Epic Winter Road Trip - The Quest for Sunshine

 This December, we set off on a long awaited 2 week vacation.  And by long awaited, I mean we've been counting down for MONTHS. During those months, the idea of 'x more days until...' felt like the brightest spot in the midst of an onslaught of illnesses. (Anytime the kid is sick, work becomes chaotic, as does school, therapy appointments, etc. Life gets extra messy.)

Now, when My Sailor is serving on a submarine, our trips are kept short and local. Travel is difficult to schedule and usually approved last minute - which also tends to make it expensive. So while he's spending more time on shore (and Holiday Stand Down is a thing) we try to make the most of it. That includes making memories and engaging in experiences as often as possible. I suspect it's fairly typical for Military families, and in that aspect, we are much the same. 

We started our road trip with a detour to see some of The Impossible Girl's cousins in Seattle. Since she'd spent at least half of the last 3 months sick, she missed them a lot, so we made the trip over to Seattle to see them before starting our journey south. 

Road Trip with a Mermaid Tail blanket from the cousins. Makes for great sleep!

We were surprised by a heavy flurry of snow on our way out of the city. It was a beautiful way to start a grand adventure that would cover over 2000 miles.

Our first official stop was a couple hours into the road trip. We stopped at the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon. 

Well worth a visit, there was a LOT for the kids to do to learn about the importance of forests on the planet, and the responsible use of them. Admission was an affordable $5/person, and we could have spent much longer than the hour we had there. 

Other cousins joined us to play.

It's hard to leave such a cool place to play, but we stopped for dinner and then headed further south. 

A few hours later, we finally stopped for the night in Ashland, Oregon. The first day was easy and lots of time spent with My Sailor's family along the way. I'm lucky. They are all pretty cool people and it was nice to visit on our way off on the adventure! 

In the morning, we stopped in the hotel breakfast spot before hitting the road and broke out some of our games. 

Dollar store felt checker travel set.

Two older ladies were also having breakfast at a different table and made excellent commentary on The Impossible Girl learning checkers. it was a nice slow start to the BIG driving day. We'd spend the next 10 hours or so on the road.

We also worked on The Impossible Girl's Travel Journal. Our first leg was 460 miles.

A neighbor in the Buy Nothing group suggested a sheet pan made a great lap table. Perfect for Lego building on the go!

Finally we made it to our destination. Hollywood. 

Along this trip, The Impossible Girl discovered the Lyle Lyle Crocodile soundtrack. Top of the World definitely fit our hotel situation! We spent two nights with the hotel with this fantastic floor to ceiling window, about 12 floors above Wilshire Boulevard. Hotel Indigo was lovely. Though the food options were highly limited there, we did discover some chocolate chip pancakes, and the bar was pretty generous - a nice way to start off the vacation.

Tomorrow we'd check a big destination off the kiddo's bucket list (and mine!)

Making Plans and Making Faces

 

My eggs protesting pre scramble.

Just about every morning, I have 2-3 eggs scrambled with some sauteed Spinach on top. I drizzle some Chipotle Chalula hot sauce on top and sit down at the table to enjoy my breakfast with a side of whatever fruit we happen to have around the house and a cup of black coffee or tea. 

It's not that I don't like variety. It's just that this particular routine is easy, healthy, and something I look forward to. 

In the past 2 months alone, life has been anything but routine. If I was going to inventory it, the list would look something like:

Out of the last 6 weeks

The Impossible Girl has been sick for 3.5 of them with 2 different respiratory illnesses (not counting the one she got in October).

The house has undergone some serious construction (now completed... mostly)

One of the dogs became severely ill with a rare cancer that progressed quickly. He had to be put down on the same day they were doing construction at the house...

My Sailor left on a hunting trip with his family and shortly after the Impossible Girl became so sick I couldn't get her O2 levels above 90% when she was sleeping AND we couldn't get help from the ER or any physician because they were booked solid and overflowing with kids with the same issue. (Luckily her pediatric nurse is amazing and armed me with as much knowledge as possible as we played 'stay out of the hospital', barely dodging it)

Toss in a major holiday and it's incredible chaos.

And that's just the last 6 weeks... 

Counting down to the upcoming trip has been like port in the storm. 

As much as I LOVE to travel - it's not as simple as 'pack a bag and go' either. I've researched a BUNCH and I think I might be better prepared than last time we took a big trip. I think our tools are solid and at the ready. I think.

If you've followed the blog, you know that during our Spring Break family trip to Disney World, I was once again caught off guard by the levels that life is different for us. Not better or worse - just different. Our unwanted hitchhiker (better known as sensory processing disorder with some anxiety tossed in for spice) made it difficult to even go into buildings. At one point, I over estimated the power of our unwanted friend and it left The Impossible Girl in a panic attack so severe, I had to take her to the Baby Care Center and find a quiet, air conditioned room where she could safely see the hallucinations that were scaring her, and we could ride out the panic attack with her. It took nearly an hour and it was exhausting on all fronts. 

But that doesn't mean we STOP traveling. In fact, I took The Impossible Girl to a hotel in Tacoma for a random overnight on a weekend in November. And it went well. 

Our room had a killer view.

Watching Netflix on a HOTEL TV feels like more fun than at home.

I was hoping to hit up a museum, but we ended up visiting a new-to-us Defy location, grabbing coffee and playing cards with a friend, and ordering some pizza. All of the 'new' is good for the senses, and the little snippets of travel help me understand how to best prepare for the next trip. 

But traveling with Sensory Processing Disorder isn't simple, but it isn't something I hope to curb or even mildly avoid.  Thanks to our professionals - we can travel better. For example, I understand how to offer food in a way that isn't overwhelming - and teaching her own to special order things that she can enjoy helps normalize the whole process. I keep a noise cancelling headphones with us at all times and never once flinch at offering them or treating it as anything less than normal. Some kids tennis shoes. Some kids wear boots. Some kids wear sandals. Some kinds where head phones. 

And, yes, I still pack her carrier along as well. I don't often need it these days. We almost never use it in everyday life (barring her recent illness, when she's too tired to go run an errand with me, etc).  She's getting braver with each trip we take to an unusual place, and that's a feat.

 For The Impossible Girl - and millions like her with Sensory Processing Disorder - anxiety, terror, and high levels of excitment are hard to tell apart. Sometimes background noise and conversations don't instantly prioritize in the brain. 

We've accumulated a lot of tools so far, but this one I felt was worth sharing. KultureCity is working with organizations around the country to educate them on Sensory Processing issues and arm them with goodie bags of tools to make places like sporting events, museums, and zoos more accessible. They arm them with FREE bags they can check out that have fidgets and weighted lap pads and head phones, etc. Throughout the locations they work with, there are signs with the KultureCity logo wearing a pair of headphones. It's a loving, discreet reminder that this location may be loud and donning the headphones could be helpful. Little things like that make traveling so much easier - and I wish it was more wide spread. 

But managing that - at this age? That's what I'm here for. That's why she has parents. Not to be a crutch, but to help her recognize the feelings and strategize what her next step needs to be. Hopefully next time we make it to Disney World, she'll go inside buildings without a second thought - or maybe she'll have the second thought but work through it with a higher level of confidence.

So this time when we take a trip down to see my family, Disneyland is (shockingly) not on the menu. This time, it's La Brea Tar Pits (a 'must see' of hers for over a year since she saw a family go there on a youtube channel I watched), a different Great Wolf Lodge, a slew of different eateries (which will all have very different flavors than the rash of bland that our corner of the world suffers from), and different people. It'll be an awesome experience and I'm looking forward to seeing how she grows through it. 

Taking trips with kids is hard under normal circumstances. It's basically parenting in the wild - which can get exhausting. 

But the time will pass no matter where you spend it. Make the memories. Make the effort. 

It's always worth it.

Even the expensive Disney World trip that went very little like we expected.  Lessons learned are part of grand adventures. 

Some Women Travel Pretty

Have you ever noticed that someone women manage to come out of those flying tin cans looking like they just stepped out of a salon? What is their secret?! No matter how much I primp or how prepared I am, I usuall end up looking more like a college kid on her way home from some foreign country after hours of hiking, rather than any of those perfectly groomed people. My hair is usually pulled back (because if it wasn't, static would make me look like a I just stepped out from a balloon convention). My face absorbs all traces of make up in a desperate attempt to maintain some sort of moisture. My eyes, no matter how much rest I get, resemble those of an insomniac, and my wardrobe is rarely a step beyond blue jeans or a loose fitting skirt. Forget "fit and trim". My stomach bloats no matter how much water or healthy food I stick to.  I tend to look a bit frazzled even when coming from the most fun-filled vacation ever.

How do you do it, Beautiful Airplane Babes?

My sunglasses are off to you.

Wedding Week Recap - Travel Day to Sea World

Where to start about our travel day? It really started the day before, as we finished packing and last minute crafts for the wedding. On about one hour of sleep, we were up and waiting for the our shuttle to the airport.

And that's where the hiccups began. But what is a big trip like this without a couple of hiccups?

When the shuttle arrived, we were informed that we'd booked the wrong day. We were actually on the list for the day before, and were a "no show". This shuttle was full, so we had to wait for the next one.

An hour of napping in the car at 2am later, and we made it aboard the next shuttle. They were kind enough to let us ride without having to pay again. We arrived at the airport just in time to check our bags and make our flight. We had decided to buy a few of the bigger things while in California - like Sean's suit for the wedding, the frame for our signature frame/guestbook, and a few other odds and ends. My mom was keeping my dress safe and sound in CA.

I have to say Virgin is my new favorite airline. At first, I was reluctant. After all, what does a producing company know about flying? While I'm sure their artists are very familiar with some high flying that doesn't involve airplanes, I doubted their ability to run an awesome airline. But in this case, the price was right, so I booked. I used Expedia to book, but went through Ebates, so I got Expedia reward points, and a few bucks back from Ebates on top of the already discounted price. Not bad. I figured I could suffer through a few hours on even a bad plane for the right price.

In this case, there was nothing "bad" about the plane!  Their seats were comfortable and came complete w/ a great free mix of music and movies to help pass the time. And they treat military REALLY well - like 10 bags free checked well!
However, they did manage to misplace one of our bags. It just happened to be our 1 bag that had our wedding goodies safely tucked away too (including fans for the bridesmaids, my bridal fan, my rehearsal outfit, the girls' wraps, our love letter box, and the flower girl's Mickey). After filing a report, Virgin went looking for it. While we were picked up by my dad and whisked off to lunch at Point Loma Seafood.  It was a great quick stop before we headed into my hometown for the night.

I jumped into a Zumba class before joining my parents for dinner at the house, just the 4 of us. It was really nice to relax and get to know each other. There was some mix up in getting our bag back to us. We knew they found it. At first, they called saying they'd drop it off between 6pm and 8pm. Perfect for us to head to bed early. Then it was by 10pm... after that, people stopped answering the phone as I left messages every hour asking for a status update. Around 2am, we gave up waiting and went to bed. The next day, they called back, apologized and said they'd drop off the bag between 9am and 11am. It arrived (safe and sound) at 10:45am. Whew! At least we got it - and everything was in one peice, but I'll be writing them a letter to let them know that this part of our experience was FAR less than pleasurable.

After that, we used our military free day and headed into Sea World!

Things I Love and Things I Don't

I LOVE MY FITBIT!

Because My Sailor loves me, we pooled together some pennies and I got a Fitbit Ultra!
It's RARE that I want a "gadget", but this was one of them! The Fitbit is a wireless activity monitor that can sync w/ MyFitnessPal, that I'm already a member of. It tracks the quality of your sleep and your steps (running, stairs, walking) throughout the day. The online program also helps you reach your fitness goals by helping you track your calories in vs calories burned. Of course, if you eat 1000 calories a day, and make them all Snickers bars, you won't lose weight even if you walk a ton. So I am still control of putting good quality fuel in my body. But I've been maintaining my weight for a while now (about 2 months) so I'm due for a big loss soon! The sleep monitoring function is great too. Most people who are obese suffer form insomnia as well. For example, last night I was in bed for about 8 hours, but only got 3 hours of quality sleep! Yikes! I wonder if that will change when we're on the road... I hope so! A break might be just what I need to get some more rest! We're going on vacation soon, and I plan in wearing it and syncing it everyday. After all, there are no vacations from a healthy lifestyle, because a healthy lifestyle includes healthy vacations!

Which brings me to - I LOVE THAT WE'RE GOING ON VACATION in TWO DAYS! There is still so much to do between now and then. 24 hours of work, plus finding time to pack and write up instructions for our new dog sitter. I need to make a trip to the bank, and pack for two completely different climates. Our first stop is Michigan (brrr!) and then we get to Orlando (yeah! Disneyworld here we come!). While I am really looking forward to getting a tour of My Sailor's hometown, meeting his family and friends, I'm also loving that we're working in some ways to steal some moments for us. We'll also hopefully be able to meet up with Lou Mongello (editor of Celebrations Press, the Disneyworld fan magazine I write a column for, and creator of WDWRadio) for a bit in Disneyworld. When I grow up (er, down), I want to be Lou Mongello. Check out his podcast if you haven't already.

Now on to a few things I think I don't love.

24 hours of work before vacation, in 2 days. Now don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for my job and to be employed. I created this beast I'm riding on, so it is what it is. But I wish vacation started TODAY and lasted even longer! Then again, who doesn't?!

Easily offended folks -  I have a LONG fuse. It takes a good recurring behavior to really get my goat most of the time. I can put up with anything for a while. Over the past few weeks, I've seen lots of lists of "What never to say to a military wife" go around the internet.  In case you've never seen them (and I didn't see them until I got involved in the military community), they read something like this:
1.  "Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?"
2.  "I don't know how you manage. I don't think I could do it."
3.  "At least he's not in Iraq."
4.  "Do you think he'll get to come home for Christmas/anniversary/birthday/birth of a child/wedding/family reunion, etc.?"
5.  "What are you going to do to keep yourself busy while he is gone?"
6.  "How much longer does he have until he can get out?"
7.  "This deployment shouldn't be so bad, now that you're used to it."
8.  "My husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you're going through."
9.  "Wow you must miss him?"
10.  "Where is he exactly? Where is that?"
11.  "Well he signed up for it, so it's his fault whatever happens over there."
12.  "Don't you miss sex? I couldn't do it!"
13.  "Well in my opinion...."
14.  "OH, that's horrible...I'm so sorry!"

Honestly, the only one that offends me is #12 because my sex life is no one's business. If a good friend asked me, I might be open about it but other than that, none of these 'offend' me. Sure, we ALL say silly things to try to connect with other people. When I was first married, it was "When are you having kids?" Sounds like a "normal" thing to ask, right? When you think about it, it's actually deeply personal. I was never 'offended' by it - just mildly annoyed. Now that I'm in my 30's I understand a bit more, and compassion doesn't come hard. I understand that they are trying to connect with me, get to know me, and don't mean to be inconsiderate. I'm always hopeful that these lists are ment in good humor more than anything else. Reading it over, I think they can all be answered by "Yes, I miss him. Yes, he's a my hero. Yes, he's worth waiting for. It's not a lifestyle for everyone. Yes, I'm grateful he's not in any obvious line of fire. If he has to do his job, there probably won't be anything to come home to."

So I'd like to end on 2 "love" notes.

I love that my blogger friends and fellow Team Voicers FINISHED THE PRINCESS 1/2 MARATHON this last weekend! Way to go Amanda and Jonathon! You inspire me!

I love that people actually appreciate My Sailor. I don't get a "thank you" for being a certified coder.  When I hear from a fan of my writing, it makes me glow for a day or two. (Celebrations Press readers - you're gonna LOVE the Big Thunder Mountain piece I picked up for an up coming issue! Keep your eyes peeled.) There aren't many jobs in life where strangers approach you, hug you, and thank you for doing your job. He doesn't get the sleep he deserves and sometimes, he doesn't even get the credit he deserves from me at home sometimes.  So it's always a great reality check when someone says 'Thank you for putting your life on the line so I can live free.'

12 hour days...

California was fun, and it was great to be warmed by the spirit of family and friends. Even though most of my plans to see friends and family didn't pan out the way I'd hoped, it still was a great trip. I set up a few occasions to meet up with groups, but with the holidays, schedules just couldn't collide (including mine), but I got to spend time with a few people and my awesome family.

Finding the 40th anniversary Disneyland time capsule!

And I'm glad to report the weight I've lost since Thanksgiving has continued to help a fit with my wedding dress! I am excited with my progress so far, which is even more incentive to keep at it. Weigh in day is next week. I've been able to eat right and work out even with my long days, so I'm sticking to it!

I got a few surprise words from My Sailor recently! I wasn't expecting to hear (well, read, since there are no phones on a submarine) from him until next year, so it was a nice surprise that made the extra work more tolerable.


Speaking of extra work...

Since I've been back, I've been working 12 hour days, and will be until the end of the year. Weekends included. (Hence the lack of blogging.) I've really decided to buckle down and seek balance during this heavy work period. I'm taking care of myself, working out on lunch breaks, and eating right. Today I made a big pot of Chicken Thyme barley soup. It turned out pretty darn good, and I have servings all lined up in the freezer for the rest of the week. Between that, some salad greens, fresh fruit, and my usual morning goodies (egg beaters, turkey bacon, and oatmeal), I'm all set to stay in and get as much done as possible. Clydas has been a couch potato lately, but it's because I don't have much time for play. I'm working on it though!

So, what did Santa bring me? You'll just have to wait until "2nd Christmas" (my celebration with My Sailor next month) to find out!

As for the upcoming New Year's eve - I do have a bottle of bubbly in the fridge. I'll not only be toasting the New Year (unless I save it for My Sailor's return), but I'll be toasting the end of 12 hour shifts! Sunday and Monday I have OFF!

Need thoughts? I think not.

So I was working on this "deep thought" blog about the evolution of relationships. After all, a recent relocation is part of my journey (moved from Southern California to Western Washington ), and relationships have changed dramatically during that time. I wasn't worried about keeping in touch with folks, or meeting new people. I'm good at going out and meeting people now (a skill I continue to hone, which says a lot for this natural hermit), and already know I'm pretty great about keeping in touch with long distance folks. But I never expected to go home and find that people who were like family to me now no longer have a moment to spare for a hug and a hi. It's healthy for relationships to ebb and flow and evolve (or fade away) over time. And it's natural that family should come first. It's just disappointing that I probably won't be home again until 2013 after this trip, or later, and I'll miss those hugs and hi's. Facebook just isn't the same as face time. I guess I didn't anticipate how tough it would be seeing people I've come to care for over the holidays. I 'assumed' (and we all know what THAT word means) that when I was in town, it would be simple to hook up with folks.

And I'm not singling out my California family of friends. Even up here it's been challenging. People from My Sailor's regular boat are working crazy schedules, so naturally, their families need time together (alone) during the holidays to bond. They don't think to call up the girl (who they have barely met) and say, "Hey, want to grab some lunch?" Honestly, if I were in there position, I wouldn't really think about it either. Time with family is number one. Just like I'm sure I'll "disappear" for a while when My Sailor gets home.

But that's actually NOT the blog I wanted to write. So before this starts to sound like an invitation to a pity party, I wanted to blog about my GOOD day, that's about to end shortly. Not the good part, but that's when I go to bed.

I got a bunch of overdue cleaning done, the kitchen is spotless (wahoo!) except for the floors, which will happen tomorrow. I feel like I'm FINALLY ready to start actually drawing up the tree soon. I want to make time to do it before I leave on Thursday.

I also decided to take my lazy, lonely arse up to PrettyBre's apartment-warming party! She's house-sat for me once now, and will be doing it again while I'm in California for Christmas. I got to meet her boyfriend, Bre's E, and a few new folks that were very cool. (Remember what I said about being better about making new friends? Fudge and wine always helps.)

I also found out that holiday bonuses are on the way from work! Whew! I never expect or plan for a bonus, but every little bit helps, especially since...

WE SET A WEDDING DATE!  FINALLY! I have a deposit down on the photographer, the DJ, and (as soon as they reply to my email) the venue! So time and date are in place now! At least... until the Navy tells us otherwise.

I can't wait for my Disneyland time and a BREAK from work. Yes, I know I do it to myself. I work so much to keep myself busy, so that the time flies - but I could sure use a vacation from the stress of working, waiting, and goal reaching.

So Christmas in California? Bring it on.


  But that's not the blog I wanted to

Taking Notes...

So this holiday season is pretty full. I'll be home with my family over Thanksgiving and over Christmas, but I'd really love to take a day to do this at some point too...

Okay, so it's probably a little corny, but for me, there is a little magic in small town Christmases. And this year, I may not be in Port Orchard for Christmas, but I look forward to the pre-holiday festivities... and to experiencing my first snow.

The Yosemite road trip

About a week ago, I left Port Orchard to embark on a drive to Yosemite. It was a long drive. Roughly 40 hours round trip, done over about 3 days.

But I'm so glad I braved the road for it, for so many reasons:

1) First of all Green Guy got married! Now, I've been blessed to have some amazing men in my life - ranging from my family members to friends who have become my family.  Until that day, I wasn't fully aware how much I consider Green Guy like a brother. I am speechlessly honored to be a part of several major events in his life. His wife is stunningly beautiful inside and out. There was a nearly-tangible connection between them and I've never seen Green Guy so happy. In his happiness, he remains one of the most inspirational people in my life. Congrats Green Team! I'll be writing more about this one later, once I have more photos to post.

2)YOSEMITE! I can see why they love this place so much. To say it's "amazing" or "beautiful" would be doing it a disservice. It's the kind of place that reminds me why I love living a more rural. Driving to Glacier Point on Friday brought tears to my eyes. It felt like nature at it's best. I can't wait to go back with My Sailor when we have time so we can really go hike and explore. Even the 10 feet drifts of snow on the way didn't dampen my spirits.






3) I stayed healthy! Usually, a road trip would mean a tour of drive-thrus and french fries. Aside from having to deal with diet soda to help with the caffine necessary, I filled my cooler with veggies, fruits, protein bars, and

But the best part of the entire trip was the feeling of community I felt. Green Guy's family and Green Girl's friends truly adopted me into the group. It made me realize that I do enjoy living in the mountains, but I miss that sense of community that I took for granted while living around my family.  I wish I had brought my camera so I'd have more pictures, but I'm sure I can find photos through Facebook and the other guests.

Anyway, I was VERY happy to get home on Sunday afternoon too. My Sailor made sure I came home to a happy dog, a clean apartment, a potted orchid (my favorite), and a salmon dinner! Sometimes you don't realize how much you miss someone until you're parted for a while. If this is any sign of things to come, homecoming from his deployments will be wonderful.