Monkey Bizness and MLK Day 2010

Eban started full-day preschool at the beginning of the year. He’s thriving and loves the kids and his teachers. The structure is really good for him and he has his days when he doesn’t want to listen very well. We have those days too so we are working diligently to mitigate them.

Jack is now the big boy at Quincy’s house. He follows Quincy and then Jonah follows Jack and then Brandon follows Jonah. It must be nice for Jack to finally be the big boy. In the beginning of the year, Jack was our little drama queen. Something would hurt him and he’d repeatedly say, “ow-wee, ow-wee, ow-wee.” We’d ask him what happened and he’d tell us that Seamus bit him or that Mama hit him, etc. All of his excuses were clearly made up as we’d be in other rooms at the
time of the alleged infraction. This behavior has stopped for the time being and we are hoping it doesn’t come back as his exaggeration skills were impressive.


We have a new outlet of activity near our house. It’s called Monkey Business and it’s a big indoor play area and they interest the parents by having coffee and free wi-fi. The place is always packed when we are there and the boys love it. They tend to hang out with one another and I like seeing that interaction too! For sure!

Let’s see, I wrote down a quote from Eban from January 2010. He told me that if I break the back door, then “…we’ll have no money to go to Chucky Cheese or McDonalds.” I see my oldest has his priorities set straight. Nice.

Jack also had to conquer pink eye in the beginning of the month. He looked fabulous in the beginning stages of it.

On MLK Day, I took Eban to the Marade with me. I met up with commissioners and staff from the Colorado Governor’s Commission on Community Service. I’m trying to teach Eban about volunteering, and it may take a while, but at least this was a step. Eban gravitated to the fire truck that was at the Marade - - Marade is a word that takes the words parade and march and mixes them. This year, the Denver Marade was the largest yet and to see so many people committed to MLK’s life and legacy - - well, it was so amazing. Everyone was happy and jovial and kind. I can’t wait for next year and hopefully, I’ll bring Jack too!

On that vein of giving back, Manual High School asked me to come speak to their student body about the importance of giving back and incorporating some of MLK’s teachings into the impromptu speech. Jovan, from the Commission, and I tag-teamed the speech. I love that stuff!

Uncle Chad came for a brief visit in January. We took him to Monkey Business and made him crawl around in the kid toys. He was a champ about it. We also went to Carmine’s for the first time in ages. Man oh man, I miss that place but it sure is fattening! Ryan and I used to go there every week when we were young and without children. It brought back memories to have Chad with us and some of the ol’ gang of people.

This picture is of the boys and I having dinner. They learned about the “timer” piece of the camera and wanted me to take a picture with it. Papa was working late and that’s why he isn’t in it, but the picture isn’t half bad?

Finally, here’s Jack’s “rock on” pose. I love how serious he is with his fist high up in the air. That’s our Jack!

Just a normal conversation at the dinner table - - and then the topic of kissing came up


Playing at Monkey Business

Disney World and Sea World 2009

We dropped off Tutu in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday morning after we disembarked the Fun Ship. Boy - - whenever I hear the words Fun Ship I shiver as it’s not how I remember it at all!

We headed up to Orlando to check into our hotel room with hopes that we wouldn’t encounter happy-go-lucky drunks at all hours of the evening. We were lucky as the hotel was close to the airport so it was mostly businessmen and women and some families. There were also the traveling sports teams so it was a good mix of guests. We arrived after nap time and didn’t know what we’d do so we looked at opportunities. Ryan realized that the Magic Kingdom closes at 11pm so why not go there for several hours and get a good half day’s worth of fun in at Disney World. Why not was the answer!

Off we drove to the Magic Kingdom and the boys were tickled to be at the park. They loved the animal people mover from the parking lot and loved the monorail we had to take to the entrance. It was stimulation overload for them - - and for us! It was PACKED! We thought it wouldn’t be packed because it was so cold outside but everyone had the same mindset as us. We only had two pairs of long pants each and two sweatshirts so I certainly was ill-equipped to handle the Florida weather at this time of the year.

The first ride we decided to do was the Haunted Mansion. I didn’t know if it would be too scary but one of the haunted mansion staff members scarily told us the kids that it wasn’t scary - - just haunted. I thought that was sweet. As we wound our way in the long lines, the kids handled the wait very well considering all the lines we had to endure on the Fun Ship. We passed the “graveyard” for the ride and Eban was curious as to the reason why there were headstones in the “cemetery”. Eban was very scared of them as he didn’t understand why the headstones would “kill” the people under them. Ryan had to explain that they were markers for people not the reason why the people were dead. This conversation went on for a while. The boys handled the rooms very well. In fact, we were laughing and making scary noises so the boys did too. Their eyes were filled with delight with the “antics” of the mansion and we all squeezed into the ride which took us all over. They saw the ghosts flying and saw the ghost sit with us in the ride and they laughed and immediately wanted to ride it again after we got off. I was not expecting that eager response to the haunted mansion ride. Even Jack was enthusiastic and wanted more ghosts.

Of course, one of the next rides was the roller coaster. The train ride. Eban and Ryan went on it as I waited at the end of the ride with a very tired Jack Jack. Eban came off that ride with a grin bigger than I have ever seen. Next it was my turn to ride the ride with him (see photo of us in line). Disney is really nice about providing both moms and dads an opportunity to ride with their kids so I was able to “fast pass” up the ride with Eban so I could take a spin on the roller coaster with him. I swear Eban has no fear. He happily screamed his entire head off the whole ride while laughing hysterically.

We went on to other rides but these were the highlights of our first night including the fireworks and light show at the castle. Eban and Jack stayed awake for the entire show. It was almost 10:30 and we had to buy blankets to help us deal with the chilly night but shortly thereafter, the boys were out like lights. In fact, Jack, who is our homebody, finally told us that he wanted to stay as we were wearily putting him in the car to leave. Jack always wants to go home - - no matter where we are. So this was a first as we heard him sleepily tell us that he wanted to stay.

The next day was another bone-chilling day at Disney World. We thought it wouldn’t be packed but we were wrong. We rode all sorts of rides. They loved the Haunted Mansion again, we had to ride Dumbo (Eban rode it twice), we went on Tinkerbell, Aladdin’s carpet ride, the train (three times), etc. Jack took a nap in “It’s a Small World” and I ran into many other moms who said if they want their kids to fall asleep, that they take them on that ride. It worked like a charm until we got out. He promptly woke up and was ready to take on the stimulation of Disney World.

We saw Tigger and Pooh at one point. Eban was so sad that they didn’t stop by to say hi to them that he broke out in tears (as evidenced by the attached photos).

Eban also tried to ride Space Mountain and missed the height minimum by an inch. Next year, he’ll definitely be big enough and the attendants gave him a pass to the front of the line for the next time we come. I can’t wait to pull that out and use it as he was heart-broken not to be able to ride another roller coaster. He’s our little adventurer - - for sure! I have to say that while the weather was not cooperative for us while we visited Disney World, the kids loved it! And I loved it because they loved it. They were good while waiting in all the maze-crazed lines, they minded themselves, and had minimal tantrums. I can’t wait to go back as crazy as that seems. That place is like candy for the kids…and for me too! Next time, we’ll visit more of the parks as Jack will be old enough to ride on some of the wee rides.

The following day we visited Sea World. The highlight was definitely Shamu and watching the orca act. The boys loved the killer whales and I did too - - it was more than captivating! If I weren’t working at JWU, I’d be at Sea World working with the animals in some capacity. I loved it. I had no idea that there were little orcas and then Shamu. I noticed that no one swam with the big Shamu but the trainers would swim with the little ones. I wonder if they swim with the big Shamu when the crowd isn't watching? Anyway, the big Shamu has the easiest act of all because all he (or she?) has to do is come out and splash the guests. It’s a good gig as long as he/she gets the necessary exercise he/she needs, etc.

Sea World also had a great kiddie area. The boys romped around rope lines, went in tea cups, went on a mini-roller coaster, etc. They loved hanging out in this area. There was also a Polar Express ride which the kids were too small to go on. I guess it’s a simulation of the train ride - - instead, we had to watch a short 8 minute version of the movie. We knew it by heart but the boys were good while watching it. They had the polar bear and some other animals in this area following the ride. They even had Santa Claus and we stopped by to say hi to him.

The kids started going a little stir-crazy after a while. We ate lunch on a patio where Eban promptly put his hand in bird poop (this picture was snapped immediately following the incident). He was not happy and it started going downhill fast after this little incident. We were going to wait in line to see another good exhibit when he started pulling plants out of the ground. I told him if he continued that we’d leave and after the second tantrum, it was time to go. We left in the afternoon but it was time as the kids needed less stimulation as it was overload for them - - and thus, us too, because we had to deal with them.

That evening we had terrible seafood at a restaurant in Orlando but thank goodness for the lobster tank as that kept the boys highly entertained. In fact, this last picture is one that Eban took of Jack and me in front of the lobsters. Not bad for a three year old photographer!

We returned to Denver needing rest from our vacation. The boys got their H1N1 shots and our New Year’s Eve was nice as we stayed home as a family. We were sleeping by 10pm - - some excitement, huh! But it was what we needed following our exciting trip - - without a doubt.

One little Shamu - - throwing a girl


Papa and the boys on the tea cups at Sea World

The rest of the cruise 2009

Day three was spent with another dark gray and overcast day at sea (see photo of another ship next to us). The start of this fabulous day was around 6am with Jack and I took him up to the lido deck to help curb his anxiety-filled morning as the partiers continued to come home at all hours of the night again.

This time, I met company. As we all know, misery loves company and I met Tally with two children at 6am. She, like me, was bedecked with brown circles under her eyes, unbrushed hair, and sweat pants. We looked like the ugly sisters. She told me how she was on the cruise with two other friends and their respective kids and all the husbands were ready to throw themselves overboard to end their miserable time on the Fun Ship. I laughed as we commiserated and shared horror stories from the three-day cruise.

Not everyone was like us. We sat next to a couple with their 1 and 3 year olds at dinner and they seemed to always be having a good time. I looked at them with envy and smiled like I knew what they were experiencing.

On day three, Eban, of course, got kicked out of Camp Carnival and thus had to hang out with us (at least he got his face painted and was good enough until then to do it!). On this evening, Tutu took both the boys and had a picnic in the room while we had an adult night out at the boat’s steak house. It was a great meal. Of course, we went home to see our little tykes. Tutu and I decorated our doors for the holiday door competition. We had fun and I’m sure some of the partiers ate some of the chocolate on her door as they returned at the wee small hours of the evening and needed a quick munchies.

On another note, the kids loved the towel decorations. Jelly, our Romanian guest services attendant for the 9th floor, would always create some sort of animal for the kids. The kids loved coming back to the room to see what animal would be there and I loved it because they loved it.

On day four, we arrived in Grand Cayman in the morning. We departed the cruise ship in a torrential downpour. At every stop, the cameras are out to take happy pictures of the cruise goers and one lovely Asian man barked at the photographers, “DO NOT TAKE A PICTURE OF ME AS I’M IN A GARBAGE BAG.” I guess he didn’t have a rain coat and compromised with a garbage bag. I totally wanted to take a picture of him with his pouty smirk and his off-white garbage bag. It was awesome.

Eban was ecstatic as the puddles were SO COOL. We could only look at each other and say it was the best vacation of our lives in the most sarcastic tone. Eventually, we found our way to a taxi cab where she said she’d take us around the west end of the island. As soon as we took off, the sun started to shine. We couldn’t believe our eyes. SUN - - for the first time on our vacation. Our driver took us to the Georgetown square, took us to a little area where the iguanas run rampant, took us to see the wild chickens, and then she took us to the fire station. The fire station had three trucks and only three men. So each man would have to drive a truck to the fire. Talk about short staffed? They were very nice and even pulled the fire truck out of the garage while we were in it. The boys couldn’t get enough of it! They were so excited! I love the Cayman Islands Fire Department.

From here, we went to Hell - - a little place that looks like volcanic rock, but it’s not. I forget what it is, but it’s an interesting place to see for five minutes.

Then we visited a rum factory - - we didn’t buy anything as it’s all so Americanized.

Finally, we went to a turtle farm where the boys’ eyes lit up. They loved petting the baby turtles and watching them swim.

Across the street was a dolphin encounter place where we walked in and just watched the dolphins. The boys liked that too. And we saw another crab - although this one wasn't yellow. But it was still a crab!

Finally, because it was sunny, we ended up on a beach where we ate and we finally went swimming in the sun. The boys loved it - - Eban was in the crystal clear water most of the time with papa while I hung out making sand castles with Jack. Ryan lost his wedding ring in the white sand shores of Cayman Island - - the first time his lost his wedding ring was washing the dogs in the backyard. I wonder how many times I can lose my wedding ring?

Anyway, we got back to the boat begrudgingly. This evening, Eban didn’t get kicked out of Camp Carnival. We celebrated this minor accomplishment! On the next morning, Christmas Eve, we landed in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Again, the crowds of 20 passenger vans did not interest us.

Instead, we had a nice older gentleman as our taxi driver and asked him to take us to the closest fire station. He was happy to oblige and off we went to the Ocho Rios Fire Department. The firemen were delightful and had Eban in the driver’s seat while they ran the lights and honked the horns. Our taxi driver was really wonderful. He went over and beyond anything we expected. He took us to the fancy part of the city (where the mansions overlooked the ocean) and to the shanty towns. He was kind and warned us of all the many peddlers who were on every street. The thing about our visit to Jamaica was that we saw the disparities between the classes very easily. In the other islands, the “haves” and the “have nots” weren’t so apparent and in Jamaica, there was a clear delineation of who was in which class. It was probably the most interesting culturally for me, but a place where I didn’t wish to return as I didn’t feel safe.

Even when I was in the poorest country in South America, I felt safe (Bolivia). But in Jamaica, there was simply something in the air that I can’t quite put my finger on. Our taxi driver even took us to a place where he picked herbs and flowers for us. It was really something else. We went up to the top of the mountain called the Fern Gully road, which was an amazing three-mile stretch of an “S” drive through the rain forest. The canopy under which we drove was almost dark and you couldn’t see the sun peering through the leaves as it was that thick. This is the road that the Jamaican bobsled team trained on for their win at the Olympics - - said the taxi driver. I didn’t get a picture of this although I wish I had.

We finally landed for lunch on a crowded beach of tourists. We had Jamaican jerk chicken and it was delicious. All was well, but we were with 100s of people like us. We could also see that boat which we never wanted to see again in our lives.

At one point in the day, Ryan wondered how much it would cost for five one-way tickets from Jamaica to Miami as thinking about getting back on the boat gave all of us heartburn. At least the kids didn’t feel this way.

Eventually our taxi driver came back and took us to a secluded beach where we finally relaxed. Everyone relaxed but me as I was too afraid of the undertow or rip current. I forget which one was at this beach, but I didn’t get in as that stuff makes me nervous. I remember being in an undertow at a beach in the Bahamas on Great Exuma and I’ll never do that again. It still terrifies me to this day thinking about it. Papa and Eban swam around while Jack and I hung out on the beach. Just like Grand Cayman. Tutu just sunned herself.

We went back to the boat knowing we had one more full day at seas – Christmas. That evening, Eban and Jack read the Night Before Christmas around 15 times. It was a book that you could hear Uncle Steve’s voice and he included their names in it and they loved it. We also asked the cook to prepare some cookies for us so Santa wouldn’t be without cookies on his special night. We also grabbed some carrots for the reindeer.

On the morning of our sixth day, Eban and Jack woke up to find some presents for them. They loved it as Santa found them on the cruise boat. Eban was also quick to point out that Santa didn’t like his cookies and put them in the trash – as seen below in the this picture. I let Tutu know with some nonverbal cues that I wasn’t impressed with that fact. Hint-hint. At least Eban was smart enough to realize that Santa didn’t like the ships cookies. On this day, we hung out as a family. We listened to Carols in the lobby area. Eban didn’t get kicked out of Camp. So the overall tally for the trip was getting kicked out 5 of the 7 days. I guess that can be impressive?

We docked in Miami on the 26th and got off the boat as soon as we could without looking back. We dropped Tutu off at her hotel so she could wind down for a day before returning to Chicago. I know she needed it.

We chose to spend the next two days in Orlando and we kept our fingers crossed that this choice would redeem the trip.

VIDEO in the taxi in Georgetown (Grand Cayman) on the FOURTH day of rain- check out Jack's wet hair. We looked like wet dogs the whole cruise


Our sweet taxi driver going over and beyond...just so sweet


Jamaican Fire Station - Eban is pushing the buttons