Punta Cana 2017 in pics (fave moments in blog just below)The

The boys!

Bear and Tim:)

Adult Pool relaxing

The girl gang for Beauty!

Bernardo who took us to see Justin Bieber house!!!

Tomas our newly adopted vacation boy

coffee on the beach

Stevie and Chase!

Bear being very cool:)

The gang saying goodbye:(

The girls posing

The boys being loud on adult beach

Tanning

ah the good old days eh?

gift for the housekeepers

me and my boys

the always together five

The boys being crazy in golfcart where we could hear them across resort!

Tim texting at the bar!

My Protector

Great holiday for us all



good times

me and my girl-how did she get so tall?

last pic before the plane

I felt so relaxed here

selfie at airport

Big lebanese conversation

dinner a la carte

me and timothe!

me imitating Beauty famous selfies

Sibling love

me tired after up all night with them all coming back at different times!

saying goodbye to the girl gang:(

Petoncle at 6:30pm!

Bye Punta Cana! Memories forever

What I want to remember most!

It's amazing when you return from vacation how it all ends so abruptly eh? 

I always try to post my fave moments and drop my pictures in my blog the morning I return or else they are forever gone into the abyss of my mind. So between a massive work day here they are (pics will come in separate post hopefully later today)

Unpacking will happen after 8pm tonight !

Moments to remember:

1- two hours after arriving at Punta Cana kids coming back to room speaker with loud music in hand - bathing suits on and having already met people around hotel !

2- Tim's  daily colourless plates with white rice and plain pasta and me telling him to go get veggies!

3-Bear's very loooong introduction to telling stories or jokes that by time he got around to them he forgot what he was saying!

4- Chase and constantly asking us to rank in order that is most tan!

5- The search for friends for Beauty with success last few days! 

6- The famous adult bracelets and the Lebanese screaming on the beach!

7- Tim coming into my room at 2:30am and telling me from my text at 10am that no he never saw Emma! (Was a bit late for that response as she had been in bed for hours)

8- Tim being the only kid I could I message as only phone that worked on this vacation as 2/3 broke!

9- The constant obsessive talk about girl’s girls and girls. On last night the boys and their friends actually made a pact with eachother to discuss other subjects in front of us at dinner to give us a break!

10- New friend Tomas deciding we should adopt him. Had pretty much every meal with us and boys even came in room at usual 2:30am and asked if he could sleep over one night by pushing Tim and Bears twin beds together !

11- Beauty being nice to us all week! 

12- All the boys’ friends in resort pretending Beauty was their sister to protect her from other boys and men!

13 - You will notice not many memorable moments about Hubby or me. That because this trip really wasn't about this or us-was all for them this time

14 - Me smelling boys nightly at 2:30am . As if smell can tell me how much they drank! And making sure they could speak to me for 2 mins as an indicator of possible over Intoxication. At first Tim would always come with my boys but at end he would just come Alone in room was so adorable and I always had to remind myself to wear pyjamas! Lol 

15- Turned a corner with Beauty on this trip. Has been a hard few years with her but both hubby and I felt so close to her. And such open communication compared to last few years. Talk about so much and really feel that mother daughter bond getting stronger and stronger as each day passes

16- Hubby been sick and not tasting anything. No taste... No kisses... No cuddling. Very romantic eh?

17- Chase and Adhd issue of not being able to eat at buffer without his mommy taking him to each station and point out what he would like!

18- Just overall great memories. This was not our ideal trip (Turks and Caicos is!) but was by far the kids ideal trip. I loved seeing them dance and socialize and even drink responsibly a bit and even trust us enough to  talk about their sexuality etc. . . . Was an eye opener for me and was happy to be included and part of it. 

This morning I miss them all. Tim isn't here! Even miss Tomas! Lebanese screaming Michael and even Stevie! And Lucy! And Laticia!

Miss vacation. This one and everyone. Is always the most worthwhile of time and money spent . Always 

Their Boy and Girl Brains

As anyone who reads my blog knows some of my absolute fave moments with our kids have been when we are hanging out with them  and their friends . 

Always has been that way . Still is 

I think one of the main reasons why is that that both boys are so welcoming with us ( most the time ) when thier friends are with us . Hugging us , affectionate , sweet , inclusive . We are lucky for this .. very lucky . They have always been their best version of themselves when friends and us around . Often one of them  will sling their arm around my shoulder while walking or hold my hand for very extended periods of time . Very affectionate with their dad too and even with friends there always hug us goodbye and loudly say i love you. We cherish this .

Beauty ? Well more of the typical teen who kinda pretends we are annoying. At least all her friends are amazing around us - so we just ignore the fact she wAnts us to leave ( or pretends she does anyways as i think it makes her proud that her friends like us alot ) on this trip however she is really the best verision of herself . So nice to be with her and see her getting along so well with her brothers and Tim . She unbelievably seems to like sharing a room with these three very loud guys ! I love how nice and inclusive Tim is with her and all the friends they meet are kind to her. 

This trip is cool . Tim with us which is very fun . And a new guy they met Tomas who joins us for some meals and swimming etc. I adore them both just as i do thier friends back home . All so nice and interesting and friendly .

Tomas says to me today " you have great boys " then says " and they are so close and connected to you - i admire that "

It made my heart sore 

 Beauty made a friend today too !! And spent the whole day with her. The boys set them up :) was nice to have her to ourselves for part and now see her with a friend. The girl is two years younger but quite mature and asked beauty to come dancing at the bar tonight with her .

Its a  very cool vacation and really exactly what i was hoping for .Different and fun dynamic and an extraordinary privilege to hear all their conversations so often . To see the makings of their brains . None of them will ever cease to amaze me . As much as they annoy me so very often - being their mom is the best thing i have ever done by far 

On this vacation it is a reminder to me of the lives the kids live apart from us . That social side that gives us some interesting cues as to what their days and time is spent like when not with family . I consider this information and knowledge highly valuable for us as parents . Its like seeing animals in thier natural habitats vs  in a zoo :) its quite an experience and fun to watch! And to be honest anxiety provoking ! 

This trip proved to me what i have ways known . Despite our kids   Being very very social they are very family oriented above all . They are a package deal and come with the  family alot of the time. And their old and new friends know it . And accept it and i think even like it . The boys will always choose their sisters safety before a kiss with a hot girl. They come home late but always on time . They include us in their crazy lives . It was one of my most important goals of raising three kids and i am getting to see on this trip especially action the 💗fruits of our labor 

Vacations allow me the space to reflect on that and remember it .It feels damn good to have this time together 

From day 1 - horrible service for blogs !!

We made it !

We are in punta Cana club Med for a week with four teens ! ( our three and Bear's best friend Tim )

And we are finally here 

After two 15 hr work days and delivering virtual training to many japenese people last night until 11:30pm who don't understand English very well 

After a big scare with eldest sons perceived bad hair ( actually amazing ! )) and  his big mysterious rash on face 

After hubby having a bad Cold 

Our fridge breaking and having to lose food , empty it and buy an new one 

After eating crap last few days as we have no good food or too lazy to go and eat it in basement 

After my mom asking us if we needed anything at Walmart and chase replying condoms! To his grandma ??? Condoms ???  ( ps she said get yourself ) Not a little sweet boy anymore I guess ? Well at least he talks to me and his grandma ) about sex ? Is that good or terrible ??

After the finale - waking up this morning and going outside to greet Tims parents and a bird crapping on us two moms moments before leaving for the airport 

But you know what ? All the above is just a normal day for all of us and normal all around . We just notice this all more when we are preparing to go away somewhere . Then realize how mud chaos there is . And chaos about unimportant stuff   . Stuff that doesn't even really matter 

I am just so happy to have a week off and to rest my Brain . All I want to do it read and sleep and suntan . I spontaneously last  night even though had four new books decided to do my fave thing and go to chapters and get 7 more that I liked even more . Books are my life - and especially on vacation . Novels , business books , parenting teen books , scary thriller novel , romantic affair book , light beachy book 

I intend to on this vacation :

Relax relax relax

Not sweat the small stuff 

Not boss anyone around ( much )

Not plan too much with kids ( only with hubby )

Not think to much ( ya right )

Enjoy the sun ( pls pls be lots and lots of sun . I need sun )

Enjoy the kids ?  If I try super hard I will think they are sweet and Angels 

Enjoy my husband :)

Just be off technology ( Yahoo ! This is hard but is so necessary for me to take a real mental break from my life - for me it's the only way to be present this week )

And the best part ? Tim's mom told me that a bird crapping on your head ? It's super good luck ! 

Here's to a wonderful bonding vacation !

Justin Bieber Chaos- sorry for typos cannot edit on this wifi

Well at least she loved it and cried of joy 

The rest of us ? Pls take me back to our cozy hotel on the beach with the chirping birds 

40 min taxi ride ( 150 used for 2ways ) to her there and wait in line to get our tickets which were reserved for two hrs in the midst of chaos . So much chaos that the kids missed the first three songs he sang ( and never mind the opening band )

Then 1 hr later the concert was over . Bieber apprexly  decided that he was done . Probably wants to get some good shut eye before hitting the beach again tomrorow 

Now we are sitting in the hard rock hotel for over and hour and waiting for a non existent taxi that will likely never come with the 100 thousand other people waiting for taxis 

And Hubby and I stressed out heads off for 3 hrs wondering why we would sent four teens alone to a concert in the middle of an underdeveloped country that is chaotic outside of a resort 

We have done some pretty stupid things in our lives . This was one of them 

But she cried with joy and loved every minute ( of the extremely expensive 45 she got to see ) And the boys love the hard rock hotel it seems . So much so that they said club med is not as good

And her head is on my lap as I write this and  that makes me abundantly happy 

Can you even believe that when we get back to the hotel the boys are going out ?I am taking a sleeping pill and knocking myself out . Has been three nights now I don't sleep  as I wait for them to come into my room and kiss me goodnight so I can smell them . But I make up for it on the beach and nap a lot very luxuriously 

Our days on beach have been amazing . Really fun and great and kids loving it too . We have spent a lot of time with beauty too and she is in a super mood and loves just relaxing with us . Great conversations with the boys over meals and a little swim in the ocean . I have realized that all teen boys talk about ? Is teen girls 

And tonight is for our girl . Her gift for having to wear a brace 20 hrs a day for three years . This and a swim Tshirt billabong Tshirt from the hotel . And she is very happy .

It's the least we could do . We are still waiting for our taxi and still have 40 mins when we get it it . It is pure chaos here after the concert 

Bye bye Justin bieber !

Very very happy to go back to hotel and read my book in the beach and nap for the remainder of the vacation

Big big big Ps - the night turned around after i wrote this post . Our taxi driver had connections and took us to see where justin bieber lives in punta cana !!!! He got past the gates communicaty security as he is friends with the guy . We stopped right in front of JB home where he was sleeping after the concert !! And took pictures !!! At one point they saw movement inside the house and screamed to my daughter Vamanos !! ( hurry ) . We felt super important and like paparazzi or celebreties

Beauty nearly died of happiness . She kept saying the whole time that she felt faint and was there wifi there as she needed to post on her story . Today for real she was still shaking from the experience and stayed in bed half the day !!!! 

That tour made it All worth it

And i took a sleeping pill and barely even heard the boys come say goodnight at 2:30am.

Today another great day . Lots of beaching and a cool new guy the boys met . Hung in jacuzzi with them all And played petoncle . Rob very sick still ( like horrible cold but functioning but cannot  taste or speak  much ! Beauty shaking From jb and headache and mild tummy ache and think getting flu . BeAr coughing. Despite health stuff Amazing and fun time  as so nice and relaxing and perfect weather so far. Really fun having Tim with us !!! Cool dynamic between all