Our Third Teenager

Laura had the audacity to turn 13 this year - kicking off a year of milestone birthdays for all five of us! 

Much like the age, her birthday had its ups and downs. After ringing in the New Year with a stomach bug, she was recovered on her actual birthday and spent the day - as always - with Meghan. I took them and Clare to get manis and pedis and then lunched at Tropical Smoothie (Laura’s choice). 

Later in the afternoon I took them ice skating, as they had greatly enjoyed their visit a few weeks earlier. Unfortunately, it being the last day of Christmas break for the vast majority of the city, the place was packed, so they didn’t last too long. We cut our losses and headed home for hot apple cider and gifts! Then the girls gamed while I made dinner (flank steak, crescent rolls, and Laura’s favorite salad). We finished the day with cake, at which point Tim, Danny and Clare were all home and around to enjoy.

Unfortunately, it seems Laura overdid the food on her big day, because she woke up and got sick once again. Thankfully it was a one-time occurrence, but we still had to reschedule the lunch outing we had planned with her friends from school. She was understandably devastated about this, but thankfully perked up by the end of the day. Silver lining: It will simply extend the celebration!

For a girl who was known as The Menace in her toddler years, she’s come a long way, and we all love our new teenager dearly!

Disney Soccer Showcase

As the time drew near for the Disney Soccer Showcase, and the chaos of the holidays intensified, many of us started to regret the decision to participate in this event. While we love the Disney parks, I started to wonder if we’d even be able to enjoy them due to the anticipated crowds. And with a limited roster, we worried the games would be tough and, frankly, not fun for the guys.

Turns out that we had a fantastic time, and while we were exhausted (and broke!) by the end and ready to head home, we were all really glad we went. 

Danny’s team had a magical run, making it to the semifinals despite having just 12 players. “Twelve guys and a dream” was the phrase coined by one of the dads, and it was perfect.

Meanwhile, the girls and I had a blast at the parks, especially our first day at Magic Kingdom. We rode everything we wanted to - TRON two times, loved the fun Christmas version of Space Mountain, and had a delicious dinner at the Lady & the Tramp restaurant, too. EPCOT and Animal Kingdom had their highlights, too. After dinner in Morocco in EPCOT, we persuaded Tim to return to Magic Kingdom with us  on Thursday night (Danny was with his boys). I think Tim reached his fill of crowds before we did, but we’re glad he joined us!

We were really impressed with the Coronado Springs Resort as well. A huge property that featured several restaurants, a great pool and hot tub, and some lovely views.

We’re blessed that Danny’s team is comprised of some really lovely families. While I was off at the parks for the most part with the girls, Tim enjoyed meals and drinks at the resort bar with many of the parents. As always, who you’re with is the most important part!

Christmas 2023

It was a very Florida Christmas this year, thanks to needing to be in Orlando by the evening of 12/26 for the Disney Boys Soccer Showcase. Karen, Brian and Ryan came down from DC, and we all descended on Donna and Larry’s generous hospitality for a few days! 

We enjoyed warmer weather, walks in the rain, MANY rounds of Uno, and a round of golf for the guys…plus so much delicious food. A Merry Christmas indeed!

The Great Tree

I made no bones about the fact that I was disappointed with last year’s Christmas tree. It was simply not big enough for our high ceilings - this room demands a BIG tree. While we usually try to go together to choose the tree (from Home Depot, of course), our schedules didn’t really permit that this year. So, Tim gave his blessing for me and Laura to select one.

It took us maybe 5 minutes to zero in on the behemoth that we now behold. It took a lot longer for the one-man show to get us checked out and loaded, but soon enough we were on our way home, where Danny helped me bring it straight into the living room and into the stand. Where it immediately fell over. Oops. 

To his credit, when he got home, Tim skipped over the “what were you thinking?” line of questions and went into “let’s make this work” mode. While it turns out that Danny and I had not put the tree into the stand straight, he also decided to anchor it to the wall to be certain it would hold. 

And in an act of true love, he and Danny put the lights on the tree after I went to bed - a chore I had been dreading. They’re the best!

We had Grammy & Grampy over to help us trim it, along with our usual feast. We had college football on in the background, the combination of which Danny declared to be his favorite day of the year.

It’s definitely our biggest tree ever, and I might go so far as to say it’s our best, too!

Seymours in Santiago: Part 3

Our final day in Chile was also our departure day, since we flew out on an 11:30 p.m. flight. We wanted to take advantage of the time, but we were also getting a bit weary of being on the go!

We started off with brunch, heading to a restaurant that Clare’s host brother had recommended and that she and her friend Alyssa (who joined us) were eager to try. We took the metro to yet another new (to us) area, and it was cool to see some of the main thoroughfares blocked off for bikers and walkers (it being Sunday). When we got to the restaurant, it looked that we would be out of luck, not having a reservation. But, our luck held out, because a reservation of our size failed to show up, so we snagged their table out on the charming patio. We enjoyed a delicious brunch, and then it was time to part ways with Clare, who needed to go study.

The four of us made our way to Cerro San Cristobal, a popular tourist site known for its gondola to the top, as well as a zoo, etc. Let’s just say that Sunday afternoon in November is NOT the time to attempt this. It was hot, the lines were long, and we just were not feeling it. So, we made our way back to our apartment to chillax. With its airy living room and a balcony porch the length of the apartment, this was not a bad place to hang out!

We eventually walked to the nearby mall for a late lunch/early dinner at PF Chang’s (so many American chains at these malls!), and ultimately packed up and headed to the airport. We thankfully had smooth, uninterrupted travels and arrived home safe and sound early on Monday morning. We were ready to be home, but what a wonderful trip!

Seymours in Chile: Day Trip to Valparaiso

Based on both Clare’s suggestion as well as the prospect of seeking cooler temps, we opted to spend our Saturday along the coast, in the city of Valparaiso. It was a very easy 90-minute ride on a very nice, two-story bus. The bus stop in Valparaiso wasn’t in the nicest part of town, but we quickly navigated to the local metro and ultimately the more touristy (and interesting) part of the city. 

One of the first orders of business, once we had arrived, was to find some lunch. We took one of the cool funiculars up the steep hills and found an Italian restaurant that faced the coast. It didn’t have the advertised pizza, but we managed to get a good meal anyway.

After lunch, we made our way back down to the city square where the walking tour that Clare recommended congregated. The tours are offered without paid tickets, relying solely on tips that we pay at the end. For a two-and-a-half hour tour, that’s a pretty interesting premise - but it was one that paid off!

Our guide was engaging, charismatic, and knowledgeable. We learned about the history of the port in Valparaiso (which is a very big city, by the way); some of the political history; and a fascinating focus on the extensive amount of murals. All five of us really enjoyed it - it was unlike anything we’d done thus far.

We treated ourselves to some of the delicious gelato offered throughout the touristy area, and then boarded the bus back to Santiago. We might have missed our original stop, but navigated our way pretty easily and concluded the day with a delicious pizza dinner at a bustling restaurant. A full, great day!

Seymours in Chile: Santiago Part 2

The day after Thanksgiving, Clare had school, so it was a great opportunity to meet her there and see where she spends so much of her time. It was also a great opportunity to sleep in and start the day a bit more slowly than we’d been able to do thus far.

We successfully navigated our way via the metro to the San Joaquin campus of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. (It was helpful that the metro stop was right across the street from the school.) We timed it perfectly, and Clare came to find us and showed us around. Just like seeing her host family’s home, it was so great to get a visual of her school life. 

From here, we split into boys and girls. The girls, directed largely by Laura’s interest, headed to have lunch at Wonderland Cafe. Clare had been once already, and raved about the delicious tea and the incredible decor, all inspired by Alice in Wonderland. We had a great time.

The cafe was located a short walk to Cerro Santa Lucia, which combines park, panoramic vistas of the city, and historic buildings, so we headed there after lunch. MANY stairs were involved, but they were worth the views!

From here we headed back to our respective home bases so that Clare could get some clothes and catch up on some work.

Meanwhile, the guys covered an impressive amount of city sights throughout Santiago. Not everything was open, but they did manage to take an official tour of Pablo Neruda’s home, which earned Danny some brownie points with his AP Lit teacher. They also found their way to Cerro Santa Lucia!

We ended the day together with a delicious, if slightly quirky, dinner in an as-yet-unexplored (for us) part of the city. Although we thought we had reserved a table at this restaurant’s acclaimed outside patio, we wound up with a table that placed us on display for the indoor patrons. While it was a bit odd, it led to a lot of laughs, too!