Fab 5 Friday...

Well, this edition of the Fab 5 is coming to you a little later than normal. It's not being written at San Francisco Coffee. In fact, I'm contemplating opening a beer as I type this. But, that will probably wait a few more hours.

I will just get this out of the way and say: 15 DAYS UNTIL WE HEAD BACK TO THE STATES!! Woohoo! Yay! Yippee! Hooray! I'm ready!

Okay...so I was struggling this morning to see if I could actually come up with a Fab 5. It's not that it's been a bad week...it's just not been a "normal" week. But, as I sat having lunch with Blaine today, I knew I had 5 things ready for you! So here we go!

1. Teachers, Kids and Parents. So I spent three hours this morning helping Grayson's 3rd grade class turn their fairy tales into iMovies. For those of you who wonder if there is really serious learning going on the last few weeks of school, please be assured that there is - at least at the 3rd grade level. These kids have been working hard to write their own fairy tales, create their own pictures to accompany the fairy tale and then convert the story and images into an iMovie with their very own voice being recorded and music at the beginning and the end. I'm going to say that this is an ambitious project - especially at the end of the year when we're all burned out - parents, teachers and kids. But, you would be truly amazed at the quality of the work they have done! AMAZED! They are impressive!

And, I'm going to give a special round of applause to Grayson who quickly mastered iMovie and then acted as a student helper today with me. He really was fantastic at helping his classmates. He took the time to explain what students needed to do, worked to help them when they were stuck, and assisted in adding music and finalizing movies. I left at lunch time today, but I think the class was close to finishing and Grayson had already told his teacher that he was more than happy to help the rest of the kids finish their projects.

2. Book Club. We started an online book club this week. (There is still time to sign up!) I think it will be a great way to connect with friends from all over the world. We should have our first book selected by June 13th and then we'll really kick it off! If you're interested, you can check it out on Goodreads and request to join our group by clicking here.

3. Glasses. I'm not sure if these are fabulous, but I picked up my new prescription glasses today. I thought as you aged you became far-sighted, but not me. I'm near-sighted. (Aim to be different, right?) Anyways...below is is the obligatory new glasses selfie!

4. Splurge Meal. So I have kids who at one end of the spectrum are really happy with some chicken nuggets. At the other end of the spectrum, they really enjoy a nice meal out. But, as most parents would agree, we do not like to pay for a "nice" meal out with them all the time and therefore, we dine mainly in the middle of the spectrum as a family. Last night we decided to take the kids to Beato again (Yes, they'd been there a few weeks back for a work dinner with some friends of ours) and my kids were little steak-eating fiends. And little steak-eating critics - as they discussed the taste and textural difference between a NY strip, a tenderloin and a sirloin. I have to say, because they were so appreciative, it took much of the sting out of the bill at the end of the meal. And they did truly enjoy the dinner...

5. Purging and Packing. Oh, it was a good week of throwing crap away and getting our lives sorted and giving stuff to charity. And then a full week of having packers at the house and finally watching the container being loaded today. I'm glad it's done. We'll see our stuff in Poland. (**fingers crossed**)

That's all I've got this week. If you need us, we'll be living out of our suitcases over at the Wedgewood. (It's really not that bad over there...and the kids really like the double chocolate chip cookies on the breakfast buffet.)

The Countdown Is On...

Need I say more?! 18 days people! Just 18 days! And then we will begin that long flight back to the States. I can hardly stand it I'm so excited!

Of course, our number one priority is seeing family and friends! Always! But there are so many little things to look forward to...

- Harvest Pizza and Salad. Just the yummiest! Grayson has requested it for his birthday party in New York, but I'm unsure if we can actually wait until Friday night to partake in this deliciousness!

-Fishing. My kids can't stop talking about fishing and worms and getting that elusive bass that would just come look at their hooks, smirk and swim away last summer. I can't tell you how many hours were spent fishing and how much money was spent on worms.

-Shorts and Sweatshirts. The slightly cooler weather always allows for a few days/nights where I can wear shorts and sweatshirts and I just love that!

-Martha's Ice Cream. Caleb has said that this will happen as soon as possible when we arrive! Creamy soft serve goodness!

-Kayaking. My parents leave their kayaks at the lake house we rent for the summer and going out kayaking is so relaxing. Just you and the sound of your paddle hitting the water and maybe a few birds flying overhead. We even taught the boys to kayak last summer...and Grayson said he's ready to head out again.

-Yankees Game. We've got tickets for an afternoon game versus the Orioles. Beer and pretzels and good, ol' American baseball.

-Light Beer. Yes, this makes the list. Start icing down some cold ones, Mom!

-The Great Escape. We once again have season tickets for the Great Escape - a Six Flags amusement park. I love having season tickets as we can breeze in for a few hours, ride some rides or head to the water park and then leave. We've even signed up to do a 5K at the park in July.

-American Chinese Food. Only if you have lived in the States and then lived elsewhere do you understand how much we miss American Chinese food. I believe I'm drooling as I type this and think about General Tso's Chicken.

There are other things that could make this list. Dirty John's Hot Dogs. Driving which doesn't make me insane. Watching my brother compete in his first Ironman. Tuesday night running club for the kids.

But, with 18 more days to go and a house full of packers, I will snap myself back to reality. Dreaming of the lake and family and friends must wait. It's time to supervise the packers to make sure our things make it to to the newest adventure starting August 2015.

Change Is Coming...

The packers are here today. I dread this day. It's the beginning of the end. Saying goodbye to friends. Knowing it will be 8 weeks without our "stuff." (Not that there is anything we can't live without for 8 weeks. Really, what do you need? Some clothes, a laptop and a good book? Got it!) Also, I can't help but hope that everything getting packed into boxes doesn't go over the side of a boat on its way to Poland, ending up in the bottom of the ocean. (Yes, we know people who lost their entire container as it crossed the Atlantic.) And, I'm sure the kids will be a little reticent when they get home and see the process has started. (Both kids are a little grouchy right now and I'm sure they are feeling the effects of the move...so I'm trying to be extra patient.)

But, it is also exciting. Knowing that in 8 weeks we're going to have a brand new start in someplace we've never lived before. There is that thrill in discovering new places, finding your way around, making new friends. And, while it's not fun to set up a new house, I do love that feeling when the new house is settled and it feels like "home" - even if it's only for a few years.

I know that change is good. I would probably say that I even thrive on change. And, I know that I'm ready for a change.

So...let's drink a toast to change! (Afterall, there's a bottle of prosecco in my frig that the movers have said they can't pack! And it is noon!)

Cheers!

Fab 5 Thursday...

Another week has come to an end. (I'm ending it today - Thursday - as I don't think there will be time to blog tomorrow!) It's hard to fathom that we only have 3 more Thursdays/Fridays here in Malaysia. I'm still kind of in denial. I know we're going. The packers are coming Monday. We'll be moving to Wedgewood next Tuesday. And then, we'll be heading back to the States. But, I'm not sure if I've processed the fact that after the summer, we'll be heading to a new city in a new country. I guess it can wait! Live in the moment, right?

Anyways, it's been a good week. Lots of good little things happened...so here we go with the Fab 5!

1. Grayson's Birthday. So the littlest man's official birthday is June 19th, but, we celebrated last Saturday night. Now, knowing Grayson, you would think that he would want a HUGE party with all of his friends and a million presents. But, this was not the case. Now please, don't be fooled by the quiet little celebration he chose to have - a friend sleepover, dinner at Morganfield's, cake and ice cream and unlimited Minecraft time. My littlest man has been negotiating a deal for about the last 4 months. He wants a new Nintendo 3DS...a new DS which he does not have the money for. So yes, he brokered a deal (like a pro) to forgo a party and Mom and Dad will buy him a new DS the minute we set foot in the States. Now, I'm going to admit, with the move and the end of school and all sorts of stuff going on, this worked just fine for me! His friend, Logan, is a great kid and they had a blast playing on their iPads all night!

 

2. KL Highland Games. Once again the Mont Kiara Menace participated in the KL Highland Games tug-o-war. Good times! We started out slow, but rebounded well and grabbed 3rd place! These women are so much fun and I will miss them when we move! 

 

 

 

3. Breakout and Fresca. Oh, I participated in my first Breakout experience this week with a bunch of moms. What a fun night! If you haven't done this, you should try it! You need to solve a set of clues in order to get out of a locked room. I will say, our team started in the room handcuffed to a table. Yes, handcuffed. But, we managed to get ourselves uncuffed and eventually escaped from the room. 

And, margaritas and Mexican food at Fresca wrapped up the night! Thanks ladies! I will miss nights like this!

 

(Side Note: Caleb has done this before, but Blaine and Grayson have not - so we booked ourselves into The Escape Room (same concept as Breakout) for June 11th.)

4. Golf. Blech! I love golf and I hate golf. It was freaking hot Wednesday, but Blaine and I were going to go golf 18 holes at KGPA as it was probably going to be our last time to get out. (My clubs are going on the container next week) My games was sucking majorly...what else can I say. None of my clubs wanted to be my friend. Seriously, was excited to just get a curry puff at the little par 3 on the front 9. (Yes, here in Malaysia it's not hot dogs on the course - it's curry puffs...and I will miss those damn curry puffs!) But, I pushed through the front 9 and as we were getting ready to start the back 9 a group of 4 ladies were just teeing off. Well, our caddy asked one of the women if we could play through and she said no, she had no intention of letting us do that. Which proceeded to piss Blaine off and we called it a day. Our caddy explained they were board members wives at KGPA - great - and that they feel a little entitled. Whatever! Golf etiquette says to let the faster group. Ah, okay...rant over. It was still fun to be out golfing with my hubby before he headed back down to Malacca for a meeting.

5. WOD Talk. I had another blog hit WOD Talk this week. You can read it by clicking here. It's all about my CrossFit rut...which I'm majorly struggling with right now. I still love CrossFit, but I have not been in love with the WODs or going to the box or, well, any of it. In fact, haven't been at all this week. I'm signed up for tomorrow morning...so let's hope I force myself to go.

Okay peeps...that's it! I hope the rest of your week is a good one and that the upcoming weekend is even better!!! Peace out!

Dear Caleb and Grayson...

Dear Caleb and Grayson,

Our time is quickly coming to an end here in Kuala Lumpur. It has certainly been a fun and exciting (and at times challenging) two years here. At times, I find it hard to remember arriving here when you were just 7 and 8...and yet, that's how old you were. You had so many questions, there were so many things you wanted to do, so many places you wanted to see. I hope that you will always have fond memories of our time here...filled with fabulous stories.

Caleb...
Remember swimming in the Duta Tropika pool on Christmas Day after checking the weather in North Liberty where it was a very cold 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remember dancing at Club Med, making friends from around the world in the kids' club and trying escargot.
Remember pitching in your first baseball game in Singapore.
Remember trying roti canai and roti tissu and all sorts of other rotis while living here in Asia. You are my little "Roti King."
Remember getting tattoos on the beach in Thailand and foot massages from Tata.
Remember sweaty Saturday morning soccer sessions.
Remember coming home after the first day of school and telling me you will never make friends here. And then, think about the 3rd day of school and telling me about playing soccer with Chad and Tommy. Remember how it feels to make new friends and always try to extend that feeling to others.

Grayson...
Remember plugging your nose when you walked into the supermarket the first few weeks we lived here because you found the smells overwhelming.
Remember the time that you dyed your hair bright blue.
Remember New Year's Eve in Bali, wearing your bamboo hat and dancing with your friend from Australia.
Remember negotiating for tuk-tuks in Siem Reap. ($2...$2 only!) You've got skills, little man!
Remember riding the Buzz Lightyear ride in Hong Kong 5 million times.
Remember Minecraft and Pokemon and Match Attax and all sorts of other fun things you did with your friends here, which drove your Mommy nuts, but made you so happy.
Remember making Rainbow Loom bracelets for all of your friends and teachers. Your generosity is amazing and will bring you great things. Keep extending your generosity to others.

You have become fantastic little people. And, while I'm sure your favorite memories are different from these, I hope someday these will be just a few of the little memories that help you remember many wonderful times and experiences here.

I can't wait to start our new adventure in Poland together...exploring new places, meeting new people, making more memories.

Love,
Mom

Fab 5 Friday...

Good afternoon peeps! After what's seemed like an eternity (it was only 10 days), Blaine makes his triumphant return this evening. And, while it was supposed to be a 4 p.m. arrival...it's now pushed back until 8:30 p.m. or something. It's all good...we can manage another 4 hours!

Lots to be thankful for/happy about this week! LOTS! So let's get to the Fab 5!

1. School Acceptance For The Boys. I have to say, waiting for your children to be accepted at their new school while you are abroad is one of the most stressful things. Here in Kuala Lumpur there are quite a few options for international schools, so while I wanted my children to attend MKIS, I wasn't super stressed as there are so many other choices. In Warsaw, there's the American School of Warsaw and a British school. That's it. And, after 5 weeks of waiting, we finally received the email saying they were officially in. Woohoo!

2. 29 Days. Yes, the countdown is full on! I can't wait to head back to New York for the summer. Ready to see my friends and family. Ready to sit by the lake while the boys fish. Ready to enjoy cooler temperatures. You name it, I'm ready for it.

3. Good Kids. A big round of applause to my two kiddos these past 10 days. They have been really good and rarely pushed my sanity to the limit while Blaine was away. Caleb and I were able to enjoy some "Mommy-Caleb Dates" last weekend as Grayson was invited to several birthday parties. The three of us enjoyed a couple of dinners out together and, much to my surprise, homework was not an ordeal. If only all weeks could be like this.

4. Coffee and Lunch Dates. Just wanted to thank the fabulous women I met for coffee or lunch this past week. While the kids have been great, there has been a distinct lack of adult discussion at my house. (Lots of talk about Pokemon, Match Attack, farts, dirty socks, and fairy tales, but no adult conversation.) So thank you! You were much appreciated!

5. CrossFit 399. Jo arranged a little field trip today to CrossFit 399 in Ampang which is owned by our friend, Michelle! She has a beautiful space downtown (love the big garage doors that let in sunshine and fresh air) and if you live that direction you should check it out! We did a good WOD this morning and I can sit here drinking my caramel latte with very little guilt!

I'd also like to give a shoutout to Bronwyn who's heading to regionals in Australia next week! Go kill it, Bronwyn!

Okay...that's it. The Mont Kiara Menace will once again be competing in the tug-o-war at the KL Highland Games this Sunday! Come watch us at 1 p.m.! Grab a pint of beer (or last year they had these amazing lychee martinis) and cheer us on! (You know you really want to know what a Scot wears under his kilt! This is where you can find out!) It's a great family event with lots of stuff for the kiddos, too!

So You and Your Family Wanna Be Ex-Pats...

In the past few weeks I've received a couple of emails asking me what advice I have for new ex-pats,. You know...what new ex-pats need to be able to do. I'm not sure I'm the best person to provide this advice. After all, Malaysia was our first experience overseas. But, I think I handled it reasonably well, not perfect by any means, but decently. (Okay...let's disregard one of my first blog posts when we arrived here in Kuala Lumpur and I was sitting in San Francisco Coffee crying. Those days happen.)

Now, my advice is for those who think they want to try this with their family - which I wholeheartedly recommend. I did a blog several weeks back talking about what our family has received from this experience and the benefits are immense. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

That being said, it's not easy and it's not for everyone. So this is what I'll say:

1. Do Your Research. And Then Do Some More. Yup, the first thing I had to do was look up where Malaysia was exactly...no lie. And after doing some general research, you know, about the weather, the people, the general tourist stuff...it was time to dig into the nitty gritty. Where to live? What schools were available? Could we truly be happy here based on the things that were important to our family? 

 

I also asked questions as part of my research. Lots of questions. Of other Cargill families, in Facebook groups, on various websites. And I  made sure I was speaking with people who were similar to me. Not retirees. Not young, single executives with no family ties. I talked with moms and dads who had kids roughly the same age as mine. These are the folks who will give you the real scoop.

And, make sure your partner in crime is doing the same thing. Make sure his/her new job is what he/she is expecting, not some idealized version of a job. That's all part of the research process.

And know that not every assignment that comes your way will be ideal for your family. We've turned some down. We knew they weren't a fit for our family. They weren't career breakers for Blaine and we knew other opportunities would come our way. Malaysia was a fit for us at the time.

2. Make Murphy's Law Your Mantra. Lots of things go wrong. Some are easy to overcome. Some are a bit more difficult. You need to be prepared for all sorts of things not to workout as you would like them. 

This does not mean you are a pessimist. I think of myself as more of a realist with optimist tendencies. By acknowledging Murphy's Law, I have been able to roll with the punches much more than I ever thought I could. The good times are EXTREMELY good...and well, the bad times just aren't so bad.

3. Be Secure In Your Marriage. Well, if you listened to the "Two Fat Expats" podcast this week about expat divorce, you are probably sitting back taking a look at your own marriage and making sure you haven't missed any hidden signs or that your marriage isn't headed down the wrong path. An expat assignment is not going to fix a marriage that is in distress. Yes, you'll be living somewhere somewhat exotic and you'll have the chance to take great vacations. But, you're going to have a spouse who is working many hours. A spouse who probably travels quite a bit. A lot of the parenting responsibilities will fall on you, the stay-at-home spouse. These things can add lots of stress to a marriage. You want to make sure your marriage is above average on the healthy marriage scale.

4. Be Able To Ask For Help. Oh, this was a tough one for me. I don't like having to ask others to help me. But, when you are halfway around the world, away from your family...you need to do this. I had practice at this in the U.S. as we haven't lived near family in about 10 years. But, as an expat, you learn quickly to do this.  Your neighbor, Brian, will become the emergency contact for your kids even though you've only known him for a few weeks. And when your husband busts his leg, you will need to ask Shannon to take your kids so you can get in an ambulance and head to the hospital. And, sometimes it's not even big things you'll need help with. It may be as simple as picking up a child from a birthday party or sharing a cup of coffee because you are about to lose your mind. This is all part of being able to ask for help. 

5. Prepare Your Kids. Yes, kids are resilient.  Yes, they roll with the punches. These things are true. But, you've got to do some prep work. We helped our children say goodbye to their friends in the States by bringing back some things they could give their classmates. (Our kids were 8 and 6 when we left the States.) Bookmarks, pens and postcards may not seem like a big deal, but this allowed our children to share a tiny bit about their new home with their friends.

And, we role played how to go about making new friends at their new school. (I will say that expat kids are really friendly and open to making new friends. How can they not be? They've all been the new kid at one time!) 

Additionally, Cargill provided our family with "cultural training." Now, the day that Blaine and I atttended...well, that was not fabulous. (Ask me to tell you about the woman who spoke to us about strip clubs, bribery, KLGCC and becoming friends with the King.) But, the man who worked with my kids had them genuinely excited about coming here. 

I'll admit that I could've done a little better job about preparing them for some of the sensory things they experienced. Grayson struggled with the smells of a big city and the markets. (This kid held his nose for the first 4 weeks when we went to BIG - a nice grocery store - and well, I don't know if he's ever adjusted to the wet markets.) And, Caleb struggled with how loud everything seems here. I'm not sure what I could've done on this front, but this was definitely an adjustment. 

Anyways, share as much as you can with your kids. Answer their questions. Make them feel involved. Yes, it is a parental decision to move abroad, but if your kids are prepared and included you will all be much happier.

6. Embrace The Adventure. This seems so easy. But, not everyone can do this. Everyday is an adventure. It's not just the travels. It's the search for Velveeta or sage (because you are going to make your own sausage) or shoes that fit your big feet. Or trucking around town to find Pokemon cards for your kid because they are "the thing to have" at school. All of these daily things are part of the adventure. You need to roll with it!

I'm sure my expat friends can add to this list, but if you are considering going down this path...make sure you're able to do these things or know where you and your family are with these things. 

Some days are the absolute BEST! And some days are the PITS (despite what you may think from my Facebook posts). And yet, I know that tomorrow is another day. Bad days will get better. Knees will heal. Kids will make friends. Vacations will come. June will arrive and you'll go see your family and friends.

And the adventure will continue.

Short Timer Syndrome...

According to Urban Dictionary, short timer syndrome is defined as follows:

The behaviors that kick in when you are about to leave something, usually a job. There are two facets, one is that all of the little crap that you've been ignoring and tolerating starts driving you crazy. The other is the idea that you're leaving anyway so you can get away with anything.

The accountant with short timer syndrome was thinking about wearing flip flops to work during his last two weeks before starting a new job. And the short timer in Ann Arbor, about to move to Buffalo, had to resist the urge to strangle all of the smug half-wit aging hippies.

Ah, yes...I'm definitely experiencing this right now. And, I always do when we're about to move...whether it was around the U.S. or here to Malaysia or now to Poland. I'm just DONE. I'm trying to stay positive, but I'm at the point right now where every little thing is annoying the crap outta me. Yesterday I was completely annoyed by bad drivers and parking garages! It must've been highly noticeable as Caleb leaned over to me and said, "Mom, we'll be back in the States soon and then off to Poland. You told me the driving was better there. We got this." Yes, dear child...we got this.

But, I will apologize in advance to everyone who may be on the receiving end of me calling you an asshole or flipping you the bird for the next few weeks...blame it on short timer syndrome. 

Writing the Fab 5 While Extremely Grumpy...

Holy crap! I'm having one of those days where I just woke up in a foul mood. No rhyme nor reason for it...just G-R-O-U-C-H-Y. And rather than try to snap myself out of it by going to CrossFit this morning, I said, "Screw it! Let's go drink coffee!" (Yeah, that was not my smartest move as usually a good morning sweat will knock the bad mood out of me. And I just read the WOD - and it was one I liked! Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!) 

So anyways, here I am in my normal spot (kicking myself for skipping a workout) and I'm trying to come up with my Fab 5. No worries. I have 5 good things. They're not particularly earth-shattering, but they'll have to do! 

1. Phuket. Yes, I blogged about it earlier this week, but it was just fun. It was our last vacation in Asia (at least for a while) and that makes me a bit sad. I love the beach. I love the sun. I've learned to love the heat. And, I will totally miss my easy, breezy beach vacations. But, there is plenty of time to discuss what I will miss about living here in a later blog. Let's suffice it to say: Great weekend. Great kids. Great friends.

2. New WOD Talk Post. WOD Talk posted my new blog for them. It was all about moving and my trepidation in finding a new box - in a country where I don't speak the predominant language. I feel a little better since it was posted as one of the coaches from CrossFit Wilanow responded (in English) and said he hopes I like Wilanow also! See you in August CrossFit Wilanow!

3. Kid Dinner and Concert. So both boys had their spring concert last night at school. This meant dinner before their show at...Wendy's - kids' choice! They both did a great job and genuinely seemed excited to participate. I've included videos from last night below - mainly for Blaine who missed it since he's in Poland at the moment.

4. Cut and Color. Ah, new summer cut! And the gray is gone! 

Obligatory post haircut selfie

5. Sold! Well, we've been really lucky in that we've sold most of our stuff that's not going to Poland with us. This, thankfully, has not required a lot of effort. (I just did not want to add dealing with strangers and selling crap and then people backing out and the having to sell it again. Pain in the ass!) Besides a few obligatory ex-pat Ikea pieces that we're trying to decide if we have room for, we've rid ourselves of all the big stuff! Woohoo! 

Okay...feeling slightly better since I've written this. Grumpiness is dissipating. Coffee and a blog and a plan of attack for the day seem to have helped! Phew! Make it a good one, peeps - I'm certainly going to try and take my own advice!

Day to Day...

With only 38 days to go until the kids and I head back to the States and only 19 days until the movers begin to pack my house, I am feeling a tad bit overwhelmed. (Oh, screw it...EXTREMELY overwhelmed.)

Blaine is gone for the next 10 days. The kids have what seems like 6 million birthday parties to attend. We've got doctors appointments scheduled. School concerts and activities on the calendar. I truly need to go through a few closets/boxes so I'm not moving the same shit to another location. (On a side note: I'm sure that there is currently a large family of geckos living in one of the boxes that remains unopened since we moved here. I'm also sure that the geckos think they're living the good life in that box!) I've got a tug-of-war title that needs to be retained. Some really fun social activities scheduled with friends here. And you know what?! I desperately need to get my hair colored, otherwise, how-old.net is no longer going to think I'm 37.

But, while on the 'net today I saw some great advice:

If I'm going to listen to advice from anybody, it's definitely going to be Cookie Monster!

Making Memories...

We spent the long weekend in Phuket - and it was so relaxing. It was our last trip in Southeast Asia as we are quickly wrapping up our time here. And, while this trip was in the works long before we decided we were moving to Poland, it was the perfect finish to our time here. There are lots of great places you can travel to from Kuala Lumpur - many that people would consider more essential than Phuket or more "upscale" than Phuket, but this was the place our kids wanted to go - and it totally worked for us.

We also were very lucky to spend the weekend with our friends, the Reimbolds. They live in our 'hood and they've become good friends of ours. And, well, Grayson and their son, Logan, are practically inseparable - so this added to the fun of the weekend.

After each and every vacation, on the cab ride home from the airport, I ask everyone to share their favorite part of the trip. When the kids were little, it was always about the trinkets and stuffed animals and things that were purchased. In the last few years, it's never been about the cheap hat or souvenirs - even though they get a few of those things. It's always about something a little more "deep" or something they experienced or something simple. These were the boys' favorites from this trip:

Grayson - Spending time with our friends

Caleb - Petting a baby tiger

Blaine - Relaxing on the beach

My list is long...so that's what I'm going to share - my list of favorite memories from the weekend:

- Daredevil Kitty and her many photo opps in Phuket. We picked her up at McDonald's at the airport and the kids decided she would be our "Flat Stanley" for the weekend. Where we went, Daredevil Kitty went.

- Sitting on the beach listening to music with Caleb when the song "Danza Kuduro" comes on and he says, "Do you remember you and me dancing to this song at Club Med?" (Which is exactly why it's on my playlist in the first place - because I love that memory!)

- Blaine and Eric sitting under the Hooters umbrella on the beach...the day after they had taken all of the kids to the Hooters in Phuket for dinner and then sending the pic to Barb. (You are correct in your assumption that none of the wives were in attendance for that dinner!)

- Watching the kids as they spent time petting baby tigers and getting so close that they could lay down next to them.

- Laughing that Caleb has his favorite masseuse at the place where we got foot massages in December and hoping that she would be there this time. He remembered her name - Ta-Ta - and he was so happy to see her again on this trip!

- Hugs and kisses from Grayson each night as he thanked us for a great day. (Unsolicited hugs from this child are a rarity - and thank yous can be even more elusive at times - so this was very rewarding.)

- Grayson and Logan getting matching "tattoos" on the beach. True buds.

- Caleb in his Thailand bucket hat and his "Murica" sunglasses

- Watching the not-so exciting fight of the century from the pool. That definitely made it more tolerable.

- Dinner and drinks and good conversation with friends.

- Smiles as the kids watched the Thai woman make pancakes/crepes filled with Nutella and then gave them cute little frosting animals to put on top of them.

- Being able to laugh the next day about Logan vomiting while getting a foot massage (the poor dude was suffering from heatstroke) by saying: He's going to have a great story to tell one day. After all, what 8 year old can say he was naked in a massage parlor in Thailand and that his mom had paid for the services. (He stripped down to take a quick shower right there as he was sick all over himself, hence, why he was naked.)

- People watching on the beach with a cold drink in hand while the kids played in the sand or in the water.

- Spending time with my husband after what has been a month of complete craziness.

And then last night I saw this quote:

Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.

Phuket was definitely filled with simple experiences...giving us lots of great memories.