Mo the Merrier: Vegas, Baby

Vegas didn't show us no love this trip. And I'm not referring to any sum of money we lost gambling, since there was absolutely NONE of that at all. In fact, Vegas kinda gave us the finger the whole time we were there.

I know, I know, we DID come for a family reunion and we DID have a sensory overloaded toddler in tow, but seriously, a teeny weeny break couldn't have hurt, right?

The people were rude, the casinos were smokey, and hotel walls were paper thin. And how, may you ask, does this translate to Vegas flipping us the bird? Well, to make the long story short - from the eye rolls and rude comments people were happily soliciting to us (WHO in their right mind would ever bring a baby to Vegas *eyes locked with me the entire time while "talking" to their friend*, I would NEVER bring a baby to Vegas...), to the paranoid/overtly bored casino security that would zero in on us and our stroller and loudly shoo us out of the gaming area even though we were at a brisk walk half dragging Ava behind us, to our late night gambling neighbors who probably didn't appreciate loud crying and screaming at six in the morning (which was obviously taken very receptively, from the pounding on the walls to the occasional thump on the door). Besides the general Vegas scenery that, of course, didn't mesh well with kids, the other two kiddos that Ava was so very looking forward to playing with got sick. Like vomiting, fever, diarrhea sick. And although the two poor little girls along with their parents, were quarantined in their rooms for almost the entire trip, out of boredom and desperation, I was seriously at one point contemplating letting Ava just play with them and turn a blind eye. But don't worry, I didn't ;).

And like any situation that is not particularly idyllic, there are always two sides to the story: although Vegas mocked us, challenging us to actually have a good time, we actually kinda did. Really. And to prove it, here are a few key "learning's":

- That even though you see family here and there and perhaps only during meals, that it still gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling to be together where the surroundings can so easily be forgotten (Vegas, what..!).

- That playing Blackjack on an IPhone in a hotel room in Vegas when the real thing is just a few floors down, is actually quite entertaining and not half that bad. Hey, if you don't lose, you're always a winner!

- That the three of us can happily survive in a small 10x10 room with paper thin walls and angry neighbors without "getting nuts" or "getting ready fo scrap" as Kent would sweetly mutter on occasion.

- That bitching and complaining with wild hand gestures near the front desk (NOTE: not necessarily TO the front desk or AT the front desk) can in fact earn you comp meals tickets at the buffet (we thank you Golden Nugget. The bread pudding was FABULOUS).

- That Ava has officially deemed everyone of the Asian race as "family". In her reality where the only time she sees Asian people are when they really ARE family, she saw for the first time, the mutha load of Asians in downtown Vegas. Go figure when I saw her being held by a Filipino woman in the hotel lobby at check-in or how she ate a bite off someone's plate in a public restaurant (no, seriously she did. And yes, they offered..so weird, I know, but who could resist Miso Butterfish...).

- That half a day can productively be spent walking back and forth between the California hotel and Main Street Sky Bridge. BONUS: if you can find an empty seat in the center mezzanine area between the hotels near the cafe, you can knock off another half hour or so to your day. Add in a Lapperts Ice Cream or a Spam Musubi where it's legit to sit on the chairs, then well, you may as well have an entire day at the palm of your hands.

- That whiny, tired, sick kids will wake up to the slightest creak and whisper in the hotel room, but will in fact go directly to sleep during the loudest, brightest, craziest night time light show like the Fremont Experience (even I had to cover my ears at one point to muffle down the sound of Queen rocking out to We Are the Champions).

- That even the most anticipated of meals that have the biggest letdown (ahem, California Hotel, please take a spoonful of your own Oxtail soup and honestly tell me it doesn't need a little tweaking...) can still be tasty delicious when the company is great.

- That kids meeting for the first time running wild and free in a buffet or restaurant is the funniest, cutest, happiest thing ever.

- That having a family member that is a local resident can make a trip off the beaten path WAY more enjoyable, and legal...(thanks for the carseat Chanelle!).

- That Uncles and Aunts can make a world of difference to our dear little Ava Mo who never had the privilege of ever getting to meet her Grandpa Mo. This in particular, meant the world to me and Kent. Uncle Marc & Uncle Glen - it brought us so much joy and happiness to see you love and embrace our Ava Mo, since Kent's dad was never able to. His absence from this gathering was so evident to us on this trip. And though we missed him dearly during our time together, it was bittersweet, because being with everyone made him more alive than ever. Kent couldn't get past how much Uncle Glen sounded like his Dad or how Uncle Marc's vibrant personality reminded him how fun his Dad was. Seeing Ava laugh and smile and recognize her family, made our hearts do a slow dance. Kent saw a little bit of his Dad in each of you and if only for that, our trip to Vegas was more than worth it.

It's funny how quickly life can change without you even knowing it did. Vegas was different this time because WE were different. The last time we were there, 4am was our bedtime and gambling was of the utmost priority. There was no scheduled time to sit down and eat and the Strip was our primary stomping ground. This time, we saw a different side of Vegas, but it wasn't all that bad. Vegas might have been a bitch, but we made her OUR bitch. So in my humble opinion, I think we were very lucky this trip and "made out" pretty big.

And on a side note - I forgot to mention two more medals of honor we earned as parents this trip - I flew to Vegas with Ava ALL BY MYSELF...can I get a what, what! It was a little daunting at first, but not all that bad. At the terminal, she was happily occupied with an amazing kid's area that boasted a TV playing Nick Jr., a Lego table, and a small jungle gym. I was also prepared with a kick ass new backpack for Ava, which may I add, Ava proudly carried the entire time. It was filled with all sorts of snacks, dollar store toys, and an Ipod loaded with all the Shrek movies. She did great the entire flight and if anything, the hardest part was keeping up with her excitement exploring the seat, buckle, and tray table (damn you Airlines for not making that child proof...). I can proudly say that there wasn't a single tear or cry, from either me or Ava, and that we landed into Vegas with smiles on our faces.

Second kudos goes to Kent for more than earning the title of Father of the Year on this trip. He was the primary caregiver to Ava aka Mama was on vacay mode, and happily spent the time bonding with Ava. So much so that when we returned to Portland, Ava's new favorite word she enjoyed screaming was 'DAAADDDDYYYY'!!!! Ah, the joys of parenthood ;).

Chillin poolside at the Golden Nugget's AMAZING Shark Tank Pool

Practice makes perfect - these two have been working on this since summer!

Dance Dance Revolution - another great way to kill half an hour!

"If you ever love somebody put your hands up..." - Ava has this thing where she actually does whatever the lyrics of a song tell her to do...kinda adorable and scary at the same time.