Afternoon Tea

Lauren and I enjoyed some afternoon high tea a few weeks ago with a few dance friends and their moms.  All the girls tried the tea but ended up switching to lemonade. Finger sandwiches, pastries and scones were delish!








[the yellow and blue rubber bands on her braces are her school colors….]

Did I mention how much I love having a daughter??  :)

Ice Skating Competition in Yorba Linda

On May 18th, Lauren took the ice at her first competition against skaters from other rinks.  A fairly quick trip to Yorba Linda and we entered The Rinks.  It was a whole new world for us and yes, our girl was quite nervous.   Thankfully, her coach Vanessa was there to help calm her nerves and was by her side as she took the ice for her routine.





Lauren had to pick music for a routine about 6 weeks prior to the competition - after much consideration, she chose "You Can Count on Me" by Bruno Mars (her other selection was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland).  Proud to say her music stood out as original - "Frozen" seemed to be the song of choice for many of the 6 to 10-year-old age group.

Given that she had only been working on the routine a couple of times per week in advance of the competition, she overcame her fears and looked just about as relaxed and confident on the ice as I've ever seen in her dance recitals (where she rehearses for months).

Thanks to the professional photographer present to capture all of the skaters, we have a wonderful memory of her performance (in addition to the professional video also purchased).  And yes, I am going to post most of the photos…...































Due to the wonders of technology, her entire performance can also be viewed:



The final result?

Second place (first place went to a 9-year-old), and a very happy little girl.

Mama's Day

Mother's Day this year involved everything I love - family, good food and gorgeous weather.  No battling traffic and crowds for me this year.  We simply went across the street to the golf course and had a really fabulous brunch with my parents, Ryan, and Joe's mom and brother.








[Joe with his mom Mary and brother George]









Between the huge shrimp, freshly made omelets, and Bloody Mary bar, our bellies were pleasantly full (but I didn't overdo it!).  Not as full as our hearts, however.

While I appreciate my mom every day, some may say I have bought into the hype because I really do  love honoring her on Mother's Day.  This one felt so relaxed, easy, and just right.

Spring Break Rewind

For spring break this year, Lauren and I hightailed it back to our happy place.  The Grand Del Mar.  It was only for 3 nights (3rd night is free!), but we made sure to soak up as much of the luxurious goodness of our favorite local retreat as possible.

We checked in around noon on Easter Sunday, and the resort was packed with families brunching and easter egg hunting.  Amidst all of the holiday revelry, nobody was at the pool.   Since our room wasn't yet ready, we knew just where to go first.




The resort grounds are surrounded with so much greenery and flora.  My favorite plant there?



The infamous Kangaroo Paw.

After a couple of hours of sun and water, we retreated to our room for our arrival tradition.





This place certainly knows how to make a couple of gals feel welcome.



Then it was off to dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant in downtown Del Mar.



Where we didn't even mind having to wait a few minutes for our table.



Back to the resort in time for sunset, someone had a little extra energy still to burn off.




Even the library seemed thrilling to this voracious reader.



The next day we eased into our regular routine:  breakfast at our window table in the hotel restaurant (eggs for me and chocolate chip pancakes for her), followed by a much anticipated return to the Explorer's Club.  Most of the spring break families had already left the resort, so she pretty much had the place to herself.  Which she didn't seem to mind, as it meant she received all of the attention from the fun young adults who worked there.

Each afternoon we enjoyed a light lunch of a shared caesar salad and strawberry smoothie at the pool, where she managed to meet at least one willing friend eager to play with our inner tubes.






Every night we returned to Del Mar, where I splurged on great meals, and we announced we were belatedly celebrating her birthday at each location.














On our last full day in paradise, nothing beat lounging in bed, taking selfie after selfie, before starting our day.



Opting to go to Balboa Park in San Diego, we decided to float along without much in the way of formal plans (we hit the butterfly garden but alas, no butterflies in sight, although still plenty of flora).





And spent some time in the rose garden, checking out the dozens of the varieties.




[doing her impersonation of the "Rock and Roll" rose]

Our last evening sent us back to her Chinese restaurant of choice, Rendezous, wet hair from the bath and all.


Where yet another birthday celebration, with more chocolate, ensued.



One last spectacular sunset, and we bid adieu.



Three days races by so quickly, and we always leave claiming we want to stay longer, as in forever.

Until next year…………...