vida yas vedas

i love the way Maddie is talking right now. she says a lot, but still i'm one of the only ones who understand her. we went to Las Vegas again with the kids. it was so much fun! in fact, at one point some woman in Walgreen's, was like "Vegas with kids is not a good idea for a family vacation." and i felt like saying, "yeah it is, we're having a blast!" of course, we wouldn't choose it, but it was great. thanks State Farm!

we stayed at the amazing Palazzo, a hotel at the Venetian. holy toledo is this place beautiful. so, random back-story, years ago i looked into this as a job. at nordstrom, there's a (i can't remember what it's called) "decorating" department. i once inadvertently re-decorated my department, and was introduced to the back room where they keep all the great stuff! i looked into changing departments, but there were never any openings, and then i went to law school. ah, missed opportunities. how i would have loved to dream up and execute something like this:i am not kidding when i say i could have stayed in this atrium our entire vacation, taking pictures and checking it out from all angles. but, i was over-ruled by my family who preferred to swim and play!

the pool, or should i say pools (because there are like 9 of them) were so awesome. not only were they beautiful but it was as if the function was specifically for my little family. the main pool had 2 enormous baja steps on each side, so big in fact, that i don't think they can be called baja steps, but were more like 2 zero depth kiddie pools on each side of a huge play pool. that way, Madeline could walk around and play without ever having to actually swim, while Anna could swim as much as she wanted, and i could watch it all while playing with/holding/feeding Avery! perfect.

i have been really wanting to go to Europe lately, it is the 10th anniversary of my summer in Paris, and that just feels really too long! oddly enough, Vegas helped me get a little fix, but i maintain that a trip to real Venice

and real Paris is in order.

contrary to some advice i read on line, the Venetian and Palazzo are totally family friendly places. my girls could spend hours meandering along the Grande Canal. not only are they obsessed with the water and the bridges, but the singing gondoliers and 14th century operatic royalty are a hit with them!

the rooms are amazing, each with a sunken living room equipped with a sectional couch and dvd player. trust me, these are family friendly features! the girls had a fun time in the bathroom, taking leisurely baths, and using the luxurious vanity. Avery has been perfecting her army crawl, and cruised all over the marble floors. we ate great food,look, even the menus make us happy! rode many a moving side walk, and even saw Uncle Austin! what a fun trip! Vida Yas Vedas indeed!

the rode home was uncommonly quiet (in the car) and a little stormy (outside).