Death of a Tuscan dream......
What happens when you take the son of a fisherman & a girl riddled with Catholic guilt?
You kill the dream of going to the big castle wedding in Tuscany...damn it.
I was really REALLY hoping i was going to be able to pull the trip to Tuscany in May off....but it looks like I have to accept the facts that the dream is dead...
Bjørn being the son of a fisherman (never knowing what the next season would hold...) is the King of "WHAT IF..." Sure things are good NOW...but WHAT IF one of us loses our job? What if.... BLA BLA BLA....
Then the catholic guilt begins to take over on my side.... (I'm not catholic but I played one growing up...) " ya, it is KINDA selfish to want to go to this wedding...." ya, it is going to cost 10xs more than I am planning on..." It is over Dane's birthday.... before you know it, I have talked myself out of it.... (the logical FISHERMAN ALWAYS wins.... damn it....)
We are already going to Rome in March, so try to fly back to Italy in May does seem a little excessive..... i could go by myself.... however, I only know the bride... am i going to be a big geeky loser in Tuscany all by myself?
The more Bjørn & I walked & talked, the more it seems more logical to visit my girlfriend in Dubai & do a real family vacation... maybe next year, or the year after, or the year after... crap...
I am NEVER going to see her again am I?
So we decided it is probably better to take the money & put it towards a family vacation with the kids this summer...
Have I told you the crappy thing about Norwegian Vacation? Everyone in the country (with small children anyway,) are expected to take vacation at THE SAME TIME... GREAT..unless you have a company/office which doesn't shut down for 3 weeks in July & no one else has small children.... (daycare/preschool close down) so you are pretty much forced to take off work during those 3 weeks.... Pretty much everyone I work with is in the same situation ... we all need to take off the same 3 weeks.... NOT so EASY....
So options for summer vacation... a 2 week trip through Europe... (haven't decided where...) maybe camping... is that CRAZY with a 9 & 4 year old? Or renting an apartment by the beach somewhere for 2 weeks....
Anyone done the camping through Europe? any suggestions....
Before y'all start thinking I am a sucker for giving up on Tuscany so soon, I am going to throw the " I want to go back to Texas next fall for my 20th reunion" out there next week & I needed to have a "see what a good sport I was about giving up Tuscany" in my back pocket..... (I am kindda evil aren't I? Think Bjørn will buy it? probably not...but it is worth a try
Update on my BAD MOTHERING.... Guess whos child overslept & was an hour late on the first day back? Guess who's other child barfed all over the day care today & had to be picked up early... (of course it was the MEAN teacher I don't like, who called & gave me the ol..."SURE, send your sick child to school to get all of the other kids sick" LOOK when I went to pick her up...
( I SWEAR she was FINE when I dropped her off this morning...)
Random Brain Fart : I have been DYING to throw this out there for the past 4 days..
If you were around the first time to wear leg warmers as part of your really cute outfit... then chances are... your are too old to be doing it this time around... (just saying people... I saw 4 WOMEN (my age & older) trying to pull the leg warmer look off last weekend...
WRONG...it is just WRONG....
(yes I know there are some cuties out there, who might be able to pull it off...)
You kill the dream of going to the big castle wedding in Tuscany...damn it.
I was really REALLY hoping i was going to be able to pull the trip to Tuscany in May off....but it looks like I have to accept the facts that the dream is dead...
Bjørn being the son of a fisherman (never knowing what the next season would hold...) is the King of "WHAT IF..." Sure things are good NOW...but WHAT IF one of us loses our job? What if.... BLA BLA BLA....
Then the catholic guilt begins to take over on my side.... (I'm not catholic but I played one growing up...) " ya, it is KINDA selfish to want to go to this wedding...." ya, it is going to cost 10xs more than I am planning on..." It is over Dane's birthday.... before you know it, I have talked myself out of it.... (the logical FISHERMAN ALWAYS wins.... damn it....)
We are already going to Rome in March, so try to fly back to Italy in May does seem a little excessive..... i could go by myself.... however, I only know the bride... am i going to be a big geeky loser in Tuscany all by myself?
The more Bjørn & I walked & talked, the more it seems more logical to visit my girlfriend in Dubai & do a real family vacation... maybe next year, or the year after, or the year after... crap...
I am NEVER going to see her again am I?
So we decided it is probably better to take the money & put it towards a family vacation with the kids this summer...
Have I told you the crappy thing about Norwegian Vacation? Everyone in the country (with small children anyway,) are expected to take vacation at THE SAME TIME... GREAT..unless you have a company/office which doesn't shut down for 3 weeks in July & no one else has small children.... (daycare/preschool close down) so you are pretty much forced to take off work during those 3 weeks.... Pretty much everyone I work with is in the same situation ... we all need to take off the same 3 weeks.... NOT so EASY....
So options for summer vacation... a 2 week trip through Europe... (haven't decided where...) maybe camping... is that CRAZY with a 9 & 4 year old? Or renting an apartment by the beach somewhere for 2 weeks....
Anyone done the camping through Europe? any suggestions....
Before y'all start thinking I am a sucker for giving up on Tuscany so soon, I am going to throw the " I want to go back to Texas next fall for my 20th reunion" out there next week & I needed to have a "see what a good sport I was about giving up Tuscany" in my back pocket..... (I am kindda evil aren't I? Think Bjørn will buy it? probably not...but it is worth a try
Update on my BAD MOTHERING.... Guess whos child overslept & was an hour late on the first day back? Guess who's other child barfed all over the day care today & had to be picked up early... (of course it was the MEAN teacher I don't like, who called & gave me the ol..."SURE, send your sick child to school to get all of the other kids sick" LOOK when I went to pick her up...
( I SWEAR she was FINE when I dropped her off this morning...)
Random Brain Fart : I have been DYING to throw this out there for the past 4 days..
If you were around the first time to wear leg warmers as part of your really cute outfit... then chances are... your are too old to be doing it this time around... (just saying people... I saw 4 WOMEN (my age & older) trying to pull the leg warmer look off last weekend...
WRONG...it is just WRONG....
(yes I know there are some cuties out there, who might be able to pull it off...)
Comments
2. We have some friends who rented a trailer (yeah, a TRAILER) on the beach in Italy last summer and LOVED it... it was small, but had a kitchenette and a large awning that created a patio-like area... that was their home base and then they toured the Tuscan valley during the days...... they are Danes and said they would do it again if given the choice!
Ok I almost peed my pants when I read the leg warmer thing.
sorry about the school stuff, but really you were early right? I mean you sent him when the day before!!
My girlfriend Jess at http://5-acre-fun.blogspot.com/ did a lot of camping and such in Europe when we all lived there a few years back. She and her husband found a lot of cool National parks. Go ask her for some thoughts on where to go. I know she would love to help out! As for the ages of the kids I think it's the perfect time! They'll think it's soooo cool!
And, I couldn't agree more about leg warmers. Or anything from the 80s for that matter, LOL!
And ummm...I could never pull off the leg warmers look when they were popular :-)
I had my 20th reunion in August. It was really fun...and I think that I have talked to people from my class more now than I ever did in high school.
that stinks about tuscany. you should definitely use that one later on... you deserve it.
3 week FORCED vacation?! i could definitely see the upside and downside to that.
You are not a bad mother. Heck, we're usually late at least 10 days a year, but I figure you and I are both allowed a couple of late days since we sent our kids to school when there wasn't even school. :)
Sending your child to school when there is no school automatically cancels any lateness on a subsequent day. It's in the constitution (doesn't that count in Norway?)You are a GREAT MOTHER. And isn't that nasty-look woman the one we already hate? Hope your child puked all over her!
Leg warmers? Really?
But yay for your other trip!
And I believe there are very FEW people that can pull off leg warmers succesfully!
Sorry about Italy, but I am so with you on pulling the good sport card when it comes to the reunion. You totally deserve that and more for giving up a castle wedding.
Not gonna comment on the parenting as I am such a fine example myself I don't wanna make you feel bad. ;-) hahahaha
And the leg warmers, oh yeah! I wore them the first time they were in fashion, I even had sparkly pink ones (though, thank god, there is no photographical evidence of this.)
My 7-yr-old daughter looks cute in leg warmers.. so does my 5-yr-old son for that matter... Otherwise, no! I didn't wear them the first time round either!
Camping's not bad with young kids ... as long as you go to a campground that has facilities. It can be a nightmare if you don't have aforementioned facilities. Believe me, I've been there and done that. You really, really don't want to go there. It ain't a pretty picture!! :-)
Dear Teacher,
Please excuse my children's absence on yesterday. The entire family overslept, even the dog. It won't happen again.
Leg warmers should be banned.
SITS
Sorry about the Tuscany trip.
And hey I'm from Texas.
BTW...I left you a gift on my blog. Hope you like.
Sorry about Tuscany- and YES, I have NOT worn leg warmers in YEARS!!
2. I know what you mean about leg warmers. I actually wore leggings and a sweater the other day hoping to be able to pull that off, and I'm still not sure I should leave the house like that. There's a fine line between fashionable and fashion-victim.
sorry about you not being able to go to Tuscany thou :( bummer
if it makes you feel any better, i won't be going to italy this year either? feel better? i knew it! you're welcome!!
I think you're making the right decision even though it sucks!!!
I wasn't a big fan of leg warmers when they were in style...not feelin this comeback!