Island Time

Up, up, and awaaaaaay!!! Spring Break 2012 was a family adventure in Puerto Rico. In this case, use of the word "family" also extends to our good friends Scott and Geraldine. It was fabulous to have our very own personal tour guides. Having grown up in Puerto Rico, they were a priceless asset!


After landing in San Juan, we collected our luggage, piled into our rental car, and headed East for paradise. As we approached our resort, we smiled with delight because it was clear we had discovered something special...VERY special. The St. Regis Bahia Beach is nothing short of AMAZING! The resort itself is beautiful, and the surrounding tropical rain forest and beach is stunning!

After checking out the main reception area in the Plantation House, we were whisked away on a golf cart to our Villa. The impressive entrance and common areas had truly peaked our imaginations, and despite trying not to get our hopes up, we had grand expectations for the room.

We weren't disappointed! Luxurious accommodations with a to-die-for bathroom/shower room. That's how big the shower was! It was pretty much it's own room. All this with a peak-a-boo ocean view from the balcony. Man oh man, I miss our Villa! It was a great place to call home for the week.

Excited to see more, we set out to explore the grounds a bit. Wandering the meandering paths, we discovered the wide sandy beach. It was the perfect spot to sit and relax as we discussed all the fun possibilities for the week.

Of course, eventually our growling stomachs pulled us away from the beach and towards one of the resort restaurants. We dined on the candlelit patio while being serenaded by the islands millions of Coqui tree frogs. It was music to our ears and a delight for our tastebuds.

The next morning, we were up bright and early ready to truly start our vacation. Sadly, we had to tear ourselves away from our lovely resort because we had plans to meet up with Scott and Geraldine who were staying at a different property. Don't feel too badly for us though. Scott and Geraldine's resort was also very impressive. It was much larger in scale and was perched high on a cliff overlooking the breathtaking turquoise water below.

After exploring the grounds, we boarded a ferry bound for a private island owned by the resort. See! I told you not to feel sorry for us.

Palomino Island is the perfect spot to waste away an afternoon. The powdery beaches were ultra inviting. Topped only by the crystal-clear water! Just watch out for the falling coconuts...you think I'm kidding! On Palomino Island you can be as active or lazy as your heart desires. There are hiking and horseback riding trails plus a variety of sports courts. The lounge chairs were calling my name though, and the boys were simply eager to finally splash in the waves.

Several hours and fruity drinks later, it was time to call it a day and reboard our ferry to the mainland which in our case was still an island. Ahhhh! Did I mention we loved Puerto Rico? We were thankful that Scott and Geraldine shared their resort with us, and we couldn't wait to repay the favor the following day when they would relocate to our resort for a night. We booked them a Villa as a way of thanking them for serving as the best tour guides EVER.

We spent Day 3 exploring El Yunque National Rain Forest. After stopping by the Welcome Center to pick up a map and a few souvenirs, we started our adventure.

The Spring rains meant the waterfalls were especially beautiful, and I had to question the decision by the other tourists to scale the fences and jagged rocks beneath the falls. Apparently, they didn't see all the news stories from the past year about silly tourists ignoring posted warnings and being washed over the raging waterfalls.

Besides the gorgeous waterfalls, there were long-range incredible views from the mountainside to the sea. One of the best spots for pictures was at the observation tower located halfway up the trail.

360 degree views of paradise...what else could really ask for?! Beauty at it's finest!

With the temperature and humidity climbing, we decided it was time to stake out a shady spot for lunch. The little roadside cafe proved to be the perfect spot. We enjoyed some of the more popular local dishes, and Baylor had what must be the most delicious chicken quesadilla ever! I'm glad he decided to share.

After lunch, we returned to the resort just in time to greet Scott and Geraldine as they were checking in. We relived the magic of first seeing the immaculate grounds through their eyes, and then returned to our villas to freshen up for dinner at our resort's top restaurant, Chef Jean Georges' FERN. The meal was memorable for it's flavors, but the fact that upscale restaurant is so welcoming to children was what really left such an incredible impression with our group. Two thumbs up!!!

Day 4 required us to divide and conquer. For Anh and Scott, that meant the golf course. It was some much deserved time away from the wives and kids...guy time. Jaxon and Baylor were a bit disappointed to learn that they wouldn't be golfing with Dr. Scott, but thankfully, the pool with Mom and Ms. Geraldine was an acceptable plan B.

The oasis-style pool was the perfect spot to spend our day. While the temperature was technically only in the mid-80's, the humidity made it feel much warmer. Thank goodness for the cool water, shade umbrella, and frozen drinks!

We weren't the only ones enjoying the pool that day. Check out the iguana in the tree! While we found him quite entertaining to observe, I can tell he thought we were equally fascinating. If any of the kids got too close, he would  scurry up the tree trunk out of reach, but he'd always creep back down where he had a better view of all the surrounding activity. Clearly, Mr. Iguana enjoyed the attention.

Eventually, And and Scott joined us poolside. The boys were thrilled to have their new BFF, Dr. Scott, back. I'd be willing to bet that Scott's arms were a bit weary by the end of the day after 18 holes of golf and hours of tossing the boys around the pool. I wonder why Scott and Geraldine turned down our offer to stay a second night?

On Day 5 it occurred to us that our island vacation was almost over, and we decided to venture off the resort grounds again. This time, our plan was to spend the day in Old San Juan, but the boys wanted to spend an hour on the driving range before we took off.




I'm not sure whether Jaxon and Baylor were more interested in hitting golf balls or driving the golf cart. Regardless, it was a fun morning. I'm fairly certain that we'll be taking more vacations centered around golf in the future. Jaxon and Baylor were so excited that their clubs and golf shoes were packed along with Dad's. I guess I better start shopping for extra travel golf bags. It's also a good thing that we fly on Southwest and don't have to worry about baggage fees!

Old San Juan actually reminded us a lot of our own downtown. Both cities reflect the Spanish style and architecture and are major tourist destinations. We wandered the district's narrow streets lined with restaurants and shops looking for a few souvenirs and gifts and found the restaurant that Geraldine recommended for our farewell dinner.

We stumbled upon the Castillo San Cristobal which once protected the city from attack. It was hard to miss it, actually, since it sits majestically on the ocean cliff overlooking Old San Juan. It's really a sight to behold.


To the boys' delight, they were appointed honorary National Park Rangers complete with badges. I'd say they took their honorary role quite seriously. Maybe they can go back this Summer and make a few bucks.



With the sun setting, we snapped a few pictures and headed back down into town to an amazing farewell dinner. Geraldine knows her restaurants, and Aquaviva in Old San Juan did not disappoint. I'd share all the food photos (You know I took a million!), but this post is already so picture-heavy,  I was afraid I'd blow some data limit or lose the few loyal readers I still have thanks to my irregular blogging habits if I included the food pics too. The boys are cuter to look at anyway!
Of course, it wouldn't be a Shannon post without at least a food photos. You have to admit, I've shown remarkable restraint! On our 6th and final day, we made one last stop on the way to the airport. It might have been last on our itinerary, but lunch at the kiosks of Luquillo Beach (kioskos de Luquillo) was one of my top priorities for the trip. The kiosks are basically shacks along Luquillo Beach that are extremely popular with locals. Fine dining it isn't, but the food is fabulous and is served with an ocean view. It's an experience that's not to be missed.

The same could be said about the entire island of Puerto Rico. Anh and I love to travel, but there aren't many places that can hold our attention for more than 5 days. I can honestly say that we weren't ready to leave Puerto Rico, but the words of a dear friend echo through my head. "You have to leave so you can return." So very true, and I'm already counting down the days until we can be reunited with our little piece of paradise.

3 Months

Time for an update on our little man Grant or as we affectionately call him G-Money. It's his "street name." That's right! Technically, there is no nickname for Grant. So, we invented a street name, and I do believe he likes it! See...here he is pondering why we call him G-Money. In short form, it's G-$. Yeah...I know what you're thinking..."Poor kid!"
Back to the 3 month update...Grant is definitely more alert these days. He tracks us as we move about the room, grasps toys that we dangle in front of him, and his favorite game is peek-a-boo. Grant isn't stingy with his heart-melting smiles, and the sound of him cooing is beyond precious. Several times we've had Grant on the verge of laughing, but technically, he hasn't done it yet. Any day now...
Grant is absolutely determined to be on the go just like his big brothers. As a result, he can get pretty frustrated when he's stuck laying down. In fits of anger, Grant has rolled over in both directions (tummy to back and back to tummy) which is waaaay ahead of his brothers at this age, but this feat is not exactly consistent yet. Still, we don't trust him on the bed, couch, or ottoman anymore. Anh and I are determined that this will be our one baby that doesn't go THUMP onto the floor at some point. Fingers crossed!

Grant actually prefers to be standing nowadays, and since our arms quickly tire of holding him upright for hours on end, we've introduced Grant to the exersaucer. He LOVES it which means I have a little more time for things like cleaning, washing dishes, laundry, and if I'm lucky blogging. I can also report that we're seeing improvement when it comes to sleeping. Grant truly enjoys a routine. He gets a bath every night around 8:45pm and is tucked in by 9:30pm at the latest. He'll sleep until around 2:30-3:00am when he wakes like clockwork for a bottle, but then falls back asleep until around 7:00am. The last few nights, I've let him fuss a bit when he wakes up in the middle of the night, and he'll eventually fall back asleep. So, I don't think he's waking due to hunger, but more out of habit. Hopefully, we can break him of that quickly!

Oh and speaking of habits, I do believe we might have our first thumb-sucker. Anh and I have both caught Grant sucking his thumb on several occasions over the last week. It's cute, but I'm not too sure we'll allow it to continue. Hopefully, he'll give that up on his own. I suspect he might be an earlier teether as well and is just chewing on his thumb to ease some of the pain because the thumb-sucking and inconsolable crankiness seem to go hand in hand with constant drooling. All warning signs that little pearly white daggers are working their way up through G-Money's gums, but we'll save that discussion for next month!

LegoLand ATL

The boys have developed a bit of an obsession with Legos recently. So when I heard that a brand new LegoLand Discovery Center was opening in Atlanta, I knew we would have to go. To say my kiddos were excited would be a gross understatement!
Having never been to a LegoLand before, we didn't know what to expect. Atlanta's LegoLand Discovery Center is much smaller than the LegoLand theme park in California, but that doesn't mean it's any less entertaining. We spent the better part of a day there and thought nothing unusual of it until we completed the exit survey and had to check a box indicating the amount of time we spent at the center. The box we checked was for 2+ hours. We were there FIVE!
I guess it's because there was so much to see. Like the cityscape of Atlanta constructed entirely out of Legos, obviously! All of the major landmarks were represented. Labeling it impressive just doesn't cut it! It was honestly AMAZING, and we even met the Master Builder (his actual job title) responsible for designing and building everything constructed from Legos in the entire center. He won a contest and was awarded the job. I wanted so badly to ask how much they pay him, but I resisted. At least I can rest assured that my boys might one day earn a paycheck for playing with their Legos.

Perimeter Center, Fox Theatre, & the Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Dome - Home of the Atlanta Falcons

Turner Field - Home of the Atlanta Braves

Stone Mountain Park

CNN Center

A crane that I can only imagine represents the ever-present construction in downtown Atlanta. Scattered throughout the cityscape were opportunities to control various components in the city. You could drive the MARTA trains, control the crane and gondola, scan between CNN television cameras located throughout the city, control the athletes in the stadium, and so much more!
The Discovery Center even has two rides! The boys were in heaven!
Especially when Jaxon and Baylor discovered they could build & race their own Lego cars! The boys' first creations were very "imaginative," but eventually Jax and Baylor realized that simpler usually meant faster. Who knew! I also put in an honest effort to construct a vehicle, but let's just say it's a good thing I didn't pursue an engineering degree in college. I wouldn't have made the cut!
The playground was also a pretty popular spot with the kids. You could run through a maze of climbing walls and slides, and there were large foam Legos scattered throughout for building whatever your imagination could dream.
You know what they say about dreaming...Dream BIG!!! Baylor was crowned King and there was even a throne constructed for him!
However, the real fun came from destruction in the form of a wrecking ball...a human wrecking ball!!!
Luckily, the experience wasn't all about brute force. Jaxon and Baylor had the opportunity to use their noggins and improve their building skills thanks to the construction classes. Our class focused on construction techniques that would result in structures that can withstand the weight of an adult.
So, the 40-50 lb Jaxon and Baylor test was a piece of cake!
The real test came with the "real world" application of their new construction skills. We were challenged to build a Lego skyscraper that would be capable of withstanding an earthquake. Okay...I had my doubts that Jaxon and Baylor could master this challenge.
BUT, they proved me wrong! I better double-up on the college savings account deposits. Engineering degrees won't be cheap.

As I shared before, Anh and I were completely unaware of exactly how much time had passed, but we knew it was getting late and that rush hour traffic in Atlanta isn't pleasant. So, we told the boys that there was time to run a few more races, but then we'd have to be on our way. Surprisingly, Jax and Baylor weren't too disappointed. Maybe the gift shop exit helped ease the pain...

or maybe it was just that our little engineers were EXHAUSTED. Yep, I'd say it was the latter. Both Jax and Baylor were asleep before we exited the parking garage. Success! A great experience for all!

Life's a Beach

When our landlocked friends start to roll through town on Spring Break, our go to activity is logically playing/relaxing on the beach. It's a guaranteed good time! Adding to the excitement this season was the milestone event of Grant's first beach day.He was decked out in a tiny swimsuit and rash guard thanks to his Godmother, Auntie Geraldine. She made sure that he looked like a miniature surfer in his Puma gear. He'll be riding those waves before we know it!
While Jaxon and Baylor splashed in the surf and built sand castles, Grant relaxed in the shade of our beach umbrella. He's still too little to wear sunscreen. So for now, he has no choice. Within the next few months, we'll let him enjoy the warm Florida sunshine.
For now, Grant is content to watch and listen to the activity swirling around him. I'm sure he's taking notes on all the fun things that lie ahead for him. There's one beach event I'm actually dreading, sand eating. I've compared notes with other moms, and it's pretty much unavoidable. Baylor did it. All babies do it. They just can't be stopped. I'll do my best to view it as fiber, but something tells me I'll be just as grossed out this time around as I was with Baylor. Let's just hope that once is enough for Grant to realize that sand doesn't taste good.
He looks pretty smart to me, don't ya' think?
Cute too!

Passing Thru

One of the many benefits to living in Florida is that friends always want to visit. Maybe some view that as a negative, but not us. We love guests! The more the merrier! So when we heard our friends the M Family would be stopping by to visit on their way to Orlando, we were thrilled. Of course, it would have been nice to have them stay a bit longer than an afternoon, but we'll take what we can get of their time.It's been a while since our last visit with Farid and Sara and the kids, and honestly, it was a little shocking to see how much they had grown. I still remember them as toddlers! Of course, the shock was mutual especially since now there's a baby that's been added to the crew. Needless to say, it was great to catch up with our old friends. Let's hope we don't let as much time pass between visits in the future!