Dear Children of 9/11.

I know that 13 years later, you are fully aware that time does not heal all things. No, my sweet children, there are no cliché sayings that will make this wrong right. Though I have not met you, my heart aches for you. My hope, my hope my sweet children is that you feel loved by our entire Nation and beyond-- because you are. While this love could never replace or compare to the love your mother or father held for you, know that you are not just thought of on the anniversary of 9/11. There is a spot for you tucked away in this mother's heart.

On the anniversary of 9/11, when #wewillneverforget is common place among media platforms, I know this much...what is a day of remembrance for us, is a daily occurrence for you. I'm not going to even pretend to know how you feel. I can't imagine the tears you have shed, the questions that have gone unanswered, the wishes unfulfilled and thoughts of "what could have been?"

Some of you may have never even met your mother or father. Some of you were babies when your parents were taken from you and are now teenagers. Some of you are off to college, married and perhaps have families of your own. Some of you may have been driven to choose a career based off of what happened on 9/11. Some of you may have felt compelled to finish your parent or guardian's work here on earth. While some of you may have been resilient and found a path that offers happiness, I know that some of you may continue to wrestle with pain and depression.

Just as the moon and stars come in cycles, so does grief. Yes, even 13 years later (said from someone who lost her mother when she was 17, over 20 years ago). With time, we learn to cope better. With time we are able to rebuild and gain strength from others, even when we have to focus just on moving one-foot-in-front-of-the-other.

So today, I'm not going to share with you the details about "where I was" or "what I was doing" on 9/11. Those details are insignificant and not sensitive to the loss you have had to carry through the years. It's not about me. Dear sweet children of 9/1l, today is a day that we as a nation reflect and embrace you. You are not alone. We stand with you.

You too are not forgotten. xo

Monterey Bay

 

Traditionally, Labor's Day Weekend marks the end of summer. One last hurrah before the back to school routine set in! As we edge toward living in California for 3 months, we needed time to reflect and celebrate all that we accomplished together as a family. It's been an amazing adventure thus far!

 

We were bitten by the seaside charm of Monterey Bay about 8 years ago on vacation from Minnesota. We stayed in Monterey Bay at the Portola Hotel and Spa. We like the kid-friendly atmosphere, central location of this hotel, beautifully decorated rooms and courteous staff. We were excited to return with a now 8 year old and 6 year old- as residents of California!

2006- Monterey Bay, Fisherman's Wharf

With a 2-hour drive from the East Bay, Monterey Bay offered us the opportunity to unplug, reconnect, discover and have fun! In the car, the boys chatted about seeing sharks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and wondered about the special adventure the Portola Hotel and Spa had in store for them!

 

Upon check in, we were greeted with complimentary cookies. Calories do not count when you are on vacation, folks!

 

With live trees, this has to be one of the most beautiful hotel lobbies I have ever seen.

The boys immediately went out to the balcony to check out the scene outside. As you can see, the room was decorated in a nautical theme- which only made it more inviting to our boys.

 

 



I previously read on the Portola Hotel and Spa website that they offered a free Pirate Program for kids. After I enrolled the boys, the front desk handed me two pirate bags (enclosed with an eye patch and gold necklace along with a map for a treasure hunt). This was not only a great way to start our weekend adventure, it was a great way to explore and get to know our surroundings of the hotel. After the boys found everything they needed, they were invited to pick something from the treasure chest!

 

Learning about the ships while on the treasure hunt.



We found a pirate while on hunt for treasure!

Taking a break while hunting for treasure.

Happy to have found the treasure! Thanks, Portola Hotel and Spa!

We parked our car for the long weekend in the garage at the hotel ($17/night) and didn't see it again until we checked out on Monday. This was one of the boys favorite things about the hotel. They could wander freely without getting loaded back up into the car.

 

Fisherman's Wharf was literally right outside of our hotel. There was so much to see and so much to taste! Crepes and Sour Dough Bread were the kids favorites, while Ashish and I enjoyed the clam chowder out of a bread bowl.

There was a man on the wharf that had a collection of parrots. He proudly taught both of the boys how to hold a parrot and pet it.

 

 

We took advantage of Peter B's BrewPub for happy hour and dinner, steps away from our room.

We liked 4 of the 5 brews that came with the beer flight.

There is a free trolley that runs every 10-15 minutes from the Fisherman's Wharf to The Monterey Bay Aquarium. However, we enjoyed the 1.3 mile walk from our hotel along the bay to Cannery Row. There was so much to see, shop and dine on!

 

We reached the Monterey Bay Aquarium about 20 minutes after it opened. After seeing the award-winning exhibits in the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, it's easy to understand why the Monterey Bay Aquarium was voted the number 3 top-rated family attraction in the United States.

He had to show his new shark to the sharks.

If you can't get to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, you can still get in on part of the action! From the comfort of your home, you can view the following exhibits, complete with feeding times:

• Sea Otter Live Web Cam
• Penguin Live Web Cam 
• Open Sea Live Web Cam 
• Aviary Live Web Cam 
• Kelp Forest Live Cam
• Monterey Bay Live Cam

The Monterey Bay Aquarium also offers free audio Podcasts on iTunes: "Aquarium of the Air."

 

Did you know kids 8-13 years old can be Underwater Explorers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium?
 

A few tips to consider:

1. Purchase your tickets in advance. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a travel and tourism program with local hotels that offer lodging and admission tickets valid for two consecutive days. While the line was down the block to get in (followed by another line once you made it inside), with tickets in hand, we were able to waltz right in and bypass the line. If you aren't staying at one of the hotels listed, you can purchase tickets online.
2. Do sign up for the Monterey Bay Aquarium's text alert system. It's simple! Text the code given and text "STOP" when you no longer want to receive messages. While you are there, you'll never miss a sighting of dolphins or whales outside on their observatory deck. They even sent invitations for us to join them for feedings. This brought our experience a notch above all other attractions we've been to.
3. If you plan on dining at Cindy's Waterfront Restaurant at the aquarium, you need to make reservations prior to the day of your visit. We were told we would have a two hour wait (bummer!). While there is another café on site, it was very busy. We decided to have our hands stamped for re-entry, walked across the street and ate at Austino's Patisserie for lunch. Great soup and sandwich options- with a cookie the size of a child's face!
4. Do take advantage of the wrist band with your phone number on it that the aquarium offers to place on children in the event that they get separated from you. We have been to a lot of museums in our time-- this was the first one to come up with this simple, yet GREAT idea! 

Wrist Band with Parents Phone Number

Until next time, Monterey Bay...thanks for the memories!

 

Carry on, Hope.

There are some days in which the news and current events overwhelm me. My heart aches with sadness. Sometimes, my mind flashes with bitter, angry thoughts. On more than one occasion I have visualized God as having a big, messy desk that is in need of a deep cleaning. Like others, I struggle to  comprehend why things happen. More often than not, there is no reason. Sometimes, this leads to feeling powerless.

 

When I get upset about the lack of compassion, empathy and kindness shared in our world, as well as the judgments we cast so easily upon one another, I try to remember something my son once said to me. "Everyone has a different way of seeing things and telling a story. That is their perspective. We can look at the same thing but all see it in many different ways." His words caused me to pause.

 

When my heart tugs at the cords of my existence, I now give myself permission to do just that- pause. In doing so, I'm reminded that while we can't control everything that happens, we can control our reaction. By pausing, I can reflect and own my personal bias that influences my perspective.

 

I may never have all the answers or reasons. I may never be able to help an entire village or community. However, when I see an opportunity to do good, I can choose to embrace it.

 

Yesterday, I saw a woman with a little girl, not much older than 4 or 5, holding a sign asking for help in the form of donations. Going against everything that a "street smart" Chicago Dad instilled in his daughter, fully aware that many people are known to "scam" others with these tactics, my heart tugged in their direction. I went into the grocery store  they were standing in front of and I bought lunch for the little girl.

 

Sometimes, we must expose our vulnerability and fight the fear of others seeing it as a weakness. The choice of feeling vulnerable often leads to an opportunity to use what we have to lift someone else up. It is my hope that my little bit of good imprinted a positive memory on a child beyond a sandwich. Above all, I hope she felt as though someone did notice her and does care about her.

 

God's big desk has many, many files. Good comes in all forms, on all levels and even the most seemingly small act of good contributes to the greater good of the world. That's a message that my youngest seems to already comprehend. Feeling overwhelmed is no more an answer than judging someone or feeling angry is. Doing what we can, in our own way and playing our part is.

 

“Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said,
"It made a difference for that one.”
― Loren Eiseley

Sing your song.

Golden Gate Park: Tea & Carnivores.

Every time I approach San Francisco my heart flutters a little. San Francisco is my favorite city in the United States. Long before kids, every time I visited, it felt like I was coming home. Now that we live here, it is home. We couldn't be happier. The culture, the arts, beaches, mountains, parks, museums, variety of food, innovation and weather are all pluses in our book!

 

Golden Gate Park offers a peaceful respite from the rush of the city. With 1,017 acres to explore, you will forget you are actually in city with a population of 837,442. One of my favorite places to visit in the park is the Japanese Tea Garden. After I was spoiled by this tea garden, no other tea garden could hold a candle to it.

The last time our oldest was here, he was 6 months old.

If you arrive before 10a.m. on Monday, Wednesday or Friday you can get in free. No such luck today as we were there on a busy Saturday. At $5 per adult and $2 per child (ages 5-11), it's not going to break the bank. For the summer, the garden opens at 9a.m. and closes at 6p.m. - starting in November, the garden closes at 4:45p.m. The garden doesn't close for holidays. Bathrooms are located in the Japanese Tea Garden along with a water fountain.

 

The very pathways of the Japanese tea garden invite visitors to slow down. As we began down the winding path, my boys were immediately drawn to the variety of koi fish in the ponds. They kneeled down and studied them, mesmerized by their colors and size.

 

The Arch Bridge (also called the Moon Bridge) may have been one of their favorite experiences. If you have younger children, you'll need to accompany them. However, at 6 years old and 8 years old, they seemed to be a perfect age to climb solo.  As they soaked up the peaceful scene, it was as though you could physically see them relax their bodies. They climbed this bridge several times. My youngest even motioned to me to put down my camera- he didn't want to be disturbed. My oldest son asked if we would buy him a bonsai tree after he saw how uniquely different and neatly manicured they all were along the path.

 

My and my oldest now at the Tea House.

No visit to the Japanese Tea Garden can be complete without a stop at the Tea House. We ordered and shared sencha tea, tea house cookies, kuzumochi and Japanese pancakes. They also sell ice cream and other bottled beverages. When we placed our order at 4:00p.m., there wasn't a line. However, by 4:30p.m., there was a very long line that trailed along the outside the Tea House area.

One of the biggest, most pleasant surprises of our visit to Golden Gate Park was situated between the Japanese Tea Garden and the Conservatory of Flowers. We stumbled upon a roller skating club! People of all ages and abilities danced as they skated and attracted quite a crowd of spectators (rightfully so!).

 

 The last place we explored on this visit was the Conservatory of Flowers. This was only about a 20 minute walk from the Japanese Tea Garden. The conservatory is open daily from 10:00a.m. until 4:30p.m. (last entry is at 4p.m.), but closed on Monday. While the conservatory does host a free day on the first Tuesday of every month, we paid $20.00 admission for our family of four.

Our main mission of visiting was to see the Special Exhibits Gallery transformed into a swamp filled with carnivorous plants- specifically, the Venus flytrap. The boys really enjoyed riding their scooters in the garden outside. This was a great spot to have our lunch.

The boys wandered around in the gardens and found a new treasure.

Golden Gate Park is a San Francisco gem. While these are just two spots we visited at Golden Gate Park, there is no shortage of places to explore or things to do. I am sure there are some people that tackle the entire park in a day! However, when it comes to visiting with kids, I prefer focusing on one or two different things. This makes for a much more peaceful, memorable visit.

 

 

 

 

 



Muir Beach.

Nestled below Muir Woods National Monument, Muir Beach offers one of the best spots to observe tide pools.

 

Muir Beach is a small beach that isn't as crowded as other beaches. There is a small parking lot and basic restrooms on site. There is a pretty nice path that goes over a bridge and leads to small make shift boardwalk that extends onto the beach.

 

Check out these online resources from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to help identify creatures in the tide pool.

 

The size of the many jelly fish that washed up on the beach are impressive!

Rocks encrusted with mussels.

 

Something no one seemed to be able to identify on the beach was the "By-the-wind Sailor" (Velella velella [size: to 3 in.]). There were hundreds of them all washed up on the shore.

A few people that I chatted with on the beach said they resemble the bottom of a coke bottle. "By-the-wind sailors live far out to sea, but many get blown ashore in the spring. The angle of the sail may determine where they land. Those whose sails angle to the left are blown to our coast, while right-angled ones sail toward Japan. These jellyfish relatives use their tentacles to catch passing plankton." -Monterey Bay Aquarium

You'll find huge rocks that offer excellent climbing opportunities and nice trails. Be aware that there are no life guards at this beach.

 

Muir Beach is not a typical "sunny" California beach.

We brought our own sunshine.

Definitely bring a long sleeve shirt or sweater as it gets cooler. As we made our way back to our car in the evening, we passed by many bonfires on the beach where people were roasting s'mores.

 

The fog moving in.

To learn more about what happens in a tide pool, Scholastica offers a great free "read and learn" book for young children.

 





Canva.

 

 I love to take pictures and use software to edit photos and create designs. I also have a soft spot for cool new technology tools that infuse these two subjects together. This is why I'm doing a little happy dance about Canva!

While Photoshop and InDesign are still standard for more advanced professionals, Canva offers something with less of a learning curve. It also doesn't come with a hefty price tag. Online collaboration is possible by sharing a link of your work-in-progress.

 

Canva has the basic design elements:

• Images (you can purchase royalty free images for $1.00 each or upload and use your own photos and graphics for free)
• Font Library
• Templates (create from scratch or Canva has hundreds to choose from)
• Social Media, Pinterest, Facebook Cover, Facebook Post, Facebook App, Facebook Cover, Real Estate Flyer, Presentation, Poster, Blog Graphic, Kindle Cover, Google+ Photo, Twitter Header, Invitation, Document, Card, Photo Collage and Business Card

While Canva does provide interactive tutorials on it's site, I learn best by doing. Contact me if you would like to give Canva a try. I have 5 invitations to give to people who would like instant access.

Canva can easily be a hobby of it's own! I really enjoy playing with fonts and while I'm not a professional graphic designer, I enjoy creating designs. Often, the designs I create inspire my writing. Below are some examples of designs I've created by using Canva.