Although
The Big Bang Theory
has been on hiatus since April, I haven’t really been “on vacation” until this past week. My summer has been filled with travel for Texas Instruments (I’m their spokeswoman, dontcha know), speaking engagements (three trips to New York in the month of June alone), and other various publicity (such as Monte Carlo with Melissa Rauch from Big Bang, which I wrote about in four parts for Kveller.com).
My vacation proper will last about a month and I kicked it off with a day at the beach in Malibu with my homeschool girlfriends and our kids. It was that day at the beach (Day 1 of my vacation) when I expressed to one of my friends some frustration about some (normal, age-appropriate) behavior both of my boys are exhibiting. My friend encouraged me to focus only on my kids’ best qualities and they would continue to be more prominent.
While I appreciate her perspective, for the purpose of this post, I may have to lessen up on that emphasis a bit. Why? Because we are currently in Mexico on a resort vacation and it’s been a real mixed bag. Here are some details:
Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico. That means we are on the strip of land just west of mainland Mexico which attaches to California. We are in the lovely old-fashioned region of the town of Loreto, which is halfway down Baja and is actually located among 5 beautiful uninhabited islands off the coast. The terrain is stunning: picture the grand canyon formations on white sandy beaches with turquiose clear water, tons of birds, hot hot sun, and stunning sunsets which reflect off of the myriad colors of the mountains above the water.
History: Loreto is the home of the very first Mission in Mexico, and while the history of the Jesuits “converting” the native population is a difficult one, the Museum and Mission tour in Loreto is fantastic, full of amazing artifacts, and a really great addition to our homeschooled almost-7-year-old’s understanding of the Native American experience and how it compares and contrasts to the situation in Mexico for the past several hundred years (ah, homeschool parents: we’re always looking for teaching moments, even on vacation!).
Accommodations: We are staying at a resort called Villa del Palmar right on the water. It’s very isolated, about 30 minutes from town, and it has everything you need here: two restaurants, a little market, a gigantic pool shaped like a turtle (the arms and head and legs are actually shallow pools for kids and a jacuzzi!), and they even have a kids’ room, entertainment nightly, activities all day, and hikes and day trips planned. Paradise, right? Wait for it: there’s a spa with very very skilled cosmetologists. It’s insane. Really really nice. And everyone is as friendly and welcoming as a camp counselor. I feel like I’m at resort summer camp, minus the folk-singing and communal Shabbat candlelighting.
Issues: (Disclaimer: I’m going to do something other than focus on my kids’ best qualities right now.) An almost-4-year-old and an almost-7-year-old pretty much act their age no matter where you take them. It’s just a fact. For us, right around 4 is the hardest year to date with each of our kids. It’s fussy, kvetchy, and just really challenging. For right around 7, with the molars almost all the way in but still breaking through skin, it’s slightly defiant, slightly sassy, and very very indignant. I am told it will all pass, but I would have liked it all to pass before coming to Baja!
Focusing on the good: We took a very adventurous island-hopping boat trip and both boys managed to enjoy it (after a lot of initial trepidation and unhappiness). Because the pools are shallow, our older son has really practiced his swimming with confidence (he’s one of those super cautious kids who really takes his time with EVERYTHING), and our younger son has gotten more confident in his “swimming” which consists of him throwing his body at us into the water and saying he is swimming. Being vegan at an isolated resort is hard, but we have found things both boys can eat and enjoy and no one is starving. And my Spanish skills have come back big-time so I am really enjoying speaking to everyone here in Spanish (my younger son had threatened to throw a fit if I spoke anything but English on this trip–!–but thankfully, he forgot his indignation and he is happy for me to simply translate what I have been saying in Spanish).
In conclusion: We have one more day here. I think we can make it. I have carved out time for myself in the spa and I will have some fun pictures to post for all of you here in the few days. I have not been recognized a lot which is nice, because I constantly look like I have been at the bottom of the sea and that doesn’t make for very good pictures of me for fans to post on Facebook. I am grateful for the opportunity to be here, and I love my children and I never forget that, even when I cannot believe one of them is having a fit about the pasta being not what pasta is like at home.
I hope everyone’s week is great, and Happy 4th of July.
