Disneyland and Palm Springs

I apologize for being absent from this blog. I teach during the summers and I bit off more than I could chew. However, we did decide to go back to Disneyland this year since our youngest felt "cheated" last time. He was not tall enough to go on all the rides. This time he's tall enough and excited to experience all the rides.

We have a lot of friends in Los Angeles and a lot of friends who perform for Disney's Aladdin. We were excited for our "mini" reunion and to see the show that we missed last time. First and foremost, it was the deal we received for our trip to Disneyland. Through conversations with other moms, they all suggested www.getawaytoday.com . They said it was the best place to get great package deals for Disneyland. I gave it a try and with my many charts on comparative pricing, they WERE the best! For a great price, we received 5 nights at a hotel across the street from Disneyland and a 5 day pass to the parks. But wait.......included is also  hotel parking ($14/day) and transit passes on their bus/shuttle system AND 2 backpacks for the kids, lanyards, and 2 pins. My kids love to collect pins. The BEST was the breakfast buffet included every morning. When there are children involved, I always seek for that "breakfast included" deal. It makes everything so much more convenient and less expensive.

We chose to stay at the Red Lion Inn which was at the suggestion of my cousin. They were there over Memorial Day and said that the renovation was very nice. We decided to give it a try since it was only a 5 - 10 minute walk to the front gate of Disneyland. The rooms were very clean. The beds were really wonderful. The front desk was really helpful. To my surprise, I received a call the next morning after check in from GetAwayToday and they just wanted to know if everything went well and if I had questions I could call them anytime. Now THAT's hospitality!!!!

As before, we did the ridemax.com program. We originally were only going to spend 3 days at Disneyland, but the package included 2 extra days for the price of 3 so we didn't have to rush as much. Nonetheless, the World of Colors was the place to be at California Adventure. This is similar to Fantasia on the Disneyland side. However, ridemax informed us that a fastpass was needed. We waited in line at the gate of Ca. Adv. starting at 9a.m. I know that that park opens at 10a.m. so we decided to sit and eat some more of our breakfast snacks. Lo and behold, one of the employees said they were going to open the gates at 9:30a.m. We didn't know this was going to happen and after I asked the employee, they said they will do this on occasion. So, I don't have a method or pattern as to when they do this, but it cut our 1 hours wait at the gate to only 30 minutes and this was worth it since our kids are 9 and 6y.o.

Apparently, everyone else was there to get the fast pass for World of Colors. Now, we wanted the 1st show because our kids wouldn't be able to stay up for the later showtimes. As we entered the gate, 3 Disney employees yelled, "If you want a fast pass to World of Colors, please stay behind us!!! Anyone who passes us for the fast pass will be refused." My initial thought was: 'really? how will they know?' Well, Disney always has their magic even with security. By the time we arrived at the fast pass booths for the World of Colors, there were 8 other Disney employees monitoring the crowd and was turning away a bunch of high school kids who "jumped" the line. A parent behind me kept clapping. I didn't blame her as we followed the rules and stay contained for safety purposes and for our kids.

Then it was Ca. Adv. for most of the day. We were able to go on just about every single ride with not much longer than a 15 minute wait. It was really a good day and our kids had a great time. We went over to the Disneyland side and had a great time with not much wait as well. Then after dinner it was back to Ca. Adv. to line up for our entry time. Our suggestion: go to the area that says "you will get wet here". No one goes there and the wettest you get are a few sprinkles from the fountains. I can't even say they were sprinkles. It was like a mist. You will be up close and personal to the pyrotechnics and Bellagio-like water dancing.

The next day was spend at Disneyland since we had a Magic Morning pass (you get in an hour earlier than the public). This is when you are so thankful that the breakfast is just downstairs. We spend the whole day there and I have to say, we didn't really follow the ridemax.com protocol. Since we had so much time there, we didn't feel rushed. We did spend the WHOLE day there. Yup, something like16 hours? Crazy, eh? We had our picnic blanket with us so we would have our boundaries when we plopped ourselves down for the Fantasmic 3 hour wait. I know it sounds crazy, but what is even crazier is that there were people before us setting up for the wait for the Fantasmic show. While one waited at the picnic blanket, I went and ordered dinner to go and brought it back to the blanket for a great dinner. People squeezed their way in no matter what boundaries you had up, but in the end it was great. We all enjoyed Fantasmic and we thought it was better than the World of Colors.

The following day was spent as our "mini" reunion with friends in L.A. and friends in the Aladdin Cast. The show was very well done and the theater was beautiful. My husband who is a techie even thought the automation was very good for a 45 minute show. We had VIP passes and that was only because we had our friends in the show. However, I think every seat in the house would have been great! We did go on the new Toy Story video game/ ride in Ca. Adv. I think this is the ride to hit first when you are there. There is no fast pass for this ride and the line is long and slow. It is a fun ride. It's just a long wait.

By the end of the week, we were done with Disneyland. The shuttle bus passes came in handy on those nights when the kids were just too tired to walk anymore. We didn't blame them. Our feet were tired! So, it was nice to have the shuttle available to us when we needed it.

Then we were off to see a very good friend of the family down in Palm Springs, Ca. Yes, we know it's hot, but we love it because the kids love swimming in the hot weather and our friend is such a talented pianist that we are always entertained.

We also went on the tram up to Mt. San Jacinto National Park. This trip was definitely worth. It is a bit pricey for an 11 minute tram ride, but it is absolutely breath-taking. The kids loved it!!! The tram rotates as well so you get a full 360 degree view. Show your AAA card if you are a member, and you get a discount. They won't ask you for it. You will just have to show it to them. It was at least 35-40 degrees lower than Palm Springs (113 degrees in the summer in Palm Springs). A lot of fun and we had a great picnic while we were up there.

A fun trip!!!

NY, NY part trois

So, it's Saturday and matinee day on Broadway. Remember that matinee days with a Broadway schedule are Wed. and Fridays. Since my husband and I have our ties to Broadway, we HAVE to see a Broadway show with the kids. In the past, I didn't mind paying for my own seat or even my husband and I going together, but times those prices by 4 and it's another story!

Off we to to TKTS, we went to the Times Square Booth. It was raining so my sister took the kids to..........ToysRUs! I think my kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. This store is huge!!! The only problem for parents is to forewarn your kids that this is only a place to put things down on their wishlist. With pencil and notepads in hand, off they went. Nevertheless, this was a good distraction for the kids since I had to wait in line in the rain. That is a recipe for disaster for kids to wait in the rain with a boatload of people. It didn't take too long since I went there before the booth opened (strong advice from me). I tried to get every show that was available for kids and couldn't get all the seats in the same spot. I couldn't let my child sit alone and I don't think they would want to sit next to strangers at their age. After batting zero, I met up with the kids. This is where I learned that you could go to the other TKTS booths the day before and purchase matinee tickets for the next day which I should have done. I never learned this while working on Broadway, but then again, I couldn't always see the other shows since I was working in one with the same show times as the other shows. Now, my kids really love "The Lion King", but these tickets were not available through TKTS.

As I started walking with the kids to grab a bit to eat at Junior's Deli, we walked by "The Lion King". My kids started singing the songs as we were walking and I felt that twang of 'Gee, when will I be back here next with the kids?' I walked into the box office and asked how much the tickets were. They were a whopping $125/seat. I gasped and the cashier just looked at me. Do I spend $500 for next week's matinee? No, I can't. But, when are we back? Think, think, think. My sister states that we aren't paying for room and board and that I just do it. So, in true Nike form with a little NY attitude, I tell the cashier to get me the director's seats (center orchestra). The guy looks at me and just told him I used to work in theater. He smiles and gives me 8th row center. I"m happy and have to say happy that I took the bite!!! I know there are other venues where you can purchase tickets at a discount; however, these are the times, when I prefer to spend my time on just having fun than researching and dragging my kids all over the place for the tickets.

Kids are hungry and I'm craving a good deli sandwich. Typically, I go to Carnegie's, but it's such a touristy place now, that Junior's is perfect. We met up with some friends who were in South Pacific and 9-5 which meant they had to be at work by half hour. It was great to see them. Their kids menu is perfect. Both of my kids have allergies to nuts so it's no joke when I ask if there are any nuts or any possible cross-contamination of nuts with their food. They were very aware of nut allergies and stated that a lot of kids have that allergy nowadays. I had my epipens with me, but really don't want to go through that experience or a trip to the emergency room. The kid portions were large and delicious. My kids ate them up!!! Their deli sandwiches were perfect. What I love the most? Condiments on the side!!! I can't stand it when other delis layer their sauce to the point where you don't even taste the meat. The pastrami was delish! The Reuben to die for! So, so good. My oldest loves cheesecake and there ain't nuthin' like NY style Cheesecake. He was the happiest 7 year old. I couldn't believe that he ate all of his mac n' cheese and then the whole slice of cheesecake. Sundaes are wonderful as well. We were all very happy. So happy that we went back there on another day during our stay.

After our lunch, we headed down to Chinatown. I used to shop there a lot when I was living in Manhattan. Such great deals. However, I have heard that the knock-offs have been shut down. I love the subway and my kids love it too. I think it's so great to get them on public transportation!!! They need to know that it's easy, available, and better for our planet. I have to agree that there were a lot of places with these yellow signs that looked like knock-off places that were shut down by NYPD. However, there were plenty of people whispering to me while I was window shopping what knock-offs they had. In fact, some girls were looking at purses and then some gentleman said something to them quietly and the next thing you know they are following him to the back of the store. Don't you just love this?!! I love NYC Chinatown. I bought baskets of fruits (strawberries, blueberries, and watermelon) all for under $4.00. A place to stop off next time for us will be Joe's Shanghai Restaurant. It's a little place with the most amazing dumplings!!! I promise you. You don't want to skip this place.

We went back to my sister's to make dinner and had a lovely fruit salad for dessert! Time to rest for another busy day tomorrow.

New York, New York, a helluva a town. The Bronx is up, but the Battery's....(Part 1)

down! Don't you love that movie, "On The Town"? The music is wondeful (thank you Bernstein) and the lyrics are fantastic (Comden & Green)!!! But......I digress.

A friend of mine is heading to New York (Manhattan to be specific) and asked about places to go and visit with her two kids. Our family had flown there a year ago to visit New York. I used to live there and miss the vibrant energy that blankets this great city.

What did I do to prepare (because you know it's all about the research and preparation that makes your vacation a great one!):

1. Where are we going to stay?
2. How are we getting there and stay within budget?
3. What are we going to do and stay within budget?
4. Food?
5. Weather, which translates to how I pack and how many pieces do I really want to carry and pay for.

#1 - Fortunately, I have the pleasure of having a sister who lives in Edgewater, NJ and so accomodations were taken care of. She only has a 1 bedroom apt, but a large enough living room for us to sack out on her lushes couches and aerobeds. I know some people are thinking...couches? But trust me, her couches are the most comfortable couches in the world. I have been there before with my other cousin and she said the same thing (and she's used to 5star hotel mattresses).
      However, I do have some suggestions when heading to New York if you don't know anyone who would offer you place to stay. I have a large extended family and they have gone to visit New York and this was what was reported back to me. One of my cousin's used her points from her credit card and stayed at the Hilton. It wasn't for free, but it was a significant price-cut which included complimentary breakfast every morning. Since she had a family of four, she thought it was worth it. I realize this is important to some people; however, having lived in Manhattan, I think you can get a decent breakfast at any deli corner for a very reasonable price. 
     I had another cousin who was travelling with her kids and her elderly father. They complained about how expensive Manhattan hotels were so they decided to stay in the New Jersey side and took public transportation into Manhattan. I agree that to stay on a budget, public transportation is the way to go here. Everyone takes public transportation and it's easy. Those of us who live in the West Coast should learn to  use public transportation more often and the government could stand to learn from the New York/East Coast cosmopolitan cities, but that's another blog, eh? The Holiday Inn was the suggested hotel that was easy and affordable. I found two Holiday Inns. This is where you have to do the research and decide for yourself how much you want to spend and how much commuting you want to do. I personally think it's great for the kids to learn about public transportation and to actually use it. One is the Holiday Inn at Secaucus. Great reviews, but a little further out (again remember that people live in these cities and commute into Manhattan daily so buses and trains aren't that bad). The other one is Holiday Inn Express at the Lincoln Tunnel which is literally the connector to Manhattan and takes only minutes on the bus to arrive at the Port Authority. To read some reviews, I have done some research for you. Click on the "reviews" and read for yourself what you are most comfortable with. I always rely on my gut instinct. Once you have read enough reviews you will get a pretty good idea. Another place I like to go to for reviews is TripAdvisor. This site has done pretty good for me. The more reviews, the better the chance that I pick the right place for me and my family.
     At my sister's, we just took the bus that was a block away from her place (NJ Transit). It didn't cost that much, but check out the website for current prices. I think we paid about $3+/- for adults and about $2 for the kids. It took us right to Port Authority (8th and 42nd). The kids enjoyed walking up to Times Square.

#2 - There are some great prices on JetBlue and Virgin America to the Kennedy Airport. This is a place where a car service is just as good if not better than a taxi. I like the car service because the prices are the same as a taxi and they are there waiting for you rather than you having to wait in line with your kids all ancy from a plane ride. Trust me....it's worth it!
     We flew into Newark because my sister lives there. We flew Continental Airlines and since NJ is the hub for Continental, it was quite a nice terminal. The price was decent. It wasn't as inexpensive as flying into JFK, but by the time we would have paid for car service from JFK to New Jersey, it would have cost us the same as flying on Continental. I have flown into Newark Airport before while living in Manhattan during my B.C. days (before children). I really liked it. It was not as crowded, easy transportation to Manhattan, and rarely delayed. It made my travels less stressful and I know now, with a family, that low stress is preferred on my travels.

As you all know, I am a mom or pseudo single-mom. So, I will have to finish up on this trip on my next posting since it has 9 days worth of fun and excitement. My children need me right now.

(Here's the catch with blog about NYC. I have no photos of my own to share on this site. Why? Well, the SD card on my camera acted up when I went to upload the photos. I can't upload any of them and it bums me out since we did a lot of sites with our kids. I don't know if I can get them back. I went to one place and they said it would cost alot to get someone to "fix" it. I know it's been a year, but I'm waffling back and forth on the monetary costs of pictures. I do have my memory of them and I am sharing them on this blog. Any suggestions from my readers? Not sure if I have any readers right now, but thought I'd ask anyways.)

Places to Visit in Washington, D.C.

I am so glad that I have some fans on Facebook now. It helps to know that this is going out to someone who can use my experiences as a part of their research and personalize their own trip as well.

Okay, let's finish up with D.C. here.

Our favorite place that had quick delicious sandwiches was The Potbelly Sandwich Shop. They had these delis in Chicago as well. We loved this place because the prices were reasonable, the menu had something that everyone liked, and their secret relish was truly one-of-a-kind and so good!! The place is packed during lunch hours.So, unless you don't mind waiting in line or having your kids keep tugging at you and telling you how hungry they are, my suggestions are to arrive earlier or later than the lunch rush. Also, the thing to remember about the Capitol area, everything closes when the typical work day is done. Things close up around 6pm and almost everything is closed on Sundays. Be prepared because we weren't and ended up taking the Metro a few stops away to get food.

Speaking of the Metro....it's really a great way to travel around D.C. There is no need to rent a car. We were able to get around all over D.C. Unlike NYC, where the subway only goes uptown and downtown, the Metro will get you just about anywhere. Some of our favorite stops were Chinatown/Gallery. This area had the International Spy Museum, National Portrait Gallery, restaurants galore, and a great movie theater. People asked us why a movie theater on vacation? Well, when it's below freezing outside and you want to get out of the hotel, the next best thing was the movie theater where we saw Alvin and Chipmunks, The Squeakel.

The Spy Museum was really a great place to visit. Our kids really enjoyed it and had a great time. The admission is a bit pricey, but well worth it. Also, all the Smithsonian Museums are free so one can't complain too much about paying for admission to one museum. You get to learn about espionage and even get to be one. Be aware of the common tourist trap...........the Spy Museum Store. You have to walk through it to exit the museum. We did get caught up in it and I think we did because we all enjoyed it so much and the store had some great shirts and souvenirs.

On another day, we went to the National Portrait Gallery. My husband and I enjoyed it; however, I think kids younger than 5 y.o. will have a tough time. There are lot of paintings and statues. They are beautiful and interesting, but after 3 floors of it, my 5 y.o. was having a hard time slowly getting through it all. My husband is a history buff and so he entertained the kids with historical "stories" to keep their attention. Again, it can be tough for the little ones. I would suggest making it to the Presidential Portraits first since my 8 yo was studying the presidents at school and these paintings were larger than life.

Having mentioned that the Smithsonian Museums are all free, the National Mall is surrounded by these free museums that take days to get through. We were amazed how some people thought they could get to everything in 3 days. Our suggestion is to not try to do that. It just becomes one big discombobulated mess. If you're there for 3 days, then pick 3 museums max., especially when you have children. I would suggest The National Air & Space Museum; The Museum of Natural History (you can spend 2 full days here); The Museum of American History.

The Air and Space Museum is place of wonder for the kids. They have large airplanes hanging from the ceiling, rocket ships on display, things children can touch and play around with. We spent almost 3 hours there before we headed off to lunch and then came back to finish the rest of it. The lunch area is convenient and pricey. Again, if you're on a budget, pack a lunch and you can take that to the eating area and relax for a bit before finishing up the rest of the museum.

The Museum of Natural History is another great place for the family. There are many exhibits and many floors. If you get a chance to see an IMAX movie there, I would suggest it. The kids loved the dinosaurs IMAX movie and then had a chance to follow up with the displays about dinosaurs. My boys enjoyed the mineral exhibit. The Hope Diamond is there and they were fascinated by it. There was the astrology area where the kids had a lot of hands-on activities. In the basement is where the cafeteria is located. Also, the museum stores are down there as well. I found this cafeteria to be quite good and the prices were reasonable for the food that was cooked fresh for you.

The Museum of American History had the longest line to get in. It moved fairly quickly, but beware there might be a long line for the entry. In the basement area is where my kids loved playing in. They have the Sparks Invention Lab here where they hand out free pins with the logo and you can go in and invent things from their kits. My kids made an electrical circuit to get a fan to start and float a ball. They also had the opportunity to build things that made music. They have supervision there where these "scientists/inventors" would guide the children with their projects. I think my kids could have stayed in there all day. They do close earlier than the museum so time things out. You don't want to arrive there at 3:30pm and just as your child is really getting into his/her invention, they have to leave because of closing time (4pm when we were there). The other floors had a lot to see as well. Remember there are a lot of people and a lot of exhibits so keep your kids nearby as they are anxious to see everything and one little peak of curiosity could lead to lost children. We saw quite a few of them there.

If you haven't seen or heard about Groupon, then this is something you must visit. This site offers coupons to major cities. What I love about them is that they offer you the discount (typically 50% off) and if the total number of people needed to purchase the "groupon" is not met, then they don't charge you for it. If it does exceed the total of required purchases, then you receive the coupon. So, I purchased a groupon for a restaurant in Dupont Circle (another nice area for restaurants and shopping...our fav: Trader Joe's). This restaurant is called Mezza Luna. It's a Mediterranean cuisine with a variety of tapas. These tapas were large enough to share. We ordered several and shared them "family-style". Their food was delicious and they were very accommodating with our children in regards to making their dishes less "fancy". This translates to "please no green onions on the top", "no nuts. our children are allergic to them", "plain pasta with butter". They were really wonderful with all our needs.

We did hit the Memorial Parks. The kids enjoyed the walk (again, if you have little ones, take your stroller) and seeing all the historical monuments. We walked a few miles and it was a lot of fun; however, you can take the Metro to these areas if your legs are getting tired.

One place I don't want to forget to mention is the United States Botanic Garden. This place is a gem! The plants and gardens are gorgeous and our kids really liked visiting this place. There were so many exhibits to visit. One wouldn't know it by looking at it from the outside. I wouldn't miss this place. It's a great place for the kids to run around.

Finally, we did purchase tickets to see the Terra Cotta Warriors at The National Geographic Museum. It was an okay exhibit, but I am comparing this exhibit to the one I saw at The DeYoung Museum in San Francisco many years ago. This exhibit in D.C. was smaller and the kids enjoyed it. The garden/courtyard area is definitely a photo op location. I was very impressed with the photography as I'm sure most people are. The photographs are truly spectacular!

I almost forgot to tell you about the Kennedy Center. It is quite the site at night. I guess I almost forgot this place because it was someplace my husband went to every night for work. We didn't see a show there since we have already seen the show, but if you get a chance to see something there, we think you would enjoy it. It's not always easy since not all shows are appropriate for children, but I did want to mention this for those of you who might have a babysitter/relative on hand to watch the kids.

All right my travelling peeps, go take your kids out! We are hoping this history class just expands their experiential background for their own education.

We the People............think School House Rocks

What a whirlwind this holiday has been for us. As you know, my husband is on the road with a B'way Tour and so it brought us to Chicago for Thanksgiving (previous posts). The Christmas holiday was in D.C. I literally had 10 days to unpack, launder the clothes, X'mas shop (thank goodness for online shopping), pack up and go.

Did I get X'mas cards out? Nope. This is a first for me. I decided that I don't have to kill myself if I skip one season. Not only was I busy, but I came down with a horrible cough/cold that has lasted for a month now. Yup, still coughing, but not as much and feeling better. Needless to say, my entries in D.C. sacrificed due to lack of sleep and illness. sigh.

Things are looking up and so onward to my blog about D.C. First and foremost, the airline. We took Virgin America. Why? Prices were incredibly good. They were quite pleasant. Their website markets how they have a lot of amenities for the flier, but don't think they are for free. Everything has a price. They were running a special so it was nice to get free wifi, but movies were $8, video games $3(?), there was satellite tv for free, meals ranged from $8 - $10. Luckily, I had poked around the website long enough to see these prices and headed straight out the door to Trader Joe's.

I love Trader Joe's. It has been my staple since my college days in L.A. However, since my boys have nut allergies, my visits to Trader Joe's has been cut down by about 50% due to their products being "shared on equipment that has been in contact with nuts, tree nuts, etc." But, I love their ready-made lunches. So, I bought some for myself and tried to find the ones that my kids would eat. There wasn't much for them, so I made them their meals in our 5 hour long flight. Food, snacks, games (yes, the DS does come in handy) all contribute to a worry-free, tantrum-free flight.

We arrived in D.C. and I ordered car service again since we arrived in Dulles Airport which is about 45 minutes away from Downtown D.C. It would have been the same price for a taxi. The Townecars are so much more comfortable and the service is amazing which takes the stress off of me trying to move 3 large suitcases with 2 little ones beside me. I figured I had saved money on the flight by not ordering anything. So, this is some advice......it's well worth it!

We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott. It's one of our most favorite places to stay besides Embassy Suites. These two places are the best places to stay when you have a family. They offer a full complimentary breakfast everyday of the week and 3 nights out of the 7 you receive a full complimentary dinner. The employees are as nice as can be and they all love children. It just can't be beat. They had an indoor swimming pool which I knew would come in handy to burn off energy when needed. During the first large snow storm, the city had shut down as well as the airports. People were stuck trying to get home for the holidays. I felt so bad for some guests who were stuck there for over 3 days. The storm hit on the night where there was no dinner served and because there weren't any restaurants opened (due to storm), the manager at this Residence Inn had dinner served so the guests could eat. He also lowered the rates for those that were stuck there longer than expected. Now that's what I call service!

I will continue this post as I must attend to the little darlings now.

We Are Family!!!

Can I just say that "Miss Saigon" had one of the best cast EVER?!!!! Anywhere I go, I can always call, email, or post on FB and get responses where we all get together and have a fabulous time catching up and just seeing where we all are these days!

Today was no exception. The boys and I met up with Joe Foronda, MoonHi Hansen, and Keith Byron Kirk at the Corner Bakery here in Chicago. MoonHi is here visiting her parents. She grew up here and went to college here, but lives in L.A. as a video editor. Keith is working on his Ph.D. at NorthWestern Univ. and is doing great!!! Joe lives here with his kids, who are all grown up now, and is still one amazing actor and musician. The boys are always impressed with the amount of people we know when we travel to various cities. Since Greg was working the show, we caught up till he met up with us after the matinee. Then Bob Billig and Steve Landau came by to say hello as they were done (conductor and assistant) with the show as well. They work on the same show as Greg. It still amazes me how we all just get right back to where we left off and catch each other up. It has been 10 years since the 2nd Nat'l closed and about 9 yrs. since the B'way show closed. If you have done "Miss Saigon" with either Nat'l tour or B'way, you are considered family. Also meeting up with us later was Mike Flanigan and Melinda Chua. We had the best time!!! Thanks goodness for friends and "family".

By this point, our boys were beyond themselves (we were there for 4 hours). They were given M&M cookies and hot cocoa and they were zinging from their seats by the time we were ready to leave. The sugar or something must have hit. It was wild!! So, off Greg and I went to feed them. We took the subway back to our place and stopped into Giordano's Pizza. It truly is the best Chicago pizza!!! We had a lot to eat and they eventually calmed down. Now, Greg and I had some "drinks" that seemed to help the zaniness of our boys. LOL!!!

Great night and more tomorrow as we head to the Field Museum.

Favorite Things

It's been quite festive here in Chicago. Yesterday, we stayed in all day except my jaunt out to the grocery store. Geoffrey has been coughing so we decided to keep him inside for the day and rest. Fortunately for us, he had homework to do since he took some days out of school to visit here. Nonetheless, this is the time of year where I make my favorites and they have become my boys' favorites. They love my peppermint hot cocoa! So, starting from here till X'mas, they get a cup of their favorite hot cocoa for the day. It's fun!

Our other favorite when we are here is Garrett's popcorn. Their Chicago mix is perfect for my boys. Geoffrey loves the caramel crisp and Seb loves the cheese popcorn. It's really delicious and of course, a line to get our bag of popcorn. We've been here at least 4 times now and it has never failed us. Yum!!! My college roommate once asked me about "that" popcorn place I was raving about since she was taking her family to Chicago. She came telling me it was definitely worth the wait in line. In her words, "the best popcorn, EVER!"

The boys had a chance to see "Young Frankenstein, The Musical". It's nice to have my boys old enough to sit through a show. They had a really good time and all the "other R-rated" jokes flew over their heads. Thank goodness! Thank you to Judy, the company mgr., for getting us the best seats in the house. It was my third time seeing it and Mel Brooks is brilliant. He still amazes me. His humour is amazingly smart! The boys had a chance to see Bob conducting in the orchestra pit. They had a good time watching everything go on. Fun day for all!

Sunday at the Park

Today, we took it easy. It takes a couple of days for the boys to adjust and just wind down from seeing their dad. Yesterday was also a busy day.

We didn't do much today other than head to the grocery store. One of my favorites here is Potash Bros. market. It was fun to walk in the brisk weather and enjoy the city life. I love to walk and cities provide the best walking for me. I think the kids are getting used to it. Sebastian will get a little tired on occasion and so we'll stop at a park or something to rest his tootsies and then within 5 minutes he'll tell me he's ready to walk again.

This time we stopped at the park that I know of near the Chicago Fire Dept. It's right next to the Water Tower Place and has its jungle gym for the boys to climb and run. Last time we were here, we were staying at the Seneca Hotel (a great hotel with kitchen and separate bedroom) and found this park for Geoffrey to play. It was on the way to the theater and so we would always stop here for him play. Sebastian was too little then, but not this time. The boys had a blast. This time we're only a block north of the Seneca in a quaint little corporate apt. called 900 DeWitt place. We played at this park before grocery shopping and after. My boys have a pretty easy time making new friends at new places so all the kids were playing tag. Very cute and very fun for them.

That is all we did today and it was enough. Tomorrow Greg is off and it'll be a busy day for us. The kids will get a chance to see the show Wed (matinee) which they are excited about. It's great that they are old enough to sit through a show and enjoy it. Geoffrey enjoys the sets moving off and on and Sebastian will love the dancing and music.

Happy Holidays....While the merry bells keep ringing,

Again, the weather is pretty amazing here in Chicago. We really lucked out so far. We took the kids down Michigan Ave toward the theater since Greg had to go to work (2-show day). We came across the Holiday Light Festival here. We had been to this once before when Geoffrey was only 2y.o. The nice red tents were passing out hand warmers for everyone. Hmmmm.....I guess it'll be cold once the parade starts (@ 5:30pm). There was so much stuff going on walking down Michigan Ave. Freebies galore!! Well, it was being put on by Disney so it was all about their new shows and movies coming soon. This translated to posters, toys, etc for the kids. It was a lot of fun and a lot of people. But, I don't mind the people. The Chicagoans are the nicest people. People weren't pushing or shoving and the kids always went first. Kind of reminded me of Japan.

We get to the theater and it was great seeing all the old "Producers" people. Geoffrey knew these people since he was 18 mos. Sebastian was a "Producers" baby.....born while they were in L.A. A lot of fun. We had a fabulous lunch next to the theater named "Ruby of Siam". Their Tom Ka Kai was delicious!!! Very good. We had enough left overs for dinner.

Greg had to go back to work so we headed back down Michigan Ave. because the kids saw the Disney store and with our handy dandy coupon, the kids got to purchase a little toy and received free Disney Lightflashing paraphernalia. I have to hand it to Disney. The store was PACKED, but the line moved ever so quickly. They were extremely organized and that makes me so very happy!!!!

We head to the Water Tower Place (mall) for a bathroom break. Boys had to go! So, off we went and since I wanted some tea, we stopped at Teavana. I ended up with a lovely tea called Swiss Melange (herbal). I must say.........it's wonderful! I might have to get some more before I head home. The boys enjoyed the decorations.

Then it's to the Hancock Bldg since we are only a few blocks from there. They had the cutest train set with all the holiday decor. The boys stayed there for quite some time. I was fascinated by it as well. The details in the scenes were so full. One could have stayed there for over an hour soaking up all the lovely "towns".








Now, those of you who didn't get a chance to read up on Geoffrey............he LOVES cheesecake! Well, right in the Hancock Bldg is The Cheesecake Factory. We get in line and found that we accidentally cut in line, not intentionally. There were so many people there that we didn't realize we had walked into a line. The couple behind us were so sweet! They told us to just stay there and put in our order. We get Geoffrey's slice of cheesecake and head back to the hotel.

After resting our feet and eating dinner, we head back out for the parade. It's 5:15pm and dark. We walk to Michigan Ave and there are even more people. We keep walking looking for a little opening. We find none, so I decide to stop where there are little children and my boys can look over their heads. This mom was so nice.......she told the girls to scoot over and to let my boys in so they can watch the parade. I can't get over how nice everyone is here!!! We watch for a bit and then my California boys decide it's way too cold now. We had hats, gloves, and those handy dandy hand warmers, but no. They decide it's too cold. So, we walk to find a place where we can get hot chocolate and a cookie. By the time we got out of Frango's (Macy's taste bar), the parade was over. Wasn't a long parade which I am glad. They had a lot of other festivities closer to the river, but we had done enough walking for the day. We head back to the hotel.













Another great day in Chicago.

Razzle Dazzle

Here we are in Chicago. We are visiting my husband who is on the musical, "Young Frankenstein". It's my 5th time here? Here with Saigon, then with The Producers, Sweeney Todd, Pippin...

I love coming to Chi-town! The people are just so awesome. It has always felt very "homey" to me and yet it's a metropolitan city. Full of wonderful stores, culture, and the food is out of this world. The flight is only 4 hours long so not too bad when it comes to travelling with children.

Our day started yesterday from the Oakland airport. It's always pretty stressful for me when travelling with children. Even after doing it for so many years (my oldest started at 17 mos. and he's now 8y.o.; youngest started travelling @ 6 mos.), it's just filled with anxiety for me. I have to keep the kids occupied while waiting, slip on shoes ONLY due to security, backpacks filled with snacks (they are allergic to nuts).

We flew Southwest because it was direct to Midway. If I can, I avoid O'Hare airport at all costs. It is such a nightmare airport....busy, delays, FAR from Chicago, terminals are miles apart, etc. Southwest was great in that they allowed us to preboard due to my kids. As you know, they do not have reserved seats and my concern was being split up in a very full flight. Kudos to Southwest for that, but I was disappointed with the guys loading the plane. He kept saying, "preboarding for families with children under 4". Well, my youngest is 5 and very tall. Thought about just sneaking on, but the guilt ran over me and I tried to follow the rules. So, we sat there waiting for our "group" to be called. When they preboarded us, I heard the guy say, "she was just sitting there..." I wanted to turn around, but thought, nope....get our seats first and then complain later. I know where my priorities are when it comes to flying.

Southwest is truly a no thrills airline. I packed the DVD player and DVD's for the kids to watch (this is a staple, even if they have screens on the back of each seat (sometimes they don't work)). Their backpacks had lunch and their snacks and DS games. Due to security, I am forced to buy drinks at the airport at $4 for a bottle of water. I hate that, but what do I do. Go with the flow here.

We arrive and I had already had car service arranged since it wasn't any less or more than a taxi ride. With 2 children, 3 huge pcs. of luggage, and carry-ons.....no way was I going to wait in a taxi line. NO WAY! Chicago Limo Service was great and they got us to our corporate apt in good time. Very nice driver, but then again, I have always had nice encounters with Chicagoans. Great suggestions for food from him.

The boys were so excited to see Greg. It was all fun and I wanted to keep them awake since I try to keep them on pacific standard time. We go back and they go straight back to school the next day so it's easier to stay with our time.

We awoke to a lovely day a few blocks off Michigan Ave. We take a nice stroll to the Navy Pier because our boys absolutely love the Chicago Children's Museum
We always get our membership there because our boys go there more than three times a week to play with all of their fun exhibits. With the membership, we get free or 50% discount off all other museums in the U.S. Definitely worth it for us since we travel a lot when Greg is on the road.
There are so many things for the boys there. Because Geoffrey attends a Science Magnet, he gets his academic fill here at the museum. This year, Geoffrey really wanted to play Chess with Greg on their room size, floor board, chess room. The pieces are about as tall as Sebastian. Unfortunately, they replaced the large chess floor board with an ice-skating rink and a lot of snow play. It was fine because Geoffrey enjoyed what was there.


We'll be here for another 12 days or so. Many more museums and people to see.

It's a Small World

So, we have been officially deemed parents of a child in elementary school. Why? Well......just think spring break at Disneyland with half the other part of the world. It was crazy!!!! Just a sea of people with children having meltdowns by midday. It was nuts!

We hit Disney Monday and Tues. Geoffrey's best friend from school was meeting us down there with his family. Well, being it was their first time (our second) and both of them Civil Engineers everything was down to a science. They had subscribed to a program called Ridemax. This program will figure out for you where you need to go at what time and who should be getting the fast passes. All to maximize "ride time" during a busy time of year....like now. We weren't sure if it worked or not, but worth the try. So, Monday morning, Greg drops us off at the Guest Drop off and he goes to park the car (7a.m. right now) We find gate 13 or 20 like the program tells us to do. We meet up with Geoffrey's friend, M. We do the whole Disney count down thing and gates open at 8a.m. We get through, M's mom goes to rent a stroller, Greg runs to get fast passes at....don't remember, but somewhere while the kids and I literally are jogging to the Finding Nemo attraction. So far so good because our wait time was maybe 10 minutes and it moved quickly. Then off to other places. By the end of the day (11pm), we got in about 10 rides if not more. Pretty good is what I'm thinking considering the amount of people there. Ridemax did work for us. It can quite a coordinating feat, but when there are that many people and you don't want to wait in line for longer than 20 min. maximum, check out Ridemax. It will even coordinate breaks for you including lunch.





Day 2 is a little more relaxed after Space Mountain and we had a blast! We completed almost all the rides in Day 1. So, it was fun to repeat some rides that the kids wanted to go on again. Greg and I were thoroughly exhausted. We needed all day Wednesday to just chill out. My college roommate let us stay at her house while she was on spring break with her kids so it was so nice to have a kitchen, backyard, and tons of toys for the kids rather than a hotel. This is a great idea for those of you who decide to exchange homes during vacations. It's well worth the research and comfort for a family. There are several sites who offer this and one of them is called HomeExchange. I think if you do your research and ask all the appropriate questions, you can have a very fun vacation without the expenses of a hotel.



Caught up with a dear friend of mine from my dance years in L.A. It was great!!! Francine and I go way back when we used to dance and just hang out. We had our dogs and it was just such a special time. It was great to catch up with her and her 10 year son, A. All of our boys had a wonderful time.

Then to UCLA (go Bruins) and the La Brea Tar Pits (Page Museum) on Friday. Why not brainwash my kids to my alma mater! We start them young even though we know we would support them in whatever and wherever they want to do or go. Go Bruins (had to put that in).



For the last 2 days of our stay, were at the Kyoto Grand in Downtown L.A. as Greg has to continue working the show. The hotel was nice and close to work for my husband. It was a good walk to Chinatown (bring a stroller). If the kids are too big for strollers and can't walk that far yet, I suggest driving. We went for Dim Sum with some friends. It was delicious! The Empress Pavilion had some wonderful Dim Sum. Then back home.

Wow, spring break does go by quickly and then back to the grind, eh? Well, it was great to see everyone and to have had such success at Disneyland made the trip well worth it!