What a weekend.

What happens when you put four women together without kids or husbands for a weekend? FUN, FUN, FUN! OMG. I just had such a wonderful weekend. Three friends and I just spent a fabulous weekend together in San Francisco. Now first you must know that I lived in the Bay Area and San Francisco for many years and the three other ladies lived there as well. Therefore this was not a tourist trip to the City, but a pampering trip to the city!

The weekend was planned to celebrate the upcoming birth of my friend, Shelli’s, second child. She didn’t want a baby shower so we happily obliged with a day of pampering instead.

Aimee, Shelli, Julie and I all met on the very first day of our freshman year of college 17 years ago. We were all roommates at some point or another throughout college and our families still vacation together. I talk to Aimee everyday and Shelli as often as possible. Aimee, Shelli and I lived together on a lake for a summer during college. Aimee and I traveled to Greece and Italy our senior year. Shelli and I traveled for a month in Ireland after college. Shelli nearly beat my parents to the hospital when I had my first child and Aimee kept me busy the day before I had my second. Shelli and her husband, Murph, are Julie’s son’s godparents. Suffice it to say we have a lot of history together. A LOT OF HISTORY.

Aimee, Shelli and I started our day with a yummy breakfast at the Corral Steakhouse in Pacifica. The weather was superb and I love eating there because the restaurant is on an actual horse ranch. So while eating a culinary feast I was able to watch people working their horses.

We then met Julie on our drive to the city. Our first stop was Teashi for lovely pedicures. Super cute place, full of light and very comfortable.

We hightailed it across town and made our way to Bloomingdales for make-up at the MACcounter. This was such a wonderful treat. We surprised Julie and Shelli with appointments to get our make-up done. We had way too much fun. Rather than spending an hour there we spent 2 and half hours. The make-up artists were great and added to our fun. I changed my lipstick color three times! Then we bought out all the make-up at the counter. Oh, and then someone found the shoe department where there was a huge clearance. Yikes!

Because we had spent so much time at Bloomingdale’s, we had to change our clothes in a parking lot, but this did not dampen our spirits at all. As a matter of fact it was fun trying to shield each other from oncoming traffic. We laughed so much.

We had dinner at the very sumptuous Salt House. Although this was the first time dining there for all of us, we knew it was going to be great because we all love Town Hall which is owned and ran by the same chefs. We were seated next to the open kitchen and were able to watch the HAWT chefs the entire evening. This made dinner even more entertaining. There we were four women, all mothers, all in our 30’s, acting like we were 21 again. The conversation was inspired, the food was superb and the laughter was non-stop.

We ended the evening by going to the Mission where thousands of people roamed the streets following the Gay Pride celebrations. Why where we in the Mission? Well this part is a bit embarrassing, but at the time it was so much fun! We went to Good Vibrations and learned all about the latest and greatest porn movies. We laughed some more and talked one another into buying gifts for our husbands, all whom had stayed home with our children for the weekend.

We stayed the night at Shelli’s and had breakfast at the Corral Steakhouse again the next morning.

The weekend was so wonderful. We ate tons of frozen York Peppermint patties and saved ourselves thousands of dollars in counseling bills because we acted like therapists to one another. This week I’m a better mother and wife because I had some much needed time away. Now I’m just figuring out a way to do it again next month!

FIVE YEARS OLD!

Dylan will be five on June 19. FIVE! As usual, I feel like lamenting the passage of time, but I’ll spare you the details today. Instead let me tell you about my wonderful daughter.

She loves animals, people and nature. She loves her little sister. She loves all of her grandparents. And she loves her dog, Zoey.

She has crazy dreams and likes to share them in the middle of the night.

Playing pirates and knights is a favorite pastime. And she can wield a sword while riding a stick horse better than a few of the riders at Medieval Times. She has a passion for anything horse related.

She is a true dare-devil. The first time she rode a tricycle, at 18 months old, she didn’t think sitting on the seat was enough fun so she stood on the seat with one foot while putting the other as high in the air as she could. She wants to swing higher, spin faster and needs the adrenaline rush. She screams for her Dad to “Go Faster” on the quad.

She can’t stand bad breath or any sort of bodily function. Being anywhere nearby while I change her sister’s dirty diaper makes her gag.

She loves to make crafts, paint and color. She is always running out of glue and losing her scissors.

She likes to make silly faces during dinner and after dinner she and Hayden put on a “show” for us every night. She loves to dress up in costumes.

She makes me proud because she is kind and considerate. She remembers her manners and feels bad when her friends call one another names. She doesn't like to make “bad choices” and really drives the point home when she tells you not to throw something away because it is “special to her heart.”

She is a very special little girl. Very loved and very loving. Happy birthday Dylan!

Wonderful Vacation

Last week my Mom took the girls and me to Lexington, Kentucky to visit some of the famous racehorses of our time. This is the second trip we have taken together to Kentucky and this one was just as magical as the first.

As you probably already know, I am a total horse-lover who has passed the horse-lover gene on to my oldest daughter, Dylan. I swear, she lives and breathes horses. She remembers the names of famous racehorses and was just as thrilled as I was to meet Monarchos (2001 Kentucky Derby winner), Thunder Gulch (1995 Kentucky Derby Winner), Fusaichi Pegasus (2000 Kentucky Derby winner), and Smarty Jones (2004 Kentucky Derby winner).

We were at

Three Chimneys Farm the day they received the call that Silver Charm (1997 Kentucky Derby winner) was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame!

Claiborne Farm is truly an amazing place. In their horse cemetery are buried Secretariat (1973 Triple Crown winner), Gallant Fox (1930 Triple Crown winner), and Omaha (1935 Triple Crown winner). Claiborne also owned Whirlaway (1941 Triple Crown winner) but he was buried in France. The Triple Crown is undoubtedly the most difficult feat in all of Thoroughbred racing. Only 11 horses have captured the Triple Crown, while 42 others have finished only one win shy of the honor. Claiborne can claim four Triple Crown winners! I’m so amazed. We loved visiting Claiborne... and Ioved meeting Monarchos!

We also spent a day in Louisville to visit Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum. The museum is amazing and a must-see if you're in Kentucky. Dylan specifically asked to visit becasue she remembered "riding" racehorses from our first trip. She was not disappointed. She says she wants to be a jockey when she grows up.

I love the history. I love the horses. And I’m so grateful to my Mom for giving us this precious memory!