Pics of Rome and the beginnings of Amalfi Coast

Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

My Guy

2/3 of my best guys ever

Vatican

Golf carting in Villa Borghese Gardens!

Arriving in amalfi-Golden Ocean

Scenic lookout with my handsome boy

Tica Tica Restaurent oceanfront-dipping our feet in the water

A pretty fountain in Rome

Peanut Butter and Jam

Ps all pics coming soon when i have the energy and time !!!!!

I spend quite a bit more time with chase than our other two kids lately given that he is often home in the day because of his erratic cegep schedule and the fact that i have a home office

We often grab a bite in or out together or feel awkward together when the cleaning team arrives every second week . We mostly ignore each other but here and there  I get the chance to nag him more often to clean up and i get to have an extra dishwasher stacker around complaining but getting the work done . I also have someone to share a laugh with .I treasure this time .

I love the kid endlessly and through all the rough growing pains has always been this way. I wrote to my husband the other day on text that being with chase on the trip would feel to me like being with peanut butter ( i am the jam ) So easy and comfortable and fits perfectly together .I don't know why it is but has been that way for years .

So last night was no exception although we had a sweet layer of nutella added in ( hubby ). We rested and napped at hotel and then headed out to dinner - we let Chase chose and it was german resto . We were a little apprehensive but was so incredibly delicious ! Best steak filet ever over a bed of arugula and shaved parmasan. And the sausage plate with sauerkraut did not disappoint with its warm tangy mustard sauce .
And a great Caesar salad and non alcoholic german beer that my hubby always appreciates as so rare to have a great one

We sat for a few hrs and has so many great conversations and great chats . It was so fun and lively . Chase worked on us again about his wanting to have a 10 person "
Not party" at our cottage when we get back but all calm and collected .The guy knows how to work the parents and our soft spots!

His dad and i went for a stroll and bought a yummy but expensive ( 9 euro??!! ) ice cream and met chase back in the room for a long and restful and needed sleep . We woke up at 9:30am today !

Chase is being amazingly civil and respectful with his phone use ( having no data is a blessing)
He uses it in room but doesnt seek out restos or places to find wifi which surprises me . He even gets mad at his dad when he is on the gps ! ( maybe my example of having my phone off always during vacations is inspiring him ?)  Usually our kids are bad at this when alone and with us in general but at the cottage , with frienda around and adults around they are usually very respectful. The last month i have not seen that usual fairly respectful use of their technology  in two instances at a pool party we had and with out of twon guests we had . I am glad to see on this trip chase still has his manners as something we have worked on consistently for years. Cool to see it come to life in rome



Then today Vatican city and the Vatican museum and basilica

The courtyards and gardens and churches are beautiful and so grandiose
Really gave us a flair of the true Rome

( I feel so bad for My Protector as he must feel like he is with two teens as both chase and I can't stop saying when we see the nuns and priests " who would want to do that with their life ? " childish I now but I couldn't seem to help myself by agreeing with Chase on this one . Especially after we walked an hour to the Vatican and then heard that shorts may not be allowed ( out of respect !! ) nevertheless the church and city were beautiful and wonderful and we even sat down the three of us and prayed .

Then onto a beautiful lunch at the same resto we ate at the first lunch and again the food blew us away with the caprese salad and smoked salmon over arugula and the pastas and meats . I could listen to chase all day go on and on about the food here - I knew he would love it .

Then a great time in the gardens of villa borghese and we tried to rent segways but decided pretty quickly maybe not ! Would have needed at least 15 mins of practice first as tried them and hard to maneuver at first ! We settled on a golf cart to see the park and that was a fun filled 45 mins and will let chase blog more about it later

Walked another 40 mins to get half hour Thai food massages and that felt amazing .Truly
Then some shopping on way back to hotel for chase who has 60 euros to spend on a souvenir(s)  for himself from us and he has already picked out a couple of great and cheap shirts. He loves clothes shopping and always has such a cool style .we left him in the shops and came back to hotel at 8:30pm for a little break before dinner as we are exhausted . Couldn't of course not stop for a slice of Gorgonzola mushroom pizza to share in front of the hotel

Tonight is Brie burgers we found at this little dive that look delicious and tomorrow leaving Roma and off to sorento !

Spending time with one kid alone like this is the most precious gift ever . Seriously it is .Even by the end of a long day simpler still peanut butter and jam . He hugs me .. Kisses me ... Lets me lean into him Into huge hugs when I get tired in the street The sweetest of the sweet he is . May not always appear that way -but people who know him well know that underneath that cool exterior is probably the most affectionate loving person ever .

Enjoying Roma through his eyes is truly magnificent .I love being a mom .





 

Our first day in Rome ( pics added another day)

I cannot believe that a day  and a half ago I was in Peru . And now I am in Rome ? How did this happen? Thank goodness I cancelled the stop In Toronto which was initially planned making me get home at 1am instead of 2 pm that same day . I think I have lost my mind . I cancelled the event a few weeks before bc I realized how crazy it really was

Travelling with Chase so far is fun ! He is a good traveller and appreciates all the beauty and culture surrounding him . The fight was easy and we all slept very uncomfortably  but still some sleep . Arrived at our hotel which is very centrally located and completely crashed for 2.5 hrs ( kept pressing snooze and forced ourselves up )

Then found a very cute yummy place for chases first Italian meal . It was fun to see him eat real mozzarella 

Walked around for a couple of hours and sat  on the church step admiring the street break dancers and people watching . At one point fatigue over came me like a wave and I pleaded and begged to have our tiny hotel room to myself for 30 mins to organize  our luggage and take a shower . They finally relented and left me .

I only feel good when I am organized and clean . The shower felt like heaven and I climbed in to bed to read and was asleep by the time my boys returned and never woke up ... Until 3am 

At 3am it was like a circus in our room . All three were awake and ready to start the day and starving . Nothing open and no food . Apparently I was snoring for hours ( I find this hard to believe ) and then we all stayed up talking and laughing and chase came in  our small bed and we tried to go back to sleep and finally hubby did and took over the snore fest . Chase watched Netflix to my dismay .

I pray tonight we all just sleep through .

By 7:30 chase had us up and out to eat and I begged to stay in bed and ate a muffin there . I don't think these people realize how tired i still am !!

And onto Rome and the Colosseum  which we walked the wrong way to and so two hours later were still 40 mins away .i hauled down a cab . All so beautiful and at every corner is a beautiful new sight to see .

My style of travel is to see a site for about 30 mins and then find a quiet bench in the shade overlooking beautiful things ... And read ..

Hubby walks everywhere and loves hearing all the details of the sight and chase is somewhere in Between 

Had a so so lunch with weird salad and incredible lasagna 

Then onto the Roman Forum and then the beautiful amazing Trevi fountain where we made wishes and splashed around in the heat . We knew we were supposed to throw money behind us and then be sure we would return to Rome one day - but we decided to sneak a few wishes in there too ) until my mom feels better on a daily basis mine is always for her health and all our health ) . Sometimes when my back really annoys me and painful I think that it is the universe ensuring that I always keep my mom top of mind and ensuring that I always come from a place of empathy for her . When my back hurts or I don't feel well I feel sick thinking of what my mom goes through hour to hour with constant headaches and limitations ( besides back and stomach issues ) it makes me furious and literally sick to my stomach that I can't make it better . I try not to let these feelings in too often as they hurt so much to feel but the better I feel and the more fun in my own life I have .... The more I feel them it seems .

Trevi fountain was as glorious as I imagined it in the movies . We all loved 

On our way there we stopped for a snack and had some basil olive and tomato eggplant pizza squares . Everything tastes amazing here 

Then we wanted to treat ourselves to Thai foot massages at the end of the day for our soar and aching feet but the place we went back to was totally full so we made appts fortomorrow at 6pm

We walked for a total of 9 hrs today minute maybe 2.5 hrs of sitting so 6.5 hrs . We are back at hotel now and relaxing for an hour before we head out for dinner and gelato of course . 

Chase was great and it is fun to be with him . It is truly like being with an adult . I can't believe just 6 years ago we were in Paris with him ( and he was the size of my thumb )

Who is this cool broad  shouldered confident charismatic man who is our son now ?

It's such a privilege to share this time with him and he already told us that as he gets older he will always be " willing " to travel with us if we pay as he likes it a lot but said he would never spend his money on trips but prefers objects and cars ! Lucky us ! ( I guess )

Rome !!!!!

72 hrs in Peru!

(posted a few blogs today so keep scrolling down)

This week I am doing some international training and consulting and am in Lima Peru . Except for 2 hrs walking the main Blvd I won't see anything but the hotel but am meeting people from around the world and training them on their new sales medical and marketing technical competencies . An important work week for me .

Did get to participate in a very looooong team building activity at a local Peruvian resto . After 9 hours of presenting and standing up I had to chop a fishes ahead off as quickly as I could to win a food cooking contest ( of course I did not ! )

Then we had a great local meal which was very cool to experience all the food being served to table but a little scary to actually eat ( think cows hearts .. horses balls etc )

I was hungry and very grateful for the second courses of amazing steak and papas frites and beans and rice . And the best dognuts desserts ever . Was a cool night to actually step outside hotel and see Lima a bit !

I fly home Thursday afternoon and Friday leave again for Italy !!! (now today!!!) Me hubby and chase for 10 day vacation and I can't wait . Going to be a challenge to get all organized and ready personally and professionally in a mere 24 hrs but will be all worth it when in Rome and the Almalfi coast 

The best part ? Getting Chase  to ourselves for 10 whole days . May be the last time for this luxury as he gets older and busier . Already now he is missing two events he could have led as an master of ceremonies . My feeling is as of this summer he is going to enter w different world of weekend work and focus on jobs etc all year long . New ( sad ) stage but a reality we will have to accept . 

A busy busy but wonderful week and weekend full of adventures !

Ps a couple of side notes on Peru . Interesting place and I was staying at the Marriott for the conference I was delivering on a very luxurious part of Lima . But getting there and back from airport was quite the experience ! Picture crowded traffic India traffic with no highways and no order and pure chaos . All honking cars all the time and hundreds of them !

Also the food has been a bit challenging for me !!! So to not starve o have been eating junk and lots of it as need energy to do what I do ... So I am scared to step on scale . I don't even like junk but preferred it to cow hearts , seafood and a whole bunch of mini sandwiches with some kind of ham in them for literally ever snack and meal

. 

So odd how the locals seem to get so excited each time the same thing is served every break breakfast lunch and dinner 

Have to admire their positivity and enthusiasm in the Latin blood

I really enjoy the latin culture and people. they are so warm and inviting and kind and passionate. Our two day program was a hard one to pull of as very complex and technical but we did a great job and was very good and we were proud of the months of work that led to this day. Russia is next in October!

Ended the trip off with a great trip back home on United Airlines (when fly for work international I fly business class and they did not disappoint with their beds and comforters and real pillows!!!) and then stopped oin NewArk to transfer and had breakfast with my brother which was a great end to the quick trip.

Back home now and leaving for Italy in less than 8 hours!!! Vacqtion though and no work !

CDF Visit!

This was an exciting weekend and weekend and next week as lots happening 

Besides Beauty's dance show which I posted on separately - we had our wonderful friends the CDF gang ( family of 7) over for the long weekend . It was cool as we were all together but also had our individual family commitments like the dance show and mother visits etc . It was a great weekend as usual filled with tons of yummy food and restaurants , great walks and talks.

The funniest part ever was when they got here before us and wanted the wifi code so their eldest son texted Chase to ask him

" cock-slap-dick56"

Chase!!!!!!!!

And they believed him (based on the mere fact we named our christmas Elf "Balls  ") so there they all sat typing in this wifi obscene code and trying it different ways with capitals etc..

This goes down as one the funniest memories of my life -for real.

What was really different about this visit was that it mirrored our real lives very distinctly : our kids are no longer kids for the most part they are now all teens or almost teens or just out of teenhood . And having 8 of these creatures together ... Does present some challenges !

To sum it up : Alone together . Yes all the seem to do is stare at their individual screens unless literally forced to do otherwise . Every moment of the weekend .

And that part really irritated the adults . All of us .We even had a debate about it with one of the teens which was cool in and of itself and got them off their phones for a while in order to debate ! At least they were all engaged in this part and cool to hear the different perspectives that are mostly generational 

It was hard though as tough to see a bunch of teens so excited to see eachother and so alone being together . Made me very worried  about this generation and what I may have done as a parent to not prevent this .

It has all moved from more family visits to more adult visits with kids sitting around staring at their phones . Thank goodnessnes for their two younger ones who brought some life to the party ! 

Despite all they are all wonderful and good kids-just a rough stage!

Thank goodness Savvy and I are both the type of moms that force them at points to do otherwise so there were moments of chatting with meals and walks and activities etc but not enough of them .

Yet felt so good for us adults to realize we are leading parallel lonely lives and face many of the same reality and challenges of raising adolescents 

Then we stayed up late all catching up and debating after beauty dance show and then I left for a business trip in Peru early Sunday morning.  They  all stayed and spent the day with hubby and our kids and then by end of afternoon all went their separate ways with lots on schedule before our trip to Italy at the end of this week 

Our gang went up to cottage and got all the summer stuff organized and CDF's moved onto savvy moms place for a visit 

I don't even have a  picture of the visit of the kids !!! I wonder why ? (They all roll their eyes at me too much ? I give up trying ?)

At least I have a few great pics of the adults ! From our long walk to the village for icecream ( we sent the kids on their own )

Was a great visit and always is. So thankful for these wonderful friends

Our dancing girl

( written last weekend )

The Vanilla Beans

There are a few facts about Beauty :

She is happiest when she is dancing . That is certain . I mean just look at the expression on her face . Pure joy and pride and determination . When I look at her face in these pictures ... My heart swells with happiness for her passion 

Secondly when they dance and there are 35 girls who all have the same hair and body and the  same costume it is hard to find your own daughter to focus on . I always find her . Want to know how ? She has a super long waist to chest measurement . Simply a long long torso ( a woman's dream ! ) I look for her long waist and I always find it :)

The girls (minus one vanillabean 2)

After 36 hrs of extra dance practice in This week alone and weeks and months of preparation the show at place des arts de Montreal  for the 25 anniversary of the professional dance program at the school was truly seamless as everything else this school does 

Perfect synchronicity of every unique and beautiful performance . 

She may not seem it yet but man oh man will this girl learn discipline for a lifetime . They are chastised if one hair is out of place or one false movement . Lots and lots of pressure and she does extremely well under these conditions 

I am so proud that she is doing this 

What an absolute gift 

Livvy bum-bum and Beauty

She did a beautiful flaminco number as well as a jazz ballet lyrical  based on surrealism and Dali as an artist one and a finale . I always have tears in my eyes when she performs 

Like watching her ski it is like a graceful symphony .

She comes alive not through relationships ( well friends yes ! ) but through activity  sports . This is she .

It was an exhausting and exhilarating weekend for her bc not only dance shows and dress rehearsals but also a bff from Toronto visiting  for weekend ( a separate post about our fave family of 7 )  so she would come home and stay up late and talk and talk and talk ! Today they finally get to hang out the pg gals and enjoy time together at last 

And  Let's just say since our escape to Punta Cana time we have not had much More than a quality minute together  and only read Solomon a handful since . And now her mama is off to work in Peru for the week  as early this morning and then Italy as soon as get back for 10 days  . She won't miss me much but I will miss her 

As i look at her dance and her pictures here I see a young girl who has truly become a young woman . I look at her and crave the beach trip we had and that alone time . 

The girls trying to set up Didi with Vanilla bran 2 grandpa!

I am used to the fact that I will always be chasing her .. She will always be running in the opposite direction . But when I do catch her and catch up it feels like a prize to be won . This girl will travel  the world , she will move far away , she will do great and fearless things .She will grow up and away quickly .

Thank goodness she has two homebody brothers to distract us  and keep us loved and who will come home for Sunday dinners always  . Hopefully she won't have too much wanderlust as will miss her too much !! She is a different kind of jewel . Rare and to be treasured 

She is my little superstar . I can't wait to watch her flight of life and where it will all take her 

Fearless. Talented Dancer. Soaring

Launching him

( I wrote this weeks ago but Chase has been annoying me a little lately so did not post it! Seeing that this is his last week of exams and he has impressed me yesterday by saying “I love school” it is time to post!)

It really occurred to me this week that my son is an adult when the doctor called and left a message that he has an apt on Tuesday and that he needs to fast for 24 hrs and abstain from alcohol for 72 hrs for the blood tests.

What's next a prostate exam? Hubby joked.

Then realized even more how his life is his life now when later I gave the message and Chase said “I can't abstain from alcohol

For 72 hrs there is a huge party Saturday night and my buddy rented a condo downtown for his birthday and we are all staying there! " 

(And I thought we were all together at the cottage Saturday night playing monopoly and eating bonbons)

Your problem buddy! Figure it out with your doctor 

Our son is growing up. And not just in this more annoying alcohol part related expected ways.... He is launching himself into life.

The other day I got an email and it said " xyz is inviting you to accept him as a contact on LinkedIn” and that person was our son!!! His dad and I got it at the same time.

As I read his profile which I did not even know he had ... I am not kidding that tears of joy started streaming down my face. I saw everything we have worked so hard for since the moment he was born in that profile. All the values all the hard work -all the nagging and the discipline and coaching and pushing. There is was in his LinkedIn profile.

I don't care how success is defined. I don't care what marks he gets in university or what career he chooses. All the success I needed to see from him was right there in front of me.

I was speaking to one of my bffs last month about a blog post she wrote about her own eldest son ( she has an older step son too ) and the blog " my non swearing son " she and I have worked tirelessly  on deliberate parenting and very often share the ups and downs of our efforts . What I realized in this discussion was how our parenting is paying off ! Finally!! I saw so much of her parenting and her values in her son and this blog post. As she tells me more and more about him and their conversations and the direction he wants to go in beyond this blog ... I see her brand all the way 

Same on my eldest son, as I read that LinkedIn profile I saw myself written all over it 

What an amazing feeling!!!!!! (Gosh I know so narcissistic but a great feeling to know something you have said has been heard over 18.5 yrs!!)

I love watching his launching process. Something big had happened to our son in this first year of cegep - he is becoming an adult and becoming his own unique person. He decided a few weeks ago that he is super interested in event planning and connected with a dozen people over a week to networks about this. Really? Chase? Seriously he did this?

Four days later the phone rings ( on our way up to a sacred family weekend to the cottage of course ) and he was asked to mc a big DJ event at that same even in honour of the a big fundraising event for the Children’s Wish Foundation . He gave us a big speech about how that we had to turn right around and drive him back home as his whole life we have been teaching him to network and create opportunities and take risks and put himself out of his comfort zone and now he had the opportunity.. And that we had better support him!!!

And so we did. 5 hrs of driving them afternoon. And our son with zero experience stood up in front of 500 people to introduce the 12  Djs for a great cause.

And then this week he told me that he contacted all 12 of the Djs “to expand his network" (good thing since so far only has mom and dad as contacts on LinkedIn! ) and wrote them each a personal email

on their particular performance at the event and asked them to keep him in mind for future events. And with one two hours they had all written back to connect 

And I almost had a heart attack of joy for real right there on the kitchen 

Then I had a gorgeous younger colleague here this week one evening to facilitate part 2 of our family vision building exercise and at the end Chase ask her to speak in private. I was so so so so scared he was going to ask her for her number!!!!! But he instead asked her about life coaching for him. On his own. Without me there. He did this !!!!!!!!! (Another blog most on our part 2 sessions later this weekend)

Anyways there are definite cons to having a kids this age ( many many many ) and it is damn hard many days of the week . The lifestyle, the parties, the attitude, the impulsivity, the attitude (oh I said that already?)

But nothing could ever replace how much I adore having the privilege and honour of watching this kid grow up right before my eyes. It is the most beautiful process on watch besides the miracle of birth. Really and truly.

And yesterday he says to be in the car (him driving of course! )“Mom I don't think going away to university is for me ... 3 yrs. is too long to be away from home. And I don't want to be tempted to party all week long. Weekends are good enough for me. During the week I want to eat well and healthy and work out at the gym and study during the weekdays and keep my focus. And besides I would die eating Kraft dinner all year. I need salmon to gain weight and can't afford it! Home is good for me” 

We shall see where this little peppercorn firecracker goes (my dad used to call me that when he was impressed with my enthusiasm and drive for life :)))

The world is ahead and I can't wait to see him explore it. Fall on his face a million times and pick him back up and keep going. 

What a privilege to be a parent. Nothing else I have ever done in my life remotely compares to this fulfillment. Watching the outcomes of the most important work of my life coming to fruition in its own unique and beautiful way.

I am so grateful (today)

Mothers Day 2016

Unconciously or  conciously I forgot to post this blog last week. So today when i posted the new one right away it occurred to me that the context was not there yet and had not been posted. Read this one first about the real mothers day and then the one below it about how they made it up to me)

Mother's Day 2016

I will remember this one forever 

And unfortunately not because it was special but because of how hurt and sad I felt. I would like to write how wonderful and spoiled I was and felt like a princess all day and make myself sound like the adored mom I think should be - but I always vowed to keep this blog real and I don't have any intention to stop now just because my feelings are hurt and my ego bruised 

Parenting can be one beautiful and one painful journey 

Usually living with three teens I can handle. Fairly successfully and well. I do most of the heavy work. Hardly anything domestic but all the emotional stuff and the planning and organizing and worryingly just like most moms. And I do it really really well in my opinion most days with caring and grace and many other days with some nagging and screaming. 

But my kids are loved and feel it daily. Their lives are good. More than good 

And yesterday I felt dismissed. I won't even get into the details as it hurts to write in a lot of ways but was all the subtle things that were Said or not said and the passivity that surrounded it. Although my husband was not as guilty as the kids there was so thing about how he did not stop it that hurt. Something about his comments the night before as so often happens a when it is my turn to be celebrated that made me feel as though he was not the proper role model in this 

It all caused me a pain I have rarely felt 

And when my own mom turned to me with tears in her eyes and put her hand on my knee and said”

I am so sorry you are being treated like this”

Something broke open inside of me 

And I took my mom and left. Left the gifts and the last minute scribbled cards. Left the wrestling and bad manners and chaos and them with all their mouths hanging wide open - and bundled up my mom in the cold weather and took her to the patisserie and for a walk ( PS neither was she fit to do given her state of health right now ) I took her anyways 

And she talked me through it all even though I am sure she had more imported concerns. She was there for me and I was there for her 

When we got back home there were notes and love letters and apologies taped on the door from all. I read them quickly and walked inside .And Spent the rest of the day by myself sulking

For the first time in my life I was not ready to accept an apology from my kids. I did not care if they felt bad all day or week or year. Something has hardened in me. Not being appreciated on Mother's Day or made feel special at all did me in. I have not felt the same way since. 

Maybe it was the sharp contrast between how I treat my Mother and how they treated me that day. I sat down and gave her a bagful of special things I had selected that may help her through this difficult time of not being able to really do much mentally and physically each item with a symbolic of useful meaning. Or the pictures I framed lovingly or the money I gave her to help with an expensive doctor apt. Or all the time and care of the last few weeks and my missed work for Doctor apt and speaking 7 times a day on phone when  normally can't even make time for more than texting .And I  would not change a thing as she is my mom and I love her more than life .She is worth it . I gave her my favorite pillow and my favorite pair of jogging pants - anything to make her feel a little happiness 

Maybe it was that sharp contrast this year that made it so painful 

Maybe I am a tiger mom 

Maybe I just really needed some tender loving care for myself and some needed family time 

Maybe I just once in a while need to be reminded that I do all this for a reason and a purpose and that it is worth it 

I thought Mother's Day was for that. I thought it was and it wasn't for me this year 

This year I lost my chance and the hurt is overwhelming me and taking over . I  am not sure I have every felt this sad or disappointed  over any event 

It hurts to be a mom.

Ps only good news is that I woke up the next morning miserable and feeling sorry for myself and asked myself if I still wanted to go to the gym ? And my answer was yes! I am at the point of habit where it actually know it makes me feel better (which it did)

Then also in the day I got very apologetic and sweet texts from all of my family (but I made it clear I was not fully ready to accept their apology)

And I went on business class to Miami for work the next afternoon and pigged out on both the food at the business class lounge and the food on the plane. Somehow if something really yummy is free I feel obliged to eat it .I even had a bowl of tasty tomato soup. Felt a bit like my own little Mother's Day celebration. With me - and me 

My Day

As I mentioned Mother's Day was a hot mess 

And I basically fumed about  it mostly internally for a week .

And then I decided to move on and accept all their apologies and forgive .

So Sunday they all redid Mother's Day and called it Tarina day . It was really nice . Everyone was on their best behaviour all weekend and they all had lovely cards and a super great gift that they all came up with :

Family time chargers: 3 separate chargers for their phones for my room so that when it is family time at the cottage they can charge their phones far away and be out of sight . ( vs the usual I can't put my phone away as need to charge it ! ) the chargers are all labeled with a family time sticker too ( ok ok so maybe it was not fully their idea but we all pretended it was )

Anyways best gift could get ( although would have preferred it a week ago )

Hubby got me an amazing suitcase that is perfect for my business travel  and really special . Also an iPad holder to watch movies on the Bali bed and some wristbands for the gym so the kettle balls stops bruising me when I swing them

Then they all made a really fancy brunch ( eggs Benedict asparagus bacon toast hash downs fruit ) and the boys each gave me a long massage which was heavenly . Beauty is giving me her hot chocolate mommy daughter treat in a few weeks when her 35 extra hrs of dance a week are over !

We had a great family jacuzzi and watched a totally funny comedy together about families .All in between lots of study hours and all of us working around the cottage to get it ready for spring 

What stuck with me was just the love and what was written and drawn on beauty's card . The way bears card was rainbow written and must have take forever to write and how chase ... Was just chase and massaged me while talking about if he could have a party .

I loved being held and kissed by my husband .

I loved hearing how proud of my career they all are 

I just loved being with them 

It won't be a huge  "thank you!!!!!"this year -but it will be " I am thankful" And mostly grateful that my kids learned an important lesson in life about holidays and the importance of them-and were able to have the opportunity to fix what was broken through their deliberate actions and intentions