Take a Bite of THAT, Big Apple
“I am not – I repeat – I am NOT taking selfies all weekend.” Taylor Brooks, New York City, 2017 After the worst vacation ever last year, we’ve been hesitant to try again. (Our doctors’ bills seem to go up exponentially when we travel.) But MIRACLE OF ALL MIRACLES, we actually had a successful solo vacation to New York City last weekend. (I know. It’s surprising to me, too, and I was there.) We’re one week post-vacation, no signs of E. coli or Giardia in sight. We. made. it. We didn’t just *make it*, we killed it.
On the Road to {Vacation} Recovery
I see your summer vacation photos. Your trips to Maui and Cabo San Lucas. Your moonlit walks on the beach and leisurely bike rides through sleepy, romantic towns. I see these and I raise you the scenery along my 98 degree run the other night: Yes, a steaming pile of poop that spells “hi”. It’s kind of the perfect picture of our summer so far. Not really. But really, we are still recovering from our vacation from hell. Last I left it, we were about to board our flight to come home. Home sweet home. Home, the place I was afraid we wouldn’t get to when Taylor lit up like a…
Dear Vacation, You’re the Worst.
[alternate title: Our Life, the Sitcom.] Oh, hey there. Just bloggin away from the comfort of our cozy little beach condo in Florida. It’s the last full day of our first vacation without kids in 7 1/2 years. You’d think I’d be on the beach instead of blogging, but I have a wicked heat rash and my husband is curled up in a feverish ball on the couch. True story. ‘Tis only the beginning, my friends. Only. the. beginning. Here’s how our week has gone: Saturday: Say goodbye to our boys, whistle the Hunger Games tune and salute my mom who is holding down the fort at home, board a flight, arrive in Florida,…
Beach Vacation: 2 Parts Fantastic, 7 Parts Terrible
Why, yes, I do have a glow about me, don’t I? Thanks for noticing. No, this is not a pregnancy announcement. We just came back from a week and a half at the beach. The end of September/beginning of October is a perfect time to finally get a summer tan, amiright? We’ve had a Sparks family beach vacation on the books for a while now. I’d like to report that it was a relaxing, carefree time full of laughter and shrimp. But unfortunately enough, it just wasn’t that kind of get away. It was this kind: Saturday: Arrive in Cape Sans Blas, Florida, no thanks to Apple maps. Run around…
Smith Reunion: Walkers, Canes, & everything in betwane
inbetwane…get it? it rhymes with cane!!! nevermind. The past week, Beckett and I flew to Kansas, drove to and from Arkansas, and flew back to Texas. It was a lot of traveling for an almost 25 year old 1 year old. The flight to Kansas went swimmingly, aside from being a teensy bit tardy to the airport, neon yellow “LATE CHECK-IN” tags being stuck all over my bags, and the always awkward terminal-speed-walk to arrive at the gate just in time to be one of the last to board the aircraft. But we made it. [One day I’ll write a post about the genius of stuffing your toddler so full…
Traumatic Travel, Shopping Carts, & Time in Pokey
Whew. This past week or two was a doozy. A fun doozy, but a doozy nonetheless. We had 2 flights, 1 road trip, 1 wedding, 1 baby shower, 1 case of croup, and 1 ear infection. We’ll start with the slightly traumatic travel experience. Slightly Traumatic Travel Experience A few proclamations: Proclamation #1: If you are the kind of person who takes up extra seats for your bags in the airport terminal leaving other travelers the option of sitting on the floor or standing, I’m sorry you’re such a lonely person. Surely that kind of behavior isn’t conducive for a happy life filled with friends and loved ones. Proclamation #2: Don’t be mean…
