For real… ugh.
I have tried to post about 6 times now.
It’s just not happening for me tonight!
Soon I will blog about:
–a give away
–the race I ran last weekend
–changes in our family
–infertility and infertility awareness…
More vacation tales..
Well, what else did we do? I can’t remember..
Sad, but true.
So, what *did* we do?!?
Oh, I remember. We sent the little Bean back to town with Aunt K and our oldest cousin stayed at the beach. The next day we went to the local Light House. It has something like 200 stairs leading to the top and we all marched up them. I tried to get a photo of Nana & Papa’s house from the top of the light house, but I wasn’t very successful.
The other thing that I was failing at that morning was staying healthy… Some of you know that I’ve been struggling with allerties and sinus infections and all sorts of junk this past year. What I haven’t had to deal with much up to this point was asthma. It turns out that me breathing and Florida don’t really mix all that well. So, I spent part of my time on the lighthouse grounds trying to get a hold of my allergist so that she could call in an Rx for me to pick up.
After the light house, we headed out to lunch. Now, typically, I woudln’t mention a meal alone… but this one was really cool. The restaurant was right next to a marina. And the fish and jellyfish and seagulls were all hanging out to entertain the kids. They also had gator on the menu!
Hmmm… What else?
The next day, we headed back to Aunt K’s. We took the kiddos bowling. And we gave everyone a nap.
That night the kids & Nana & I all stayed at a hotel a little closer to Disney World and a lot closer to the hotel.
And then we did a day at Disney World.
I love Disney!
I don’t have any photos of Disney right now, but I will post some eventually.
Then, we headed home very early the next day (too early for it to be bright!).
Some time in the middle, we watched the moon rise one night. I don’t know if I missed that in the first part of the story or no. But, I do know that it happened sometime in there. 🙂
Vacation…
As I said, I’ve had some techinical issues. But, hopefully tonight will be the night to share the post that I started on the way home from our trip.
Adventures, adventures….
As always, the hardest part for me is getting the photos uploaded, but I know that I can share the tales of our trip quickly.
Actually, right now we’re all flying back home so I can type this up ahead of time.
So, where do I start?
Well, I guess I should really back up… with our move in December the older boys moved to a new school and a new school district. The new school runs on a modified year round schedule. Summer break is only a month, but they have an extra week off in the Fall and in the Spring. I thought that we should take advantage of the extra time and go somewhere this Spring.
I actually started out thinking that we’d drive to Florida to see parts of my family. Then Nana and Papa told me that they’d help pay for our flights so we booked the trip on Southwest instead.
Our flight out took us to Orlando with a stop in Milwaukee (go ahead and look at a map, I assure you that it wasn’t really “on the way”). We left Phoenix in the morning and landed in Orlando at night. The kids did really well. The only issue we had was that they were starving when we got to Orlando–they didn’t want to eat lunch when I offered it but that was the only chance they had. Thankfully, Aunt Katherine (my sister) found the golden arches and they had dinner of cheeseburgers at 10 o’clock at night.
We spent the first couple of days at my sister’s house… she has four kiddos as well… J age 8, A age 7, P age 3, and j age 1. Part of the reason that we took this trip is the fact that I’d never seen her little ones and she’d never met the Bean or V. It has been four years since the older 4 cousins had seen each other. They’d gotten along really well in the past and this time was no different.
The first day we were in town we took the crew to Bounce U. I used to take the older boys to Pump it Up before they were in school, but it’s been a long time so the bouncing was a treat. Then, that afternoon they all went swimming. It’s something else to have 7 kids swimming and playing together. I have to say that they all did well. There was only a little fighting and I don’t think that there were any tears! Oh, and I think that they also went to the park. We’re not even home yet and I’m already having a hard time remembering all of the things that we did.
The next day we played outside with bikes and basketballs in the morning. Then we went to McDonald’s–that doesn’t really sound like an outting, but anytime you go anywhere with that many kids, it’s an adventure. Honestly, I remembered this McDonald’s from our last trip though.. It has a play area that’s tall enough for me to walk in. I have to bend over, but I don’t have to crawl. I appreciate that as a mom!
That afternoon we did more swimming.
And that night we went to see the gators! We went to a restaurant called the Black Hammock. And they have several alligators that you can visit outside. They also had several parrots and other exotic birds. For an appetizer we all shared some gator bites. And, as the sign said, “it tastes like chicken”. Only I’d say a little gamier and a little more chewy… but, it was batter dipped and fried so everyone liked it! David liked it so much that he ordered it as a meal. Daniel was very excited to see fish and seafood on the menu and he and his Aunt split a pound of peal and eat shrimp. He would have liked it more if they didn’t have to be pealed.. And if there were about another pound or so on the plate! Desert was the best part though. After dinner, the owner of the restaurant brought out Max, the little 15 inch long gator that lives in the restaurant. He helped each kiddo hold Max for a picture. Beanie and P were both a little intimidated and just watched from the sides. But, j wanted to grab for that little guy. The owner flipped Max over and something about the way that gators are formed puts them out when they’re flipped over.. J was on the floor right next to Max and was already to have a new toy!
That night Nana and Papa came home from their latest adventure (they’ve been on 4 trips already this year!). So, when the littles got up the next day we loaded up to head to the beach. Nana and Papa have a condo that’s about an hour away from my sister’s place. It’s a short walk to the beach from their condo and they have several pools, golf and tennis all on the property.
We headed down to take advantage of that ocean! I’ve spent time on both coasts, but I guess I wasn’t old enough to really notice or care about the differences in the ocean until this trip.. (sad, but true!) The waves are pretty mellow in FL and the water is warmer (still cold though). The waves were perfect for the boys to boogie board on and not big enough to beat them up.
V loved playing in the sand and Bean had fun in the sand and running up to her ankles are so in the water.
Dave really loved the waves. He was doing really well, too… until that darn jelly fish! He came running out of the water crying and holding his leg. Honestly, this was the biggest reaction to an injury that I’ve ever seen from one of my kiddos ever. He was screaming and crying and slapping his legs. So, Nana and I took him to the fire department. We had a hard time finding anyone and Nana accidentally called 911–whoops! But, once they got him inside they finally got him to calm down. He’d been stung on both legs, one of them all the way up his thigh under his swim trunks. The fire fighters put bandages covered with vinegar on the stings and checked his vitals to make sure this wasn’t an allergic reaction, it was just a sting. I think that the combination of the unknown with the fatigue of travel had really done a number on the little dude. But, he was back to himself before we left the fire house.
I went back to the condo with him to give him some advil and clean him up a bit. After playing his video games for a bit, when the others came home, he was ready to go again.
That afternoon the little ones napped & so did I! And Papa took David out to play some tennis… and then Nana took David & Daniel out to play some golf. Oh, and no surprise here, we all went swimming, too!
So, the next day my sister’s family followed us down to the beach. They did some family photos, but there were a few communication errors. I thought we were doing photos of the cousins in matching shirts.. And we didn’t get that shot. I guess we’ll try again in another 4 years.. Ha! And all of the FL people wore khaki’s and white shirts. I haven’t owned a pair of khaki pants since they were required for a job–I don’t think I’ve voluntarily ever bought them! I do own a white shirt, but I didn’t pack it. So, if you see family photos that have one odd one out, that’s me.
After pictures, there was more playing on the beach.. And more jelly fish stings. This time we were prepared though! Nana brought vinegar with us. Immediate treatment and the knowledge that it wouldn’t last forever meant a *much* more minor freak out. After both of my big boys were stung we moved to the pool v. the ocean though. That afternoon we took 4 of the 8 to a kid’s fest in Port Orange. It was way fun! There was face painting and games and one booth let you make your own flower barrett for your hair. There was also lots and lots of candy and one booth even had free sno-cones! And there were free train rides. I think the only disappointment was the rides that we actually paid for, the one that Dan wanted to ride on wasn’t working and he had a hard time figuring out the bumper cars that he ended up on instead. One of the last booths that we went to was for a local water park. The kids played a game and all one a ticket good for either mini-golf or laser tag. And as we were chatting with the woman at the booth she told us that the following day was their first day of the season so it was only $10 to get in.
So, that decided our plans for the next day… the only problem was that one of K’s kiddos was sick the next morning. Her 7 year old was running a fever so she couldn’t go along. Uncle James stayed home with A and the baby. So, we had 4 adults with only 6 kids.. Now those are good odds. We ate a picnic on the way in and then were off to play! I’ve never taken my kids to a water park. One of the big reasons is that they have still been developing as swimmers. The other big reason is that the little ones want to do entirely different things than the big ones. But, with all of the extra people, it wasn’t an issue. There was a great play area for the little ones with four pint sized slides.
More to follow.. (at some point?!?)…
Still a Slacker
Bad, Bad Blogger!
So, I’ve been slacking…
I’ve been having a few down days lately, so that’s partly to blame. And I’ve been having a little success with my crafts, so that too, gets some of the blame.
But, I am going to make it up to you… I actually have someone who’s going to give y’all discounts 🙂 Look for that post either tomorrow or Thursday!
Oh, and for a quick “us” update… B is working way too much, Spring training games on top of his already busy job. D had a new Transformer mask that changes his voice. Little d is still addicted to video games, but makes us laugh when we can get him to set down the DS. V is as handsome as ever and is enrolled in kindergarten for next year. And, the Bean..? Well, she’s full of attitude & kisses, odd combo, but she makes it work.
A Little Slow
So, I wrote this a few months ago, but had some netbook isssues, so I haven’t been able to post. But, I think it still applies.
I’m feeling a little divided. Today my kids and I got into trouble with another mom. We were at a party doing some mini-golf. Now, my kids have never tried mini-golf before. And it was after *several* sodas and a bunch of cookies. So, they were a little all over the place. They were very excited and were definitely learning as we went. We came to a hole that required them to not only hit the ball straight up a hill, but also required that they time it so that the mouth of the house would be open. This would be a doable task for some kids. My kids are not in that catergory. So, we let them have at it… There were a couple golfers in front of us but we thought there was no way that they’d ever make it to where the other golfers were. Well, lo and behold, our little Bean made it.
As we move onto the next hole, the mom in front of us came and told us that her child has special needs and takes golf very seriously and that we basically needed to back off.
So, here’s where the division comes in.
I genuinely feel bad for that mom. I feel bad for a kiddo who can’t handle having his game of golf interrupted. (By the way, I feel like each time I type golf I should really type “golf” because is mini-golf really golf?) I am reading a book right now about a child with autism and the same situation is described.
I was also at a party with a ton of foster and adopted families. And there were a bunch of special needs kids and adults at the party with us. For the love of all, I flippin’ teach a class for parents who want to parent these very special individuals. I like to think that I *get* it.
So, that’s the other side. I get it. I know that kids have struggles. Every.single.kiddo has something that’s difficult. There are some who have a hard time with math, some who can’t balance (try riding a bike?!?), some who will have very crooked teeth, some who have vision issues, or hearing… The list could go on and on.
And I think as a parent, you have to make the choice how you’ll handle that. You can insulate your child. You can never take them to uncomfortable situations.. You can label them with their can’ts.
I am a little annoyed with the mom we encountered today. I don’t think that my kids were doing anything wrong. They were being kids. I understand that she wanted to protect her child. But, I feel like I should have protected mine by telling her to bugger off. J Well, I don’t know if I would have gone that far. But, I think that trying to build a bubble around a child is silly. If our kids don’t learn how to cope with the world as children, when will they learn? If we aren’t there to guide them and teach them and work with them when they are young, how will they grow?
When I describe the behaviors that my kids have I’m often told that they’re “typical foster” behaviors. And that is true. *But*, that doesn’t mean that we don’t have to work our way through them. My children cannot go through life saying, “I was a foster child, I don’t have to abide by your rules.” Well,I guess they could. I don’t think they’d succeed at much though. The fact is that I’m not raising foster kids. I’m raising tomorrow’s adults. Maybe that sounds grandiose, but it’s my job and I’m working my hardest at it.
So, to the grouchy lady, “By protecting your son from my kids, you’re really hindering his ability to grow. That’s your choice, he’s yours, but kindly don’t ruin our fun next time!”
New House (Part 3, but who’s counting..)
OK, on to the downstairs…
This is the bar area, right down the stairs from the kitchen.
The living room...
And... more living room photos...
This is one end of our craft room/office/soon to be workout room.. It's also the room in the house that still has boxes... But, I did straighten enough for one photo.
Hmm.. I thought I had more, but I guess I don’t. Downstairs there is also a tiny guest bedroom, the laundry room & a bathroom.
Tomorrow, I’ll post photos of the kiddos’ rooms & bathroom & then our tour will come to an end.
Free Stuff!
Well, at least the chance to win some…
In an effort to promote Rad Crafts, we’re doing a give away through facebook… If you’d like to enter to win one of these cute shirts, just go to this page and follow the directions. I’d love to send it to someone I already know!
Good luck!
Or, if you *insist* on buying, the easiest place to buy is right here.
New House (Part 2)
Okey-dokey… I’ve listed a couple items on etsy, posted photos on facebook… what else can I do with insomnia at 4 in the morning? Oh, blog!
Let’s continue the house tour.
Mommy's Little Couch Potatoes! This is our "Cowboy Room"... i'ts right off of the kitchen, and you can see the light from the doors that lead to the backyard... also, in the back corner is a half bath.
The view that those couch potatoes were seeing.
Toy storage! This is an odd photo, but it's one side of the closet in the Cowboy room! I *love* this closet!
More toy storage...
And, that’s the end of the main level… Next, upstairs… Just a couple more before I will try to sleep again.
Our master bedroom.
And, the other side of the master.
Not glamorous, but I'm showing the whole place, so this is our closet...
One last area…
The deck off of our bedroom. From the other side, I can literally see the boys' school!
Alright, back to bed for me! I will carry on the tour soon.
My New House (Part 1)
I anticipate this post taking me awhile to get everything uploaded.. so I figure I’ll do it in a couple parts.
But, I am very excited to share with y’all, my new house.
And I’d love to hear what you think about it (have I ever told you how much I *love* comments?!? Yes, Mom, I’d like yours, too!).
This is the view as you enter the front door, formal living room & dining room are to your left, kitchen is straight ahead.
This is the formal living room.. I had a hard time getting a good photo of the room, but you may recognize this piece as our old entertainment center.
And the other side of the formal. (You will notice that a certain someone is in a lot of these pictures. For some reason, when a camera comes out, she thinks it's time to be center stage--I wonder where she learned that..)
The dining room--this was taken from the hallway, so the formal is to the left, the kitchen is to the right.
The other end of the dining room.
My kitchen! This is the view from the stairs and I love it. This is part of what sold me on the house.
My kitchen from the other side of the island.
Okey-dokey, I think that’s good for now.. that’s most of the main level. Next post will have photos of our Arizona room (that’s what we call additions in Arizona…). That’s the only room on the main level that’s not pictured. This house is a little funky because it’s a tri-level.. you can see what that means in that last picture of the kitchen, a few stairs down and a few stairs up.
So, what do you think?
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