Our Summer Passport

"What are we going to do now, mom?"

That is the dreaded question every mom hears during the summer. In the past, this question would turn me into either Oscar the Grouch or a nervous Snuffleupagus.

But not this summer! I was determined to be so on top of things that I would never hear that horrible question again. Not to toot my own flute, but I came up with a brilliant plan. I call it our Summer Passport.

I created a booklet that the girlies can refer to daily. It's a cross between a vacation itinerary and a checklist. I've listed all the relatives they might see this summer. I've listed the day trip destinations we will visit. We have certain days designated for service projects, learning about different countries and field trips. Most essentially, I included two full pages of single-spaced boredom buster ideas.

Each morning if the girlies have done their assigned chores we start the activity for the day. And thankfully, since I've thought ahead, I'm not frantically putting stuff together. So far this plan has been working well. I admit that I have still been asked (many times), "What are we going to do now?" But I can effortlessly refer them to their Summer Passport and all is well. Love it! I'm sure I am not the first mom to do something like this in order to have a sane summer. I just wish that someone had given me the idea sooner!

Along with this Summer Passport, I now have plenty of things to blog about! I'll fill you in on our activity for the day and review it for anyone who's interested.

Vegas, Baby!

I have the sweetest brothers-in-law. They are all fun just like their big bro, Sco. However, I have a tender spot in my heart for my bro-in-law, Jeff. Scott's nickname is Sco and Jeff's nickname is Ro. So the girlies call him Uncle Ro.

In Vegas, Ro lives in the nicest bachelor pad I've ever seen! Three bedrooms, two baths, an eat-in kitchen in a gated community with a pool. It's like a little slice of heaven. Not to mention the NICEST Albertson's grocery store next door. I love shopping there since it's a bit upscale in comparison to ours.

Anyway, Ro is a teddy bear. He's big and sweet. My girls adore him. Their favorite thing to do is bounce on him while he lays on the floor watching TV. They also like to climb him and hang from his shoulders. What would we do without that kind of entertainment on vacation? He has a soft spot for them as well. He sets a good example for Ashley by putting a few pieces of broccoli on his plate. He bribes the girls with churros if they'll obey their mom. He takes the time to watch cartoons with them.

Chloe, Jess and Ashley can really tell that they are loved by him. He'll make a great dad someday.

While we were chillin' at Ro's pad we were able to relax and spend time as a family. The girls played Rock Band, we went to the Leid Children's Museum (that needs a post of it's own), to the Disney Store at the Premium Outlets, swam in a desert oasis and even watched a few Fifa World Cup soccer games. The weather and timing weren't ideal for golf for the bros, but they got some quality time together in front of the TV. One of the highlights for me, and also one of the reasons I love Ro so much, is when we were deciding which movie to watch Ro spoke up and said "I've been wanting to watch 'Valentine's Day'." Sco was groaning and I was cheering! Two against one and I didn't even have to coax Ro to pick a chick flick. That's what I call "being considerate." I doubled their return by renting Sherlock Holmes and Wolverine for the next two nights' entertainment.

Thanks, Ro, for the awesome long weekend. We owe you big time!

Oooooo La La!

Bonjour!

Scott is the most romantic husband ever. For our 10th wedding anniversary he took me to Paris. It was a dream vacation. We filled up on chocolate croissants, great art and French history. I now know why Parisians can load up on delicious carbs every morning and still stay trim: they walk everywhere! Boy, eating croissants each morning was a delight knowing that I would work it off touring the Louvre. What a charmed life.

Day One: We went on a hop-on/hop-off bus tour of the city. This gave a great orientation and allowed us to enjoy the architecture up close.

La Cure Gourmande was the cutest sweet shop

I squealed with delight when we happened upon this home on the Ile de la Cite

Day Two: More of the bus tour.

The Sacre Coeur

Cute creperie on the Ile St. Louis

Day Three: The Louvre! One of my favorite places in the world, I'd say. Afterwards we went on a historic walk along the Left Bank, took the elevator to the top of the Eiffel Tower and enjoyed an evening river cruise.

The book stalls along the Seine

Shakespeare and Co. book shop

Day Four: Musee D'Orsay (no pics allowed in there), Napoleon's Tomb, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe.

Days Four and Five were spent out in the country exploring historic sites of Louis the XIV

Veau le Vicomte

Descending the old stairs from the dome

The town of Marly le Roi, loved getting lost here

Over all, this trip was magical. It took a lot of planning to succeed on the Metro. We were a bit culture-shocked with some of the dinner entrees. It also felt debilitating at first when we couldn't speak the language. But these obstacles were quickly hurdled and we enjoyed every minute in Paris.

Thanks, Sco! You really know how to make a girl feel loved.