All packed and ready to go! July 30, 2012

Playing in the wading pool at Land Park today.

Well, we are all packed and ready to go! We leave bright and early tomorrow morning. I hope Keenan will sleep on the plane, so my husband and I can get some rest, but I think that is wishful thinking! We loaded my nook with several “Shaun the sheep” and “Elmo’s World” episodes, along with a few of his favorite toys, stickers, coloring book and crayons to keep him busy. What kinds of things do you bring to keep your child entertained on a long plane ride?

Today was a busy, but fun day! We made banana nut oatmeal pancakes for breakfast (along with lattes, of course!) and soon after, we started packing. Since we were meeting my parents at Land Park (and then to dinner at Tower Cafe afterward) after Keenan’s nap, I wanted to get everything packed before we left. Needless to say, we had every intention, but it didn’t happen! So, at 11:00 p.m. tonight, we finally finished! Everything is ready to go, except for our toiletries. I am exhausted, but I hope I can sleep tonight. It seems that every time we leave for a trip, I have a hard time falling asleep because I’m excited and/or anxious. Do any of you have a hard time going to sleep the night before leaving for a trip?

A great start to the day, banana oatmeal pancakes with peach slices on the side!

Once we got home from dinner (I highly recommend the Tower Cafe if you live in Sacramento. It is causal, but has a very eclectic (but delicious) menu, including wonderful desserts!), we put Keenan to bed and finished packing. It’s funny how much little room my husband and I have in our suitcases, since Keenan’s stuff overtakes everything (diapers, wipes, pac n’ play, ergo carrier, etc). After several “rearranges,” we finally made it work with only 2 bags (finally deciding to check-in the pac ‘n play) and 1 carry-on, without either bag being over the weight limit.

Swinging with Nonna and Avo at Land Park.

Back to dinner: my husband and I shared/split our meals. I got the “African Veggie Burger,” a patty made with peas, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, sesame and sunflower seeds, topped with a peanut sauce, lettuce, onion and pickles on a whole wheat bun (sorry, I completely forgot to take a picture of it, yet, again!). It was sure yummy! I also had a small side salad, instead of fries. My husband ordered the regular burger, so we cut our burgers in half and shared them (we each got to enjoy half of the other person’s burger). Since my husband got fries with his burger, I had to steal a few! They are so good! Every once an while, I get a craving for thick steak fries!

Since we are heading to a very remote place in Alaska (Lake Clark, where my in-laws have a lodge) for the next two weeks, I won’t be able to do much posting (if at all), since there is no cell phone reception or internet. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and post a full recap once we get back. Have a good week! Night!

On the road again… July 13, 2012

Keenan enjoying his new “Monkey” platypus water bottle on our road trip, thanks to Auntie Mimi!

Our car is loaded to the gills and we are finally on our way to San Diego! It is amazing how much stuff we have for only three people (it doesn’t help that my husband always over prepares for everything…”you never know, we might need it!”). Gone are the days of just packing a bag, getting-up and going. With Keenan in tow, it is quite a production to get all of us in the car; I can’t imagine what it will be like once we have another child! Do you pack light or do you tend to bring everything but the kitchen sink, when traveling?

We are headed to our first stop in Pescadero, to visit a goat farm to taste cheese, have Keenan run around a bit and then lunch, before getting back in the car to drive for several more hours. We are spending the night near Santa Barbara, so we can explore in the morning and then drive the rest of the way to San Diego. Do any of you have suggestions for must-see attractions (aside from the Zoo and Sea World) and awesome eats?

Once we get to San Diego, I will do my best to post about our trip when I can. When we return, I will be sure to post a full recap with lots of pictures! Have a great weekend!

Packing and getting ready July 12, 2012

Keenan “helping” us pack by sitting on Daddy’s suitcase, when we were packing-up to leave Costa Rica.

Today is all about running errands (picking-up last minute items at Target, taking the car to our mechanic for more coolant, getting gas and washing the car) and packing for our vacation. We leave bright and early tomorrow morning to drive down to San Diego for our annual family vacation. This is our first “real” road trip with Keenan, so we’ll see how it goes (he has only ridden in the car for a max of 4 hours)! We have the car stocked with Keenan’s music (from his music class) and some new music for us, as well as books to entertain him. We are going to take our time by breaking up the drive into two days. We are driving down Highway 1 (our first time driving down the coast south of Monterey), so it should be beautiful! We also have some fun stops planned, to give Keenan a chance to move around. Have you traveled with your little ones in the car for several hours? If so, what are your tips for keeping them entertained and happy?

After Keenan and I had our “usual” breakfast (except with a banana, since we finished all of the strawberries last night) and I drank my latte, we headed to CrossFit for one final workout before our trip. It was a hard one, too! The WOD was a 30 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of 5 deadlifts (men: 275/ women: 185), 13 pushups and 9 box jumps, one of the Hero WODs. I did the prescribed women’s weight of 185 and completed 10 rounds and 5 reps. I probably could have completed one more round, but the deadlifts were slowing me down. Towards the end, I could only do singles. I’m proud of my effort and RELIEVED that it is over! I’m looking forward to resting the next few days and then doing a couple of workouts next week on the beach!

It’s time for a quick lunch of some leftover soup and a slice of whole wheat bread (trying to clean-out the fridge before we leave) that my husband brought back with him last weekend and then time for packing! A little while later, my sister-in-law and I are going to get pedicures, a treat for her birthday. It will be nice to have a little relaxation time, since I’ve been running around all morning! Have a good rest of your day!