Hello!
Anyone still out there?
I *think* my blogging hiatus may be coming to an end. I don’t plan these things, you know. Sometimes, life just gets in the way.
Funny thing, is that I don’t even mean that I’ve been any busier than normal lately, cutting into blogging time. I just haven’t been as inspired, and figured that it shouldn’t be a stress.
Because I allow myself to not stress out and to take bloggy breaks when I want to… I’m back. And MY GOODNESS do I feel like I have a lot to say!
As to not overwhelm, today’s post will be short and sweet.
He’s short:
And she’s sweet:
Seriously. I crack myself up.
Check back this week for some posts about what we’ve been up to – the fun and the struggles. Until then, check out a few of my favorite posts from the past:
So, the title of this post may lead you to believe that we attended a festival about hunting.
You would be wrong.
In this title, the word “hunting” is actually a verb. So, the complete sentence may be, “The day we went hunting for a festival.”
Daily grammar lesson complete. Moving on.
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A few weeks ago, the kids and I took a day trip to Wilcox, a nearby town with, among other things, a huge apple orchard and vegetable farms. We planned on going to the pumpkin patch, and then just exploring and making a great adventure of the day.
The pumpkin patch was great, but there wasn’t as much to do there as I had remembered. We decided to head “into town” to find some food.
I have visions of a quaint little restaurant where the kids will wow the townsfolk with their great behavior and I will discover the most amazing, secret food in Wilcox.
As we are leaving the apple orchard, a friendly local tells us about a huge festival in town. There are RIDES and GAMES and KETTLE CORN. Based on the fact that she said these words so loudly and my children are now literally jumping up and down, I decide that we must go to said festival. Do we need directions? NO, just follow the signs. Mental note to hit the bank, and off we go.
Ok forget the quaint restaurant. I’m “mom of the year” and we will go to a random festival!
We head into town. Look for signs.
Look for signs.
Look for signs.
No. Signs.
We drive and drive and drive.
No signs. No festival.
I explain to Lilly (since Zac is sleeping) that maybe the festival ended yesterday.
She breaks my heart by agreeing, and saying that it is ok… all while tears are welling up and she sniffles.
Oh my goodness the queen of drama is trying to be a Big Girl and be ok with this HUGE disappointment. Go ahead. Tear my heart right out.
I decide to talk up lunch again, and let Lilly decide where we eat.
Dare I dream of the quaint restaurant again?
Lilly: “McDonalds!!!”
Um, not sure if there is a McDon…. shoot. Yep, those golden arches are glowing.
We go to McD’s, where a happy meal toy makes everything better.
Until… until we strike up a conversation with more friendly locals. Who inform us that yes, there is indeed a festival but no, it is not at all easy to find. We get directions. Lilly and Zac are thrilled.
We go. We find it.
I have no money.
Remember that mental note to hit the bank? Well, that note fell right out of my head when I thought we had no festival.
So, we walk up to and see all of the amazing rides, in time for me to remember that I have NO cash.
Back to the car.
Back to the bank.
Back to the festival.
Back to the rides.
Finally. FINALLY we are riding in jeeps.
(Their daddy has a jeep that they can ride in for free. And it’s not on a track. But whatever.)
We ride rides.
We play on playgrounds.
We get ice cream.
We sprint to the car through the rain.
And, finally, we head home.
Thanking God for a beautiful, random, adventurous day.
Exhausted. Happy. Together.
What happened to naps?
Lilly and Zac nap at school. So, why for the love of all that is good and holy will they not nap at home?
Truly, we have been having so much fun lately, and I’m grateful for so so many things.
We went to Pinetop to visit grandma and grandpa, who were on their way back from the summer in Michigan.
It was great! But the kids? The kids did not nap.
We went to Mexico again with my parents for one last summer trip. It was great! The weather was amazing, the fish tacos and beer were plentiful!
But the kids? The kids did not nap.
We went to Disney On Ice with friends Becca and Karen and others (thanks ladies for the ticket hookups!).
The show was amazing, the kids well behaved, and the experience was so much fun!
But the kids? Well, Zac actually did nap during the second half, and Lilly on the way home after lunch. Bad example.
9 times out of 10, unless we are in a car they do not nap.
How many mid-day road trips can I possibly take?
Instead, I hear things like:
“I already took a nap.”
(Um, really? Where was I?)
“I have to go potty. Again.”
(Lemme guess… another “false alarm.”)
“We’re not sleepy, right Zac??” “Right YIYI!!!”
(I kid you not they are already ganging up on me.)
So, what do I do, you ask? Sometimes I get frustrated. After all, I have laundry/dishes/facebook/nap/dusting waiting for me.
But mostly I just take a few minutes to look at really cute pictures of them. You know, to remind myself of what they look like when they are happy and being good listeners.
Do your kids still nap? Don’t they start napping again, when they can, as teenagers? They seem to be 2 and 4 going on 12 and 14… close enough?
We traveled again this weekend, back to my parents’ mountain cabin that we love so much! This time, we went with family and actually got to drive with my parents.
I’ll let that sink in. I was NOT alone, trying to drive safely while entertaining 2 and 4 year olds for 4+ hours on the road. Instead, I was chatting with my parents and responding to work emails while my mom entertained said 2 and 4 year olds.
It. Was. Great.
The trip? Oh the trip was awesome too! But this post is about the drive. Specifically, the drive back.
A couple of conversations came up during the drive home where Lilly’s mind was blown! Like, you know that face you make when the most shocking thing ever happens? She made it. A lot. For the following reasons:
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In addition to us, my parents, and my sister and her family, my grandparents were in the mountains too! We had such a great time visiting with them, and hope they are enjoying some peace and quiet now that we left. On the way home, I told Lilly that grandma and grandpa are HER grandpa’s mom and dad.
Now, she gets that her grandparents are MY mom and dad. And her other grandparents are her daddy’s mom and dad. (Zac does not get either one of these things and, in fact, corrects me loudly when I call one of my parents “mom” or “dad”)
However, the idea that “Grandma Barbara” and “Grandpa Pop” are her grandpa’s mom and dad Blew. Her. Mind.
I believe her exact quote was, “WHAAAAAT?!?”
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Along those same lines, anytime we talk about Grandma Helen (my mom’s mom, who passed away before Lilly was born and who Lilly takes after in both middle name and many personality traits) she is blown away.
She is blown away when I tell her that Grandma Helen loves her independence. Loves her stubborn side. Loves the fact that she sees shapes in clouds (which she was doing in the car) and has an imagination bigger than anyone, child or adult, that I’ve ever met. She asks if Grandma Helen is watching her, and when I confirm that she is, she is blown away. Happily blown away. Every single time.
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Finally, Lilly talks about her birthday relentlessly enough to make you want to stick candles in your eyes a lot. I was tuning out only slightly listening when she was chatting up my mom about her birthday in the car. Then… somehow it came up that she was BORN on her BIRTHDAY. Again, it was, “WHAAAAAT?!?”
She asked when Zac was born. On HIS birthday?!? “WHAAAAAT?!?”
When were grandma and grandpa born? On THEIR birthhdays?!? “WHAAAAAT?!?”
The things we assume. She was so excited to run to school today and tell her teacher and friends that she was BORN on her BIRTHDAY!
All I can do is shake my head. And giggle. A lot
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How do you entertain children on a road trip?
As I drift off to sleep, I embrace the quiet.
There’s not a lot of quiet around here, and I’m ok with that. There is talking and singing and reading and whining. Sometimes arguing, but even more laughing.
So, in the early hours of the morning, when all is quiet, I enjoy it. A lot.
And then… suddenly, then Zac is climbing on my head.
Hmm, must be morning.
Almost as suddenly, I notice that his butt, which is now on my head, is wet.
Like, really wet.
What the….
Simultaneously, my eyes focus on the clock.
2:38
Fiddlesticks.
(Yeah, I’m all about the strong language at 2:38 am)
It’s remarkably clear. I put Zac to bed in a regular pull-up, rather than an overnight. So, off we go. Quick diaper/pajama/bed sheet switch and we are ready to get back to bed.
Except…
“Zacky sleep mommy’s bed!”
Normally, I’m all about the kids staying in their beds. It’s now 2:57 and I have no backbone. I help him find Baa Blankie, tuck him into my bed and head off to check on Lilly.
Who is sleeping in a puddle.
Seriously? Off we go to the potty. Change of pajamas and bedsheets, and she’s back in bed. Finally, I am ready to get back in bed myself.
HOW does a two year old… a teeny, tiny two year old… take up an entire queen bed??? HOW???
It is possible. Zac manages.
I bend myself into a pretzel in order to stay in bed, grimace as my back aches (how old am I?!?) and nod off to sleep.
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My alarm goes off, I hit “snooze,” and notice the quiet yet again.
Except for Zac snoring so sweetly.
And then… CRASH.
Lilly has fallen out of bed. She’s done this twice ever.
So, we whine before getting back into bed.
I move towards the bathroom, but don’t get too far. Turns out, that when Lilly fell out of bed she knocked over her pound puppy’s home, sending said pound puppy sailing across the room and into the deep abyss of her closet.
Sooooo I help her find puppy, reassure her that all is right in the world. As she goes back to bed, Zac wakes up.
A shower and hot coffee. These things would be nice.
We move on with our morning, knowing that these kids of wet rough nights are few and far between around here.
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I’ve written about our morning routines before. Things have changed, but the chaos remains the same. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Don’t worry, our evenings are equally tiresome hilarious, and I’ll share an “average” evening soon!
