Vegas, Baby

This may sound lame, but we really had no idea what to do for a family vacation this summer. We didn't want to fly somewhere, knowing the cost of getting wherever we went wouldn't be worth it (toting the kids to cultural events or museums? No.).

So, we were left with our three directions. For a while, we were planning on San Diego ... again. The kids didn't seem excited about Sea World, but we figured we'd find some things to do - Legoland ... again, the beach and, of course, swim in a hotel pool. Because, really, that's all the kids want to do, anyway.

Then, one of the Las Vegas hotels emailed a cheap deal and it made perfect sense. We'd go to Vegas. Sure, Kevin and I go once or twice a year, but the kids have always been curious about it. And they'd get to do the one thing they want to do most: swim.

We booked a cheap room for four nights at the Monte Carlo, came up with a pretty long list of kid-friendly activities to do over four days and went for it.

Overall, we agree the vacation was a success for the kids. Riley enjoyed counting limousines (42) and Holden had lots of questions about the hotels and gambling (asking again and again why he couldn't play!). Vegas did it's Vegas thing by nickel-and-diming us at every turn with its jacked-up prices and no-outside-food-at-the-pool-type rules. Kevin struggled with this a bit. Usually, we go and gamble and drink and it's simple. It's not that way when you're being a tourist with kids.

Also, we expected more swim time. But the pool hours at the hotel were 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., which curtailed our plans for early morning and after dinner swims. We tried to keep the kids up late so they wouldn't be roaming around our hotel room at 6 a.m. It worked out mostly ok.

When we first arrived, we headed over to the Mirage to get Shirley Temples, the Venetian to see the gondolas (and got to see a fun marionette show) and Treasure Island to see the pirate show. The pirate show, though, was canceled a minute before it was scheduled to start due to "technical difficulties." After standing in 100-degree heat for 10 minutes to get there in time - that was a bummer.

The volcano was cool ... well, at least Holden liked it. Riley continued his fear of all things fire - a theme that persisted throughout the trip.

On day two, we had our first morning swim after breakfast in the hotel room (we were at least smart enough to bring lots of food and a cooler!). There was a regular pool, a lazy river and a wave pool. It was fun .. but CROWDED - even first thing in the morning.

We ventured away from the Strip for a reasonably priced lunch (Denny's) before heading back to Circus Circus' Adventure Dome. This is not the Circus Circus I grew up going to. Gone was the black big top with the trapeze shows and, in its place, a pinkish glass dome filled with rides and games. The kids, interestingly, were not at all into the rides (which was kind of a relief - saved us lots of money and vomit). We blew a lot of money on the mid-way games for stuffed animals. Holden and Kevin played Laser Tag and the kids each got an Icee. Riley billed Circus Circus as one of this top two favorite things he did in Vegas.

We went back to the room for some rest, and this happened:

That night, we had a really fun and yummy dinner at Benihana's (the kids' first time). Holden woke up grumpy from his nap, but snapped out of it when the onions transformed into a volcano. Riley was scared of the fire, but loved the flying shrimp tricks.

We headed over to the Bellagio to watch the dancing fountains (Riley's other top two activity). It's so beautiful and still gives me chills!

On Tuesday, we got up and headed west to Red Rocks National Conservation Area. The weather app promised a high of 79 degrees there, so we thought it would be a comfortable break from the 100-plus degree weather we'd been in. It was still very, very hot. And Kevin and I were very, very stupid to only bring one large bottle of water for the four of us. For a while there, we thought we were gonna lose Holden in the red, soft sand.

Despite how uncomfortable it was, it was actually a fun time. The kids love to scramble and explore. He whined a lot, but Holden still put this adventure in his top two.

We rounded out the day with lunch, slushies and swimming. I got in about 45 minutes of gambling time at a $5 blackjack table - and broke even. We had dinner in the food court at the hotel and then Kevin took a turn at his luck. The $5 table was gone, so he tried video blackjack ... without a lot of luck.

The next day, we swam in the morning before heading east to the Ethel M. Chocolates factory (with a stop along the way for some amazing tacos!). The self-guided tour was quick but interesting. The best part was choosing chocolate to buy at the end.

We took another break in the hotel room before heading out to explore New York, New York, the Luxor (the kids were pretty intrigued by the pyramid throughout the whole trip) and then the Excalibur, where we had tickets to see the Tournament of Kings dinner show. We played in the arcade, the kids won more crap and then it was show time. Riley was immediately scared by the loudness and the pyrotechnics, and only saw about a third of the show (he stayed slumped in his seat with his hands over his ears). Holden, though, thought it was a blast and cheered heartily for our King of Austria. We ate with our hands, pounded the table and enjoyed the jousting. (Holden also named this among his top two.)

One more swim and it was time to hit the road home. We're learning a lot about expectations, not only of ourselves and the kids, but of the places we go. Sure, Vegas threw us for some loops, but the kids had a trip they will always remember.

And We Ra-a-aaan....

Suddenly, we're a family of runners.

It started nearly two years ago when Kevin decided he wanted to run the L.A. Marathon. Despite the fact that he wasn't a runner. And never ran before. Ever. But he did it - and it was amazing! He continued training and is now an official triathelete.

For their part, the kids have always been active. They are in Running Club at school and have their extra-curricular sports, too.

For me, I had soccer and yoga. Sure, I ran in soccer, but not long distance. And those sprints late on Tuesday nights could really kick my butt. On Superbowl Sunday, we all did the Redondo Beach 5K. I had Riley in tow figuring we'd take it easy, but was surprised to find I wanted to run more than I could.

So, a couple weeks later, I went on a run. I'm not one of those people who will tell you I love it. I don't. I actually kinda hate it. But I know the benefits and now, after the Village Runner 4th of July 5K, I know how great it is to race for real. I ran it in just over 36 minutes - way better than the 42-minute goal I set for myself.

I'm in there somewhere!

Just passed the start line ... not sweating yet.

The homestretch. NOW I'm sweating.

The kids had lots of congratulations for their sweaty Mama.

Then it wast the kids' turn. They both participated in the Firecracker Dash - .25 mile.

See Holden at the start?

And he's off!

He ran hard and came in 14 of 38 for his age group!

Then it was Riley's turn!

47th out of 65 is not shabby!

Making Kitsch Hip

We have a lot of very, very talented friends who make the most magical, fun and whimsical baked goods you've ever seen (I'm talking to you Jami, Jenn and Nanette.) They are part of burgeoning movement to make food interesting. I so admire them, and people like them, who bring design and creativity into the kitchen.

I am not, however, one of those people.

Not that I completely lack creativity. I can write with flair sometimes. I feel I have a pretty good eye for photography. It's just that, in the kitchen, I'm lucky if I haven't completely messed up the recipe and used all the ingredients correctly. But when it comes to food appearance, I've never had the patience nor the talent to get the "wow" that my friends and so many others get with their creations. And there are so many people out there making food look amazing. I know, because they all post pictures of their masterpieces all over the Internet, leaving people like me wondering if I'm the only one who can't swirl frosting or work with fondant.

But, despite the bazillions posting all over Twitter, Facebook and, now, Pinterest ... I have to believe I am actually in the majority. There must be many more people like me quietly keeping their kids' birthday cake photos to themselves, lest they be shamed by comparison on the Internets. So, here's what I'm thinking: we all start posting photos of our truly-homemade-like-our moms-used-to-make cakes and cupcakes and start our own trend. Kitsch becomes trendy, in an ironic hipster sort of way!

I'll go first. Here's the rock climbing cake I made for Holden's 8th birthday party. I used candy rocks and licorice to mimic the climbing wall theme of his party. I knew I couldn't possibly use icing to get the letters to look good, so I went ahead and bought the pre-made candied ones. It's covered with (gasp!) store-bought frosting. There, I've admitted it.

Who's with me?

Costa Rica: Day 3

July 18, 2011

We got to sleep in a little and woke up to the usual overcast skies, but no rain. Mercifully, it didn’t rain all day – a Costa Rica miracle!

After our usual breakfast at the hotel, we were picked up by Ecoglide and taken to their nearby zip lining facility. Among a group of about 25 tourists from all over the world, we zipped high above the ground through the rainforest. It was beautiful and exhilarating! Kevin also did the optional Tarzan swing off a very high platform. Denise chickened out. It was just not in the cards to step off and free fall before being pulled back up by the swing. There were kids on the trip, and swearing could have happened.

We met a nice couple who are also staying at the same hotel as us when we go to Manuel Antonio on Tuesday. Matt and Jenna were fun to hang out with, as was most everybody on the trip. They told us of a good trip they took to a nearby waterfall, so we decided to use our free afternoon to visit La Fortuna Waterfall. Only 480 steep steps down to a beautiful and cold – but bearable – swimming hole at the thunderous base of the waterfall. Even the 480 steps back up weren’t even that bad!

We returned to the hotel to explore the grounds, swim and enjoy happy hour before going back into town in search of the elusive “tipical” food we’ve been craving. Our cab driver took us to a little restaurant off the beaten path that was delicious, but still not the “soda” we wanted.

Our hotel room at Volcano Lodge - we made ourselves at home!

A few Costa Rican observations so far:

• Dogs run free and stray through the streets, which is very sad.
• B.O. is a big part of this humid climate, which is difficult in buses and taxis.
• There seem to be more tourists than local “ticas,” but they welcome us warmly as their number one money source.
• Ticas think we speak Spanish from our feeble efforts, and it’s nice of them to appreciate our attempts.
• We’ve seen people buying fish out of the back of a truck.
• Our very helpful and enthusiastic guides and drivers use the word "nice" and "best" a lot to describe everything from restaurants to frogs. It's very endearing: "There's a nice frog over here I want to show you. You like?" or "That restaurant is nice for lunch. It's the best."