An Unforgettable Day

Today was Venice. The city of water and love. We are very spoiled as for Hubby and I third time we visited there…we find it so beautiful we want kids to see it tooJ

 

Gondolas, gelato, best meal at best resto we went to with Bear two years ago, bridges, water taxis. Venice is gorgeous. And it was wonderful to show it to Beauty.

I lost my sun glasses that I bought there two years ago –three days before my trip…the best sunglasses ever. I replaced them today with two pairJ))) Thank goodness I have the excuse of Mothers’ Day tomorrow to allow myself this indulgence.

Beauty chased birds around St Marco’s plaza. They climbed another bell tower. We bought souvenirs. Hubby had a café on a terrace. We are getting seriously used to this!

And Beauty decided that she wants to be a social worker when she grows up. It has become so obvious on this trip what the girl is destined to do. She comes alive by helping others..it’s amazing to watch. I think Venice sealed the deal for her when the homeless man whom she gave money to smiled and waved at her..and all the sudden her own heart expanded by giving. We decided that if she needs surgery for her back-our way to deal with it will be to give to others during that time. Soup kitchens.Cleaning daycare toys..yup.

And then we spoke to the boys! And Didi! On the phone….was so good to speak to them and hear their voices. Tonight it is room service and good old fashioned pizzas and then going up for crepes for dessert. A lazy night in our pjs. We have not watched TV forever and turned a movie on and switched it right off. We have been reading a lot. I have finished three books and have none left so will hit the library on the cruise tomorrow while Beauty does her homework for the first time.

Today was a monumental day but I can’t as why so will give a few hints between other paragraphs so hopefully is hidden from Beauty. 12.5 yrs. old? Monumental? Growing up? OMG!!!!!!!!!! More on this when we get home. Let’s just say that girl has a lot to juggle right now..the brace…talking on the brace and off the brace….lots to figure out. 12.5? Milestone? Embarrassed a little? A LOT???

Ok now that that paragraph is hidden back to Venice. Relaxing and uneventful. Unforgettable day. Vacation is half over. I am glad to have room service tonight so is Beauty. Hubby won't say it but I know he is pissed off (juts like when we eat leftovers at home) He likes going out..always..and eating new stuff.

Sorry the girls win tonight!!!!!

Tomorrow is a quiet at Sea Day.

PS I really really like my new sunglasses

 

PSS-our pizza is late. This is pissing off Hubby even more as now won’t be time for crepes maybe. To add to this we now have smoker next door who smokes on her balcony. I guess she is trying to kill herself as she is about 90 needs old and smokes like a chimney. To create some clean air we have to open our door in front and back to create a backdraft-this is making Hubby slightly agitated too. Then I am making Beauty laugh and so talking a lot about farting and burping and we decided to make fart noises on our balcony each time the woman next store smokes to even out the playing field. Nothing like an anti smoking campaign for a tween. This will surely turn her off forever.

I am guessing that at times like this my husband would like to wind down and decompress . I am relieved for the both of us that in a few minutes I can show him all my shopping bags! That will do it! Nothing like spent money we don’t have to calm the nerves is there?

Anyways I like silly nights like this as I think after 7 serious days of serious touring- We need it.

PSS-So we went for the crepes and of course they had just closed. So I told the chef that my husband would beat me up if he did not get a crepe (and I am not sure I was joking!) The chef gave in and made us three crepes. Phew…I get to sleep tonight. Silly silly silly. I love it when I am in a mood that I don’t care about other’s feelings or problems (very ,very rare). I adore when I join the human race on these rare occasions.

 

Magica

Today we were in yet another country Koper, Slovania…it’s amazing to be in 4 different countries over 4 days,,,truly.

And it was a darn good day. Terrace after terrace of beautiful restaurants right on the water, with rocks and cliffs and little cozy seats facing the vast ocean. Exactly up our aisle.

We spent the first couple of hours in the old city just walking around and eating ice-cream. We found a great flavor of gelato called “Magica”. We went back from seconds on the way back. We found a wife café too on a cute shaded terrace and connected and wrote a few emails. With the time difference and cruising it is nearly impossible to connect.

Then we took a bus tour to ….about 30 minutes away. Again gorgeous and we had a great lunch unexpectedly. For some reason I didn’t think we would like the food in Slovenia-but we were fond. Beauty had mussels, Hubby calamari and me a salad and pasta. The salad was beans and Sauk rout and tomatoes and really cool. And a new kind of beer to try-pleasant surprise they had what Hubby ordered after two days in countries that did not.

Then Beauty was allowed choosing one souvenir on the holiday and she found it today. A cute short pair of hot pink and white striped shorts and two little tight t-shirts with a bunch of holes all over them. At first when I saw the shirts I said “No way!!!” But when she tried them on with the brace and the bodysuit she has to wear all the time-it looked juts fine and fashionable (hidden perk of this brace that tweens can’t wear subtly stuff)

We had such a good day and even put our feet in the ocean. It was really hot. The two of them love climbing up bell towers and ringing the bells and today was no exception. Beauty found seashells she wanted to get but they were too deep. We saw a parade of school children in the city too and a little girl singing a solo.

It’s going to be hard to leave this trip.

Then back to the boat and it were soo hot and the water sooo clam. Amazing. Hubby and I went in the pool for a real swim and then sat on the upper deck reading and sun tanning until 7:30pm. Beauty shocked us by being all grown up and saying “I am going for a run” And she put on her exercise clothes that she looked 16yrs in and her headphones and ran and ran on the track on the boat. We watched her from the pool and Hubby kept saying “is that our child????” Yes ..yes it is.

And then she met us on deck 14 and she was wearing her new outfit!!!! And she said “this is going to be my brace break outfit!!! I love it!!!” It was full of lots of holes and no brace but she looked adorable and very European. I feel so happy for her when she feels good in her clothes and feels stylish and fashionable. Most of her clothes show now her brace which she is ok with …which a miracle is and we are grateful. So when she has a break and takes it off she goes all out even just for a walk to the mailbox.

The kid is growing up. So much for my bodysuit brace holey shirt plan! Oh well!

Tonight dinner in the dining room and then the last show of the week. And earlier bedtime 11:30pm so we can wake up at 6:30am and watch the cruise come into beautiful Venice. I can’t wait to see our girl experience it. We will go back to the same rest for lunch where we went with BearJ

4/5 of the people are leaving this cruise tomorrow. We are so not done and part of the lucky1/5J) the best part of this trip is starting soon..man I love Greece and their food too!!!

Will miss my Mommy on Mother’s day though. Hope our boys treat their Grandma with extra care that day. I hope we have brought them up well enough to do that and remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We can’t even call home that day as at sea all day…..I hope she knows how much I love her. Best mommy for real. Through and through I just love her…all her parts.

 

 

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

That is what I am about to watch…alone in my tiny tiny room…..after a great bamboo massage with facial and scalp and Indian foot massage that my hubby booked as an early mother’s day gift for me. Was decadent. And now I am ALONE..more decadent..first time in the last week. Beauty and Hubby went to show and dinner in the fancy dining room together. I just ordered room service. Yummy. And there are no movies except the above kids one so I will watch that. Or hell no..I will read or blog.

It was cloudy all day anyways today and Beauty orders Bolognese-could be meatballs –dailyJ

Today was so amazing even despite the still chillier cloudier weather. Split, Croatia is magnificent. Reminds me a lot of Dubrovnik but even more luxurious and more lush and beautiful. We started out on an in promptu city open bus ride that was so beautiful right across the coastline of Split. Then we did a 30 minute walking tour of the castle that is the center of the city. Truly gorgeous.

Beauty and Hubby went up and rang some bells at the top of the church while my ankle and I read at the bottom (good excuse to get some reading in!!!)

We had lunch at this cool place and for the first time used Wi-Fi for about 5 minutes and then decided it was a no. Vacation is too precious. We don’t want to hear the news or hear of the Habs scored (yet). Even Beauty texted her BFF and then put her itouch away and took pics of the drinks and food (her new thing)

Everyone was in a great mood today after an amazing 10 hr. sleep. We literally pressed snooze 22 times!!  Beauty was back to her normal good brace night (well as good as one can be in a brace that squeezes you so tight you barely breathe and have red welts on you the next morning!) As I have said she is a  STAR.  Never complains. As you can see none of us (or our boys) are morning people in the least. We like sleeping and taking our time to wake up. The problem in cruising Europe is that there is so much beauty to see…sleep or scenery? We try to do both. Plus the next two days are early ones -7am…as excursions and then gondolas to ride in Venice.

You get very used to this lifestyle I tell you. At first I was thinking-omg..14 days us three in this tiny room smaller than my bathroom? With Beauty who is not the easiest roommate?  Will this be ok? Well let me tell you..it is more than ok…it is amazing. It takes some changing of routines and some adjustments…there are certainly some lower moments too…but mostly I am on a high. I love this life. I love this life in close proximity to my daughter (although I miss my husband as she steals him all the time!). Beauty is a true traveler and explorer and a great roommate in general. I was wrong.

It’s a gift. And Europe is a prize-as usual. It’s our kind of place.

And the cruise is pretty cool too. It is no Royal Caribbean….not fancy like that. But room service comes in 5-10 mins..They all know our names and they are giving me a free hot stone treatment next week because they made an error and used bamboo for the massage today. I rather liked bamboo but did not dare to admit that!!! Bring it on!

It’s a bit hard to be around everyone partying all the time…it’s loud and while Hubby trying not to drink-that part is tough…I hate watching those I love suffer or hurt…but I need to get used to that. It’s what life is really about letting people(little and big) owns their own journeys. Stay out of it…stay in yours- but it is hard. I have tried for years to prevents heartbreaks, hand out not getting divorce advice, impose parenting advice I know will stop teenage mayhem etc…but lately I am just shutting up more often. Because I have my life and they all have theirs. They own their wins and mistakes and so do I in my own life. But I still find it hard to see a truck coming towards someone I love and not tell them to watch out. And I find it equally hard to watch people I love lay in the puddle of their own warm pee. (I use this expression because our trio inside joke these days is how non-alcoholic wine tastes a bit like one’s own warm pee). In Canada I will make it my mission to find some good ones. Actually Great ones. Consider it done ok Hubby?

Anyways Split Victoria is a must see…besides the food not being too great compared to Greece and Italy…it is spectacular.

I bought my Mama bear a great souvenir today too and got hers and the boys sweet texts. I can’t wait to call them soon and email then…will be in next couple of daysJ) I am so grateful for my Mom watching the boys and allowing us this trip with Beauty.

Today I looked back at my daughter holding her dads hand as usual walking the streets of Europe like a pro..And when she caught my eye and reached out her other hand for me and walked in the middle of the two of us? I knew that no truck would be running over us anytime soon.And when I grabbed the gold foot of the praying stair that ensures your one and only wish comes true and I prayed for happiness for Beauty vs “no surgery” I knew that I was not only well on my way to being mindful, “V”, and  at peace-I knew I had in fact arrived at my destination.

Right in Croatia. Holding the gold toe of some religious statue in a big park on a cloudy meatballish day.

 

Happiness is living our best day TODAY. It really truly is. One breath at a time.  And it is dealing with feelings of hurt, anger, and pain as they come. Today holding that guys gold foot in Croatia …I think I got it. And as sad thoughts passed through my head mixed along with happy ones, I realized maybe for the first time in my life that happiness and sadness can co-exist . And so can love and anger. You can love someone to bits…and truly be sad or angry about other parts..And that? Is perfectly ok. It’s part of love and of life and it’s allowed.

Beauty has taught me a whole invisible a lot on this trip.  And you know what? She won’t really very really know it. But she felt and will continue to feel will as of that moment of her reaching back for my hand…feel the peace within me…..whether she ever decides to reach back again..or doesn’t.

Washy Washy -Happy Happy!

This is what the cruiseline says every time they spray you with handsoap upon entering the restos or ship. Love it.

Koter, Montenegro is gorgeous and the weather cooperated. We took a boat tour of the different islands and was so gorgeous. As soon as we have a boat to go one the world becomes so clear for us. Love the little churches on islands..One very important thing I read when we were here is that”you don’t have to be religious to pray” Hallelujah!

 

We had lunch on the cutest terrace literally on the water (aka if I moved my chair an inch I would be in the water) the food was so so but the view was breathtaking as you could get. I am really into penne arrabiata these days as in craving it…reminds me of my preggo cravings???? Weird..very weird..hmmmmm.

In the morning Hubby wanted to climb the city to see the cathedral 1000 steps and then down again on uneven terrain. Nice activity for my ankle eh? It is at about 80 percent for normal walking but stairs maybe 60 percent and pain.I did 250 steps and then sat on a rock in the shade and read. He and Beauty made it up there and then fought as Beauty refused to do the bonus additional 250 after her first 1000. Hubby doesn’t go for tiredness or sprained ankles..at all..I have realized this very unattractive quality about him! So has Beauty! I have realized that if I get sick..he is divorcing me!!!! Ok maybe exaggerating but maybe not.

It was so nice to feel the sun. Beautiful and warm.

When we got back we lay on the upper deck reading in the colder wind but with some sun still and then went in the hot tubs. And then in front of Beauty and Hubby and even a couple of strangers I had a good cry-I was sad. For many reasons and none at all. I felt the weight of the last months….of the sadness and it came out. I felt sad and angry at my daughter too for some stuff on the trip and I told her clearly. And she understood and said the truest sorry I have ever heard. Heartfelt. I also miss my boys…I miss their affections and love. Beauty is a Daddy’s girl. Who does that leave for me??

I got over it and smiled again.

I bet it had something to do with all of us having 3 hrs sleep the night before…Beauty in her night brace the last two nights has been  very uncomfortable all of the sudden for some reason. Could she have grown in 10 days and made the brace too tight? Anyways she tossed and turned the whole night and we woke up and worried about her all nightL

Tonight was an amazing magic show. The shows here are A plus for sure and we actually look forward to them. Fun! Then a chocolate extravaganza buffet with loud music and dancing to enter and exit…Beauty loved that part. Love that girl’s spunk .It’s a never ending flow of cartwheels, splits and dancing I tell you.

This part of the world is really amazing. Really different too-like nothing you could imagine.

I cant believe that maybe I would not have gotten to see this in my life.

 

 

 

 

We are very good at At Sea Days

We are Very Good at Days at Sea

 

We rock in this department.

I have heard over and over again from so many people I know and strangers “how hard it is to relax all day and do nothing”

The three of us don’t have this affliction. In the least.

Today was a splendid day. Sunny and hotter. Very very windy as we are of course cruising in the middle of the sea, but lovely nonetheless. And Beauty is someone who never gets bored. She just entertains herself always. She lays in the sun with us and listens to her music, she swims, she dances on the upper deck for hours whether there are people or no people watching. She goes back to the room and takes hot showers and orders herself room service. She eats a lot and all the time. She is an easy kid (in this respect) and always has been. Since 4 yrs old and still now-she could disappear in the house for hours and just play alone.

Very very very unlike my eldest son.

Anyways today Hubby and I soaked in the sun, each finished a whole book, soaked in the Jacuzzis, ate lunch, and sat on the deck of our tiny little room while Beauty watched TV. Tonight the show as we do every night and a 9pm dinner. We are finally getting into the vacation and relaxing. With my ankle at about 80% now (still hobble down stairs and challenging to walk up stairs, still can’t sit cross legged, still swell at night) we are THRILLED as could have been a lot worse trust me. It is totally doable-especially for someone like me who is pretty pain tolerant and easilyy convinces my brain I am fine.

 

Tomorrow is back to 4 full days of touring. 3 in Croatia and 1 of Venice before our next at Sea day. Great way to see Europe I tell you!

 

Uncovering MehMeh

(cant post pics from cruise it seems so visit back in 2 weeks to see all the beauty of these european places)

 

That’s her nickname (pronounced mai-mai in a French way). And she picked it out 6 months ago and demanded I call her that.

And she is a puzzle I tell you. This girl is a hard one to understand in so many ways. Especially cormpared to her two brothers who wear their hearts on their sleeves, say what they mean, mean what they say etc..

But here in Europe I am starting to get her. Like as in a lot. She is type of person that you need to spend a lot of time with to really uncover. And she is very fun to peel . Just like a banana. Like a pretty little onion with lots of layers. It’s a hell of a lot of fun.

And mainly? She is just totally different than my husband and I and our boys. Her brain and the way it works is a fascination really. She is so creative it is almost unimaginable. The videos she takes, the pictures, the dances. The way she sees the world. And on this trip I am seeing her brain at work. It is a privilege.

Seeing her take pictures is fascinating. She doesn’t just see a diet coke or a lemon..She SEES a diet coke and a lemon and then she arranges them and takes picture soft them in the most beautiful of ways. She buys candies and arranges them on a napkin with a pocket of sugar and a splash of water and then takes pictures of it and then transforms the picture with lightning and music and tone. Unbelievable.

She takes videos all over the place herself dancing. In the cathedral today she stated”I don’t pray..I dance” and began a massive dance and video in the silent cathedral

And then her clothes…so stylish and lovely. Thank god we don’t care about stuff like short shorts or shorts skirts. Because he wears them all the time, really short, but really cutsy and feminine too. She is kinda like a happy days 1960 girl really retro with short puffy skirts) She does not look sexy or provocative at all-she looks girlish and sweet. Sometimes even tomboyish Her signature look is a bow in her hair always-love that. I love that we let her be who she is-she totally expresses herself through fashion. I would never have it any other way. She looks adorable (with slightly short skirts and very long legs). The brace has done nothing to stop this as I feared it might. I spent the day watching moms asking their tween to wear longer shorts and skirts and mind what they watch on tube-I sat back calm as a cucumber Total waste of time as far as I am concerned. Basket  C or B in my buckets all the way. Let them be who they are and test the waters!

And her moods are also something else. From playful to funny, to bossy, to quiet and distant, to playful and giggly again. I am uncovering her only because we have the gift of time together.

 

And this is EXACTLY why we do this in grade 6. Great age. An amazing to be alone with each kids like this uninterrupted. For US o be her only playmates…her only entertainment…it’s just us and her. When she left her brothers she said “OMG…I can’t believe it –we have so many inside jokes-I will miss them” Good!!! That’s the whole point, just you and us Girl for two weeks. Needed. Best bonding experience of a lifetime.

 

So yes in the last 4 days we have fought her and I. She drives me crazy-she can treat her Dad like a wet rag, she can insult me…..but she is also a piece of artwork, a prize, a beautiful sculpture and a cherry on top of the sweetest cake. She competes with me continuously, she is relentless, and she is athletic, graceful and creative. She is direct, helpless and powerful at the same time. She is mine and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

And she is not a pleaser. Not one single bit. Unlike me at her age and beyond where I thought of nothing else then ensuring my parents felt the least suffering and were the least distrurbed by my teenage phase.

She is a leader every single step of the way.

She is popular, powerful and confident. And she knows it.

She is whiny, annoying and disrespectful at times and she knows that too.

Besides anything? She is a girl becoming in a woman. In the last 6 months she has completely transformed. She is no longer our little girl. She is the beginnings of a teenager. What we used to know-we don’t know now. And then when she relaxes she becomes that little girl again far far away from haing to impress anyone she knows.

She is our mehmeh and being her alone with her for two weeks is both exhausting and exhilarating.

It is a gift

And I know that the unwrapping of her will both undo me completely and I may never go back to who I was.

She is powerful this girl.

She has a huge heart for all animals, all those less fortunate, the elderly, the very young. She is a true humanitarian and artist. Inhabiting the home of very driven corporate people with lots of goals. Must be hard.

I have realized she saves all her bad moods and attitude for the people she knows love her most and unconditionally. She is otherwise totally reserved and graceful and polite to everyone else. For us she makes it known that the only real thing she cares about is dancing and anything else is a big pain in the ass.

She arranges her food on a plate like a beautiful palette. Watermelon, 2 brown eggs, 2 slices of ham, a bagel, Nutella and always a treat like a sticky bun.

Did I ever think I would have a daughter anything less than complex? For some reason I think I did think that. Clearly I don’t.

 

I am realizing that Mother Daughter relationships are complicated. And beautiful too. It’d amazing to look into your girls eyes and see yourself. Everything you wanted to be.. and everything you actually are in so many ways. Just expressed differently. Watered from a different pot.

 

All I know is that sitting in the Jacuzzi today and the cold pool juts me and she…was priceless. Was worth the whole trip. That 1-1 bonding time that only being away from siblings and friends (and sleeping Daddy) could provide

 

 

 

 

 

First three Days!

First Three Days!

It’s always such a strange and surreal feeling to be transported to a whole new world. Sleep on the plane flying over North America and end up in Italy somehow.

We are on the Norwegian Jade and I can’t believe this is home for the next 13 days.

We had half a day of the ship yesterday and then we did Naples Italy day 1. We went to the beautiful Sorrento and also Pompeii which were both really really beautiful .Day 2 was Sicily and visited Taormina all afternoon dn then came back and did the church and plaza at Messina.

After a couple of very cold and today very pouring rainy day it was nice to come back to an hour of sun at the pool and all fall asleep reading in the lawn chairs.

I post  this only now (that I am better) so that I don’t worry my Mom and kids at home. Let’s just say that the first two days were hard!!! My ankle was actually quite sprained after all L(On the plane it really swell up and I could barely walk off the plane. I did nonetheless and was in tons of pain. By the time I got top the cruise I was burnt and in pain. I could not even visit and tour the cruise. So we rented a wheelchair for that day which was horrible. Then  for Sorrento and Pompai we rented a cane that I used all day. By day 3 progressively better from lots of pain and immobility to just milder discomfort and no high heel wearing (somehow it’s not much fun to wear running shoes with a dress for dinner).

Anyways a whole other post on this another time as I want it to be a distant memory now that it is on the mend. I have never been so scared in my life thinking that I had ruined the whole trip. Hubby and daughter were not very impressed with me either.(a  whole other story all together!)

Great moments so far:

Smooth uneventful flight

No jet lag as slept on plane

Good food on Norwegian

Love the outside eating quarters for breakfast and dinner

Hubby in the middle of Beauty and I always with his arms around our shoulders and our around his waist walking with us

Beauty talking a lot and all the time

Beauty telling me her life story and life sorry of her 25 BFF’s all day

The Jacuzzi

Our balcony

Waking up to Hubby and Beauty in the tiny tiny tiny little room share we all pretty much sleep in the two beds pushed together

Beauty to using free wifi in a café because she Said she is on holidays and too addictive. That’s my girl! for my ankle

Cane for my ankle

Volatsarin for my ankle

Ice for my ankle

Watching Beauty dress up so lovely for dinner

Cuddling Beauty in bed in morning

Sleeping. Love it so much

Morning and looking out doors and being in new country, island or cities

The pink sunsets

Black sweater I bought in Sorrento. Love it

Finding the beige Benetton sweater I want them to buy me for Mother’s Day

Dominic our taxi driver in Sicily and Hubby saying to him”you look better in the picture with my girls!” and him same “Ya I know!”

The plaza and waiting for the bells to ring and lying on the park bench in the only sun of that day

Finding non-alcoholic beer anywhere is a total win. Having someone serve it and not saying something stupid

Beauty managing her own photo shoot on the red carpet

Seeing how polite Beauty is with strangers

Beauty thinking all babies, Grampas and animals are “adorable”

All being in bed all three in same bed before we fall asleep and listening to Beauty’s funny stories (I went up to the room to get your robes and stared at myself in the mirror and forgot to get them!)

Getting to know our daughter in a way I never have before (especially as a third child!)

The Harder moments

Not being able to walk for two days!

My husband having traumatic memories and anger of his mom being in a wheelchair all his life while pushing me!

Seeing hubby struggle to not drink alcohol and be around alcohol at literally every turnL( (he quit recently for health reasons)

Comparing Norwegian to Royal Caribbean constantly (much less luxurious)

Feeling sick at dinner from rocking of boat

Beauty talking all day and never being quiet (hey did I just write that????)

Beauty dancing all the time and doing gymnastics in the tiny tiny tiny room. As in lift her leg and it hit me in the head.

Feeling frumpy (usually I feel somewhat pretty and stylish) not anymore compared to my ultra slim and ultra-stylish tween daughter

The weather. I would say so far colder than Canada. Has to get better

Never having husband with me. He is always with our daughter!!!! We have had not one single private conversation

Overall??? Great start to trip!!! Love Europe especially now that I can walk again and my husband has forgiven me for traumatizing him and my daughter and almost ruining the trip. It always takes us a few days to get into the trip…..into a routine. Tonight I felt that we are getting into one.

Hi boys and Didi!!! Miss you and Love you!!! xoxoxoxoxoxox