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Business Travel Lessons as a Father of 5

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I don’t travel often for business, but the couple of weeks leading to Thanksgiving I had back-to-back business trips.

Traveling sometimes is hard for us because it can be a burden on Becca. Although we have an awesome nanny that is super flexible with our schedule, dealing with nighttime routines for all 5 kiddos can be difficult. Luckily I am never gone for more than 2 days at a time.

I’ve always tried to find positivity in every life situation and in the case of traveling, it is no different. Flying allows me (when I don’t crash for the entire flight) to do things that I usually can’t do while at home due to lack of time. It becomes a “me time” although surrounded by a bunch of strangers.

When I travel I get to make progress on the many books I have on my night stand that I never get a chance to finish, or read my Men’s Health magazine OR one of my new favorite things to do – listen to podcasts! (more of this later).

This past trip I scribbled down on a plane napkin some of the things I was able to enjoy while flying. Although these are things that I tend to do on every trip, I never took the time to acknowledge them or give them the importance they deserve. Here is the list of things I learned/appreciate as a father of 5 kids when traveling.

I miss/appreciate my kids and wife more: Sometimes we take these things for granted. We get caught in the day-to-day. But not being with my kids and getting pics of them via text from my wife makes me miss them even more. The pictures always put a smile on my face and remind me how blessed I am and how awesome my life is because of them.
Time for reflection: The above is one of the examples but the traveling “me time” allows me to think – a lot – and helps me reflect about my life, my family, my job, our future, etc.
Time for planning: Most of the time, for me, putting things into perspective turns into planning for the future. Whether it is thinking about a plan for retirement, or how to make sure my kids are taken care of after I pass, etc. I get some sense of clarity when I am flying and am able to spend time thinking, jotting down ideas. I take a lot of notes and come back re-energized and ready to tackle new adventures.
Think of ideas to be a better person: This is a combination of #2 and #3 incentivized by some of the things I read or listen to while traveling. For example, this past trip I read a couple of chapters from “The Project Happiness”, read “Men’s Health” and listened to the “Smart Passive Income” podcast among others. I am big on self-help. The time I get to fuel my brain with all these new ideas is awesome and fuels me to become a better dad, a better husband, a better professional and a better me.
Educate myself: Traveling by myself allows me time to read books, magazines, articles, news, bios, etc as well as listening to cool podcasts and occasionally super interesting conversations with fellow travelers. Every time I travel I learn new things and gain new perspectives on a lot of things.

It’s easy to find the positive in every situation. You just have to look for it.

Cheers!

Napkin with my notes

Santi’s Terrible 2’s are kicking my ass!

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I feel like I am writing this post while waving a white flag in peace/surrender. Holy shit. I can’t take this anymore and I’ve ran out of methods to deal with and tolerate it.

Hey, this is not my first rodeo, I dealt with Nati’s and Nico’s and we survived. We figured out ways to manage them and we all came out on the other end. This time is another type of beast and this one is kicking my ass.

I think part of the problem is we have been dealing with this while we’ve been dealing with babies that were not sleeping through the night and we were trying to get them there (as of now they are sleeping through the night. Yay!) so every temper tantrum Santi throws, exponentially increases the magnitude of the issue and the urgency to make him shut up! ☺

90% of the time, he is the happiest, coolest kid. But the other 10% he is like a combination of Damian/Chucky and seems to lose his sense of hearing, his sense of reasoning and everything else.

When shit hits the fan, he goes into this non-stop crying mode. It can be triggered by multiple things, but here are some of the most ridiculous ones: “I just woke up at 3am and I want fucking juice”, “I wanted to lay by dad but then Nati or Nico laid by mom so now I want to lay by mom or else!”, “Nico beat me going up the stairs, how dare he!”, “I want to get what everyone else is playing with, now.”. The list goes on. Never a “oh well, that makes sense you are upset, screaming your lungs out seems to be the best approach” type of scenario….. sigh.

The above could fall on the normal reasons why someone 2 years old decides to throw a temper tantrum. What’s not normal is the “exorcist” mode he goes into. Even if we cave into his ways to make him stop, he gets himself in such a state of mind that he does not hear it! He keeps screaming “No!! No daddy, I don’t want (enter random reason here)”, or “I want juice” even though I keep telling him he can get some.

I’ve tried timeout, tried reasoning with him, tried the whole hugging thing, tried to get him to take deep breaths (ha!), tried putting him in our walk-in closet, escalated by turning the light off for a few seconds and nothing works! I’ve tried all these things not to be mean, but to try to snap him out of that state of mind!! Trust me, if it wasn’t because I would have to clean it up afterwards (and because Becca will probably kick me out of the house) I would have tried throwing cold water at him to get him to snap out.

So far, he is winning. By a lot. Actually I think we are both losing because it sucks for everyone involved. My hope is that “this too shall pass” but I am hoping this happens sooner than later. In the meantime, I need to probably find ways to meditate, stretch, explore breathing methods, read or whatever the heck I need to do to work on MY patience so I don’t lose it while Damian is going nutso around the house. Maybe that is the positive thing out this clusterfuck. I may become a master meditator, breathing dude or awesome at venting on a blog.

Wish me luck. ☺

Our last Summer weekend! :(

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It feels as it was only a few weeks ago the kids finished their first year at their new school. I remember I thought we had SO much time to do SO many things! We thought about going to the beach more often, plan a trip or two to Orlando to go to Sea World, use our tickets to Dinosaur World and so many other family adventures!… wrong.

Before we knew it, it was mid-August and we were planning what to do on our last weekend before the kids (and Becca) went back to school!! Don’t get me wrong, we did a lot of fun stuff this summer (Becca’s family came down to Siesta Key for a week, we went to the beach a handful of times, I played in the Ultimate Frisbee Sunshine State Games, Regionals and Nationals Championship and much more) but we thought our summer break was going to be much longer than it was. I guess life with 5 kiddos, 2 of which were under 6 months of age goes by really really quick…

The crazy thing is that this weekend was no different than any other weekend this summer. We had a lot going on. Between Open houses, purchasing last minute school supplies and clothes, celebrating my 39th birthday and trying to get everyone back to our night-time schedule, we were running out of time very very quickly. We needed to make sure we had at least one super fun day! Unfortunately, the weather had been against us too! It has been raining on a daily basis making it hard to play outside and if that was not enough, all this stupid rain is making our backyard a mosquito paradise!! Sucks!

But, I knew we needed at least one last weekend at the beach. I reached out to our beach buddies but unfortunately none of them were able to come out! And the ones that were going to join us texted me the morning of to let me know they had partied too hard the night before and were staying in nursing the hangover….. (damn people without kids. :)) I didn’t care, I had promised the kids (and myself) that we were going to the beach and so we did!!! We got very lucky, we went in the morning and were able to escape the nasty rains and enjoyed our Florida sunshine.

We had a blast. Despite the fact that I forgot to bring the paddle for our paddleboard (what a momo), we played in the water and the kids “surfed” some waves on the board — I was actually impressed on how brave Nico and Nati were getting up on the board and riding the waves! That came to a temporary stop after Nico rode the longest wave and took a tumble once the board hit the beach… 🙁 … He did not cry and got back on the board but he began to “abort” much earlier jumping off the board to make sure he did not eat the beach again… haha.

Santi had a great time jumping waves and playing in the sand burying the army men and animals he had brought. The babies were very well-behaved and even took a couple of good naps in their little cocoon enjoying the breeze and the sound of the waves (seriously… is there a better scenario to take a nap!?! ok, maybe if there was a hammock… ).

After leaving the beach we headed home to celebrate my birthday with my family and we even got to play upfront with their scooters AND played in the pool before the rain ruined the rest of the afternoon. The kids loved it. Now that Nico can swim, he has been enjoying the pool so much more!

Monday was the kids’ last day off. Their “nona” picked them up in the morning and took them to the Ringling Museum of Art and they LOVED it!! It never occurred to us to take them to the museum assuming they would be so bored and probably crazy loud! But they all loved it and were mesmerized by all the art. One more cool activity to add to our list.

I also got to have some fun Monday night! I met with a couple of friends to go paddleboarding in St Pete. We were able to paddle for over an hour right on time before the rain took over…

Although the summer flew by, we had a great last weekend as a family taking advantage of many of the cool things Florida has to offer. We are ready for another school year (oh boy, so we think….).

8 weeks – Babies Update

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Last Monday, the babies had their 8-week check up. I know, 8 weeks already! Time seems to be flying faster than usual… probably because we are always on the go, never a quiet moment around the house these days…

The great news is that we continue to be blessed with very healthy babies. That is the most important thing and I thank God every night for protecting our kiddos and keeping them healthy. Other than a small eye infection on Alejandro’s left eye, everything else has been great.

Here are their 8-week stats:

Emilio:

Weight: 7lb 14oz.

Height: 20.8in

Head Circumference: 37.3cm.

Alejandro:

Weight: 7lb 13oz.

Height: 20.8in

Head Circumference: 37.5cm.

As you can see, they are growing very similar to each other and let me tell you, telling them apart these days is getting harder and harder… I thought that as they grew up they would start developing certain differences… Nope, not these kids! They’ve decided to make things harder by looking more alike every day!! Thankfully, we still have Ale’s big toe painted blue to make sure when in doubt… but man! we need to come up with other alternatives or new “tells”…

Another fun fact is that although they have been growing nicely, even after 8 weeks they have not yet reached our other kids’ birth weight. Nati and Santi were 8.3lbs and Nico was 9.1lbs!! I know! we make BIG babies :)… You would never know judging by Nico’s petite figure… although Santi’s robust figure would give it up ;).

Emi and Ale have become more alert, they spend more time awake and have started to recognize faces and smile :). Their favorite place is the double boppy where they chill and nap. They also love to be held and have been enjoying some tummy time.

We are 8 weeks in and we could not be any happier as a family. It seems the joy and challenges the babies have brought into our lives have gotten us closer together as our team of 7. We are certainly a blessed and Happy Number 7.

Chilling at the Doctor’s office.

Waiting to be measured.

Chilling with Santi.

It’s so cute how much they love each other.

Tummy time turned into hug time!

NOTE TO SELF: LET THEM BE KIDS.

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This weekend I had to remind myself to let my kids be kids….

Sometimes as parents we try to control situations, most of the time for our kids’ safety, but too often we try to control them to make things more convenient for us… avoiding situations that could disrupt our day, cause a little chaos, etc…

On Sunday, we went outside to ride bikes and scooters; however my kids changed their mind and decided they wanted to play in our backyard instead… We have what I think is a pretty cool backyard with a pool, a nice treehouse with a slide, and some swings in the back…a pretty fun area for a kid. My first thoughts were…. “Hmm… if we go back, I am going to have to clean up the swings… also, I may have to go back inside to get mosquito repellent (they get bad at times), this may be a pain….”

After a couple of failed attempts trying to convince the kids to stay out front and ride their bikes, I gave up. We swung for a bit and then went to the treehouse to slide… This meant I had to wipe the slide clean (had to go get Lysol and a towel)…

While the kids played in the treehouse, I took advantage of the time, cracked open a beer and proceeded to clean our pool. Since it needed some water I opened up the hose and dropped it in the pool. This was their queue to play with water!! My first reaction was “Guys, please don’t play with the water– you are going to get wet, we are going to have to get new clothes, you are going to get cold, yadda yadda yadda”… After they were initially careful due to my annoying directions, they later began to be more careless with the water… I caught myself wanting to tell them to stop but then I thought “what the heck!, what’s the worst that can happen?? They get wet. So what?!! Let them be kids. Let them have fun!”

They had a blast! They got soaked! They got a ton of things wet and even ended up without their bottoms on the shallow end of the pool (which is freezing based on my “I am a baby with cold water” standards). I had a great time watching them be kids- they couldn’t stop laughing and played wonderfully together. It was a great wake up call for me to relax and to let the kids be kids. It was a win-win for all of us and an awesome way to spend our Sunday as a family.

Thank you kiddos for continuing to teach me how to be your dad; I love you.

A great reminder to myself to let my kids be kids!

20 conventional and unconventional things I am thankful for.

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At first, the idea of writing 20 things I am thankful for sounded like a lot… but when I began to write them I realized the list could’ve been much much longer… Regardless, here is my list of 10 conventional and 10 unconventional things I am thankful for:

God: for guiding, protecting and keeping my family safe.
Becca: for being the best teammate ever in the game of raising kids, for being my rock, the supporter of my dreams but yet the one that brings me down to earth when I dream too much 😉
Nati, Nico, Santi and our 2 baby boys that will join us soon. For bringing so much joy into our lives, for being one of the main reasons I do a lot of what I do, for being an inspiration, for reminding me to be foolish and not take life so seriously, for being kids, and for seeing everyone for who they are, not what they look like. Among many other things.
Our family: For being the support system around us. For loving our kids unconditionally. For being there when we need you.
Our health: because we’ve been fortunate enough to have healthy children and have managed to stay healthy ourselves. I value that a lot!
Our friends: For helping us build memories. For sharing laughs. For listening. For not judging. For genuinely wanting us to be happy. The feeling is mutual.
My work family: For allowing me to do what I love while being myself 100% of the time.
Woolly Mammoth/Ultimate Community: For keeping my competitive spirit and the love for team sports alive. Woolly: for pushing me. For being one of the main reasons I exercise – for giving me a goal to work towards. For showing me, ourselves and others how working in unity towards one goal and under one mission can turn into huge accomplishments. For being the only place I can party barefoot without people making comments about my bruised or non-existent toe nails 🙂 (inside joke)
Our small business (packlessplaymore.com – shameless plug), for allowing me to live my entrepreneurial dream. For challenging me on how to grow the business, how to reach more people, how to better our service, etc.. For supporting our family financially.
YMCA Trainers: For teaching me how much fun it is to workout as a team.
Al Gore: For inventing the internet ;)… I have no idea what I’d do without it!
Facebook (although I am more of an Instagramer): For allowing me to connect with family and friends around the world. If it was not for FB I would have no idea how everyone is doing and wouldn’t be able to enjoy watching their families grow and cheer them on their accomplishments.
Taylor Swift: For reminding us that sometimes you just got to “Shake it off”
College Basketball/March Madness: For being the most exciting sport to watch and the best tournament in the World! Ok…the World Cup is better but March Madness is every year!! Go KU!
Pacifiers: You have no idea how many “oh sh*t he/she is going crazy!” have turned into peaceful and manageable situations… Yes, getting rid of them could be a pain in the a** but definitely worth it when looking back!
Disney World: For providing my kids with magical moments and ever lasting smiles. For allowing us to enjoy in awe their joy and happiness. That’s what it’s all about.
Single Malts and/or Beer: For being the best “decompressing” partner at the end of the day. No matter how rough of a day it was at work or with the kids.
Netflix: For calming my kids down any place, any time. For turning a crappy situation into a not-so-crappy. Sh*t going crazy? Whip out the phone/tablet and put on Netflix. Want them to take a nap while driving? Whip out the good’ol Netflix. Oh yeah, and for allowing me to watch shows & movies I never had the time to watch (and still don’t but at least it gives me peace of mind there is an option).
Miley Cyrus: For reminding me that raising girls is a complex thing… And for giving me perspective on what NOT to do.
Music/ukulele/Youtube: Ran out of room so last one is bundled up. Music for the good vibes. Ukulele.. because it allows me to think there is hope in the world and I may be able to play an instrument. Youtube: for posting tutorials on “how to play the ukulele”.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Stop what you are doing right now!

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“Stop whatever you’re doing for a moment and ask yourself: Am I afraid of death because I won’t be able to do this anymore?” — Marcus Aurelius

I found this quote the other day and it made me think how it applies to both family life and work. When looking from above and evaluating your life, are you doing everything you love? Are you working in the area you want and doing what you love? Are you spending time with your loved ones? Are you making your time count?

I am fortunate enough to get to work on projects I love with an amazing team that allows me to be myself. No judgments. No filters.

But more importantly, I can certainly say I am afraid of death because I wouldn’t be able to spend time with my family. I would miss out on seeing my kids grow up, watching them become little people, adults, parents. I would miss out cheering them on in their accomplishments and supporting them in their struggles. Yes, I am fearful of that.

Today, especially in light of the Florida State University incidents, I spent time reflecting on my life. Although I can smile and be fearful of death, I also know that there is a lot of room for improvement, to make every moment count as if it is the last one, and to make sure that my family and friends know how much I love them and appreciate them. I love you guys.

So, thanks Marcus Aurelius. Thanks for making me stop for a moment and reflect on my life. I should do it more often.