Now you see it, now you don't

As we were getting in the car to leave for the airport Sofia was by the door, with my mom standing behind her, waving good bye. She was still wearing her pajamas with green and yellow flowers, because she had just woken up. Isabella was in the car with us, since we were going to drop her off at daycare before catching our flight.

As I was closing my door Sofia yelled something I could not hear, and got out of the car again, so I could hear her this time around. "Take lots of pictures", she said. "I will, I promise", I answered. Another sign that our girl is growing up. Probably even a few months before she would have said something like "I am going to miss you mami", or "I wish you didn't have to go". But her request appeared to be giving us permission to go away, to have fun.

So while in Vegas we took a lot of pictures for her. We took pictures of the neat buildings and the multiple gardens inside them, of the many flower exhibits, of the replica of the Eiffel tower, which she actually visited in Paris when she was only two and a half years old, of the multiple statues up and down the Vegas strip. We took many pictures of the things we thought she would enjoy and should be looking at as a five year old. Nowhere in our pictures will she find the slot machines, the people in skimpy or flat out strange outfits, the R rated excesses of this place.

We took so many nature-theme and innocent pictures that we joked she may actually ask to come here. And that if she does come when she is an adult, she might think "Wow. This place sure has changed. When my parents came last none of this was here". Of course, if I have my way, she will just stay far away from this place.

Pure decadence

Today I sat at the MGM pool for about an hour and a half. Lionel went to play in a poker tournament, so there I was, with plenty of time to spend by myself.

I've never been a big pool person, maybe in part because even before I had children I was never all that confident in a bathing suit. Maybe in part because I am not a good swimmer, and I don't really like to embarrass myself. But after doing a lot of walking in the past couple days, sitting by the pool seemed quite Ok. It took me about 15 minutes to get there from my room. This place is simply huge. Once there I found a good spot, a chaise lounge partly under the sun, partly covered by a palm tree. It was also tucked in a corner, which allowed me to take in the place without necessarily being in the way. I was also sitting close to a speaker, and although I initially wondered if it would get annoying, it turned out to be the perfect backdrop for my pool stay.

Watching people in their bikinis, their golden skin, seeing the clear blue sky beyond the palm trees, and listening to the occasional Latin song, somehow transported me to Miami. And that was definitely fine by me. I was happy to leave Las Vegas for a little while, and go to a more relaxing place. I also enjoyed, for the very first time in a very long while, just sitting down and reading a book. It had definitely been too long. I was always an avid reader, but between a full time job, two kids, and working most nights before going to bed, taking the time to read a book seems more of a luxury nowadays. So for about an hour and a half, I was back to my old self. At the beginning of our weekend I joked that this would be a weekend of decadence. At the time it was only a joke, but sitting there, reading my book, giving Lionel his space, and worrying about nothing else, certainly felt that way.

Crazy Love

After much anticipation, my Michael Buble trilogy ended last night. In a span of five months, I attended three of his Crazy Love tour shows, starting in Cincinnati, continuing in Columbus, and finally ending in Las Vegas. It took a lot of support from my sister and Lionel, who went to the concerts with me, from our friend Lucille who lives in Columbus, and from my mom who agreed to take care of the girls so that we could have a weekend getaway. Not to mention the travel expenses. But I got some incredible memories out of it, and as such, it was worth every penny. If I could, I would do it all over again.

The day did not start quite right. I went early to the arena looking for Tory, one of his staff members who does the marketing for social media, and the one who mainly via Facebook and Twitter gives fans a glimpse to what is like to be on the tour. Surprisingly enough, when I got there asking for her I was told "Just walk in. The management office is right there. You see it? Just go in. She must be there". It did not seem right that it was so easy to get in there, but I was not going to argue with that. And I could indeed see the office, probably only 100 feet from where I was standing. So I went in. Once inside, I ran into one of the musicians, so once again I told him I was looking for Tory, and he walked with me looking for her. I guess it was thanks to the fact that I was walking with him that I went through the second layer of security: An old lady who was probably a volunteer. She asked me "Who are you looking for?", but the musician answered for me. So she just let me in. Once in the office, there were three men dressed in black. They said Tory was not there, but they could call her on the radio to see if she could come out. "Just stand right there they said", and pointed to a spot right outside the office. So I did. Once outside, I turned right and saw the sign "MB Dressing Room". It was all but five feet from me, and there was nobody around. So I walked in. And there I was. Right in the middle of Michael Buble's dressing room. I took my camera out, but by then they had finally realized I had no business being there. I heard them calling out for me, somewhat freaked out, and screaming to each other "Where did she go?!? Where did she go?!?". So I simply said "I am right here. I did not go anywhere". But by then, they got all in my face "Why are you here?!? What do you want?!?". And they did not look like they were messing around. One of them even said "She has a camera! She has a camera!", in the same tone as if he was describing someone with a weapon. But I stayed calmed, mainly because I was startled at the change in their attitudes and simply said "I was looking for Tory. I just wanted to say hi. They told me I could just walk in". But they were not about to have a conversation with me. Very sharply they told me "You can't be here. And you know it". So they got an old man - probably another volunteer - to escort me out, but not before saying my final words "I am going. That is fine. But you don't have to be so mean. I am just a fan, and you are the ones who let me in". On my way out, the old man told me "Don't worry about it. They just react that way because they have the wrong type of fan come out here sometimes". That I certainly understand. "Well, thanks for being nice to me", I said. On our way out I saw the security office right where I had walked in. And I had to wonder how in the world did they miss me.

I had finally made my way out of the arena, and was feeling pretty sad about what had just happened when I ran into Michael's personal assistant. I said hi to her and briefly shared my horror story with her. "Well, you tried. Don't worry about it", she said. At the time Lionel was playing in a poker tournament, so I went straight to my room. I had never really been kicked out from anywhere, and it did not feel good at all. So I just needed to hide away for a little bit, regroup, and feel better about myself. Eventually, when Lionel's tournament ended, I went back downstairs and we walked around for a while. We then came back to the room, took showers, and prepared for our big night out.

We had dinner at an Italian restaurant, which was a big disappointment in our view, but we had a perfect spot for people watching. Some people were really dressed up, while others looked like they were simply coming back from the pool. I even saw couple of the band members walk by, including the one I had seen earlier in the day. Good thing he did not see me. I certainly did not want anybody to remember what had happened earlier that day.

We finally made it to the concert, and I was very disappointed when I realized that our floor seats where on the wrong end. I knew Michael would walk to the smaller stage in the back of the arena during the concert, but where we were sitting I had no chance of seeing him walk by. So I was very unhappy and trying to spot better seats. I did spot some seats exactly where I wanted to be. So as soon as the opening act ended, I dragged Lionel there, and hoped nobody would kick us out. Not for the second time in one day. We did have couple scares, but at the end we prevailed. I was very anxious at the beginning, because I really did not want to lose my spot right on the hallway, but a few songs into the show I knew we had made it, and managed to relax and enjoy the rest of the show.

When the time came for him to walk to the back stage I was ready. It was such an exciting moment to be right next to him. It sounds so corny, but it truly was a dream come true for me. Even Lionel got to give him high five, and I got to hold his hand. We were so close to the small stage in the back, that I also quickly made my way back there. I was so close to him, that I got to touch his hand again. He even winked at me once, which needless to say, made me forget the bitterness of my experience earlier that day. Shortly after that the show was over, and with that my Crazy Love run. The show is now heading to Europe, and tomorrow Lionel and I head back home, back to our real and forever crazy loves, our two precious little girls.

Las Vegas

As soon as we landed in Las Vegas I was reminded of why I don't necessarily love this place. There are all kinds here: People from all over the world, from all different backgrounds, from all walks of life. That is the cool part. But the not so cool part if you ask me is the thing most of them have in common; That crazy look in their eyes that says "I am going to do everything I should not".

Many of them should probably not be here. Some of them maybe told their parents they were going somewhere else. Some may be spending their entire month's salary, which may not necessarily be disposable income for them. And many brought their kids, even though this is not at all a child friendly place. I also can't help but notice many for whom this place is definitely not a dream come true, but have to live here and go to work each day, servicing and cleaning after all those who come here to misbehave. I think I notice it even more because many of them look like me, and somehow I feel a bit guilty, because despite my family's blue-collar background, nowadays I do pretty well for myself. And why shouldn't they have the same opportunities that I had one day?

But I don't want to make it sound like I am having a gloomy day. After all we are here because I chose the place. And I am excited about tonight's concert, and about having a weekend getaway to spend time with Lionel, break away from the routine, and give myself permission to just stop for a moment, breathe, and take care of myself.

Skymall

When I travel, I always get a kick out of all the crap they sell in the skymall magazine, and wonder who in their right mind would buy such things. Today's favorite was a canine genealogy kit. Apparently it analyses you dog's DNA and identifies the breeds in its ancestry. Really?!? Or should I say WHY?!?!?

So yes, they definitely sell a lot of useless stuff, but I must admit it is pretty entertaining and makes the time, well, flight by.

This week

Today is only Wednesday, but this week is already kicking my butt. Good thing it is supposed to be a short one.

Yesterday I got stuck in my company's parking lot for over an hour. My last meeting of the day ended a few minutes early, so I was happy about going home and spending time with my girls. Little did I know that my car wouldn't start. The lights were not on, and all the doors were closed, so at least I knew it wasn't my own fault. Not that it really mattered, as I had to wait all the same. Luckily, although boring and hot, the parking lot was a safe place, at least during the day. And thanks to my AAA membership, I was able to get some help. It could have been worse, so I was not going to complain.

Today was a long day at work, meeting after meeting, and I got my butt semi-chewed in at least one of those. After work I went to pick up Sofia, then Isabella, and finally made it home around 5:30pm, a bit earlier than usual. Sofia entered the house first as I was getting Bella out of the car. "Rusty threw up again" she said. Great. Just great! Sure enough, the dog threw up in three separate spots. Lucky me, each one of them was in the carpet. Funny how that works. He could have thrown up on the hardwood floor, but nope. So before I even had a chance to unload the car, go to the restroom, take off my work clothes, or take something for my headache, I had to get on my knees to cleanup. I knew Sofia would stay away from it, but with Bella you never know.

After dinner, and putting the girls to bed, I had to sit down and work again, until now, because it's time to go to bed. Just one more work day though, and then it is time for our Vegas getaway. Part of me is not looking forward to it, because I am going to miss my kids. But on the other hand, I desperately need some rest.

Wal-mart

Tonight, after the girls went to bed, I decided to go to Wal-Mart. We never got around grocery shopping during the day, so we pretty much had nothing for the week. I have never really been a Wal-Mart shopper, but lately our grocery bills have been so ridiculously high, that I decided to give it a shot. At least for the brands I know are the same, no matter where I go. I also figured the store would be open late.

I was hoping the place would not be empty, as I find empty stores kind of creepy. Turns out, it was not empty at all, but it was a strange visit all the same. I definitely felt out of place. The crowd was much different than me. There were plenty of people with tattoos all over the place, and I swear I saw at least couple of them checking out each other's "designs". One of the girls had a lizard tattooed on her right thigh. I wondered what in the world compelled her to get that. Somebody else had what looked like a name right under her neck. That must have really hurt. I hoped for her sake that was not the name of an old boyfriend. Needless to say, I tried extra hard to stay out of everybody's way.

The name of my cashier was "Fonda". She did not seem particularly "Fond-A" being there. She was upset that she was one of only two cashiers there, while the remaining 20 registers were closed on such a busy day. I can't not say I quite disagreed with her.

After about an hour, I was finally on my way out of there. But just before leaving the store, I looked to my left and saw a bulletin board with several pictures of young faces. They all had the same header: "MISSING"; a mother's worse nightmare. I was happy to get out of there and come home, where my children were safe, sleeping in their beds.

Bella strikes again

Earlier today the girls were playing when Sofia said: "Mami, Papi, Isabella is atta-ckling me". Made up word, but based on what Isabella was doing, it seemed very appropriate. I think she just couldn't contain her excitement. She gets all wired like that, throws herself at her poor sister and bear-hugs her, much to the other one's dismay. Aw, my little tomboy and my girly girl.

Day 3

Day three marked the end of the first week of school.

My complaints of the day:

1) Sofia was sobbing when I left her at school in the morning.
2) According to what she told me, she also found something to cry about during lunch.
3) She was crying when I picked her up this afternoon, swollen eyes and everything.

Sofia's complaints of the day:

1) She only had "Five minutes" for lunch, so she couldn't finish her food.
2) At Goddard she knew everything about the school, and here she knows nothing.
3) At Goddard she could play games on the computer, but here the computers are just for the teachers, "and that's NO FAIR".

Day 2

Good News: Sofia seems to like her classroom and her teacher
Bad News: She does NOT like having to go to the before and after care
Good News: Before and after care combined are only couple hours

Sofia goes to school

The moment I've been dreading for weeks finally happened today: Sofia's first day in kindergarten. It has been couple hours since we dropped her off, but I am still out of sorts, and I still literally feel my heart pounding inside my chest. It was all a blur, not at all what I had expected. I had no time to process it, so I feel cheated, like I deserve a replay.


Last night we asked her if she wanted to walk or drive to school. She said she wanted to go in the car, so we did. As we were getting ready she told me: "Mami, I am not sure I am ready to go to school today". Uh oh, I thought, here we go. We gently reminded her she didn't have a choice, but that everything would be Ok. So we hopped in the car, and drove there. It was a bit chaotic, with so many cars in a very small space, but the line moved at a decent pace. As we were approaching our turn to drop her off, I saw Samantha - her very best friend - walking towards the door with her mom. "Marian" I yelled for her, so she could wait. When Sofia saw Samantha she was ready to get out of the car. So we quickly let her out, and she immediately ran toward the two of them. We couldn't stick around. The line needed to get moving, so there was no time to waste. "Bye Mami and Daddy" she said, as we got back in the car and drove away. As I looked back I would still see her smiling, and I hoped she would stay like that all day.

End of summer

Yesterday was another great day.

I am very happy I decided to take the day off. Spending time with my girls was the perfect way to officially close out the summer before Sofia had to go to kindergarten today. She and I went to the tennis tournament for a little while. I felt bad leaving Bella behind with my mom, but the tournament was no place for her, and Sofia deserved to send some alone time with me. Just like in the old times.

When we came back we went to see the new school, so we could ease everybody's fears about today. The school is brand new, so everything is very nice. Sofia got to meet her teacher, and was very excited to see the place. In her classroom they also had Peace, which happens to be the book we always read before they go to bed.

After the school visit we went to the park. It made me so happy to see the girls laughing and having fun. Seeing those beautiful smiles really makes my day.

Field Trip

Today was a really good day. We got out of the routine, and went on a little field trip. My mom, the girls and I went to Indianapolis for the day. And I think I felt happier than I had been in a while. Spending the whole day with my kids, away from our responsibilities, is such a treat to me.

Our first stop was at the Mexican consulate to do some paperwork, which is always an experience to say the least. This was the part of the day I could have done without. That is the one place where you run into people from all walks of life, which can be really depressing in a way. I always figure that many of the people there have much tougher lives than I do. And more often than not, I see very young girls that already have a kid or two, which makes me wonder how many choices they really had in life. There was also a little boy waiting in front of us that kept talking to me. I felt really bad, but I couldn't understand most of whatever he said. He was probably about a year older than Sofia, and I know he was speaking Spanish, but I guess that his was just very different than mine. When it was all said and done we spent over four hours there, but all in all the girls did just great. They ran around in circles, we walked outside, and they finally took a nap in the car while I drove them around.

Our second stop was where I really wanted to go; the Indianapolis children's museum. I had wanted to take the girls there for a while, because I read it was a really fun place even for the very little ones. But for one reason or another, until now, we just never found the time. We arrived there at 3:00pm, which left us with just couple hours to explore. But it was totally worth it, because the girls really enjoyed it. We had a difficult time peeling Bella away from several of the areas. She loved the colorful glass exhibit, which included an area where she was actually allowed to play with sample shapes, and move them around. They also liked the trains’ exhibit, one more of the places where Bella sat down and did not want to get back up. Both of them also loved the carousel, which was beautiful, and had tiny lights hanging from the ceiling that made it look like the sky. But I think where we spent the most time was at the pretend ice cream parlor. They really had a blast. Seeing them at play made the differences in their personalities so obvious. At some point Sofia started to cry because some boys took away her ice cream. And as my mom and I tried to console her, Isabella was right in the middle of all of them, using her small but chunky frame to fight for her right to get her ice cream back.

On our way back to the main level, we saw a Barbie exhibit; this had to be my favorite part. My sister and I played with Barbies when we were kids. Or with two particular Barbies, to be exact. The exhibit had Barbies from many decades, and it was really fun to see the different styles, and how they changed throughout the years. I saw my Barbie behind the glass: "1983", it read. So that means I was 7 at the time. I looked everywhere for my sister's one: "Barbie Espectacular". But it was nowhere to be found. I did see a 1970's Ken, which apparently was all about the hair ... imagine that. I also saw a Barbie made with all Swarovski crystals, which was made a few years back to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

After the Barbie exhibit it was time to head out, ready or not, because the museum was closing. Sofia really wanted to ensure we stopped by the museum store before they closed, so we did. We walked around for a little while, and of course she found something she wanted. And since she had been such a trooper the whole day, I was happy to comply. Much to my surprise, we also found something that seemed perfect for Tia Gabi. I grabbed it, and just couldn't let go of it. It HAD to come home with us. Sofia wanted to stop by tia Gabi's house right away, but it was late by the time we finally came back home. It was time to wash our hands, have dinner, tell Lionel about our field trip, show him our pictures, and call it a day. Tia Gabi's perfect gift would have to wait for another day.

High School

High school reunions are kind of a strange concept to me. We just don't do them in Mexico, or at least not as religiously as people do them in the states. Right now I am at my husbands 20th reunion, and let's say this is not necessarily what I would call a "killer party". I would feel bad writing this if I thought he was having the time of his life, but I think he would also agree that this is, well, kind of lame. It makes me think of a boring wedding. The food reminded me of the food at my work's cafeteria, and the music doesn't make me want to get off my seat. In fact, I feel bad for the few poor souls standing on the dance floor by themselves, trying to shake it at the rhythm of the music but not quite getting there. I also feel bad for the guy who reluctantly sat at our table because he really did not know my husband and his friends all that well back in the day. He came all the way from Texas, but the couple people he really wanted to see are not here. Or so he said. Although I think he finally found somebody to talk to. Good for him.

It is nice to see couple people, but those are the people I would see anyway, high school reunion or not. And to think I said no to a 2 year old birthday party to come to this.

But wait, finally, time's up. Let’s go home!

Funny

It's so fun to hear your kids say things for the very first time. This morning we were all getting ready for the day when the girls started laughing about something. All of a sudden, in between laughs, I heard "funny", followed by Sofia's "I think Bella just said funny". As we were looking at each other, wondering if we were just making it up, Bella said it again, clear as water: "funny". I guess whatever the joke was she thought it was a really good one.

Countdown

Sofia has 2 days left at daycare. I have been counting down the days for a few weeks now. Not that I am looking forward to it; on the contrary. I can’t believe how fast these five years have gone by. We’ve been very fortunate to have found a daycare that we trust, that she always felt comfortable in, and that allowed us to have the peace to mind that our child was loved, and well taken care of while we were at work. I will miss the familiarity of it all, and having my two girls under the same roof when I am not with them.

Sofia is now going from a place that has 100 children at the most to one that has 600 at the very least. She has known for a while that this is coming. Her teachers have been preparing her and her classmates for it, and so have we. So she understands the concept. And she knows that come next Wednesday she is going to a new place, with a new teacher, new kids, and a whole new routine. Still, I am not quite sure how she is going to react when we take her there, and without much of an introduction, have to leave her alone, with all those new faces, the entire day. Or maybe I do know, and that is why I am dreading that day. If she stays crying, calling out our names, I know I will want to turn around, pick her up and tell her “Nevermind. Let’s go home. You don’t have to stay”. But I know I can’t. So even if she is screaming my name, I will just have to walk away.

But for now, back to daycare: When I picked the girls up today, one of Sofia’s teachers welcomed me with “The folder”. This is a compilation of art projects, photos, and things Sofia has said in her five years there. As you look at the content, you can tell the progress your child has made along the way, from barely being able to draw a line, to writing their full name. When she handed it to me, I literally felt my heart sink. It was like a time capsule. As if the folder contained all the memories, all the laughs, all the moments they have shared with my child while I was not there. It was also a reminder that regardless of how safe of a place it is for her, her time there has to come to an end. One of the teacher’s favorite’s quotes was: “Sometimes we have to remind Sofia that she is not the teacher, and as such, she can’t put her friends in timeout”. That definitely sounded like my girl. I can’t wait to go through the entire folder with her, and look at the pictures, and read the teacher’s notes as well. But I think I will wait for the weekend, when she is officially out of daycare. It will be our last time looking back, before we look forward and start preparing for what lies ahead.

Bingo. Bus. Bingo. Bus.

Bella's current favorite songs are "Bingo" and "The wheels on the bus". She makes me sing them over, and over, and over. But now it seems like she has also found a new favorite game. She asks for one song and then, very quickly, asks for the other one, only to switch back once again. It is as if she wanted to know just how quickly I can switch. It goes somewhat like this:

The wheels on the bus go...BINGO!
There was a farmer had ...BUS!
The babies on the b....BINGO!
There was a ....BUS!
The peop....BINGO!

She is also learning how to say “town”, so when she actually lets me get to that part, she sings along with me.

Me: “The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the TOWN”
Bella: “…………………………………………………………… OWN”

Glowing Girl

This evening we went to a party at one of the neighbor’s house. There were a bunch of children, so Sofia had a good time. Bella and I came back home early, because she needed a bath followed by some winding down time. Sofia and Lionel stayed for a little while. When they finally came back, Sofia had a glow in the dark necklace and bracelet. At bedtime, she told me: “I am Glowing Girl”. That reminded me of when my sister was a teenager and told us that we needed to start calling her “Gabrielle”. That is by no means the Spanish version of her name. That would be like a Robert saying “call me Roberto”. Or a Peter saying “call me Pedro”. I don’t even remember for how long she told us that, or if she was joking or not.

Beginning Writer's Workshop

It's official! I have finally completed the online beginning writer's workshop that I've been taking for the last few weeks. Not that it has any official validity, but I still think it's pretty cool. Now, hopefully at least some of what I learn will stick with me.

Ice Cream Rock 'n Roll

For some reason I've always thought that ice cream trucks are kind of creepy. Maybe when I was a kid I saw a movie where something bad happened, and that forever ruined it for me. Not that I would share this with Sofia. She is already scared of enough things as it is.

Today it was "ice cream social" day at school. So they brought an ice cream truck at the end of the day. It was not a bad idea considering how hot it has been around here. But I have to say that the truck, along with the driver, definitely did not do much to change the image in my head. The driver was an older guy, with a really long white beard. He was wearing a black t-shirt and looked as if instead of an ice cream truck he should be driving a Harley. The truck was spray-painted all over the place. I don't remember exactly all the pictures in it, but it definitely had some "Rock 'n Roll" motifs. It was kind of a weird sight, but I kept my comments to myself, and the girls enjoyed the ice cream all the same.

Fashion

It appears my sweet Isabella, at 20 months old, already has an opinion about what she is going to wear on any given day. Sure, she can’t really talk all that well yet. But she can still find ways to prevent me from getting her dressed until I go get an outfit that she approves of. I don’t even know what her criteria for rejecting an outfit might be. But when she doesn’t want something, she definitely makes it clear.

Toronto. From "C" to "C".

Our very first friend’s night trip finally came and went.

For eight years, this group of friends has been getting together on Thursday nights, rain or shine. And throughout the years, we've seen each other start school, finish school, get jobs, complain about them, and finally leave them to explore new ones. We've witnessed breakups, celebrated home purchases, marriages, and the births of our kids. But somewhere along the way, we have also seen some of us move away.

After careful planning around everybody's summer plans, we finally settled on a date for our very first road trip together. At the end of July we would all be driving to Toronto to visit our friend T, who moved there at the beginning of the year. She is expecting a baby at the beginning of September, so we decided to go there and throw her a baby shower.

At the end there were eight of us. We decided we would take two cars and leave on Thursday evening, so those of us working would only have to take one day off. Everybody showed up on time, we packed the two cars, and headed north. The drive to Toronto was long and tiring, but for the most part uneventful. That is until for some odd reason we decided to stop at the scariest gas station in Detroit. Looking back, that was not our proudest moment at all. I was truly afraid of getting out of the car, but could not decide what would be worse: Having my car being stolen with me in it, or being in the middle of a really bad area with no car at all. We now laugh about it, but the truth is that we were lucky to leave that place unharmed. I am certainly never going back.

We finally made it to Toronto Friday morning at around 3:00am. We said hi to T and her husband, chatted for a little while, and finally crashed. Later that day we threw the baby shower, and in the afternoon headed out to the beach. The sky was cloudy in the morning, but at the end turned out to be a beautiful day. We sat around for almost two hours talking; a little bit of everything. I couldn't remember the last time I sat around at the beach without having to be on alert, watching the kids. Although I missed my girls dearly, I was grateful to have that time to myself, and for the opportunity to reconnect with friends. On Saturday we were out pretty much all day, which was great for me as I am severely allergic to T's cat. Even though I took allergy medicine the entire time, fresh air was definitely what helped me the most. We walked and walked, going from one place to another: the Caribbean festival, the CN tower, the main square, and of course, china town. We were all proud of our friend Susan who is also very pregnant by now, yet never complained or even slowed down. We closed Saturday watching a bad movie at T's home, a good way to wind down from the busy day. But we were so tired, that we couldn't even watch the end. We just had to go to bed. On Sunday morning T's husband made us a really nice breakfast. We all sat around, ate, and talked a little bit more about kids, our parents, life in a new city, and the joys and challenges of welcoming a new baby into our lives. We knew that was our last chance to hang out together, at least for a long while.

On Sunday we headed back home. And even though I was anxious to see my family, the drive seemed a lot shorter that time around. Maybe it helped that we just kept talking, sharing previously untold stories, remembering classic ones, opening up in general, and doing a recap of our trip. We were also proud that we never got on each other's nerves, and despite having a bunch of girls together pretty much 24x7, there were no cat fights; zero pettiness. We also created new memories, whether they are a bad decision to make a stop in the worst part of town, the dumb questions asked by some stranger, or the locals who, partly because of our fault, almost picked a fight.

All in all it was a great trip, and I would certainly do it again. But even though Toronto was a nice city, the truth is that what made it so great was the company, the chats, the opportunity to become closer, and to remember why, through it all, we still make the effort to get together every Thursday night.