Category Archives for Outings

Return From Oz

Last weekend I escaped to Foxwoods with 4 foxy friends (Betsy is missing from the photo but if Pam sends me some of her pics I’ll add them).  When Lana asked me about it back in December, I didn’t care if we were going to the Holiday Inn in Worcester or if it cost $2000, I was IN!!

Luckily we didn’t go to Worcester and I didn’t have to spend the kids’ entire college savings.  We left on Friday afternoon and made the quick (1 1/2-hour drive) down to CT.  It was a gorgeous day and the snow everyone kept talking about hadn’t started yet.  I had never been to Foxwoods before and I swear it was just like being in Oz when the Emerald City loomed up out of the poppies, except this time it loomed up out of Uncasville.

I was surprised by how GIGANTIC the place was, and it’s actually really nice.  Lots of bars and restaurants, live music and comedy, a decent spa and a beautiful pool which unfortunately was inhabited by loud and splashy kids.  We had a nice dinner on Friday night at the Shrine, after drinks at various hot spots along the way (including FABULOUS espresso martinis and 2 scorpion bowls), then spent Saturday laying around relaxing and being pampered.  I got a haircut, which I needed badly, and then we went out to see the comedian Jo Koy, who was hilarious.  We had dinner at David Burke Prime which was really good.  I’m not a gambler but we watched Betsy play Let It Ride, and I think I could play that without embarrassing myself.  Maybe on my trip to Vegas next month.

Sunday morning we got up, cried, threw our crap in a bag, cried some more, and came home.  You would think that having a couple of days away would make me more tolerant of what was waiting for me at home, but it’s the exact opposite.  After two days of peace and quiet with nobody needing anything from me, each scream, whine, and screech doubled in volume.  I had to take a nap in the afternoon because I was so tired out from being home for 3 hours.  I’m back in the swing of things again, and all I have to show for my relaxing weekend is my haircut and my credit card bill.

Time to schedule another getaway!  Who’s in???

Flight

When faced with the choice of fight or flight, I almost always choose flight.  I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, it’s just my defense mechanism and it’s probably not going to change.  In the most recent family drama, I made an impulsive decision to pack up the family and head to the Cape for a spontaneous vacation, and I’m so happy I did.  We’re at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis, and although it’s not quite as hopping as I’m sure it is in the summer, there are plenty of activities to get the kids out of the room and leave me in peace.

We left early in the afternoon of Christmas day, and arrived in Hyannis after an uneventful drive.  Our dinner options were very limited, but we ended up at the Dragon Lite for some really good Chinese food.  They were doing a brisk business, but for a while we were the only ones in their overflow room so that was nice for the other diners.

The hotel has beautiful Christmas decorations including lots of lights in the courtyard outside our room, and there’s a pretty good restaurant on-site which was fortunate when the storm hit on Sunday.  We didn’t get as much snow here as we did at home, but it was pretty windy and we lost power for an hour in parts of the hotel.  Luckily we were already eating our dinner when it went out in the restaurant, and the power was on in the area where they are showing 3 movies daily.

Other activities have included a dance party for the kids with live entertainment, cupcake decorating with absolutely the best chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever had in my life, crafts and face-painting, some sort of animal show tonight, nightly bonfires, the game room, and of course, the indoor wave pool where the kids have spent HOURS tiring themselves out.  Today we ventured out to the Cape Cod Potato Chip factory for a tour and a couple bags of chips fresh off the line.  I can feel my ankles swelling already.  In our down time, we have iPad, an iPhone, a laptop, a DVD player, and a Nintendo DS to keep us from killing each other.  Oh yeah, and Aliya has her new facepainting kit that she’s torturing us with.

I have done almost nothing except eat, sleep, and read until I fall asleep again.  We haven’t been too adventurous with our culinary choices – the Old Yarmouth Inn for Sunday brunch (fabulous!!), Not Your Average Joe’s last night, a local bagel joint today, and the best pizza Hyannis has to offer tonight.

We’ve had a great time, and we’re headed home tomorrow so I can cover the phones in the office on Thursday.  I hope you’re all enjoying your winter break as much as I am.  Happy New Year!!

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Thanksgiving 2010

Last Thanksgiving I woke up with the flu.  This Thanksgiving started out in a very similar manner, although luckily it didn’t leave me bedridden for a week like last year.

I woke up with a headache, which happens when I sleep in a funny position – usually because there’s a small person sleeping next to me.  We were headed to my brother & sister-in-law’s in Maine, so I got up early to whip up the dessert I had promised to bring and procrastinated on making.  By 7:30 a.m. the kids were already fighting over what movie they were going to watch on the way to Maine, and that continued for the next 3 hours.  Add in the multiple times I asked them to do each task (get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, pick up crap), and my headache turned into a whopper.

At 10:15 the kids were in the car and we were packing up the last few things, and they started physically beating each other, crying, screeching, and whining.  What about?  About which F-ing movie they were going to watch!  AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

By then  my head was absolutely KILLING me, but we got in the car anyway.  I put in my earplugs and tried to will the headache away, but it got worse and I started feeling nauseous – it had become a migraine.  I was really in a bad way but nobody in the car was taking me seriously until I puked into a zip-lock bag.  While I was yakking, it vaguely registered that Aliya was alarmed, Norah was covering her ears, and Adlani was yelling, “YEAH!  I TRANSFORMED INTO ANOTHER POKEMON!” while playing Nintendo DS.

We stopped at a rest area and I staggered inside, and then we continued on our merry way.  I dozed off and woke up ready for more action – luckily there was an empty cracker box and a leaky bag handy.  Then more dozing and finally we arrived at Josh & Rachael’s, where I stayed in the (cold) car and slept the migraine away until it was time to eat. Amazingly, I felt almost back to normal when Aliya woke me up – I think I had slept for an hour and a half or so.

From then on, it was a great day.  The food was unbelievable, the baby was adorable, and the kids didn’t break anything.  I’m sure it was a loud and hectic afternoon for our hosts and Grandma Katie and Papa John, but I had a lovely time.  The kids passed out almost as soon as we got in the car to come home, and they successfully transferred to bed without getting a second wind.


Ben is headed out early tomorrow morning for a few Black Friday deals…we drove through Shoppers World to see what the lines were like, and at 9 p.m. there were people lined up at Best Buy and Toys-R-Us, including a woman with a very unhappy baby.  I can’t imagine what deal would be good enough for me to sit on the freezing cold sidewalk with my screaming 1-year-old, but to each his (her) own.

Here are some photos from today…please note that the baby did not actually ingest any beer, even though she really wanted to.  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday to Me!

My birthday fell right in the midst of Norah’s lump crisis, with the diagnosis of hyperthyroid a couple of days before, and a multitude of tests set up for the week after.  On Saturday we decided to meet Mom, Josh, Rachael, and Duende for dinner at Newicks Lobster House in Dover NH, and we went to York Beach after dinner for a quick (and chilly) splash.  I love the reflection on the sand in the beach photos.  Aliya had gone to Old Orchard Beach with her friends for their birthday, so she missed out on our fun.  I don’t think she sees it that way.

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