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Once Christmas was over, we focused on the rest of the Winter Vacation. We only had 6 more days left for this 2014, which can’t be remembered as a banner year for sure. We were more than happy to see it go, but we still tried to make the most of the last few days.

Keegan went to the zoo for the last day of camp on December 26, and I tried to take care of some of the errands I left unfinished. Matt and I took a nice walk around the neighborhood and I cleaned the house a bit.By dinner time, my sister arrived from Italy. It was so nice to have her here, and a big relief, since I was now the main health provider for Matt. Yes, we had a nurse that came every few days, but still… Even though Cinzia is a child psychiatrists, she was trained as a doctor, so she could help in a medical emergency. It was also nice to have someone else to share these transitional days with, and, if I have to be a little selfish, someone who could take care of me a bit. Furthermore, Keegan was home till January 5th, so I would have needed help in that area as well. And I am sure wouldn’t hurt to have her professional assessment and advice.

We spent a wonderful vacation together. She was great, and not only played with Keegan and entertained him non-stop, but she also cooked and cleaned, and we had plenty of chances to talk and catch up, like we have not had in a long time. I felt like I was really on vacation…or almost!

We went to the bay for a beautiful walk in the sun, and then to Pacific Beach. Matt enjoyed these brief outings, and so did I. I have not walked this much in years. (-:

 goofy picture for Keegan and mom…but not Matt

Someone built some Minions out of sand. How cool is that?

We also did lots and lots of playing with Keegan’s new stuff, mainly Lego. Keegan and I built two full models together and Keegan did a lot this time. We decided to take pictures of them, since they usually do not last past 1 day.

The picture also shows that Keegan finally lost his top tooth, on December 30th. It has been very wiggly forever, but this time, Keegan did not seem to be in big rush. Maybe because it was hurting and bleeding a little, or maybe just because the dentist told him to take it off, as the permanent teeth were more than ready. In fact, as soon as it fell off, the permanent was already poking out. Now, we only have to get rid of the other wiggly tooth…

Matt was doing a little better, even if his mood, obviously, was not at an all time high. We all know we are in for the long haul. It is a very slow healing disease, but we are grateful for any improvement. On December 31, I took Matt back to the hospital for a tube check. We stopped by his floor, Tower 6 West, to bring some flowers and chocolate and a thank you card to all his nurses and staff. Melanie and Rennell, two of our favorite nurses, were there, and it was so great to see them and showed them how much better he was doing…and how he looked like in real clothes and not a flimsy hospital gown. They were very warm and friendly, and once again they helped us get some orders sorted out.

The tube check went well, and they removed it. Yeah! One more to go. I loved the decor in the waiting area, with large canvases wrapped as gifts.

It was finally time to say Goodbye and Good Riddance to 2014. It has not been the best year for Cinzia as well, so we were both in the same mood. I decorated the house for the new year, and got ready.

Cinzia took Keegan to the movie theater that afternoon. He asked to watch Annie, which really surprised me. A musical, about a little orphan adopted by a millionaire? It does not sound like Keegan, but he asked, and he seems that he really enjoyed it. Maybe it is not too late for him after all.

After dinner, Matt and I got a turn to go to the movies, a mini-date! We watched, Big Eyes, the latest Tim Burton’s movie. ” The film focuses on American artist Margaret Keane, whose work was fraudulently claimed in the 1950s and 1960s by her then-husband, Walter Keane “(wikipedia). I remember a similar painting when I was growing up, so I was intrigued. It was not a masterpiece, but it was nice to get out.

We got home around 10pm, just in time to watch Marrakesh Express with my sister. I have not seen it in a long time, but it is still fun. As the movie was over, we tuned in to check the time…almost there.

37 seconds to go

We got our glasses ready: a champagne glass for Cinzia and I, and a mug filled with ice for Matt.

5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!!!!!

For added good luck, Matt and I cheered from identical, “positive thinking mugs”. My mom would be proud.

We were all so happy to welcome a brand new year that we must have been a little loud. Keegan woke up, not too happy, but at least we got the chance to celebrate with him too. We all went to bed right after, but we made it to 12.30am!

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Day was really special this year. Throughout the season we truly experienced the real meaning of Christmas, spending time with family and friends and helping others in need thanks to the loving help from our families. In fact, if I have to find a silver lining on this bad situation, that was being able to spend so much time with Matt’s brothers and sister. It made us realize that we should really make an effort to see each other more.

Christmas Day, however, was just us. For as much as we have enjoyed and appreciated all the visitors, it was nice to have one day for ourselves, in our own home. We relished it even more, because it was the first full day Matt was home.

Keegan of course, woke up bright and early, ready to get to his presents. Even though he said he was somewhat disappointed we did not have to bring the presents to Matt in the hospital, he was happy we were all at home. I know I was. A bright red ribbon decorated Matt’s pole, so we were all decked out and ready.

Keegan loved to see all the presents under the tree, and since he now knows that the Elf on the Shelf it is just a toy and there is really no Santa, Fifi was sitting on top of our tree, watching the proceeding. With Christmas music playing in the background, Keegan did not waste any time.

Star Wars dominated, but other presents were a big hit, such as Electronic Battleship, a present from Matt. I guess, on this Christmas, Matt got to relive his childhood and buy the toys he could not get when he was a child.

Matt got his own gifts too. My favorite was the Tetris Lamp, a movable lamp, that can be rearranged in many ways.

Matt also asked for a scientific calculator…I could not resist getting him an Instant Nerd Kit to go with it.

I am getting my gift too…oh and presents as well

After opening the presents, I went back to sleep for a early morning nap, and Keegan got to watch some TV. He wore his Santa hat, to get into the spirit.

The day continued quietly. We called family and friends to wish them Merry Christmas, and also to share the good news of Matt’s release from the hospital, and took a short walk: doctor’s order. Dragging Keegan out was not an easy task, but we managed to get our 30 minutes in. It was peaceful and bright, if a little chilly. Overall, we had a very mellow day but we could not ask for anything more after the crazy weeks we have just finished.

We did not have any time to rest after the marathon birthday celebration: Christmas time was upon us. In fact, the season had started even before the big party, with Keegan’s school Winter Wonderland on December 5th. This annual event includes vendors, food trucks and, most of all, snow! A small slide is set up for inner tube fun, and a minuscule area is covered with snow for snowball fights and sloshing around. Keegan could hardly wait till I picked him up, and we raced toward the snow slide…despite that, the wait was pretty long. Fortunately his friend Aiden (yes, the same kid he is constantly fighting with) was waiting as well, so the time passed by much more quickly.

The day after his party, we got 0ur Christmas tree and we decorated the house. Online shopping was also well under way. It starts to look a lot like Christmas…

I was settling in my usual holiday stress (I do not like the holiday period, AT ALL) and getting ready for two more weeks of running around, and crazy holiday stuff. This year, however, the “happiest time of the year” turned out to be everything but.

On Tuesday night, December 9th, Matt, suddenly started feeling a really strong pain on his shoulder and back, aggravated by the fact he was having trouble breathing. We waited out a bit, but when it did not got any better, I decided to take him to the ER. It took some convincing (typical guy), but we finally got Keegan up, and made it to Sharp ER by midnight. We were really impressed by the efficiency: by the time I parked after dropping him off, he was already on a bed, blood test and EKG done. No bloody people waiting in an overcrowded waiting room, no long form to fill out. it was all very clean and efficient. The ER doctor suspected pulmonary embolism (blood clots in his lungs), and after various tests, CT scan, x-ray, ultrasound, blood tests, the hunch turned out to be true.

It was a long, scary 4 hours, and amazingly, Keegan was pretty good for most of the time, despite being woken up in the middle of the night. By 4am Matt has been admitted to Sharp Memorial Hospital. This hospital has been recently renovated, and I remember reading about the project, and how they used the latest techniques in patient care, including lots of natural light, feng shuei, etc. I even thought, then, that I would have liked to be in that hospital, if need be. I guess my “wish” got fulfilled. The hospital was really beautiful: large, private rooms, with a wide window, allowing lots and lots of natural light. Each room had a private bath with shower, a sleeping couch, TV with various channel and also relaxing music, free internet throughout the hospital, and a keyboard to use the tv as an internet center. Toiletries were provided, as well as sheets and towels for relatives, slippers, socks, etc. More than once I called it the hotel, instead of the hospital.

We were also fortunate to be assigned a room in the new wing, facing west, overlooking the city, and with a small view of the ocean. The sunsets were absolutely spectacular and we saw quite a few of them.

That first night, Keegan and I got home by 4am, after making sure Matt was settled in his room and comfortable. I made a few calls, and of course, called in sick at work. I also assumed Keegan would have been late for school, and made sure to warn his teachers, but at 7.30am, he got up, and absolutely insisted he wanted to go to school right then. I drove him there, and he seemed happy to have his normal routine untouched. He immediately went to rehearsal for the Christmas show.

I tried to make arrangements: my friend Daniele, informed of what happened, immediately offered to keep Keegan overnight for as long as I needed it, so I could spend the night at the hospital. So Keegan got two sleepover in a row with Gaia. I spent most of the day at the hospital. Everyone was absolutely wonderful, and made us all feel comfortable. As a “care partner” I was given a bracelet that gave me free parking and access to the snack room. Alternative medicine services, like holistic massages and reiki was also offered, and Matt took advantage of it almost daily.

The final diagnosis was multiple pulmonary embolisms, probably caused by an acute pancreatitis that caused pleural effusion (liquid in the lung cavity) and the forming of a large pseudo-cist.

In this scary time, we were amazed to see how many people offered to help. Pretty much any parents of Keegan’s friend offered to take him at any time I needed, and our babysitter offered to watch him any time, for free I assume. (-:

Also, we are so deeply grateful to our families, who immediately put their own life on hold to help us. Sue flew in from NC within 2 days of Matt’s hospitalization, and even extended her ticket when Matt seemed to be doing worse. Mike, came in the weekend before Christmas from Virginia and stayed till Christmas Eve. And Jim and his family drove down from San Jose and stayed till Christmas day. My sister flew from Italy on the 26 and left on January 5th. We really don’t know how we could have done it without their help, especially as far as Keegan is concerned.

So, a very sincere and huge THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. And thank you for all the prayers, thoughts and positive energy that was sent our way, from friends, family and strangers alike.

With all the help, we were able to have someone at the hospital with Matt most of the day (and often night) and Keegan also received plenty of attention too.

Aunt Sue spent lots and lots of time playing with him, and just entertaining him. She even took him for a full day of Legoland fun. He finally won his fear of roller coaster and rode them all, multiple times.

This was great for Keegan, who seemed to be taking the situation pretty bad, as expected. At first, he did not even want to talk about it, with me or anyone, which is an extremely rare and worrisome event. He did not even want to visit dad in the hospital, but slowly warmed up to it, especially when he found out they had ice cream and frozen lemonade there. He could not really stay longer than 1 hours, but we tried to take him there as often as possible. Occasionally we even spotted a wild rabbit outside, and it was funny watching it hop around the hospital ground.

playing the patient in daddy’s bed

Good thing he could keep his normal routine at school, preparing for the big show and doing all sort of holiday related activities or drawings.

preparing the Christmas present

is this Frosty the snowman?

They talked about international holiday traditions and even had an international feast. Too bad we had we leave early for his annual check up, but he got to bring a plate of dessert with him.

Keegan is the kid upside down on the bottom wearing an Italian soccer uniform

For the school gift exchange, this year they chose Silly Socks. Every kid brought some silly socks, all wrapped up, and the kids took turn choosing them. Keegan got some monster trucks ones. He was pretty satisfied with his choice.

Keegan brought his Christmas gift at the hospital, for daddy to open. It was very nice. He painted a wooden tray and wrote a sweet message on it. He chose the wrapping paper: orange because it is his favorite color and blue because it is dad’s. He punched out the bells on top. So cute!

His school finished on December 18 (why on a Thursday??? I really would like to know) and it concluded with their annual Christmas show. It was a little bittersweet, because Matt could not be there, but fortunately I met a couple of parents there that really cheered me up. The kids were adorable in their matching holiday pj. Keegan had to goof around, of course.

Getting him to stay still for 1 picture was almost impossible. It took a good 8 shots before getting the photo below.

Matt ended up spending two full weeks in the hospital. We had lots of ups and downs, hope and disappointments. We even had a big scare with two days of 103 fever. The worse part, though, was the not-knowing when he would be able to get out. While we were at the hospital, a quick storm brought a beautiful double rainbow: we took it as a good sign.

Many friends and acquaintances sent their good thoughts and prayers, and Matt’s cousins sent some gorgeous flowers. We brought them to the hospital, and filled the room with their fragrance…maybe a little too much, because by the end of the day Matt was sniffling. So, back home with me they came. Good, so I got to enjoy them fully, for more than two weeks.

Keegan was slowly getting used to the fact that Matt was not feeling well, and finally started to talk about it, with me and his friends. He even started expressing his feeling, and saying he was a little mad because this was supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but it wasn’t and he had so much to worry about. I saw it as a positive sign: he is finally processing what happened.

On his first day of vacation, he went to work with me. He did not mind it too much, because he got to watch 2 movies, and eat ice cream at break. He even got to scribble and draw on our board. So funny, he is so small, you can barely see his head above the computers.

That weekend, Jim and his family arrived in San Diego. It was great, because Keegan really gets along with his cousins and he spent lots of time with them. He even slept over their hotel, his favorite Embassy Suites. What a relief he could have some fun! And fun they did.

hot tub time

cousin love

pillow fight!

The following week we enrolled him the the YMCA camp. He was not too thrilled, but I really needed to have him do something during the day. Oftentimes, he still met up with his cousins afterwards anyway. Camp took him to Boomers for mini golf, Solid Rock for indoor rock climbing, Laser Tag, and at the zoo. You can’t really complain about that.

After two very long weeks, and some very pointed questions (and requests), finally, on Christmas Eve, they decided that Matt could go home. We could not have asked for a better Christmas gift! We were also very lucky because that day, our nurse was Melanie who was one of our favorites. Everyone has been great, but she always went well beyond her duty, and was also a very sunny, positive and fun person. She spent lots of time to teach us what we need to do at home and how to make sure everything went well.

She loaded us up with lots of medical supplies and finally we were ready to leave by 4pm. We loved the hospital, but we were SO GLAD to finally go home.

goodbye memorial Hospital

Keegan spent the day with the cousins, fortunately, since there was so much to do.We met the home nurse  and learned how to use the equipment, we got all the supplies and medications…except painkillers. By the time we noticed, the main pharmacy was closed, and at 8pm we began the odyssey to get painkillers that included a wrongly written prescription, begging with the hospital staff for a new one, a drive over to get it, and almost an hour at the pharmacy while the pharmacists was checking, verifying, contacting the doctor and finally filling ti. You would think I was trying to buy drugs…oh wait, oxycodein is misused as a drug! I finally made it at home by 11pm with the precious stuff…but it was all worth it. Matt is home!

welcome back home Matt

I stayed up to wrap and get the presents ready. I did not even looked at what time it was, but I got it done. Christmas can now begin!

It is hard to believe our little guy is turning 7. He made sure we did not forget, as he has been talking about his “birthday week” for a while. We tried to explain that there is no such a thing as a birthday week, but guess what? He was almost right! We started celebrating on Tuesday, and we finished off on Sunday.

This year, once again, it was all about Star Wars. He only asked for Lego sets, which is interesting, since he still does not like to build LEGO according to directions, but lucky for him, I DO. So, it was fun for me to pick sets to recommend to family and friends. We set up everything in our bedroom, except for the huge birthday banner over the fireplace, so he could find them in the morning.

Morning came way too early. For some reason we all woke up around 4.30am…maybe there was some weird noise outside. We all got back to bed, but Keegan did not last past 5.30am, and by 5.45 we are opening the presents.

He seemed pretty happy about them, and he better be, lucky boy!

birthday morning hugs

He went to school, despite his protests, but he had fun. I met him there by 2.30pm for his birthday celebration. It was very nice. The kids got to ask him 7 questions, such as his favorite movie or toy.

The he got the little music box that plays Happy Birthday. It always seems to sound the name of the birthday kid.

He then got to make a wish and blow out the birthday candle.

His classmates presented him with a birthday card: every kid made a small drawing, and guess what was the most recurrent theme? You got it: Star Wars. Kaylee showed her usual talent, drawing an amazing Darth Vader.

Then, they asked me a few questions about Keegan’s birth day, and how he was as a baby. Finally, we got to have a special snack. It was a rainy day, so they all had snack inside. We brought caramel and vanilla gelato and fresh strawberries.

He was so happy about the celebration, he did not even mind leaving early: so many new toys to play with. When Matt got home in the evening, we set up 7 candles on the muffin he chose at the store. He made a wish (hopefully a good one) and blew them out.

The following day, there was more celebration at Italian Class. We brought mini brownies and whipped cream, and he had at least 3. I politely excuse myself from this celebration…

It was almost time for big party: the invitation were created, replies sent, and I actually had an exact count by the day before the party. Miracle!

First, though, we had to create goodie bags. It was not as easy this year, as Star Wars stuff is very expensive, but I think we did a great job. We got nice licensed bags, Star Wars pencil, finger lights, Joda or Darth Vedar rings, our traditional custom M&M’s and my favorite: a bookmark/thank you card/glowstick combo. I can’t take the credit for the idea, but I think it turned out great, if I can say so myself.

Lego mini figures photograph amazingly well! Good thing Keegan got the Cantina Lego set for his birthday, so I had access to a young Luke Skywalker figurine.

The party was on Saturday afternoon. Amazingly enough, Keegan was pretty patient and was not bouncing off the walls. After picking up the Star Wars cake we headed to…Pump It Up of course.

pre-party videogames

This year we chose to do a “glow party”: the kids’ version of a 70’s disco party. Lights are dimmed down and strobes turned on and every kid gets glow sticks and necklaces.

They even got to do games, including hide and seek, which Keegan really loves.

The staff took lots of cool pictures (for extra price, of course). It was nice to see them projected in the party room, though.

I had a good time catching up with everyone and the kids had a blast. There lots of kids (20+) this year, and adults, but fortunately we got enough, and more than enough food. The food was standard fare, but nothing too horrible. The kids had fun playing on the throne.

The cake was a big hit. We had to provide our own toppers, but the store made it look almost like the photo we provided.

Once again, Keegan loved sitting on his throne and being the center of attention.

make a wish…

Once again his eyes were bigger than his stomach. He asked for a slice the size of his own name, and he barely ate half of it.

We made it home by 6.30, and of course he immediately tore through all the presents. There were a few duplicates, but he did not care and did not want to exchange them. He also got a few gift cards, so he can finally buy something when his birthday is just a distant memory.

He was very happy about all the presents, but particularly excited about Ezra’s present: Anakin’s Star Wars Lego ship he wanted. He actually built it all by himself, practically a first!

We were not finished yet…the following day, Melissa, our neighbor and her son Kelson, stopped by to give him his present (a gift card) since they could not make it to the party. It was so nice of them…the least we could do was to offer them a piece of cake. Kelton was really happy, and the two kids played a bit.

As a final birthday-related thing, we finally flipped his bed over. He had been asking to do it for a while, but we obviously wanted to make sure he was done with pull-ups first: changing sheets in the middle of the night is never fun, but having to do it on a top bunk is hell. Since he got done with the training just before his big day, we could finally grant him his wish. Now he has his own single bunk bed, and sleeping under the little canopy is even more fun. He is very good at getting down the stairs at night with his flashlight and he feels like he has his own little private space. Plus, he now has the perfect space below for sleepovers.

With that, we finally put the words The End to the birthday celebration for another year…I was exhausted! But not time to rest yet: Christmas will be here before we know it. So, taking advantage of the weekend, I spent the rest of Sunday decoration, trimming the tree, etc.

I did enjoy seeing Keegan so happy about his birthday, especially because he seemed a little sad not to be 6 anymore (another little Peter Pan in the family?) and I am sure glad he has so many people that want to celebrate with him. I hope he feels that, beyond the mound of presents, there are so much love coming his way from everywhere!

Happy Birthday, my sweetie: may 7 be your best year yet!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend this year, and we really had the chance to count our blessings.

Keegan kicked off the holiday with a week of native American-inspired crafts. The short week culminated in their annual Thanksgiving feast. This year, Keegan chose to be a native American, and he sported a cute headpiece he made himself.

all together, pilgrims and native Americans

1…2…3… Funny faces now!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous: sunny and summer-like. I got to enjoy a nice swim in the pool, and sunbathe on November 27, in 80 degree weather! How can’t I not be grateful to live in such a beautiful place? The 4 days weekend helped too. (-:

In the afternoon, we started  getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Once again, our friend Daniele and his daughter Gaia joined us and brought some delicious pies to share. Matt prepared the usual feast, and us adults had a wonderful time chatting and catching up, while the kids entertained each other. Gaia is definitely very patient with Keegan, and also very sweet. She always hugs him when she sees him.

Keegan is always goofing around

The wonderful day ended with Keegan waking up and throwing up repeatedly…it brought back memories of his first Thanksgiving… We thought he ate too much, but the throwing up continued a bit in the morning, so we figured it was probably a stomach bug. He was definitely not himself, quiet and withdrawn. That was a real bummer, because we were invited for a repeat Thanksgiving lunch at Jennifer’s house. We waited and seemed like Keegan was getting slightly better, so, with Jennifer’s permission, we drove up to drop off the food we promised. We thought we would only stay a few minutes, but being with friends and watching some holiday TV seemed to improve Keegan’s health ( and mood), so we ended up staying till the afternoon. The food was delicious and the company, as always, was fun. I was glad we got to stay.

Saturday was a mellow day. We took Keegan to get his haircut, and obligatory lunch at Fuddrockets. He looked very spiffy, ready for his birthday. At home we played, read books and relaxed in the warm sun.

We finished out the weekend with a bang, watching Walking With Dinousurs: the arena spectacular.

It was a really interesting show: 20 dinosaurs have been recreated in life-size proportions, and the audience was taken to a journey back in time, where you can see them move, roar, fight. A “paleontologist”  narrator was giving accurate scientific information as well. It was very fun.

Keegan’s favorite parts were the T-rex mom and baby and of course and the dino-fighting.

I was surprised to see I actually enjoyed the show as well. The dinosaurs were very life-like, and it was impressive to see them in full size.

After finishing up the afternoon at home, I met a friend for a drink at her house. It was nice to catch up (it has been a while) and to have some personal time. Nice way to finish off a good, long weekend.

We have one more thing to be grateful this Thanksgiving: Keegan is finally off nightime pull-ups! Sunday marked the 30th dry night in a row, so we can officially say buh-bye to those expensive contraptions! As always, it didn’t just happened naturally. We had to work at it, but it worked better than we thought.We bought the Sleep-dry  alarm, a small alarm that will ring if moisture is detected.

Keegan was great with it. He got woken up for the first 5/7 days…and he was terrified at first. His little heart was beating so hard when the alarm was ringing! Then he started waking up on his own, AND going to the bathroom alone, with his flashlight, without waking us up. He only had a couple of accidents after that, and then he was done. He was so happy!

potty-chart marking his dry days

He got his reward, promised so long ago: the price of a pack of pull-ups, a whole $20 bill! He felt so proud of himself, and finally we can move on to sleep overs, without worrying about wetting the bed.

With Thanksgiving behind us, we are moving to the home stretch for this holiday season, but we want to make sure we will keep in our hearts all the blessing we have in our life.

Another year, another fun Halloween. As always, he went on a field trip with his class to a Pumpkin Patch. This year, however, they went to a real farm, Bates Nut Farm, a little drive from San Diego. The kids had fun in the hay maze, they took hay rides, played and had a picnic. They, of course, also got to pick their own large pumpkin. Keegan had fun, but he missed the rides from the parking lot patch we usually go to. City kids!

hay rides

picking the perfect pumpkin

picnic

group photo

MBMA had more activities planned. First up, they held a Halloween contest (or two). All kids submitted a drawing, and the winner got to be printed on the special Halloween canvas bag. Keegan did not win, but here is his entry: a haunted barn, with jack-o-lantern pumpkins all around and a ghost coming out of the chimney

Of course, the most awaited event — for the kids at least — was the MBMA Halloween Carnival: a grueling (for the parents), 5+ hours event including a parade and a huge carnival, full of games and rides.

waiting for the parade

guess who’s who?

masks off

As always, the parade was adorable. It is always fun to see all the little kids walking around in their costumes. Despite the “no scary costumes” warning, there were plenty of gory masks, and not just in the big kids side. Keegan decided to be a Darth Vader…what else? It was a really warm day, but fortunately, plenty tents were provided to keep the kids in the shade, during the concert and parade.

getting ready for the parade

walking in the Room 12 parade

Right after all classes paraded in their cute outfits, it is off to the Carnival! For the bargain price of $25, the kids could access everything. Well, it is supposed to be a fundraiser for the school, even if I am not sure exactly where the money goes.

Keegan spent most of the time with his classmate Christopher. First up, the haunted house, courtesy of the big kids (6th grade), who set it up and maintained it. He was a little nervous at first, but loved it, and went back again and again.

The kids jumped from one attraction to the next: games, bouncies, challenges…

The petting zoo was a big hit again this year. Keegan got to pet and hold chicks, duckies, rabbit and even a piglet.

We couldn’t skip the treat, and during such a warm day, nothing is better than a cold, shaved iced, especially if it rainbow colored.

I got sucked in into volunteering at one of the booths for a whole hour, and Christopher’s dad took the boys around some more. They patiently waited in line for a pony ride. Well, it looks like it was worth it.

We finally made it home in the late afternoon, exhausted, just before Sue came by for dinner (see previous post).

This year, even Platt College, where I work, got in the spirit (no pun intended). How cool is this skeleton, sitting on the second story balcony?

The activities were not over yet…I did promised Keegan some rides, so, in the nick of time, October 29th, we headed up on the cheesy, parking lot pumpkin patch. Keegan behaved very well, even if the friend that was supposed to come with cancelled at the last minute. Maybe he was still excited about my presentation about Italy I gave to his class that afternoon. All the kids, actually, seemed pretty interested, and they all loved the story about The Giant of Barletta.

The Pumpkin Station seemed a lot less exciting (at least to me). Maybe one more year, and he will be too big for it…but he had a blast. The huge slide did not seemed quite as big anymore…

…and the train looked seriously puny.

Still, he wanted to try all the rides, including the goat petting enclosure, and had fun doing so. So why not?

I just wish they had something for the parents as well…as I was waiting for him to be done with his slides, my eye fell on a sign…please tell me they were being sarcastic.

Fun For Everyone????

We were getting close…the house was all decorated, and we had watched the obligatory The Nightmare before Christmas movie. We even had a Jack Skeleton Poster hanging in the hall.

The night before Halloween, we finally carved our pumpkin: we have learned our lesson the hard way. In San Diego, pumpkins do not last, once carved, more than a day or two. In fact, ours rotted promptly, two days after Halloween. This year Keegan chose a Vampire Pumpkin design, which fortunately, was pretty easy to carve.

Finally, Halloween Day arrived. Keegan donned his spookiest t-shirt and headed to school for a day full of fun. They played games and of course, carved their own pumpkin too.

It was difficult to wait, but it was finally time to go out and get some candy. As always, we went around with our neighbors, but first, we posed for pictures.

Matt stayed home to give candy to the trick or treaters…which were quite fewer than last year.

As every year, Keegan got lots and lots of candy…but we didn’t mind. We will do candy buy back on Monday.

And sure enough, on Monday afternoon, we dropped off our loot at the dentist’s office. Biggest payback yet: $9! We contributed our candy as well, but Keegan’s own candy left-over was more than 4lb! We donated $2 to charity, and Keegan had a few dollars to add to his piggie bank.

With Halloween behind us, we are now starting our crazy race to the end of the year…Thanksgiving, birthday, Christmas and all related activities make days goes by so fast. I can’t say I am really looking forward to the associated stress, but Keegan’s excitement and joy, somewhat make up for it, at least a bit. Ready? Set! Go!!!!

The end of October brought us some family fun. First up, of course, Matt’s birthday. We had an early adult celebration the evening before,when Keegan was having fun at his Pool Night. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Bali Hai, a tropical themed restaurant on the San Diego Bay.

The actual birthday was on a Saturday, so we tried to spoiled him as much as we could. Frst off, he got to sleep in, while I got up with Keegan, and “baked” a cinnamon crumb cake, and prepared some eggs, sausages and hash brown for breakfast.

We set up the table with some 80s tableware, for just the right nostalgic touch.

Then he got to open his presents and we all ate an abundant breakfast together.

We had a quiet day together. The weather was wonderful, and Keegan and Matt played a bit in the pool. Then we just relaxed and played at home. When it got dark we had Movie night, watching the Nightmare Before Christmas on our projector. It was a fun, low-key day.

The following week we had not one, but two of Matt’s siblings coming to town for two separate conferences: Mike and Sue (well, Hannah, was the one with the conference…). We had Sue and Hannah over for a nice dinner on Friday, and we had fun catching up a bit. They were staying at the Conference’s hotel, but we met them there the following day.

We went to the Natural History Museum to see a great exhibit on King Tut. It was really well made: it had video, multimedia exhibits and the whole tomb and artifacts were recreated. From the museum’s site:

Using over 1,000 expertly crafted reproductions of treasures discovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb, the exhibition presents this fascinating subject in an entirely new way: a thrillingly unique experience that explores the legendary tomb and its treasures as they were at the exact moment of their discovery. Visitors can feel the rush of excitement as they step into a moment only ever witnessed by Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon and a handful of others.

photos from the official site

It was breathtaking. Interestingly, watching these reproductions, I remembered seeing some of them for real in Egypt when I was a kid. I was lucky I had the chance to go.

After the museum, we went to Sue and Hannah’s hotel, and Keegan played in the hot tub, while we relaxed poolside with a cold cocktail.

The next day, we went to pick up Mike at the airport: wow, it has been a while! After giving him some time to relax, we met up with Sue again, and we went to the Birch Aquarium in la Jolla.

We got back home for a delicious dinner that Matt prepared. Keegan was a handful, trying to be the center of attention, but we made it through.

The next day, Matt and I went to work, but he was able to free himself for lunch, and the three siblings went to lunch in beautiful La Jolla.

Sue and Hannah left in the afternoon, but Mike stayed for another night. We had another quiet dinner, and had the chance to catch up. It was great to see them. Hopefully we will not let  4 years pass till next time we see them. Maybe we should try to go east Coast next time.

…isn’t it? Judging by the weather you could never tell. We are not talking about the usual, balmy weather that makes San Diego so appealing. We are not even talking about the usual October Santa Ana winds, coming from the desert. We are talking about full on, week-long heat waves (2 in a month), with temperatures reaching the 3 digits. Wow, intense, especially if you don’t have AC at home. It was so warm on the first weekend of October that I actually swam in the ocean, which is a very, very rare event. The water was warmer than the Mediterranean. Incredible. We had a fun get together with Hannah’s and her family in occasion of her birthday, and we all had great fun splashing in the waves, till Keegan had his first Surfing accident: he got hit by a runaway board, right on his side. Good thing he was wearing his wetsuit.

We took advantage of the warm weather also to go apple picking in Julian. We all boarded Sara’s car, and drove with Alyce and Betty up the “mountains”. It was cooler there, but still pleasant. The car trip was challenging, but we made it there in about 1 hour. Still felt longer…

The unusually warm and dry weather, and the continued drought, made apple season very short, so there were slim pickings left on the tree, but we still filled out our bags without any problems. We had extra for a snack.

It was quite fun and the apples, even if on the smaller side, were delicious. The kids had a lot of fun…and so did the moms.

Betty, Sara and Alyce

We had a delicious lunch in old Julian, and a even more delicious snack right outside town, with freshly baked apple pie slices – of course – and ice cream. Definitely a fun day and something we would like to repeat.

Early fall also brought us a new friend: we bought a Betta fish, a half moon male to be exact. This species is solitary, and you can’t put more than one the same tank. Added bonus! I found this really cool aquarium, called Aquafarm, that, not only looks very modern, but also requires almost no cleaning. Plants are potted on the top and they are fed by the fish waste, and the cleaned water is recirculated back in the tank. Perfect ecosystem, if it lasts.

Keegan took a couple of days to find the perfect name. He started with Texter (uh?), moved to Zeus, and finally settled on Dart, since the fish can shape itself into a dart when swimming. He is pretty cute: the perfect starter pet.

Dart in all his glory

Of course, Keegan would rather have a dog or a cat, but we are starting with baby steps. First a fish, then, if he dies, maybe a frog, then maybe a hamster, and when he is WAY older, we may consider a cat. For now, we enjoy looking at peaceful Dart.

In this unusually warm October, we also celebrate our wedding anniversary (San Diego wedding). Since October 5th fell on a Sunday, always a family day, we were able to carve some alone time beforehand. Matt took half a day off, and we we had a wonderful lunch at my favorite lunch spot, the casual Kono’s breakfast place. Then we took a beautiful walk on the beach, as well as a “pilgrimage” to the part of North Pacific Beach I consider “my” beach and then Calumet Park where we got married exactly twelve years ago, almost to the minute. It was beautiful and definitely much warmer than 2002, and we both reminisced about that special day.

posing together (thanks to photoshop magic) at Calumet park

This year we were also finally able to go to the Miramar Air Show. We have been trying for a few years but they seemed to always schedule it when we were in Italy. Last year we were all set to go, and then the government shut down and caused the show to be cancelled.

Keegan was so excited to be going!!! His excitement mounted daily, especially when he got to see the main attraction, the Blue Angles jets, practicing on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

Miramar is very close to his school, and right under the flight path, so he got to see an amazing display from his playground. I was treated as well: when I picked him up, we watched together, and even as we were driving to his Italian class, the planes flew incredibly close.

We headed for Miramar on Sunday, October 5. What a fun way to celebrate our wedding anniversary! It was very crowded, but Keegan endured the long line to get in like a champ. In fact he was even used as an example by the mom right behind us. THIS NEVER HAPPENS! It is usually us, pointing at other kids and showing how well they are behaving. It felt nice for a change. (-:

We started watching some of the floor exhibits. We got just in time to see the awesome motocross exhibition: amazing. Then we walked though the many planes on the ground.

It was so incredibly hot, we had to find any way to cool off: snow cones for all us certainly helped. Around 12 we found some seats in the stands just as the show was starting. I am glad we bought the tickets to sit in the stands, because it would have been really difficult to see much otherwise.

First off was a series of acrobatic para-shooters, followed by military simulations and fake explosions. Then we got the first group of acrobatic planes, a civilian contingent. They were amazing! Their manoeuvrings were punctuated by red, white and blue smoke trails. Spectacular.

Right after that, there were other military exhibitions, and then an amazing biplane doing all sorts of crazy manoeuvrings. Unfortunately I missed most of this part of the show because the heat was really getting to me, and I had to go seat in the shade for a while. We were prepared: plenty of cold water, a spray bottle and a small fan, but it was not enough. In fact, it was so hot that the biggest cheers from the crowd came when the smoke for one of the explosions temporarily covered the sun.

Finally we were getting close to the highlight of the event. Keegan could not wait. It was 3pm. He had been sitting quietly for three hours: a real record!

the Blue Angels parked in the background

It was show time! The Blue Angles did not disappoint, and were certainly worth the wait. I have seen them several times, but it never gets old. They are really incredible.

off they go

This concluded the show, and we slowly headed home, tired but mostly happy…well there was some whining about not getting Keegan a toy, but what is a good day without some needless whining?

With the Air Show behind us, now we can focus on the beginning of the crazy season… oops I mean the holiday season: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Keegan’s birthday and Christmas. Bring it on!

We barely had time to recover from our long trip before Keegan started his new school year. He was excited, and a little nervous. I know he would be OK: he is in the same classroom as last year, Room 12, this time as one of the big kids. He has the same teacher than last year (and summer) and most of the same friends. He chose, not too convinced, a Spider Man backpack, a Batman water bottle and a dinosaur lunch box…not much of a theme, but that was Target offered. And the backpack lights up when moving, so it is pretty cool.

I dropped him off early on September 2, on a beautiful, sunny morning. He barely took the time to pose for photos, and get some sunscreen, and off he went to play. I met the new teacher, Ms. Sara, who seems very nice and sweet.

back in room 12, with ms. Sandy and ms. Sara

At the open house, a few days later, we had the chance to meet some of the new parents and what was in store for the new year. Big news:no more “color chart of shame” as some parents called it. I can’t say I will miss it, since Keegan was regularly in the trouble spots. For the rest, we hope that being a big kid in the class will help him behave more appropriately, but I am not sure it will happen, if I have to judge from the first few weeks.

Being a first grader does not mean forgetting the old friends. On September 20 we had a Preschool Reunion in Mission Bay. Obviously it was only a few of the kids, but the ones who got along the best: Keegan, MacKenzie, Elliott, Van, Rozelin and Julia. It was so great to see everyone. One if his old teachers, Ms. Debra, also stopped by, with her own brand new baby girl.

The kids had a blast playing on the playground, kicking the ball around, or just enjoying some great food.

Friends from the beginning: Keegan, Van and Kenzie

Julia, Kenzie, Keegan, Elliott and Van goofing off

We watched the sunset from the shore, and started our bonfire. It was a beautiful, warm evening. Bonfire, of course, means s’mores…

The kids all got wet in the showers, but fortunately we had a change of clothes. It was hard to say goodbye, but hopefully there will soon another chance to get together.

Old buddies: Julia, Elliott, Keegan, Rozelin and Van

This year, we headed to Italy at the end of August…a first. It is not my favorite time if the year, because it is usually very hot and humid, and the city turns into a desert, especially in the second half of the month for the Ferragosto holiday. Moreover, most of my friends are away on vacation. However, August  was the only time that worked for everyone this year, so we headed to Milan on August 14. “Luckily” this year, the weather has been unusually cold, and rainy: bad news for the tourism industry, but good news for us: less heat, less humidity, and slightly less mosquitoes. And honestly, we only had 1 rainy morning in Milano, and a rainy day at Sestri…Another bonus: my best friend Loredana was around, so we spent lots of quality time together. I even had the chance to experience a wonderful, full length reflexology massage. Not having too many friends around worked out too, since I only had few days this year: instead of a mad rush to see everyone, I took it easy, relaxed, slept and read books.

As always, Keegan had a wonderful time with his nonni, who have endless patience and love to spoil him and dole out lots of attention…and presents. Despite Keegan’s resistance, I have to say that Italian class really helped: his Italian was much better than last year, and from day 1, there was a nice conversation going. He listened to endless stories, and played countless rounds of Chinese checkers, the Sandokan game or any other available game.

My sister and her family came back a few days after our arrivals, and of course Keegan was super excited. Since my sister had another week off, we had the chance to spend lots of time together, such as quality time at the orthopedic doctor! My knee was still bothering me, so we tracked down a childhood friend, now working in a Milano’s hospital, to give me his opinion. Of course, without x-ray or MRI you can’t tell for sure, but he thinks it may be a slight injury to the meniscus (how soccer player of me) but regardless, the prescription is the same:RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). He felt it was on the way of recovery, though, and that was a relief…well, not literally, because for a few days after the visit, the knee hurt a lot more.

Medical business aside, Cinzia and I got the chance to talk a stroll in the new Milano Garibaldi area, to enjoy a quiet pizza in Magenta area, and of course to visit at her house, land of the thousand helicopter-sized mosquitoes. Since Nara and Samir were not feeling too well, Keegan even got an extra treat: he watched a whole movie, while snuggling with them: Ice Age 3.

After a full week of “dolce far niente” (sweet do nothing), Matt arrived. His flight, this year, was perfectly on time, and landed where it was supposed to land. I guess we are alternating: this year, our flight from London was delayed 3 hours!!

Poor Mattie did not even have time to recover from his jet-lag, since the next day, around lunch time, we left for the Italian Riviera: Sestri Levante once again. Well, he had a full week of rest at the beach, in the wonderful hotel we stayed last summer. Not too shabby. With some difficulties, we all took a nap when we arrived, which killed some time before my sister and family arrived, just in time for dinnertime.

This past April, my parents celebrated their 50 Years Anniversary, so we thought it would be nice to celebrate when we are all together. We surprised them with a custom cake that night at dinner. It was beautiful and delicious!

We also got our annual group photo, and amazingly enough, we all look good in this photo.

The food was delicious as always, but being all together again was even better. Well, my sister and her husband had to leave the next day, but the kids had a a wonderful week ahead of them. Keegan was so excited: he got to sleep with his cousins, and they took wonderful care of him, so Matt and I could enjoy some time aline. How nice.

the force is strong with these ones

Our routine was the same as last year: wake up and around 9.30 head up for a wonderful breakfast buffet. Then, we go to the beach to play and get in the warm, Mediterranean sea. At lunchtime, Keegan, the kids, and my parents would have lunch, and gelato, and then head to the hotel for some rest. Keegan took a nap almost every day! Matt and I, would stay longer at the beach, maybe swim more. The afternoon was spent at the pool, and then we time to get ready for dinner.The peaceful view from our balcony was breathtaking.

The restaurant, as always, had amazing food, and you can’t beat the view.

It’s the perfect backdrop for family photos.

my niece and nephiew

nonno and his grandkids

Pool was always the highlight of the day…well, together with getting some delicious gelato form the local shops.

I was also happy to know that my lifelong friend Giada was in Sestri too. Our parents met here at Sestri, when her mother was pregnant with Giada, so we have really known each other all our lives. We spent 18/19 summers together here at Sestri, and really grew up together. Unfortunately, now she lives in Germany, so we rarely get to see each other. It had been more than 2 years since I last saw her.

We first met for an “aperetivo” on the beach, with my family and hers…19 people in all. What a great way to start the week.

salute!

Keegan got some presents too: a cool memory game, travel chess and a t-shirt. And boy, do they came handy. On Tuesday, it rained almost all day, so we were stuck in the hotel, and the memory game provided much needed entertainment. Fortunately, it stopped raining long enough for the kids to jump in the pool. Surprise, surprise: under a dark gray sky, we were the only ones on the pool deck.

We had many chances to spend time together, Giada and I, and to catch up, even if she had to work for half of the week: we took swims together, and walks after dinner, and we spent an afternoon at the Hotel’s pool with her kids, Alba e Giacomo.

We also had a chance to get another aperetivo (oh, how much I miss them) and watch the sunset.

We changed quite a bit from this photo with her mom, Birgit…

While the kids loved the pool (and I enjoyed it too), we also had fun at the beach. Keegan loved the pedalo’, or pedal-boat. We rented the same one, with the slide, and we had a great time and lots of photos.

With my niece and nephew

il mio pesciolino (my little fish)

the rare photo of Tizi and Matt in a bathing suit

Who do you think had the most fun???

In fact, Keegan had so much fun, that he wanted to go again, the following day. Matt and I were not thrilled at the idea, so nonno went instead.

Matt and I swam out to them, so I still got some of the fun (diving) and none of the work (pedaling).

And in a flash, the week flew by. Cinzia and Sandro returned on Friday night, and we got together again for one last dinner. We had another surprise celebration: my sister’s birthday. The hotel had an outdoor dinner buffet planned, with a live band, so, non only we got a special cake and champagne prepared, but the band also played Happy Birthday for her…as expected she was deadly embarrassed, but it was a sweet gesture for sure.

We took advantage of the festive occasion for getting lots of more pictures, enough to last us for another year.

The cake: delicious chocolate, cream, whipping cream and cream puffs

birthday girl with dad

it all started with this: the original family

mom and daughters

Ciniza, Sandro, Nara and Samir

two sisters

After the fun dinner, Matt and I went for a nice, long walk with Giada. I was glad I had so much time to spend with her, and I hope I will not have to wait another 2/3 years before seeing her again. It is always sad to say goodbye to Sestri but it was a good send off.

The next morning, we went back to Milano, and started packing…the flight back to San Diego was early the following morning. I was able to talk to a couple of friends on the phone, and Loredana stopped by to say goodbye with Francesca and Carmelo. We took advantage of our last chance to chat, and run a few errands: I can’t leave without parmigiano cheese or panna! The rest of the afternoon was spent packing and making sure we did not forget anything, especially Keegan’s toys and book (of course we did forget something anyway: his Star wars pj). Before packing, Keegan wanted to photograph the cool space-ships he built with his Lego. He was pretty proud of them, and so he should be: they came straight from his imagination.

The next morning we left early for the airport Malpensa. We arrived a little later than I wanted, and of course, this was the only time the plane left on time. We had to rush to the gates, conveniently located at the exact opposite end of the airport. This meant we had to rush the goodbyes as well, but maybe it was better that way: leaving is always so painful. It is like ripping a band-aid: it is easier to do it with a quick  pull. The flight went well. It was long and tedious, but we all got a little bit of sleep. We arrived on time and crashed in our beds. The jet lag adjustment was not too bed. We had a full day to rest, and recover. Keegan woke up at 3.40am that first night, so I laid down with him and cuddled till 5.30. It was a long day, but it was nice to slowly get back to routine: we unpacked, got laundry done, cleaned up, and played in the pool. Not quite as fun as the Hotel’s pool or the beach, but we managed.

We also got a nice nap, even Keegan who insisted he was not tired.

I am not tired. I don’t need a nap!

Waking him up was hard, and dealing with his crankiness was even harder, but the promise of ice cream got him moving. The last gifts from nonni, a book and a personalized Star wars t-shirt also helped lift his mood. THANK YOU NONNI!!!

These beautiful days in Italy really flew by, maybe even more than usual, and we are all sad to be so far away, once again. We had a wonderful time, and really treasure the days and hours spent with our wonderful family. We are so grateful for the great vacation and all the little and big things that made our stay so pleasant. Thank you for everything! We are looking forward seeing everyone soon, at least via Skype. We miss you, we love you and we send you all our love. A presto!!!

Sometimes I feel bad that Keegan does not get to have a glorious 2+ months summer break like I did, but then, I think about his personality, and I believe it would drive him crazy to stay home for that long. And let’s not even talk about what it would do to us. He would still need lots of interaction with other kids, all day long, so summer school and camps, at least for now, seems like a perfect solution.

This year, we sent him to a one week YMCA camp, where he did a lot of messy experiments, and, by lucky chance, he ended up being in the same camp as Van, his preschool friend. After that, he wanted to go back to his school for their summer program. He was in the same classroom as the regular school year, so he felt at home. The theme this year was Space, so many activities are space related.

watch out for the alien UFO

Of course, they still do math, reading and writing, but there are also lots of other activities, like gardening, and crafts and storytelling and lots of play, including splash time on Fridays. He seems to be having a good time. For 4th of July, they built a lot of different crafts and had a celebration at school. Not quite as fun as the bike parade in preschool, but still.

Now, looking at the photo below, which kid seems to have the most fun?

He seems to also be enjoying more and more building thing, with all sort of materials: waffle blocks, Legos, flowers?

They do also quite a lot of team work…pretty cool. And yes, there are plenty girls at school, and occasionally they get allowed to build too. In fact Keegan seems to be quite popular among the girls. One of them has decided she wants to marry him…but he is not interested.

His  construction skills translate into home play as well. He built this with jenga pieces.

They also work on less traditional skills like sawing. This is his first attempt.

It really feels like a win-win-win situation: he has fun (even if he would not readily admit it), I get to work and he reviews and improves on his math, writing and reading skills. It may not be the prefect solution forever, but we will worry about it when the time comes.

It happened, finally! Keegan has been wishing for this moment for almost a year, since his friends started losing teeth in preschool. However, he was very late on getting teeth in the first place, so it follows he would be late losing them too. When we went to the dentist in June, she told us he had two molars out already, and that the two bottom teeth were wiggly, so the countdown started.

Finally on July 24, just as we noticed how wiggly it was the previous night, he lost his first tooth at school, biting an apple. When I picked him up from school he was so excited to show me, and so were his friends. The teachers made a little card for him, and taped his little teeny tooth on it.

At night, the tooth fairy arrived. It is a pretty cheap tooth fairy, so it only left $2.00, but he was excited anyway…even if he really knows it us. Form that moment on, he started playing with his other wiggling tooth. He even accidentally bent it, but no luck. No biting, or playing with it helped.

Finally, on August 4, right as we are walking out of Seaworld after the fireworks, he lost his second tooth. It dropped on the ground, and even thought there were tons of people and it was dark, he was able to find it. What a great end of a special Seaworld trip! I tried to take a picture, but it is very dark.

He asked the tooth fairy to give him some paper money and some coins, so the tooth fairy obliged with $1.15 (2 nickels, 5 pennies)

He is so proud of his missing teeth he is telling EVERYONE about it! In all the photos we are taking now, he proudly display his toothless grin. I personally think it is adorable!

We can’t really escape Star Wars: not only because Keegan is really into it right now, but because with Disney purchasing the franchise, and releasing a new cartoon series this fall and a new movie next winter — December 18, 2015  to be specific — Star Wars is everywhere!

It was a huge presence at Comic Con this year. I, once again, took Keegan, who got promptly bored after an hour: what kid gets bored of Comic Con??? Last year he did not want to leave. Anyway, more time for me, I guess. We did get to check out some really cool stuff though: Hot Wheels got in the action too. They will be releasing Star Wars based cars (WHY???), so to advertise them they built a full size, real car. Not just any car, a Darth Vader car. I know it sounds insane, and it is, but this car is AWE-SO-ME. Check it out on this video or read about it here. It does look a little like the Batmobile, but still, I would love to have it.

I was so amazed by the car, I did not even notice the buff guy wearing speedos walking just behind it. And trust me, hot guys at Comic Con is a rare sight.

The little cars, to be honest, are pretty nice too, even if they make no sense. I did not shell out $40 for the collector edition, though, no matter how cool it looked.

We visited a past student who is part of the 501 Legion, the official Star Wars Group. She also volunteers with a company that build costumes. Keegan tried on a huge helmet.

Then we roamed the floor: it is not too bad early in the morning, and photo opportunities abounded.

We checked out the characters of the new TV show and we even got a really cool Lego Star Wars book for a super cheap price. They had amazing exhibit, as this Han Solo in carbonite replica, that could be had for only a few tens of thousand of dollars…or if you win a raffle.

Of course not everything is Star Wars at Comic Con, far from it. There were lots of fun stuff and good costumes, even thought I thought last year was better.

Lego has always awesome models

check out this steam punk Jesus

these guys usually make their costumes, and walk in them all day…

One more Star Wars event was organized by my college. Platt invited students and artists to create some artwork inspired by the Star Wars universe. All the art was exhibited in Liberty Station for one night event.

We all went and it was fun evening.The artwork was incredible, and it was fun to check it out.

Our favorite was, however, baby Yoda.

The 501 Legion members were out in force, with their amazing costumes, so Keegan got the chance to pose with many of them. My ex-student was there, as Princess Leia, and she was so amazing with Keegan.

even I got a piece of the action (photo by Keegan)

The most surprising and amazing costume, though, was probably Chewbacca. You don’t often see him around. Pretty cool.

They also had a classical string quartet that played a couple of Star Wars pieces and more contemporary pieces. It was really nice. Check out the “director” brandishing a light saber.

We lasted about 2 hours, took one last shot to end with a bang and then headed home for pizza night.

With Star Wars all around him, it is no surprise he already chose what he wants to be for Halloween…can you guess? Darth Vader of course! I have found a costume on sale, so I got it. I know there is a chance he will change his mind, but I thought that, for the price, it could be a cool dress up costume anyway. Doesn’t he look fierce?

I guess he will not get over this obsession very quickly, but I promise this is the last Star Wars post for a while…I am sure you saw enough picture of people in costume to last an eternity…

This summer, we were very happy to spend some time with two of Matt’s siblings. Matt’s sister Sue started a three weeks long journey cross country, with the plant to visit of of her siblings, and more. She left from North Carolina after the 4th of July, and made it to San Diego on July 10, with her husband Dan. Hannah, arrived the following day.

To say that Keegan was excited is an understatement. He was ecstatic (yeah, we don’t get many visitors)! We saw them pull in just as we got home from school: perfect timing! It was so great to see them. Sue, being an elementary school teacher, was wonderful with Keegan, and so patient with him. She immediately snapped a selfie to celebrate.

After dinner the adults had a wonderful talk outside, under an almost full moon. The next day, I had to go to work, while Matt, Sue and Dan went to get Hannah at the airport. Matt and Sue had the chance to have a great one  on one time, which was way overdue. I think it was really beneficial, especially for Matt.

I meet up with them for lunch. We headed to La Jolla…maybe not the most brilliant idea, since it is the middle of summer and it was packed. However, we scored a beautiful table at George at the Cove. It was a beautiful, clear day, and the view was breathtaking. The food tasted delicious too.

After an unintentional stroll through downtown la Jolla (we could not quite remember where we parked), Sue and I went to pick up Keegan. Sue was very interested in checking out Keegan’s school, and Keegan could not be happier to show off his aunt. At home, we all relaxed, and Keegan welcomed Hannah, by getting her to build Legos with him. We all felt still pretty full from lunch, so we had a light dinner, and after Sue put Keegan to bed, we had another beautiful conversation outside.

The next morning, I woke up feeling really sick…food poisoning or some other kind of stomach bug. I really did have enough strength for getting up from bed, let alone going out. I was bummed, but I really could not: I spent most of the day in bed, resting. I guess it worked out, so they could all go out in one car: they headed to UCSD, since Hannah is considering that university for her master. They had a nice tour, and visited the Geisel library (dedicated to Dr. Seuss, a.k.a. Theodor Seuss Geisel ) and many sculptures around campus.

dr. Seuss sculpture

After the tour, they headed over the Glider Point, to watch paragliders and hang-gliders. Nobody gave it a try though.

They got back in the afternoon, and while everyone rested, Matt prepared a wonderful BBQ. Shannon, the step-daughter of Matt’s sister Beth, came over with her puppy, which was a great hit with Keegan, of course. Everything looked delicious and I was so sad I could not eat any of it. I still had a very nice evening with everyone…

I lasted till 9pm.

Keegan was basking in all the attention, but that did not stop him from misbehaving…so he lost his brownies for the evening. He promptly ate them from breakfast the next day. On Sunday, after our morning nap, and Sue’s morning run, we all went to Coronado Beach. The weather was a little hazy, but still beautiful. Keegan did not want to swim, but he played in the sand and built sand castles with Hannah.

After we got home, Aunt Sue and Hannah took him to watch: How To Train Your Dragon 2. What a special treat…for everyone. We just rested. I felt better but still not OK, and definitely tired. We had a quiet Pizza night, and everyone got to bed early. They all left early on Monday morning, but we were not too sad, because we knew we would have reconnected that weekend at Los Gatos, just outside San Jose’.

On Friday afternoon, we picked up Keegan early from school, right during his splash time. He was so excited for the trip, though, he did not even care. We headed straight to the airport. Everyone was a little tired and cranky, but we all felt a lot better when we arrived. We headed straight to Matt’s brother Jim’s house. It was nice to see him, and his family as well as Sue and her family.

Jim’s wife Dyah prepared a great dinner, but unfortunately I could not stay. My college friend Meggie, who lives in San Francisco, drove down for dinner, so we could catch up…it has been close to 4 years! I could not pass this chance up. It was so great to see her, and to have a nice dinner and talk together. I missed her.

I have heard the kids had a blast. Jimmy performed at his violin and piano, and the kids played very well together. They also celebrated Sue’s birthday,which was only a couple of days prior.

Keegan and Matt ended up going to bed really late, around 10pm, and I was later still, but that of course made no difference: Keegan was so excited, he was up by 5.30am. He watched a movie for a little while, and then, fortunately we met up for breakfast (I even drank some coffee). Later in the morning we met Jim, Jimmy and Kirana for a hike. Little did we know, it turned out to be a massive – for people like us who are out of shape – 4 miles hike up a mountain. I am amazed Keegan made it up with not too much complaints…the power of peer pressure. Matt and I were trailing behind. I had a good excuse: I was not wearing appropriate shoes, and my knee was still hurting. Once we finally made it to the top, the view was breathtaking…not sure we could really appreciate since we were pretty tired.

After a few minutes to rest, it was time to go back down. It finally dawned on Keegan: he had to walked down as long as he walked up. It was not a good realization!. He had a major meltdown and refused to go down. Matt tried to carry him, but he was not fast enough. So, Hannah, gave him a piggyback ride…all the way down. Wahoo…I am impressed. I guess, as a reward, they got to see a deer and her baby.

Matt and I slowly made it down, but I did not mind: it felt like it was just the two of us, since everyone was so far ahead, so I enjoyed our alone time, like our time BK (before kids). We finally limped to lunch and met everyone else at a park. We were all so tired, that as soon as we went back to the hotel, we crashed for a nice 2 hours nap. We did not even have to convince Keegan.

In the late afternoon we headed back to Jim’s house. The kids watched a movie and we talked. After dinner, we made ‘smores…in fact the kids had fun preparing them.

One more late night, but after all is summer. The next morning, we had still time for a nice breakfast in Los Gatos. Then everyone went relaxing in a nearby parklet, and we posed for a group photo. CHEESE!

And just like that, it was time to pack up and leave. Keegan got to take a quick jump in the pool, and then we rushed to the airport. We were all sad, but we had wonderful memories. It was so great to see everyone, we promised ourselves not to let this much time pass till next time. Thank you Sue, Dan and Hannah for visiting us and for being the catalyst of this min-reunion. We miss you already.

Keegan is not a huge fan of traveling (yet, I hope), so we often limit our excursions to a day or two. We don’t have the energy to endure much more, in general …but we are still hoping that “someone” will enjoy travel more and more.

Last weekend we decided to spend a short weekend in Los Angeles. I had read about an interesting exhibition on Pompei, and since we had been reading about the big eruption with Keegan is the Magic Tree House book series, I thought he would be interested. Keegan is always game if there is a hotel involved, especially Embassy Suites Hotels.

We left on Saturday morning, and arrived in Los Angeles in a little over 2 hours, which is impressive: almost no traffic! A peaceful ride for the most time (well, thanks to the DVD player). Our first stop: la Brea Tar Pits. Amazingly enough, I have never been there and I was very curious to check it out. It is the largest urban ongoing fossil recovery area. Millions of fossils have been recovered so far, and the number may double in the next few years. It is incredible. The tar pits — which are actually liquid asphalt, bubbling with methane gas— are still very much visible, and they also have an open pit open for viewing, that shows all the bones that are being recovered.

Pretty cool. In San Diego, we have a tar pits reproduction at the zoo, but it nothing like seeing the real thing. They obviously built a museum around the pits, as well, to learn more about the discoveries, and to display some of the largest, skeletons they  have found in the pits.

As we entered the museum, a family gave us their tickets to a short show, which turned out to be very informative and interesting, explaining how the pits formed and how they happened to contain so many fossils. They even had a semi-robotic saber tooth tiger, that moved around like the real thing. More animated animals were in display in the lobby.

It was really cool…but as always, I think we were way more excited than Keegan, who was looking forward to go to the hotel. We headed back to the car, and enjoyed one of Los Angeles most famous features: traffic. We got stuck for quite a while, but again, for as frustrating as it was, the quiet that came from the back seat made it almost worthwhile.

We finally made it to the Embassy suites, next to LAX. Matt and I tried to rest, in vain…Fortunately the free reception started shortly after, so we headed for the lobby for free drinks and snacks. The two glasses of wine (mine) definitely helped. We decided we could not brave an outdoor restaurant, so we just got room service, which is always fun. After dinner we settled in for the night. We all went to bed pretty much at the same time. Keegan had a hard time sleeping, since the room was at the first floor and quite noisy. Matt kindly went to sleep with him…while I barely noticed thanks to ear plugs.

Early next morning, Keegan watched a movie, while we tried to catch up on our sleep. We headed to the great breakfast buffet, and as we got ready to check out, Keegan got to jump in the hotel room. We finally headed to the California Science Museum, the main reason for our visit. It is a great museum and quite large. I would say it is a cross between the San Diego Science Museum, the Aerospace Museum and the Birch Aquarium, as it has exhibits from all these areas.

We started with the space area. You could see real space modules, like the Gemini 11 or the Mercury-Redstone module, which sent a chimp named Ham in space. There were also real astronaut suits. It was very interesting…at least for us adults. It was perfectly fitting too, since Keegan is studying about space in his summer school program.

When our assigned time came, we entered the Pompeii exhibit. I think it was very well done. They started with an introductory video and then let us in in the exhibits. More than 150 objects were displayed, and there were many 3D reconstructions and tours of different building, such as homes and baths. There were house objects, and gladiators artifacts, and smaller statues.

photos from the museum site

They also showed a video that showed what happened when the volcano erupted, and how the city was buried. Of course, the part that made a larger impression into all of us was the mold of the people that never made it out. Keegan was particularly sad for the little boy they showed, probably around his age.

photos from the museum site

Again, this was way more interesting for us adults, and Keegan was in a weird mood. Maybe he was tired and cranky, but his usual curiosity seemed completely absent. Oh well, we tried.

Before heading home, we took the time to check out the rest of the museum. We saw exhibits on ecosystems, rivers, sound, and also some kelp fish and vegetation. Our final stop was the actual Space Shuttle Endeavor, that is now hosted by the museum. It was a nice surprise, because we did not really know it was there. Pretty awe inducing. I remember watching it landing on tv and now it was right in front of me. It is now hosted in a temporary pavilion, but will have a permanent home at the museum. We watched a movie that showed the tricky transport from the airport to the museum, via surface street. It took about 2 days. Pretty crazy.

photos from CNN

Unfortunately we could not get closer or inside, but it was still an impressive site nonetheless.

After the long visit, we enjoyed some overpriced lunch and ice cream in the museum cafe and we finally headed back to San Diego. Again, no traffic, and a blissfully quiet ride back, thanks to electronics…I guess sometimes you need to compromise your principles for some peace and quite, especially when driving.

All and all it has been a very fun weekend, and we are looking forward to more fun experiences like this. Here is to our next adventure!