Summer Adventures, Part 1

This is the summer of family, parties and taking care of business north of the border.
And as always our plans are not definate due to flying standby. We are hopeful to get to where we need to be within two days of when we plan to be there. So, Alex, Trace and I are first going to Houston for 2 1/2 weeks.  Ozzy is flying to Houston to get the kids and then they all are flying to Pennsylvania.  I will be meeting them in either PA or Annapolis, MD for four days.  Then Ozzy flies to Park City while I fly the kids to South Carolina.   I then fly with the kids to Park City while Ozzy flies back to Sayulita. The kids and I will make it back to Sayulita around August 20, I drop them and leave the next day to come back to the states to work.

So the summer started with me flying the kids to Houston to my sisters house so she could take care of them while I worked.  Ozzy was to be super super busy working in Mexico but that project is on Mexico time so I think he just walked around wondering what to do since he has not been away from the kids at his own house EVER!  8 years of having to constantly be there for little ones and now...nothing.  It has been a big time of realization for us both.  I have been commuting to Houston from ATL and realized that I would much rather commute once a month like I have been doing.  I also learned how much I am away from my kids and how much I am missing.

Off we go... on our first adventure.  PVR - IAH

Alex and Trace in the PVR airport.  

Goofing around with a statue

Easy, breezy, plenty of seats, flight was on time, kids were great.  My first thought was, oh shit, this means that our other six flights are going to be a nightmare.  At this point, we will see.  They are still in Houston.  I loved flying with them, teaching them airport and airplane etiquette. I deal with so many shitty kids on the airplane. Rude and inconsiderate,  can't look you in the eye, can't put down their electronic devise long enough to speak to you when you ask them a question, etc.,  but I see exactly where they get it from when I try to talk to the parents.  I could go on and on but this isn't about that...I want to teach my children everything that those kids are not.  So we had our first lesson and it went well.  They were awesome.  They hadn't been in the USA for two years so I was curious to see their reaction.  They were amazed at how big the buildings in the city were when we were on approach and the carpet in the airport got them a little excited.  Besides that it was like wearing an old shoe.  They are so resilient and present.

And then they get to Robins. A nice , big, clean, cool house, as in air conditioning.  A flat screen TV, swimming pool, scooters, skate boards, games, guitars, a piano, a horse, a short order cook (Robin), an uncle (Mike) who Trace loves and who spoils them and their cousins, Brittany and Rebecca. Rebecca was gone for a week and has a new boyfriend , so she was otherwise occupied.  She did teach them to play guitar though.  Brittany spent tons of time with them and they all fell in love with each other.  I am thinking that they are never going to want to come home.  They went out to a real restaurant, who knows how many times, a pro baseball game, learned to fish, they saw their first movie in a movie theatre.  Actually Alex saw one in Mexico.  They went shopping with Robin and Mike, who like to spoil them.  Trace wakes up at 7 every morning to hang out with the dogs and Robin, they even take morning walks together, while sleeping beauty sleeps in, until 10 sometimes. They have no problem shipping me off to work. Actually one day Robin told them they were going to the airport  to pick me up and Trace said, "again?"

They had a wonderful time in Houston, fell in love with the whole family.  They had so much fun and were so comfortable there.  They did not want to leave.   Alex told Robin that she wants to stay with them and that we can come and visit her there if we want. Nice.

Robin's horse Oliver was immediately drawn to Trace.

Alex playing guitar

Trace playing guitar

Lovin the pool

Whee, look at me

They brought out all the toys

Out to dinner.  The restaurant gave the kids pizza dough to play with.  Trace thought it would be fun to throw it at Alex but he missed.  Instead it landed on someone else's table.  OOPS!

"Aw, now this is the life",  quoted by Trace

First movie, Despicable Me 2, 3D

Dragon goggles, bought by uncle Mike

Alex and Nestle, one of Robin's three dogs

Cousin Brittany, Trace and Alex

Next obstacle is getting Ozzy to Houston to pick up the kids to fly them to Pennsylvania to his step dads 80th birthday week celebration with the WHOLE family.
Of course he doesn't have his VISA so he has to run through last minute hoops to get out of the country, Dillon decides he want an overnight play date with the strays of Sayulita so Ozzy spends time looking for him, time he could spend getting ready to leave, and I have to figure out what airline and what flights look best to get him to Houston.  If he doesn't make this celebration he is dead meat....

Ozzy made it to Houston with no problem. It wasn't easy planning his travels but after we made a plan it went well.  He spent the night at Robins had dinner out and time spent with the family.  He said that Trace totally broke down because he was so sad to leave his cousins.  They were off to Hobby at 5am.

Thank you so much Mike, Robin, Brittany and Rebecca for taking such good care of my ninos.  They love you guys so much and had such a wonderful time with you. I am so glad they were able to spend time with you all.


Next up...Part 2, Grandpa Art's 80th Birthday celebration