Costa Rica or BUST!!!

I don’t usually post in the morning, but today I’m going to put aside the fact that I have a clogged sewer pipe, dishes and laundry that can’t be done because of said pipe, kids home from school (Yom Kippur), a conference call at 8:30 and a class to prepare for. OM……..

Instead, I’m going to think about Costa Rica. A few years ago with our 40th birthdays approaching, my friend Sherry and I started talking about taking a trip to Costa Rica. I used the same strategy for my 30th birthday (African safari) and it really took my mind off the milestone.
The night I received the suprise of my life and found out I was pregnant with Norah, my fourth thought (after “How are we going to afford 3 kids in day care?”, “Can I add another kid to the mix without ending up institutionalized?”, and “AAAACH! I’ve got to give birth again!”) was “I hope Sherry doesn’t go to Costa Rica without me!!”
Luckily, she didn’t, and I hadn’t really thought about it much. But last week she received an email about a travel deal to Costa Rica ($499/person + fees), and forwarded it to me with a note that she was just daydreaming. WHAT?! $499 for a week away? I’d pay that even if it was for a trip to Worcester!  Why daydream when you can pull out your Visa card and start living the dream?!

 

It took a couple of emails to convince her that I was serious, and then an email from Sherry convincing herself that it wasn’t a completely crazy idea. Less than 24 hours later we were booked for a February 4th departure. YAY!
It’s amazing how having something like this to look forward to puts everything else into perspective.  It’s going to be an amazing trip, and I know Sherry and I will be great traveling companions.  If you’re not sure whether you’ve met Sherry, she’s the one who looks like my sister.  We’ve known each other since college, and lived together for a while before I left Vermont.  We are both easy-going and low-maintenance, and we always have a blast together.

Only 129 days to go!!
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Tailgate

We went to our first-ever tailgate party last night at the New England Revolutions game.  The event for elementary school families was organized by the new PTO Prez – Chris (Thanks Chris & Elizabeth!), and it was a lot of fun despite the chilly weather.  Luckily, I usually have enough clothes in the back of my car to outfit an army, so we all had on 3 or 4 layers.  The kids didn’t seem to notice the cold and they just ran around the parking lot like a pack of loonies.

We left a few minutes before the end of the game because the kids were getting antsy and annoying the serious soccer family sitting in front of our crowd.

It was a great night and the Revs won…looking forward to doing it again next year!
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Bob Update

The other day I posted about my experience with the rug protection I purchased from Bob’s.  I really didn’t expect a reply, but I got a voice mail yesterday from a Bobs’ Customer Service representative (not Bob, but he’s probably busy making commercials).  She said that they had a $50 gift card for me and wanted to verify my address.

That’s pretty good customer service, in my opinion.

Tailgate

We went to our first-ever tailgate party last night at the New England Revolutions game.  The event for elementary school families was organized by the new PTO Prez – Chris (Thanks Chris & Elizabeth!), and it was a lot of fun despite the chilly weather.  Luckily, I usually have enough clothes in the back of my car to outfit an army, so we all had on 3 or 4 layers.  The kids didn’t seem to notice the cold and they just ran around the parking lot like a pack of loonies.

We left a few minutes before the end of the game because the kids were getting antsy and annoying the serious soccer family sitting in front of our crowd.

It was a great night and the Revs won…looking forward to doing it again next year!
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Awkward Family Photos

I stumbled upon this website a few weeks ago – AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com, so now I have a habit of checking it when I look to see what’s new on PeopleOfWalmart.com.  In addition to awkward photos, there are a few posts about other awkward family situations, including this one about Thanksgiving – unbelievable!
For the record, this photo is not of anyone in my family, though I’m sure we have some awkward photos in the family albums.  I just love the looks on the cats’ faces.
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