imagine this
the bright side…
Sorry to repost but I had problems with WordPress…I think things are resolved now!
The biggest problem with going on vacation isn’t having to live out of a suitcase.
It’s not having to share a bathroom with Ali, nor is it juggling far too much carry-on luggage.
Louis Vuitton on London's Bond Street: I wouldn't mind juggling some of this luggage...
It’s not having to find things I can eat nor is it dealing with the inevitable fallout from what Maya eats. And eats. And eats.
It’s not even having to pick up Ali and Maya’s dirty socks from a bacteria-ridden hotel room floor instead of my (self-declared) pristine floors.
London's Green Park: Ali appears to want to kill me in this picture.
No, the biggest problem with going on vacation is that eventually I have to come home. To real life. Which isn’t bad by any means, but when compared to shopping and lunching in Paris and London, really kind of sucks.
Buckingham Palace: Maya wanted to know if we were invited to the royal wedding and was rather shocked when she found out we weren't.
We landed in Los Angeles on Saturday night at 7:20 pm, and by 9:45 pm I told Ali that it was time to start planning our next vacation.
“Where do you want to go?” he asked in a daze of hunger, jet-lag, and irritation.
“Anywhere. Absolutely anywhere.” I said.
His response was to go directly to bed. My response was to organize and clean. Which was when I realized one nice perk of no longer being on vacation…
Thank you Virgin Atlantic for a lovely flight. And for several much needed barf bags. They will all be used at some point. Unfortunately.
My purse is now 5 vomit bags lighter.
Talk about a silver lining.
humor me
My favorite place in Paris: The Laduree on the Champs-Elyees.
It basically boils down to this: identify every single thing that gives you a stomach ache – in my case this would be soy, gluten, milk, cheese, nuts, etc. (or in nutshell, anything that tastes good)…
I had 1/2 of one of Ali's 4 macaroons. Did I mention there was a mountain of ice cream under those 4 macaroons that he gulped down in 5 minutes? Yes, life is very unfair.
And pretend that eating it in microscopic amounts isn’t going to bother you.
Take 2: Another visit to the Laduree. This time with Maya.
Sure I’ve had a perpetual stomach ache from the bits of French bread and the dabs of butter I’ve been consuming lately…
I had 1/4 of a macaroon...and Maya was thrilled to take the rest off her mama's poor, sick little hands.
And sure my eczema is kind of out of control again thanks to an unusual excess of clotted cream and caffeine…
Fortnum and Mason again...this time with Maya. I had no choice but to indulge in one last scone, despite the after effects.
And yes, I’ll be dealing with the fallout for a few weeks (at least).
But I must look at the bright side – I didn’t gain an ounce while on vacation! Actually, I lost a pound or two. And really…that’s not too bad of a deal.*
Right?
At the airport: a mountain of couscous and some crackers for good measure. Chock full of gluten but very tasty.
Right.
*(If I tell myself this enough I’ll believe it. Humor me here.)
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 