Newport Beach timeshare week

These in-law's of mine, they really know how to family-time-it-up. When Chad was 1 or 2 years old, they got themselves a nice little week at the Marriott in Palm Desert where they would be forced to chill out each year together. Then, much later on, they got another one in Newport Beach for it's point value around the world. I'm tellin' ya, best decisions those 'laws ever made... for me! Hahahahohoho.

No but really. We love the timeshare weeks. The four of us only go for a few nights while they stay from Saturday to Saturday each time, but those couple of days are magical! Great meals, hot weather, bathing suits for days, sun screen, fabulous views... those are just a few of my favorite things.

This year the four of us were reeeeeeeal determined to turn our Saturday night to Monday evening into the best, most amazing beach trip of all time, probably due to the increased shore obsession around here. So for Saturday, the sister and I made plans to hang for the day at a beach in Newport, then when they left we would head over to the 'share for night 1's festivities. We all arrived at 20th St, took a dip in the water while going nuts watching 5 kids between the 4 parents, then Chad left to help his daddy-o set everything up at "home." Shortly after he left, the Fitch's had to go, so it was just me and the kiddos! I'll tell you what: Carter is shaping up to be the creature from the black lagoon given his deep commitment to stay in the water at all costs. I couldn't get him out! I had to settle for standing knee deep to keep an eye on Kota and be within yelling distance of him lest a boogie boarder came rompin' toward his head. It turned out to be 2.5 hours of solo time with the kids, which was equal parts beautiful and draining.

Anyhoo! Once Chad came to get us, we were off to timeshare amazingness! This year I really stretched my legs and unpacked my little ol' suitcase - really going for it, ya know (I'm now totally hooked on doing that. Why crouch over a suitcase mixed with your own clothes, possibly your hubby's or your kids'?? I loved my own dresser for our few days! Oh, the discoveries). So night 1 saw lots of aloe (but hey-o for preventative aloe measures! No one had burned!), the lasagna I had made and frozen a few days prior, and fun drinking games once the littles went to sleep.

Sunday was Crystal Cove beach time where Chad and I snuck away for a quick brewskie at The Beachcomber thanks to the FIL and Sonja's offering of their childcare skills, and then it was off to the pool. Chad handled the babes as he does and I boiled in the ridiculously hot spa. It was amaze balls.

Monday, our final day, came around. We went straight to the pool because the beach just seemed too much after 2 all day trips. Auntie Maggie joined us and the whole thing was fab. I had this nagging thought in my head that we were either going to need to leave Newport at 1:00 to avoid traffic, or wait until 7:30. Both thoughts sounded horrendous. Getting home around 2 pm made the rest of the day seem laborious, but getting home around 8:30 just seemed like it was going to be the pits. So I flippantly said, "I wish we were staying the night tonight," which Chad picked up and ran with: "IF CLAUDIA CAN WATCH SNOW TONIGHT LET'S DO IT. WE WILL LEAVE AT 6 IN THE MORNING TOMORROW!!!!!!"

I spent an hour trying to make myself feel better about arriving home from a mini vaca the MORNING of Kota's first day of preschool, but eventually gave in to the more relaxing idea of just straight chillin, yo. The logic used was that even if we left on Monday night, the kids were still going to be exhausted on Tuesday, so why not just stay another few hours, get them to bed early (HA!) and heave-ho in the am?! I might even have gotten lucky and would have been able to get Kota down for a nap before first-day-of-school go time (BAHAHA!). So it was decided!

Chad went to his hockey game that night, leaving Sonja and I to relax. I experienced my first viewing of The Bachelor Paradise that night and wrestled the youngin's into crying, very sad sleeps (DADDY! DADDY! I MISS SNOW! I MISS MY BED! IS OUR HOUSE STILL THERE! I WANT TO STAY WITH GRANDPA FOR THE WHOLE 7 DAYS! WHY DO WE NEED TO GO HOME! I MISS HOME! I WANT TO STAY HERE! I MISS HOME!). It was all very dramatic. Finally they slept, and I followed shortly. At that point my brain had stopped working due to extreme sun exposure and awesomeness - there was no way game playin' and cocktail drinkin' was happening. So off we left for Corona at 6 in the am Tuesday morning and it worked out. Everyone made it to school in good spirits and I totally went into beast mode - laundry was done, house was cleaned, meals were made. It was awesome!

Now we just can't wait for the Palm Desert 'share, my favorite ever. Oh, family time! Nothing beats it!