Been down this road before

It's a big coincidence that Chris' wedding was in the Charlottesville area during Labor Day weekend.  Last year, Jeff and I had a long weekend sans kids and spent the day in Charlottesville celebrating our anniversary, which also occurs during Labor Day weekend.

Much of our time going to and from Charlottesville was unintentionally reminiscent our of road trip the year before.  For both trips, we decided in advance to travel on 95 to get there. It wasn't until the drive home when we spontaneously took Route 29 to get home, that we realized we did the same thing the previous year.

Another big coincidence was when we stopped for gas, went inside the station to get a snack and in the spur of the moment, asked for a lottery ticket.  The year before, Jeff got one and this year, I asked the cashier for one.   When we made our way back on the road, it all began to get very deja vu like and so much of our experiences traveling was exactly the same.  I guess we are creatures of habit and we went with our instincts, which didn't vary in the last 365 days.

It's funny, Jeff and I hardly ever play the lottery.  In fact, it takes my dad mentioning to me on the phone how big the jackpot is before I even pay attention to what is going on.  The size of the payout has to be making national news before I get a clue to get a ticket or two. 

But, there is something about an anniversary, birthday or a special occasion that makes you feel like something magical can happen.  Here's the moment when your life can completely do a 180 degree turn, turn it upside down and oh yeah, it's the start of another year of marriage.  The reason to play (and hopefully win) isn't to escape the current situation, but somehow turn it into a fabulous moment.  I hope what I am writing makes sense.

Just like last year, we started dreaming again of how the money would be spent.  It's fun to make plans and what a better way to kill 2 hours in the car.  Jeff figured in a lump sum payout, if we were the sole winners, we'd walk away with approx. 60 million.  Not a bad chunk of change.  Of course, we'd give each family member a million, put a few million in a trust for each of the kids (not to be received until they are 35 and have earned an B.A.), buy a new house, 2 cars, hire a personal trainer (this was my personal contribution to the plan), and try do good with a big portion of it.  It goes without saying that I'd cover the registration fees for all of members of The Rack Pack, and buy a vacation home on the beach (again, my idea).  Lastly, I told Jeff we'd have to put 10 million in a Swiss bank account to just sit there in case it got so out of control that we spent all the other money and didn't have any left.  That would be our little nest egg.

I am pretty certain that the money wouldn't change who we are as people.  I'd still have a hard time buying clothes at full price and spending lots of money on kids clothes when they grow out of them so quickly.  I'd still want us to have dinner together each night as a family and I am pretty sure I'd still be a stay-at-home mom.  :)

Towards the end of the discussion, we also decided we'd come up with a list of 50 friends and give them each some money to go have some fun.   And if another person also had the winning numbers?  No problem, we already figured out that scenario and decided we would do everything we came up with, just at half the amount.

As of right now, I am not sure what will bring us to Charlottesville again next Labor Day weekend, but since everything runs in 3's, it won't surprise me when we are driving home on Route 29, pointing out all the same landmarks we remember driving by before.  And when we stop to get gas, I bet Jeff and I will again get a lottery ticket and have the same lofty discussion all over again.  A year is just enough time that we forget what we discussed and our conversation is new all over again- with just a hint of deja vu.

And for those wondering, we did not win.  Not in the lottery anyway.

A morning to remember

There are few events that occur within our lifetime that you will always remember exactly where you were when it happens.  The Challenger exploding, the Twin Towers being struck by terrorists and the horror of 9/11 are a few that stand out for me.  Also on that list is when Princess Diana married Prince Charles.  Even though the date was July 29, 1981, I can remember with vivid clarity everything about the event and where I was.  My sister Lori and I used to spend a couple of weeks each summer with my grandparents and it was during one of these visits that the wedding took place.  My sister and I watched on my grandmother's tv in her bedroom.  I think we were glued for a few hours at least. 

On Friday, I had a lovely morning hanging out, comfy in my bed with my sweet Samantha, watching Kate marry Will.  It is wild for me to think that 30 years later I am watching with my child, Diana's child get married.  I am pretty certain that Sam will not remember anything about this morning with the wedding taking place, but it meant something to me.  Seeing Kate become a princess is a very special thing and of course, something that all girls dream of.   And, as we all know, I love love.

Fortunately this one morning, Sam getting up early was perfect as I completely embraced her being awake and cuddling with her in bed while watching the wedding festivities.  Sam loved getting to see a real Prince, Princess, and Queen in action.  To my delight, her attention span lasted more than 1 hour before requesting her usual tv show watching ritual of seeing Barney first thing in the morning. 

Sam's comments while watching the wedding with me was priceless.   Sam saw the Bishop standing in his spot, higher up than the rest of the participants and asked how he will get down from there.  She took a good look at Kate and asked, "Where's her wand?"  Then looked at the queen and asked, "Where's her crown?" 
When Sam saw the close-up shots of the boys in the choir, she commented, "That's a whole bunch of boys."

So years from now (many, many, many years from now Jeff), when we are planning our own little princess' wedding, I am going to recall our morning of watching Kate marry Will and tell Sam about the time she saw her first royal wedding.  Ok, I need to stop writing this, because I am tearing up thinking about Sam getting married.  Oh my, what a mess I am going to be when it actually happens.

And away I go - The Finale!

I would love to say it was smooth sailing (no pun intended) on the return trip home, but then I'd be lying -- BIG TIME! Ha! We had the taxi driver drop us off at the dock for the 11:05am ferry at 10:15am. After about 25 minutes, my uncle realizes something doesn't seem right about the area we are standing in and inquires at the ticket office. Turns out we are at the wrong dock. So we walk (complete with luggage) approx. 1/4 mile down the road to the correct dock for the ferry we need. Once we arrive, we come to find out that the ferry service has been canceled due to high winds and rough seas. The Vineyard Fast Ferry people will be taking us on a 30 minute boat ride to catch a bus that will drive us close to 2 hours it will take to get to Rhode Island where the cars are parked. People everywhere are freaking out that they will miss their plane or train connection. It was not pretty. Due to the new mode of transportation, we are now approx. 1.5 hours behind schedule.

Meanwhile, I got a call from the mechanic first thing in the morning letting me know he was successful in finding the part to fix Jeff's air conditioning. Yay! However, about 4 hours later, I get another call from the mechanic informing me that the part was the wrong one and no one in the area (including 2 Nissan dealerships) have the compressor needed to fit the car. Jeff has a limited edition Sentra and it doesn't take the usual compressor. The mechanic felt bad but told me there was no way the car would be fixed by the end of the day when I would be picking it up.

Just fabulous! This meant that mom and I would be driving back from Cherry Hill, NJ with absolutely no AC. For over 3 hours. Oh joy. This fact alone made up my mind that no matter how late we got back to my Aunt and Uncle's, we would do the drive back to Burke, VA that night. Our best bet for the most amount of comfort was to drive at night, when the sun was down and the cars on the road were at a minimum.

Congestion on the road caused us to go very slow getting back to NJ. By the time we pulled into the service station where Jeff's car was, it was going on 8:30pm. Mom and I stopped at Maryland House for a quick bite to eat, fill the car up with gas and hit the bathrooms. We made good time and got home just before midnight.

Once I told Jeff that the car was coming back not fixed, he quickly got on the phone and called around to see if anyone had this hard-to-find part. Believe it or not, the two Nissan Dealerships in Fairfax County didn't have it, but the mechanic across the street did. I was very skeptical that this was actually the part that no one else was able to locate, but lo & behold, the car got fixed within the same day yesterday. I am still in shock that it worked out like it did. And since the mechanic arranged for a rental car, the kids and I were able to resume our regular schedule for a Tuesday.

The trip to Martha's Vineyard was a complete nightmare, and the trip back wasn't much better. But I am happy I went and enjoyed the time I was there very much. With that said, it will be a very long time before I think it is ever a good idea to go back. Plus, I think Jeff is in the process of hiding my luggage.

My sister Lori (on the left) and my cousin Leslie (on the right).

My mom and I sightseeing.

And away I go - continued

Saturday and Sunday made up for the atrocious trip to get to Martha's Vineyard. The weather was beautiful; in the 70's and no humidity. Too cold to go to the beach, but very nice for walking around the island, sightseeing and shopping. With my birthday coming up in 2 days, every time I looked at something, my mom quickly said, "let me get this for you for your birthday." I made out like a bandit and now have planned to be around her every year near my birthday. :) I had no plans for her to treat me as much as she did, but I'd go up to the counter and she would've already slipped her credit card and paid for it. Got to love it.

Erik's wedding was beautiful. The ceremony was at the beach and the reception was up the road at this very cool house they were staying at. They had a tent set up outside and big, lantern lights hung from the ceiling of the tent illuminating it. Very cool and incredibly gorgeous. The wedding was intended for immediate family and very close friends; there was about 50 guests. It was low key, simple, and very special. The highlight was the best man's speech. The best man, Noah, gave a speech that was hilarious. In fact, at the end of it he got a standing ovation from everyone. When have you ever seen that happen? Tears were rolling down our faces from laughing so hard. At the end of the day, I was happy to have been a part of it. I really am a romantic and love weddings!

More than attending the wedding, I absolutely love being around my relatives. My aunt, uncle, and cousins are some of the coolest people and so much fun to be around. It is one laugh after another, even more so during some of the more traumatic traveling moments. We had a great time.

Our ferry to go back leaves at 11:05am this morning. We are doing the reverse trip back home, but all in the same day. Ferry to Rhode Island, Rhode Island to Cherry Hill, NJ, Cherry Hill to Burke, VA. It is going to be a long day.

Jeff's car is at the mechanic my aunt and uncle use. We dropped it off on Thursday night as soon as we got to Cherry Hill. I found out it needs a new compressor to get the AC fixed. The mechanic was not sure he'd be able to get the part in by the time we need to pick up the car on Monday. Jeff has said he'd be okay with my mom and I staying another day to wait for the car to get fixed, but I can't see myself doing that to Jeff and the kids. I already feel bad being gone as long as I have. I will find out at approx. 9:00am if the part is available. I need air! In fact, I am known by some friends as getting in the car when someone else is behind the wheel and saying, "Air. Me. Now."

My mom got Dramamine for the ferry ride back. Hopefully this will start the journey back on the right foot. Jeff has had a heckuva time back at home with Samantha. She didn't get one full night of sleep and her naps were inconsistent at best. I know he was put through the ringer and still counting down the hours until I return. I know the minute I walk through the door, I'll be put on the midnight shift (and the 1:00am, 2:00am, 3:00am shifts too!). It's a good thing I miss her. It's another good thing she is so darn cute.

And away I go (again)

I am currently in Martha’s Vineyard for my cousin Erik’s wedding. For those keeping score, this is wedding #4 since October. Three of which required traveling to another state or country. I had no plans on going, by my mom asked if I would travel with her and I felt I needed to oblige. I will be gone for a total of 4 nights (Thursday thru Monday). We are returning home around midnight on Monday. I would’ve loved to have Jeff and the kids with me, but logistically and financially, it wasn’t possible. Nor, if this was the one trip we would take, Martha’s Vineyard would not be the place we would pick to go.

Jeff has been amazing in helping me go. He offered to come home early on Thursday, so my mom and I could get an early start driving to NJ. We would get to NJ, spend the night at my Aunt and Uncle’s house and then continue traveling the rest of the way to Martha’s Vineyard with them.

So far the trip has been one traveling snafu after another. We’ve hit endless amounts of construction and car accidents on the road. I drove for at least 40 minutes in blinding rain and a severe thunderstorm. The kind of blinding rain when you can’t even see the lights on the car in front of you. Furthermore, upon entering into the state of NJ, the air conditioning on Jeff’s car completely stopped blowing cold air. So while it got hot very quickly inside the car, it also fogged up the windshield and created more vision problems.

Day 2 of the traveling on the Friday wasn’t any better, actually worse. Despite having 90 minutes of extra time built into the schedule, leaving at 5:15am wasn’t early enough to get to Rhode Island for the 12:00pm ferry. We barely made it, with a minute to spare. Forget getting there 45 minutes in advance like they recommended. My uncle had to drive 95mph to make up for the lost time sitting in standstill traffic. My mom freaks out when I go 5 miles over the speed limit; you can just imagine the scene in the car with my uncle doing 95. But if we missed the 12:00pm ferry, the next one wasn’t until 4:30pm and we would’ve missed the rehearsal dinner. The ferry ride was rough, rough, rough. It made me incredibly nauseous and my mom got sick. Once we got to the hotel, changed our clothes and headed back out for dinner, the cab driver got lost and didn’t know where the restaurant was we had to go to. Oy!

I was looking forward to having a break from a very exhausting-to-be-around-certain 2 year-old I know, but right now, I’d like to just catch up on my sleep and not get stressed going from Point A to Point B.

Jeff is counting down the hours until I return. I think I am too!

And to my wonderful husband, who when I called last night to say good night and was having a heckuva time getting Sam to go to sleep, I am sorry. Really, I am. Please know, I have no plans to be gone again for a very long time.

A few final words

So I've come to find out that there is a downside to going away somewhere fun and then coming back home. First and foremost, I did not come back well-rested. In fact, I got less sleep than I usually get at home. In Mexico, I averaged 5.5 hours each night. There was a one hour time difference and my body never fully adjusted. Instead of being able to sleep in, I was up and at 'em like I usually am at 6:00am EST. And, of course, I did stay up much later at night than I usually do. There was no sleeping in and lingering in bed. Oh no, I made good use of the time I was awake and kept having fun. All this made for a tired girl coming back home.

The other BIG observation and I emphasize the word "big" is that I gained 5 pounds in 72 hours. Yes, you read right - 5 pounds. Yowzer!! But this is what happens when you carefully watch what you eat 24/7 and then throw caution to the wind and not give it another thought. Hopefully I'll be able to get those 5 pounds off almost as fast as it came on.

I did manage to keep it gluten-free for almost the whole time I was away, but I ended up caving when it came to the wedding cake. I am a sucker for cake and knew that it would be impossible to say no. The cake didn't disappoint and I give myself some kudos for doing as well as I did the rest of the time. But when all is said and done, I am sure I've done damage to my small intestine that will now take another 5 months to a year to repair.

A funny observation -- You know you've been drinking too much when;

Heather and I met for one last meal at the resort before going to the airport. The waiter asked Heather what she wanted to drink and Heather replied with "ice tea." The waiter then turned to me for my drink order and without hesitation said, "Would you like Tequila?"

And not to be outdone by an incident that happened earlier in the morning (and I am talking like 10:00am!): One of the staff members at the resort (my new BFF Johanna) crossed my path as I was walking to the bathroom and she said, "Would you like one last Mudslide before you leave today?"

Oh my! I don't like beer and I am not one to really indulge in drinking wine, but when the fru-fru drinks are being offered and they can make virtually anything under the sun (Sexy Banana - OMG!), it was easy to toss back the frozen drinks like they were water. Giving up soda during this weekend wasn't difficult at all. I just replaced it with alcohol. :)

I will eventually catch up on the sleep and I will eventually lose the 5 lbs, but the good times will stay with me forever.

Anything But Ordinary

Jennifer and Karim outdid themselves in making their wedding very special, uniquely them and a whole lot of fun. I desperately want to remember every detail in vivid color and be able to recall my time away whenever my real life is making me feel a little overwhelmed. Be transported back to the weekend when time stood still, the drinks poured freely, and the good times never stopped with a wonderful group of friends and loved ones.

You couldn’t help but fall in love with the location. Puerto Morelos, Mexico is where the festivities took place. Jennifer and Karim picked a resort called “Ceiba Del Mar” and it was a great mix of luxury and hospitality. The staff (mainly my new best friend, Johanna) was incredibly accommodating and really took interest in you; getting to know your preferences. They seemed to work around the clock with very little downtime, but it was nice for the guests to see the same friendly faces each day, always with a smile. The ocean was steps away from the pool and the view was pretty spectacular. The hotel only had 80 or so rooms, so having 60 of us be there for the wedding meant we really took over the place.

I think seeing friends and family wherever you ventured (whether it be the pool, beach, spa, gym, restaurants, pool bar, swim-up pool bar :)) was part of the charm. It was never-ending good times and like one big party the whole weekend. Everyone was in a great mood and ready to have fun.



The wedding was unbelievable. Spectacular is the word that comes to mind. The day started at 1:30pm when we were to gather at the lobby for shuttles to take us to the church, which was less than a 10 minute drive away. It was a Mexican, open-air church that was quaint and had local people watching from the windows and doors. The service was Coptic Orthodox, and while normally an hour long service would prove difficult to hold my attention, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Jennifer and Karim flew their Priest in from NoVa, and he was a young, hip and funny man – not what you would expect from such a strict, ancient branch of Christianity. He explained the traditional service we were witnessing and it was filled with a lot of action.

Once we got back to the resort, there was a little downtime to refresh and gather back in the lobby to officially start the reception. A Mariachi band led the walk for the wedding guests to this pier where the cocktail hour took place. During this hour, the sun is starting to set and the candles lining the pier were getting brighter and brighter. At this point I’ve lost all track of time and I am not sure how long until we were told it was time to go to the reception. Not wearing a watch for the majority of the weekend was an easy way for me to live in the moment and go with the flow.









The reception was outdoors just off the beach. The area with the tables and dance floor was breathtaking. Everything was done in a white with teal blue accent. The tables had this illumination, being lit from underneath and the dance floor lit up as well. The chairs were white with the blue and white ribbon tied on the back. It was truly one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever seen.
The DJ started playing music and Karim and Jennifer made their entrance. Jennifer did her father/daughter dance first, then Karim did his mother/son dance next. Following directly after was the bride and groom’s first dance. It started with a traditional waltz (which was so not them!) and then a few minutes later, the music got interrupted and the couple broke into a fast dance, dancing to Chris Brown’s “Forever”. Jennifer surprised everyone and did a dress change; going from the beautiful more-appropriate wedding gown to wear to a formal church service to a sexy, low back, very slinky dress to move and dance in at the reception. Throughout the entire day she looked gorgeous. The men in the bridal party wore light beige suits with the same shade of teal blue for a button down shirt. The Maid of Honor had a dress on in the same exact shade.
The wedding went until 11:00pm and then an after-party followed.

It was a long day, but so incredibly awesome. I am rereading what I’ve written above and I am just not doing it justice. The whole day blew me away. Karim and Jennifer did an amazing job planning this event and from start to finish, no detail was left unturned. I can’t even begin to explain how much fun I had. Besides the paradise setting and being beyond excited to see one of my best friends get married, I believe the people who attended had a big part in making this wedding such a success. This crowd LOVED to dance. Karim’s parents and Jennifer’s parents got down on the dance floor with the rest of us. And Karim’s side of the wedding pulled out all their best dance moves. It is rare to see such a big group of men who really enjoyed dancing and could tear up the dance floor better than most of us.

This wedding will always be one to compare to anything I ever attend from this day forward. It was top-notch all the way. The day was incredibly special and I am grateful I was able to be a part of it. I wish them both all the happiness and love in the world. One of the guests commented that when the time comes, they should have a destination baptism. :) I personally think we should get together each year for their anniversary.


Oh yeah, a little shout-out to Heather who doesn’t think I mention her enough in my blogs. She was a great traveling buddy. :)

And a BIG shout-out to Jeff who was the main man in charge for 72 hours. You helped make this weekend possible for me.

Mexico bound!

One of the best things about being a part of this wonderful group of friends I have and refer to as, "the girls", is that I've seen all of them meet, date and fall in love with The One. Kristin was the first to get married, Heather followed suit a few years later, then Dustee, I came next and in a couple of days, it will be Jennifer's turn. She always wanted a destination wedding and has picked Puerto Morelos, Mexico as the place to tie the knot.

I will be there. Yes, me! This mommy of two is leaving behind the kids, husband and dog and going to Mexico. I will be gone for 3 full days -- I leave before everyone wakes up on Friday, January 22nd and walk back thru the door after everyone is asleep on Sunday evening, January 24th. Yay! Yippee!!

No diapers to change, No whining to listen to or try to ignore, No diaper bag to lug around, No nap schedule to work around, No meals to cook. I am not sure if the break is so needed because I know one is coming, or if the break is needed because it's been awhile since I've had one. I will savor my time and make each hour count.

The resort the bride and groom picked has an all-inclusive plan and drinks are included. I don't plan to drink so much that I forget how I spent my time away from the family, but I do plan to help the good times along nicely.

I am also excited that my mom and stepfather got invited to the wedding too and will be meeting me there. My mom was my original best friend and you can't help but have a fabulous time when we get together. There are many reasons Jeff isn't coming with me, the foremost being finances. It would've added too much to the bottom line, plus childcare, time off from work, boarding the dog all would've added to the complexity of logistics.

I'm okay with Jeff staying behind and realize that I may even have a better time, as none of the girls who are going are bringing their significant others with them either.

The best part is, I've gotten to know who Jennifer is marrying and I like him, really like him. I think they are a great couple and good for each other. They are one of our favorite couples to hang out with. I am so excited that I will get to see the wedding.

Passport? Check. Plane ticket? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Bathing suit? Check. The idea of being on a plane without two kids related to me? Priceless.

Here comes the bride, the groom and the Toppall's

There are many parts to a wedding we told Ian. He wasn't technically in the wedding, but we needed him to dress up and put on a suit for pictures. Therefore, it was important that he felt like he was included in the festivities. Jeff came up with the perfect idea to tell Ian he would be part of the rehearsal and a big part of pictures. And, my mom wanted him to be able to see the wedding reception in action and get to dance with the family and guests. Ian was very excited about all the parts he was included in and didn't realize what he was missing when the real ceremony, dinner and reception took place. My 1st cousin Leslie's little boy Max came to Orlando for the weekend and the two boys, only 6 weeks apart in age, had a blast getting to spend so much time together. Since Leslie and her family live in CT, it was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to reconnect.

Despite 95 degree heat, Ian did a great job participating at the rehearsal. He was able to step in for Ben's sister Anna, whose plane was delayed and she couldn't make it to the rehearsal. This was more than we could've hoped for in terms of giving Ian a reason to participate. He performed his 'bridesmaid' duties beautifully and looked awfully cute walking arm in arm with Luke, Anna's matched-up groomsmen.

Pictures were scheduled for 4:15pm; a good 2.5 hours before the wedding was to begin. I was a little nervous about how Ian would take to wearing a suit. It was ordered online and when it arrived in the mail, Ian was incredibly excited about the pants (they had no button or zipper) and said ok to the tie. The button down shirt and jacket however, he was a little leery of. I had visions of him looking like a Chippendale dancer in the formal pictures, rather than a sweet, 4 year old little boy. Fortunately the groomsmen, groom, and his grandfathers were in a tux, so he felt incredibly grown-up getting to dress like them.

When we got the kids dressed, we headed to my sister's suite to help her get in her gown. Ian and Sam were a big hit in their formal clothing and we couldn't resist a few pictures before letting the professional do his thing. It never occurred to me that this is when Ian thought the pictures were being taken and that his part was done. Convincing him to keep his suit on for another 30 to 45 minutes was tough. Fortunately Nana came to the rescue and completely changed his tune. It is amazing the effect one, very much loved grandmother (my dad's wife) can have on the attitude of a 4 year old. She took him down from the ledge and got him to cooperate fully. It was pretty spectacular and the photographs turned out fabulously. I don't have access to the original files, so unfortunately I can't post a picture.

Our weekend nanny whisked the kids away, got them changed into comfy clothes and fed them dinner while Jeff and I finished with the pictures and partake in the wedding. Due to needing the sun to set before the Jewish ceremony could take place, Lori had the cocktail hour first, then the ceremony, followed by dinner and dancing. I found out from the wedding coordinator (it would've been a BIG mistake to ask Lori anything in the hours leading up to the wedding) that the Horah (traditional Jewish dance to mark a celebration) would be one of the first things played by the band before the 1st course was served. This was the perfect opportunity to get the boys and have them come see the wedding. The hour was already quite late and well past Ian's usual bedtime, but it was a special occasion and anything goes when the grandparents are involved. :)

Ian couldn't believe his eyes when he made it into the room and saw Aunt Lori and Uncle Ben raised on chairs, being lifted high above everybody's head. Once they were safely back on the ground, Lori scooped up Ian in her arms and started dancing with him. Ian also got to dance with all the grandmas (he's got 3) and have a 5 minute glimpse of a what wedding reception is all about.

Other than a few glitches; the rabbi showing up 35 minutes late, the ceremony having to be moved inside because of impending rain, and the top of my dress having a tough time staying up, it was an absolutely beautiful wedding. I've never seen my sister look so gorgeous. She was an absolutely stunning bride. And Ben, my new brother-in-law looked very handsome.

Ian reports that he is done wearing a suit. He says he won't even wear one for his own wedding. Ha! That is a battle his future wife can try to win.

The weekend was exhausting and I am super glad it is all behind us. It will be nice to get back to my routine of life with the two kids and no longer worry about all the little things -- who will take care of the kids while we are at the hotel? How will we manage with Samantha being such a light sleeper? Will we survive the plane flight to and from Orlando? Is Ian going to cooperate and justify spending the money for him to be wearing special clothes for only 30 minutes?

In the end, it all worked out. Ian was incredibly well-behaved and Samantha was a real trooper. My Toppall team represented us well and I couldn't be prouder.