Wishing the blogosphere a very happy July 4th! Today I am thankful for the men and women throughout our history that have preserved our freedom and for those serving currently. Freedom is not free.
As I researched my family’s history for our upcoming trip, I found that my great great (could be here awhile if I wrote them all out) grandpa on my Grandma T’s dad’s side served in the Revolutionary War as a member of the Massachusetts Militia. I can’t imagine how we must have felt being a part of such an transformative moment in history. He was tremendously proud of his service, which is even noted on his gravestone in Connecticut.
Today many of us will enjoy the beach, barbecues, parties and fireworks with our families to celebrate the holiday. Be safe, have fun, live in gratitude and pursue your passions.
Life during the school year, known as hockey season in our house, is a barrage of mad dash days strung together by weekends on the road and tournament weekends out of state. It is a ridiculously busy time from the time we leave the house in the morning until we finally get home 14 hours later. Our careers, the kids’ schooling and their activities leave us dashing from place to place nine months out of the year.
For the last eight years, the boys have spent the summers in Minnesota with their grandparents giving mom and dad a much needed respite from the madness. This summer, however, is different. There is no respite. Since we’re taking a big family trip, they’re staying in FL for the summer, so again no rest for the weary. Okay, I can’t complain to voraciously as we’re taking a once in a life time trip to retrace our roots. It is a trip that I cannot wait to share with my kids, my husband, my parents and the rest of our family.
It is an odd dynamic getting used to the craziness in the summer. While my summer days and nights were once quite quiet, they are now loud and filled with silliness. I know get emergency calls at work from the boys for such emergencies as:
Can we bathe the guinea pig?
Why isn’t the Wi-Fi working?
Are you bringing home McDonalds for lunch?
Are you on your way home yet?
Where’s the Roku remote?
Why do I have to read?
Why can’t The Mayor do the dishes?
Why can’t Goalielocks vacuum the floor?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to have them home. It’s just that it has thrown me off my summer routine, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Plus when they are gone for months every summer, I miss them terribly. They’ll be back in Minny next summer to spend time with the family and enjoy sometime away from mom and dad and I’ll enjoy my brief respite from life’s mad dash.
P.S. Tonight’s mad dash comprised of a quick run upstairs to watch the SpaceX rocket launch that was scrubbed for the second night in a row.
I spent my childhood outside playing in the woods, riding my bike with the neighbor kids, playing sports year round in the neighborhood and spending quality time with my family. My childhood was fantastic and full of fond memories. These memories are more meaningful now that I have children of my own. I remember waking up early Christmas mornings with my brothers eagerly awaiting the opportunity to open our presents. I loved Christmas as a kid, but as a parent Christmas is a million times better.
The beauty of being a parent is the innocence we love when transitioning from child to adult is rediscovered through our children. The excitement of Christmas morning is now heard in their scampering about the house waiting for us to wake up. A sense of wonderment and discovery is shared when our child sees or experiences something for the first time. I’ll never forget their first trip to the zoo when they first saw a lion, tiger, giraffe and gorillas for the first time. The sense of wonderment and excitement as they moved from animal to animal was palpable.
Somewhere along our journey, we lose the wonderment and joy of childhood as we get lost in the minutia of everyday life. We stop rolling down the hills and being silly instead opting to take ourselves too seriously. We stop being curious. There is a lot we can learn from our children as we guide them through life. We can learn to enjoy the small things in life, to not take ourselves too seriously and to approach life with a sense of wonderment and curiosity.
My boys love exploring the outdoor and enjoy a healthy sense of adventure. They’re minds are going a million times a minute. When they see something they love, you can guarantee that they’ve already started scheming about how they’re going to get a boat, a chicken, a goat, a plane, etc. Their mind and their dreams have no bounds. Their joie de vivre is contagious and drives me a better mom, a better wife and a better person. Inspiration doesn’t always come from big things or famous people sometimes it comes from our minis.
When we go somewhere as a family, my hubby drives the car and the kids and I get to relax. I really don’t like driving, especially in S. Florida, so being a passenger is usually always okay with me. Until it wasn’t…. My oldest got his learner’s permit at 15, which was mind boggling. In a previous life, I worked auto claims, which makes me a nervous rider. Couple that with my child driving me around and it was a recipe for an ulcer.
We agreed early on that hubby would teach the boys to drive and I would watch from afar. Frankly, I don’t have the nerves or the stomach for it and they need a calm teacher. A nervous teacher would do nothing, but make them anxious. I decided one night to let him try driving my car. It was a short distance, less than .5 mile, from just inside our gate to our house, so I thought I could handle it. I was wrong.
Jake did great, but I was a wreck. When we got to the road where he needed to make a right turn, I instructed him to slow down causing him to get a bit frazzled. Consequently, he hit the gas instead of the brake causing a panic. He asked frantically what he should do and my eloquent response was “hit the other pedal!” He hit the brake and made the turn safely and the subsequent turns safely getting us home in one piece albeit with frayed nerves.
Flash forward to March of 2016, Jake had his license for over 6 months and hubby was out of town with Goalielocks for hockey. I was sick and had been horribly sick for several days. I couldn’t keep any fluid or food down and knew that the only way to stop it would be to get some IV fluids. The only way for me to get to the ER was Jake. Jake drove me to the ER and he did a great job.
After several hours of IV fluids, they released me from the ER and Jake picked me up. He drove us to Target to fill my prescription and pick up Gingerale and saltine crackers. This time I was feeling better, but I was still comfortable with his driving. The Mayor meanwhile felt compelled to criticize every move Jacob made on the road, he was relentless. Now almost two years after he got his license, I’m perfectly comfortable being a passenger in his car.
The hardest of part of travelling out of state for hockey tournaments is trying to fit all of the luggage and all of the players into the trunk. It’s a bit of a game as you fight with the hockey bags, maneuver the suitcase and ultimately decided you can live with the sticks in the passenger compartment. Success comes with a true sense of accomplishment once you finally get it all to fit. Once we got the luggage jigsaw puzzle figured out in the trunk, we headed to my parent’s house in the Northern suburbs. The ride home was filled with the boys laughter and excited energy. They were excited to finally make it to our destination, and we were too, but we were exhausted and they were wired.
Michelle vs. the Trunk
Can she do it? Will she do it?
Victory is in hand!
Once at my mom’s house, Michelle and Andrew got acclimated and felt at home – like most people do at my parents- in short order. My mom was ready for us with plenty of fresh cookies to go around. My dad, two weeks post hip surgery, was surprisingly agile and mobile compared to what I had expected. My parents and my niece and nephew were thrilled to see us and our friends. Thankfully my parents were able to help us convince the boys they should take a nap before we headed to the Wild game. They fought taking a nap, but were soon asleep.
After a nice, lengthy nap we got ready and headed down to St. Paul to see the Minnesota Wild take on the Chicago Blackhawks in game 4 of round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was a must win game for the Wild, so the Mayor and I were hoping our squad would show up. While I’ve been to several Wild games in Minnesota and Michelle had been to several Chicago home games, our boys had only been to Florida Panthers games. This was going to be a completely different experience for them.
We got to the game with plenty to spare having hit much less traffic than I had anticipated. Since we had the kids, we couldn’t really pre-game at McGovern’s or Tom Reid’s so we headed into the Excel Energy Center after buying some nice souvenirs. The kids were quick to notice that unlike at the Panther’s games, a lot of the crowd starting to file in was already drunk. Fortunately, neither the Mayor nor Andrew were shy about sharing their observations with others. They were a magnet for trouble and for the second night in a row, Michelle and I were convinced we were going to get shot or beat up on account of their mouths.
The pre-game started and their mouths were agape. The game experience in the Excel Energy Center is second to none as is the energy in the crowd. Having only been to Panthers games previously, the boys’ mouths were agape. They had never seen a building alive with that much energy. For them, the experience was incredible and one they still talk about to this day. As the festivities continued, the fans continued to file in and the boys continued to comment on how they were so drunk they had already spilled beer down the front of their pants.
Unfortunately for the Wild, the most dynamic part of their game was the pre-game and the introductions. They were flat the entirety of the game. The few chances they did have, they did their best to make Crawford look like a god of goal tending. While the Wild’s play was lackluster, the entertainment from the crowd around us was not. A couple comprised of a Wild and a Rangers fan, got into a huge fight and at the behest of the surrounding crowd and his other friends, he ditched her. There was drunk goal to the right of us that managed to fall down two rows barely spilling her beer and not hurting herself.
Perhaps the best moment of the game, was when Andrew started talking smack to the two fans sitting behind him and the Mayor. They were both drinking and one was spitting some chew. Andrew felt compelled to tell him that he was going to call his mother and let her know that her son is a drunk that chews. Thank god they had a sense of humor and thought that the boys were hilarious.
By the skin of our teeth, Michelle and I survived another adventurous night with our crazy boys. The Wild lost and the Blackhawks went on to become Stanley Cup champions that year. Two years later, the Mayor still talks about how incredible it was to be in the Excel Energy Center that night and be a part of the experience. Making new memories and sharing great experiences with my boys, their friends, and my friends is one of the best parts of having our kids participate in a travel sport.
Part 1 and part 2 of the story can be found below:
For the first time in my travelling life, I would need to use the baggage claim at ATL. Usually, my trips to Atlanta include hurried runs with the family from terminal to terminal to ensure we don’t miss our connecting flight. It felt a bit foreign not feeling rushed upon landing in Atlanta. Fortunately, the rushed feeling was replaced by the mortification and embarrassment of our continued run-ins with the boys’ favorite fellow passenger and her nipples. Had they not announced it every time they had a visual on her, it probably wouldn’t have been so embarrassing.
We collected our baggage, as the boys continued to stare at the beautiful women and her see through shirt, and headed out to the shuttles. It was after midnight and the shuttle lines were crowded. Storms across the Eastern seaboard left several passengers stranded in Atlanta for the night. Michelle, the boys and I muscled our way onto a shuttle with three older travelers after the shuttle driver assured us he could take us to a hotel that would take our vouchers.
We drove for what had to be 20-30 minutes before pulling into a seedy looking motel with funky colored lighting up the side of the hotel. We had taken the backseat, so we were the last ones into the hotel lobby. The shuttle driver followed us in and was given cash by the clerk in the hotel lobby. The lobby of this Choice Hotel was dingy, dusty and gross. A breakfast nook off to the side beckoned the boys, who by this time of night had become hungry again. The heavily tatted hotel clerk was unwilling to let the boys have any of the cereal to eat.
The Mayor and Andrew in 2015The Mayor and Andrew 2032
There was a couch off to the opposite side, so we sat the boys down and waited our turn to check in. Our fellow travelers had been trying to check in with their vouchers, but the hotel clerk was refusing to take them. He was trying to charge us over $110 for the night in his seedy, roach infested hotel. As they argued with the clerk, we tried to keep the kids occupied and relatively quiet.
This became increasing difficult as a few hotel guests started to file in. These guests, clearly prostitutes with their johns, were dressed in clothes that would make even Tara Reid blush. Our boys’ eyes were wide with wonder and hysteria at the veritable shit show that had started to walk through the hotel door. Now Michelle and I were starting to get worried one of their comments might get us shot. Needless to say, we were not comfortable staying in that hotel.
Our knight in shining armor, was a fellow traveler, a beautiful woman from Milwaukee that is a merger and acquisition specialist (something tells me that Choice Hotel isn’t her normal hotel of choice.) She arranged for two ubers to pick us up and booked us each a hotel room in a hotel close to the airport. She truly saved our bacon. Finally after the longest night of travel and fearing for our physical safety, we made it up to our hotel room at 2:00 am.
That morning we headed back to the airport bright and early to head to Minneapolis. The weather was beautiful and sunny as we hopped the shuttle to ATL. Security was kind to us rushing us to the front since we had the young hockey players and all of their gear. Finally after an adventurous evening starting at PBI and a circus of a night in Atlanta, we made it to Minny.
Two years ago, the Mayor and I headed north with his best friend Andrew and his mom Michelle to a Selects tournament in Minnesota. We were originally slated to go to tournaments in Minneapolis and Boston, but opted out of the Boston trip when the stars aligned and round two of the Stanley Cup put game four of Minnesota vs. Chicago there during our trip. It wasn’t a tough choice.
From the first minute of the trip, I knew it was going to be an epic weekend. We were flying out of PBI on Zachary’s birthday. When we got to the airport to check our bags at the Southwest counter, the customer service rep handed us a $200 in vouchers and a hotel voucher for a luxurious stay in Atlanta. Lucky us! We headed to security where we met up with our friends. As we prepared to go through the queue, the boys felt compelled to ask if Doritos were considered a weapon. Thankfully, TSA had a sense of humor that day.
As we waited to board, we watched in awe as several elderly passengers sat in wheel chairs waiting to get pushed to the baggage area. The airport was not staffed to handle the volume of wheelchairs and they soon grew impatient. No more than five minute had passed before they felt compelled to take matters into their own hands. Soon they all stood and started pushing their chairs. Only in Florida….
Finally boarding zone B was called and we were free to board the plane. Our boys, on their way to their way to their first out of state tournament and their first Stanley Cup playoff game, were bouncing off the walls. At the time, the Mayor had just turned 9 and Andrew was still 8 and only came with one volume level extra loud. We got them calm enough to stand in line to get on the plane.
As we walked down the aisle of the plane to find some window seats for the boys and ourselves, people stopped moving as our fellow passengers put their carry-ons on the overhead. As luck would have it, we were stopped in front of a very attractive, young black woman wearing a white shirt and no bra. Had this site only elicited giggles, it probably would have been okay, but we were not going to get off that lucky. Nope the boys had to announce that they could see her nipples. Oh the shades of red Michelle and I turned as they loudly shared their discovery with us.
We continued filing to the back of the jet, but the boys could not believe what they just saw. They were completely transfixed (pretty much like every other guy I know.) As our flight took off and headed to Atlanta, the boys became distracted by discussions of hockey, jets and life in general. Lucky for us, we would continue to cross paths with the women in the white shirt everywhere we went in the ATL terminal.
When I go to my favorite restaurant, I am a creature of habit. I always order the same dish the same way. I always look at the other menu items, but ultimately I decide to stick with what I know. My coffee is no different, which is why Selena or Adam always have it ready for me when I walk into Dunkin in the morning. I wish I could be more adventurous when it comes to dining out, but I hate spending money on food and then being disappointed.
There’s one exception to this rule and that is when I travel. If I’m travelling abroad, aside from my coffee habit, my creature of habit and safe food choices go out the window. To truly experience another culture, you have to delve into their cuisine and local dishes even if it is a bit scary. One rule we have in our house is when travelling abroad, you only get one McDonald’s trip so you can experience the different menus across the globe. All other meals should be eaten in local restaurants.
Most places are known for a specialty dish or two. In the Brittany region of France, they’re known for the delectable Kouign-amannn cake. This wonderful pastry is a round, crusty cake that comprises of layers of butter and sugar between layers of pastry. I know – it sounds awful right? I have craved this dessert since leaving Saint Malo in 2011.
Saint Malo is an incredible seaside city, where my husband’s grandfather happened to have landed in 1944 as part of the allied forces. Despite coming into the city under heavy Nazi fire, he was enthralled with its beauty and brought back two paintings of Saint Malo with him to the states when the war had ended. Saint Malo is also the city that Jacques Cartier departed from when he discovered Quebec. I never knew how much I would grow to love Jacques Cartier.
In 2016, we had the opportunity to travel to Quebec City for Peewee Quebec, which was one of the most incredible trips I’ve ever taken. Thank god for Jacques Cartier discovering Canada because les petit pains au chocolats and other pastries in Quebec City tasted like they had been baked in France. The food in Quebec City. The cuisine of Quebec City is heavily influenced by Breton cuisine and what a tasty treat.
One night two of the moms, a hockey sister and I walked off the beaten path looking for a local bistro. We found the cutest little place that would seat us at their bar, so we wouldn’t have to wait too long. My friend Inga and I let the waitress order us her favorite dishes. I ended up with veal sweet bread dish and Inga ended up with a seafood dish. The food was incredible, though the sweet bread was a bit rich for my tummy. Quite frankly if I had known what it was, I probably wouldn’t have ordered it, but then I would have missed out on the experience.
The most important part of dinner, however, was dessert. After 5 years of waiting and searching high and low in North America, I found a restaurant that served Kouign-amann. It was absolutely amazing. As I ate it, it instantly took me back to Saint Malo and the gite in Normandy. The taste of the cake, combined with the memories of France and the new memories being created that night in Quebec City made for an incredible culinary experience. If we hadn’t gone off the beaten path, we would have missed out.
I look forward to exploring Norway and its foods with my boys this summer. The food, much like the land and the cities we will visit, is a connection to our Norwegian heritage. While my boys are pretty picky eaters at home, I’m hoping this trip abroad will broaden their taste buds.
After leaving the nice camera on the shelf for the last year or so I brushed it off, charged its battery and got the lenses ready for graduation. I bought the T2i for our trip to France back in 2011. If you’re travelling to Europe or planning any major trip, it is worthwhile to invest in a good camera. Many museums, cathedrals, castles, palaces and other landmarks prohibit flash photography, so you’ll need a camera that takes good pics in low light.
Since 2011 my Canon EOS Rebel T2i has served us well, but after 6 years, countless trips to Minnesota, countless hockey tournaments and countless school events culminating with Jake’s graduation it is time to move on. Truthfully, some of the photos from graduation were a bit cringe worthy. The T6i comes with an improved lens compared to the T2i. In addition, the camera is a bit heavy by current standards and lacks the connectivity to smartphones and computers built into the T6i and T7i.
The Canon EOS Rebel T6i can be controlled from my iphone. No more running and tripping to try and beat the timer when taking a group picture off a tripod. You can also review and manage images easily on your iphone, which is a huge plus.
In preparation for my trip overseas, I’ve been playing around with the camera to try and learn the different settings and familiarize myself with it. Fortunately, my puppies, my guinea pigs and my kids have been happy to oblige. My initial review of the Canon Rebel EOS T6i is that it is a huge upgrade compared to the T2i. It is light, easy to use and easy to navigate the menus. After my trip I will write a more comprehensive review. Here are some of the practice pictures.
