Happy As A 5 Year Old.

Happy Monday Friends!

While on vacation, I made note of something that I may not recognize while at home. The simple things that make a 5 year old happy and how they express their joy. There are some obvious things like a Popsicle, staying up 15 minutes later than bedtime, or a handful of M&Ms.

What I noticed while on vacation was that Mason took advantage of all the amenities that we came across. Like what amenities you may be asking...like taking a drink from a water fountain on the sidewalk, or stopping to look at the new design on a soda can. Really! We don't drink soda, but Mason noticed the new designs on a soda vending machine.

There was the daily ritual of anticipating being able to put the card key in the slot and open the door at precisely the right moment to let us into our condo and then again at the pool gate. Getting close to the pool and hearing kids laughing and splashing, Mason lit up and said, "I hear fun!" Can you be that happy while hearing other's joy and knowing you will be a part of it? Mason was and did! He went right over to the vacationing children, jumped in the pool and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm M-A-S-O-N. Do you know what that spells? Mason."

On the one day we planned to stay in, Mason came out of the bathroom and said, "Hey guys. What are we gonna do today? Maybe we can toodle...you know, in some town, a little look, a little see. Wouldn't that be fun?" All while smiling his crooked little smile nodding his head. How do you say no to that?

The resort had a playground and Mason made it a point to get out of the pool and go play at least one time before we left, "Because it's a play ground and that's what kids do, they play." He said. Dave took Mason to the arcade where he played each game and it seemed that was enough to check off his list of resort amenities. Of course, you all know Mason and know that being on vacation is not the same without a bath in a bath tub! Yes, we have two bath tubs at home, but there's something about a hotel bath tub that has a special quality. I think it's that it's clean!

Here's my question for you; What do you have right under your nose, everyday, that you can take advantage of and really be joyous about? Can you be as happy as a 5 year old?

I have many things, but first and foremost is the keen eye and wonderfully simple sense of humor of my sweet Mason. He is far more my teacher than any educator I've ever had!

On Vacation In Windsor, CA

Happy Monday Friends!

We have been in lovely Windsor, CA since last Wednesday. We are heading home tomorrow, but plan to make the most of our last day and a half. Julie booked her timeshare and planned to be here with us, but as life does sometimes, sidelined her and she couldn't come. Thank you Jules for your generosity and allowing us to use your vacation week!

We've really had a good time. The pools on the property are all beautiful and clean, and every unit has a nice patio set-up with a barbecue. It's impossible to vacation for little money, but I've gotten pretty good at seeking out the deals and ways to pinch pennies while not putting a crimp on the vacation all together.

On Friday we went wine tasting. We participated in a Zin-dependence Festival that took us to four wineries for Zinfandel tasting with food pairings. All four wineries opened their tasting rooms so we were allowed to taste their other wines as well, for free. We have Mason with us so you may all be wondering how we went wine tasting with a child. Here's what we did. The wristband for the day was $20 per each adult and $10 for kids and designated drivers. We planned ahead and popped into a local candy store to buy a half dozen unique candies for Mason. Most of them were a candy/toy combination. Once we arrived at each winery, we gave Mason a "new" candy to taste and with it came a novel toy to play with. He was very happy and with happy usually comes well behaved. Several of the winery staff commented on what a good idea we had. It's also important to note that while tasting wine and driving yourself, we only drank the tastes we loved, and if we didn't love it, we dumped it! We also drank lots of water at each stop. This meant less consumption and a safe & happy time was had by all!

We have so many funny stories, but for today let's stop here. I'll post more pictures later today, so check back. I hope you all had a wonderful July 4th holiday and I would love to hear about it! Post a comment here or e-mail me. Let's catch up!

The Grand Poobah

Happy Monday!

We had a heat wave this weekend! Over 100 degrees both days. A far cry from the mild 80 degrees we were experiencing just a week ago.

The Grand Poobah was last weekend and I haven't shared any of the laughs with you. Last Monday, I was on a plane to Minnesota to participate in a focus group. That meant I was getting home from four days of camping only to do a load or two of laundry, repack my bags, and get back on the road. The trip to MN was incredible, but I'll share more about that later.

This year's Poobah was a hoot! The theme was Trailer Park Poobah and it may go down in the history books as "Funniest Poobah of all Time!" I personally was stumped for a costume. Mason and Dave were easy, but everything I was coming up with was just too cliche. I ended up being that woman who thinks she's better than the rest, yet in many cases, is more crass with less tact! You know, just think animal prints, high shoes, lots of make-up, and gold lame! Very Funny! I'm not going to try to explain this, just check out the pictures at the end of this post.

The S'mores contest was a big hit! Everyone who came up with a recipe brought something totally original to the table. I brought all the fixin's for dessert s'mores like the traditional recipe with fresh strawberries, or blueberries, or cherries. DELICIOUS! If you brought a recipe, please e-mail it to me (again), I'm sure I have it, but it would save me the time of looking for it. Thanks!

So now we are getting ready to hit the road again. Dave, Mason, and I will be spending the 4th of July in Windsor, CA in Sonoma. Julie offered her timeshare to us, and since it was nearly free, we decided to make it our family vacation. I'll be sure to share all of our road trip adventures with you when we return! Have a wonderful week and a safe and happy 4th of July!

Where Did The Weekend Go?

Dave asked me this as we were falling asleep last night. I think we all feel this way, but I find it comes after an especially enjoyable weekend.

Saturday we took Mason to a birthday party for one of his friends from preschool. The family lives on five acres and had three huge blow-up water slides. What fun! The kids had a ball. Dave and I left the party for a little while to walk around downtown Lincoln. It was nice to have a little couple time and know that Mason was not only in good hands, but having lots of fun, too. Later that evening, Mason was in bed so Dave and I made s'mores by the fire testing out some of our adult themed ideas for Poobah's "S'more's-Ga-Borg." After snacking, we got in the hot tub and relaxed watching the last of the fire. It was a really nice day.

Sunday was getting stuff done around the house. Mason messed and I cleaned while Dave watched the race. Before we called it a day, Dave worked in the yard, we started organizing our camping gear, I made a new pile of stuff for GoodWill, and we wrapped up the weekend with the kid s'more ideas. This time, we included our neighbors and their two girls to help pick the best recipes. We've got some good ones, so if you're coming to Poobah, get your thinking cap on, we're gonna be hard to beat!

Now it's back to schedules and work. I look forward to the structure of the new work week, do you? It's certainly tough if you don't like what you do for a living and if that's the case, start thinking about what actions you could take to find something that you really look forward to doing. With that, make this week really great and drop me a note letting me know all about your weekend!

Mason Declares, "I'm Leaving!"

Yes, at the ripe old age of 5 1/2, Mason packed his things and declared he was leaving. I didn't ask him why he felt the need to leave but I did ask him where he was planning to go. Here's how this went:

Mason: "I'm leaving."
Me: "Oh? Where are you going?"
Mason: "To the middle of no where."
Me: "So you're running away?"
Mason: "Yes. I have all my things packed, everything I need. My blanket, some clothes, my guitar, and Zelda."

At this point I felt it necessary to grab the camera and take his picture.

Me: "Well, if you feel you need to go, okay. I'm gonna miss you."
Mason: "Yeah, well, I'll write to you."

Mason only made it as far as behind the sofa, but just a few minutes later he came into the bedroom and asked me to please cry. I started to cry and just then I got a special delivery letter from the mailman (Mason). I opened the pretend letter and asked Mason (in a whisper, so it didn't imply I was really talking to him) what the letter said. He read the letter to me in his voice from the living room and here's what it said: "Love Mason. I'm okay. I love you. I will come home sometime. I love you. Don't cry. Dear Mom."

Oh, I felt so much better, I went right back to work. A few moments later, another letter arrived. As I pretended to open the pretend letter, Mason ran back to the living room and read me this letter. "Love Mason. I love you. Here's what will make you very happy. Money! $162.57. Dear Mom."

I started to cry and through my tears, I said, "I don't want money, even all the money in the world. All I want is my Mason home with me. Boo-hoo-hoo."

Just then the mailman arrived with a package. I pretend opened the package and asked Mason what was in it. He said, "Me! Your favorite! Except for Riley. Are you happy I'm home mama?"

Yes! Yes! Yes! We laughed and hugged and smiling, he trotted back to the middle of no where behind the couch!

So here's what I derived from this little skit.

1. Mason thinks I really love money. (I'm the CFO of the family, the one who says "no.")
   
2. Mason also thinks I love Riley more than I love him. (That comes from Dave continually saying that I love Riley more than anyone.)
   
3. He really does know what his necessities are. (Not leaving without his blanket and Zelda.)
   
4. Finally, I really need to work with him on his letter writing format. Dear Mom starts the letter and Love Mason goes at the end.

I could be very upset by the money and Riley issue, but kids will be kids, and I know I don't love money like Mason portrayed it. The Riley thing, maybe true! Laughing! In my defense, when either Dave or Mason jump up and down, wagging their tails wildly, and barking with glee when I get home...from checking the mail! I might reconsider that position.