve grown older. He’s intelligent, funny, adventurous, kind, compassionate, a great dad and a really awesome friend.

I think back to the day we got married and everything was so simple then. There was just the two of us and our modest home. Ten years later, we’ve got 2 kids, bigger house, bigger debt, and bigger issues. The great thing is that we’ve learned to communicate effectively and stay committed to each other at the same time we have a great time and laugh and enjoy each other’s part in our lives.

I’m very lucky that the guy I married still loves me and thinks I’m beautiful albeit I’ve kept some poundage from the two kiddos, I like to nag and remind him to do the dishes before going to bed, that I’m his alarm clock on the weekends and I like to cut his video game playing time short.

As I reflect on how he’s affected me in the 10 years we’ve been married, I think I made out with the better bargain because he’s made me a better person.

For spring break we went to Cancun. No, not the crazy paryting part of Cancun, but the more family friendly area closer to Playa Del Carmen. Beautiful resort with loads of swimming pools and beautiful sandy beaches. We went with 3 other couples some of whom had children the same ages as ours. It really was a wonderful week long vacation. Very relaxing and entertaining for all of us.

What made my vacation one of the best ever is that I had a chance to do what I really wanted to do (for the most part). Not only did I have lots of pool time, quality time with my children, fun times with my friends, quiet time with my hubby, but I also had some quality time at the gym for myself. Yes, the gym during my vacation. Each morning I would get up early, get to the gym for a good cardio session and hang out at the spa area before getting showered and dressed (into a clean bathing suit) for the rest of the day. It felt fantastic!

The rest of the day was spent by the pool or the beach. Sipping my fruity beverage and eating poolside food without a care in the world for the calories I was consuming. It was as though I was in spa retreat with my family and friends. Thinking back now makes me want to do it all over again.

My kids are at an age now where traveling with them is so awesome!

They walk on their own, they can carry (some) things, they know when they need to go potty, know when to hold it and best of all, they’re pretty good at keeping themselves entertained.

Keeping my kids comfy is key for a good travel experience. I always make sure that we have some food on hand in case someone gets hungry. We take time between flights to give them some running around to get rid of any excess energy. We keep them entertained with their toys, activities and iPods throughout long flights. And most importantly, we make sure they take naps or get some quiet time when they’re getting tired.

Of course, children’s entertainment these days is a far cry from what we had when we were young. Now my kids have books, activity books and iPods. The iPods are probably the best in entertainment for traveling with kids. They’re small and hold music, movies and games. Sharing your laptop with your children is another option, just pop in a movie, have them share some headphones and you’re all set. Ah, and now, with the iPad, we’ll that’s a whole other dimension

On our recent trip, we travelled 10 hours in one day. That didn’t include the time before the flight left and the time it took for us to get our bags and catch a cab home. The kids were awesome on the 2 flights and the short layover in Philly. The layover gave us enough time to stretch our legs as we ran to grab some dinner and head over to our next gate for the 6 hour flight home.

The key to happy traveling kids would be to always stay in tune with their needs. Know when they’re getting tired, bored, hungry or restless. Figure out how to address these issues before they become major meltdowns. As parents, we all know how to take care of a child that’s hungry, tired or bored. To avoid the ordeal, be cognizant of your child’s needs and address them before it’s too late. Kids are pretty simple if you’re paying attention to them.

Its been some time since I last posted. Time just slips by and before you know it the week is over.
My week has been consumed with planning and prepping for travel. Its spring break time and I’m ready to head out with the family for some much needed R and R. Definitely for sun, sand and siesta.

With all the baggage fees that have been imposed (not a new concept, one that looks likely to stay) and the restrictions placed on what you can take with you on a plane, travelling light is key.
Travelling light with kids can be tricky, but with good planning and careful wardrobe considerations, travelling strictly with carry on bags shouldn’t be too problematic.

Here are some of my suggestions for packing light and defintely what happens in my house.

Two weeks ahead
Check carryon size and weight restrictions and make sure to stick to them. You want to avoid the embarassing mess of having to rearrange at the airport to avoid fees!(I’ve seen that happen… unless you’re one of the lucky ones that get their bag checked at the gate for free)
Sort through the clothes and shoes you would like to take are re-evaluate
Take an inventory of all toiletries (and medications) you will need
Sometimes, it may be prudent to check one bag with all your toiletries. In some cases it might be too expensive to buy all that sunblock, bug spray, face wash, etc at your destination and worth paying the $25 bag fee.
Buy the stuff you are missing (new swimsuit and rashguard for mama!)
Make a list of all the things you need to pack (include your passport, sunglasses etc! You don’t want to forget these when in a time crunch and midst of multi-tasking.)

Week ahead
Go through clothes and shoes one more time and cut out those “nice to have” items (extra swim wrap, extra platform sandals, 2nd hat etc)
Be realistic when planning your wardrobe. Consider that you’ll be wearing some items more than once, you can handwash others, and you could send things out to get laundered if you don’t have a washer/dryer where you’re staying. Worse case scenario, if you Really needed something there’s a good chance there’s a store that carries it.
Start packing items (leave toiletries for last, you still need these) and see how they fit in your suitcase.
Don’t forget to separate your liquids in a small clear plastic bag and have it easily accessible for airport security.

Day before
Pack some snacks/lunches (forget the liquids). On one flight, they had sold out of their boxed lunches before the flight attendants got to our row and we were left with a very limited selection of chips and cookies. If you’re going overseas or to Hawaii from the mainland, make sure to consume all your fruits on the plane because they’ll have you toss those before you set foot on their land. Also leave the tuna or egg salad sandwiches at home, you don’t want to offend your neighbors. hahaha
Set out your traveling clothes. I always try and wear loose comfortable clothes with pockets for all the stuff you end up having to carry for everyone. I keep a set of clothes easily accessible for a quick change in case of accidents.
Pack some toys (nothing loud and obnoxious), books and iPods for some inflight entertainment.
Pack your travel documents and passports or identification in an easy to get to part of your bag.

You should be all set for your travel day. The most important thing is to remember that part of going on vacation is the adventure of getting there. I love every moment of it, some really easy breezy, some really hectic and stressful, but all in all, it’s a lot of fun. Happy vacationing!

What to do in a zoo? See the Mandrils of course!

We met up with some friends at the SF Zoo today. We have a membership and try to go a few times a year. With a membership, it becomes a very affordable entertaining way to spend the weekends. We usually go after lunch and we stay about 2 hours, 3 hours at the very most! We bring some snacks for both the parents and kids. After running around from one exhibit to another, the kids are exhausted and the ride home is very quiet.

We were at the zoo only a few weeks ago. My little one remembered seeing the Mandrils and that exhibit was the only one she was really interested in seeing today. She didn’t know the name of that animal. She just said “You know, the monkey with the stripes on his blue nose?” And my older daughter says, “Oh yeah, the one with the rainbow butt!”

So after strolling through the petting zoo, insects and aviary we meandered over to find the Mandrils. Sure enough they were there in all their colorful beauty showing off for all to see. My little one was so happy to see them there we stopped for a snack to watch the Mandrils.

Never mind that we got to see the lions being fed, or that the rhino decided to take a dump with his rear end facing us, the peacocks came strutting among the visitors and the goats at the petting zoo got excited and locked horns. No, the most memorable part of the zoo was the Mandril and his rainbow butt.

It’s Monday morning again and as I sit at my desk at work, I realize what a morning I’ve already had.

Wake up, workout, make lunches, get showered and dressed, make sure girls are dressed, rush through breakfast, rush some more to get them in the car. Race down the highway to get to school on time. Give up in traffic and park a block or so away. Walk then start to run in skirt and heels with 3.5yr old on hip (otherwise, little legs can’t keep up) panting and legs burning from exertion just so we can make it to class before the tardy bell rings. Kiss big girl goodbye and wish her a happy and fun day.

Back to car to drop off little one. This time, not so much of a hassle as no bell haunts me with the dreaded pink slips. Give her hug and a kiss, then another kiss and say bye-bye. Get back in my car, take a deep breath, get a drink my almost cold coffee.

It’s 8:15am and now, it’s time to be my professional self and drive to work.

My girls share a room and the older one sleeps very well, but the younger one likes to move to my bed. At some point in the middle of the night, she wakes, walks down the darkened hallway and quietly opens my door. Just as quietly, she slowly closes the door before making her way to the side of my bed where she whispers “Hi Mama. I want to sleep in your bed.” With a sheepish smile on her face, she climbs in to snuggle. Her legs are inevitably cold because she kicks off her blankets, the likely the reason she woke up and came over. She sticks her cold little feet between my legs to warm her toes and with a smile on her face, closes her eyes to sleep.

Before she was potty trained, I would listen for the sound of her diaper swishing as she walked down the hall. I miss that swishing sound just as I’ll miss the sound of small feet taking small, almost trotting steps when she gets older and outgrows the “baby” gait.

My older one is 7 and she’s walking around in my shoes. She’s not flopping around in the shoes either… she’s really walking in them. She’s almost fitting into my 6.5 size shoes!

I’m expecting to be the shortest one in this family. Phil’s 6ft 4in and I’m only 5ft 3in on a good day. My girls are taking after their father, tracking to be on the tall side and already, the older one is getting close to my chin. The fact that she can walk around in my shoes and not have them fall off her feet is quite amazing to me.

My mom, sister and I are all about the same size, within an inch of each other. We wear each others shoes and sometimes, can wear each other’s clothes. It helps that my mom is a young mom and she wears clothes that I would wear. It’s pretty cool to be able to do these clothes and shoe exchanges. It certainly making present-buying an easy task.

I’m not going to be able to do that with my girls. In a couple of years, when she gets to be my size, I can’t very well borrow her clothes and I’m certainly not sharing my heels with her!

To put things in perspective… her other 7/8yr old friends are wearing size 13 shoes. After size 13 is size 1 in youth and so on. She is currently wearing size 3.5! Much bigger shoes than her fellow classmates.

She’s going to be bigger than me in the next few years. I wonder how much effect my scolding will hold when the one being scolded is bigger than me?