Cabo 2012: The Travel

We had another amazing week in Cabo this year...once we got there!  We had a bit of a mishap when we realized as we were sipping champagne in the limo on the way to the airport that our passports were at home, safely locked away in the safe.  Thankfully, we had an amazing limo driver who raced back to our house and then did a fair deal of speeding to get us up to San Francisco in time to make our flight (we made it!  We were the last people on the plane, but we made it).  Crazy.  Dumb.  Hopefully that will NEVER happen again!

BEFORE we realized that we didn't have our passports

AFTER we arrived at the airport and were RUNNING to our gate

Relief

Whew!  Okay, upon arrival:  popsicles.  Virgin popsicles for the kids, spiked ones for the adults :)

 

 



After an incredibly relaxing week, we were quickly snapped back to reality when our flight home was delayed .... and delayed ... and after sitting on the plane for a while (at least the pilots were super nice and let Luke check out the controls), they decided to let us back into the airport terminal.  Which, at that point, was then closed.  Helpful when you have two hungry kids (and four hungry adults).  We survived, but our trip home included an extra layover in LA where we had to go through customs, change terminals ON FOOT with our bags and two sleeping children, and go back again through security.  When all was said and done, we arrived home around 2am - exhausted, but happy to be home! 

"Dinner" in the closed airport terminal

The good news, besides that we had an amazing week, is that Alaska Airlines compensated us for our trouble on the return trip, so we are all travelling to Cabo next year on very discounted tickets :)!

Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast

Luke's class put together the sweetest Thanksgiving program.  Parents were invited to their Thanksgiving Feast where the children wore their own handmade costumes, answered questions about the first Thanksgiving, expressed their gratitude for those things (and people) most important to them, and shared their art projects and snacks that they prepared with us.

Answering Mrs. Lawrence and Mrs. Andersons' questions about Thanksgiving

Luke shares what he has written on his feather.  He is grateful for his friend, Owen.

 

 

Sitting down to the feast table

 

Using symbols to tell a story like the Native Americans once did

After the Thanksgiving Feast, parents and extended families were invited to join the school in the church to listen to the Kindergarten class' retelling of the first Thanksgiving.  Each child had a part that they memorized and recited to the audience.

Afterwards, Mia congratulates her big brother on a great program.

 What I am most grateful for:



End of the soccer season

Luke's soccer team, The Sonicks, celebrated the end of the season with a pizza party, some cake, and trophies.

Luke with his NVYSL U6 Coach Rhett

 

Little Voter

Feeling incredibly blessed to live in America

When things were a little too quiet...

...this is what I found

Trick-or-Treat!

We started off the evening early in our own neighborhood, trick-or-treating with our friends who live across the street

 

As it started to get dark, we headed down to the Rose Garden to trick-or-treat with some of Luke's school friends.  It was lots of fun with tons of people out, Luke saw a bunch of his classmates and one of his teachers (!), and received many compliments on his costume, which really stood out when it got dark.

 

Despite all of the fun, though, Luke and his friend Olivia seemed to have the most fun handing out candy at Olivia's grandparent's home and running around like crazy kids in the front yard!

 

All in all, it was a fun-filled Halloween evening!

 

**check out Luke's witch that he made in art class that is hanging on the front door!

 

 

School Halloween Celebrations

The Halloween festivities began the Saturday before Halloween this year at Mia's school's Fall Harvest Party.  Mia was a fairy (Tinkerbell, if you ask her) ... although I think that she was sort of wishing at this point that she also had a robot costume like Luke (note to self:  next year Mia gets the elaborate costume).

Luke was excited to go back to Mandala and see all of his old teachers, especially Miss Sharada, who was so sweet and walked with both kids in the costume parade.

The robot costume came with a bit more publicity than Luke (or any of us) bargained for.  For shy-guy-Luke, it made him a little uncomfortable.  He basically walked around saying "thanks" on repeat while everyone commented on how cool his costume was.  He even was asked to take photographs with a family who we didn't know ... (weird? ... ummm, yes!).

Halloween morning brought the costume parade at Luke's school.  As the day wore on, Luke became more comfortable with the added attention that the costume brought to him. Luke's teacher, Mrs. Anderson, told him that it was the most creative costume that she had seen in all of her years of teaching (making Michael very proud).  By the time we were getting ready to go trick-or-treating, Luke asked me if I thought we could go somewhere to enter him in a costume contest because he was pretty sure that he would win. :) 

Pumpkin Carving 2012

 Luke was F.O.C.U.S.E.D. on carving pumpkins this year.  He wanted more than anything to do the entire thing himself, start to finish.  With a little help from Day, he was able to do most of it on his own.

Mia started off with good intentions, but soon grew bored (and had NO interest in touching what was inside of the pumpkin!).  After a short while, Mommy helped finish Mia's pumpkin while Paw took her up for a bath.

 

 Luke with his masterpiece (on the right)

Admiring the lit pumpkins

 

Finished products



The Costume

Luke announced quite some time ahead of Halloween that there was no other option than for him to dress up as a robot this year (obviously ... because everything is about robots this year!).  I did a fair amount of online searching and came up empty handed.  There was simply nothing that could just be purchased.  So, I looked at Michael and informed him that he would have to make Luke's costume.  To his credit, he sounded sort of excited to take on the challenge.  You can imagine my concern when 4 days before Luke is supposed to be wearing his costume to an event, Michael is away travelling for business and I have nothing (NOTHING) for Luke to wear.

Needless to say, Michael returned home and didn't get much of a rest.  He drew up a plan, I went shopping for supplies, and he constructed Luke's costume in one night (granted, it was a very late night!).

 

I have to admit that I was nervous as to whether or not it would be pulled off, but I had nothing to worry about.  Daddy delivered on the costume front.  Luke-bot was a happy guy!

Papa's Birthday

Upon arrival home from the big wedding weekend, the kids were ready to gear up to celebrate some more.  Papa's birthday!  It was so great that he was in town for his big day so that Luke and Mia could share in his birthday cheer!