I think I forgot I had a blog ... so much that you can forget when you are so busy you don't have time to think ... I'm not even sure what sparked opening it today ... I rarely read other blogs anymore and I used to be addicted to reading blogs ... now it seems the only ones I remember to check are Post Secret on Sundays and every once in a while I remember to catch up on Chez Larson ... and that is it ...
So lets see ... I am thinking the last time I even wrote was at the beginning of the year ... yup ... checked and that is correct ...
Work is work ... our company on the other hand has blown up ... we are so busy I don't know what to do with myself most days ... we are going to have to figure out a way to keep up ... and I don't want to take time away from my family so I have foregone sleep to keep everything going ... and I am fine with that ...
I can't believe I have a 3 year old little boy ... he is freakin amazing ... just love him ... I worry about his tumors all the time ... but those few moments when it isn't on my mind I can't get over what a character he is ... he loves to yell out, "OH GOD" ... totally inappropriate but cracks me up every time ...
I am shocked the child who turned us from a married couple into a family is almost 6 years old ... it is just amazing ... she loves school ... this week coming up she starts Mad Science after school and she couldn't be more excited ... she tells me all the time that she is going to be a mommy, actress and scientist ... an actress just on Tuesdays ... so cute ... and next Saturday we start T-ball ... she got a glove (pink of course and it is cute as hell) last weekend and she has gone out every day to practice catching ... her best boy friends are on the team so she can't wait ...
Last week we all had the stomach virus that has been going around ...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Moment to Vent
Oh my goodness ... I just need a place to vent without having to do it to someone else so I don't sound all winy and whatever ... the amount there is to do in my life does not correlate to the amount of time I have in my life ...
and even as I write this vent I am thinking ... this time could be used to get work done ... process some bills ... follow up with customers ... clean up the house ... do the dishes ... take a shower ... plan a scout meeting ... the list goes on and on and on ...
And currently my most hated thing to hear from someone is, "Well I am so busy" ... they say that like maybe I am not ... seriously?? ... I recently had someone hand me a half full box of crackers and tell me that they couldn't sign up to bring snacks to one of our Daisy meetings because she is just so busy she couldn't really be counted on to provide snacks ... if 22 adoring little girls hadn't been standing right there I would have said, "Are you freakin kidding me? You can't go buy a bag of cheese sticks or some cut up fruit to provide a snack for your daughter's daisy meeting. You only have to provide it ONCE all freakin year ... ONCE ... so you are telling me your time over the next 8 months is so insanely busy that you aren't going grocery shopping at any point between now and June where you could pick up some fruit roll-ups or granola bars or juice boxes? Because I am here every single month for your daughter and it isn't just the hour of the meeting - it is tracking down people who haven't paid ... and a leader meeting once a month ... and planning what we will do at each meeting ... and picking up supplies ... and talking to every parent about please sign up to bring a snack or a drink or help at a meeting ... oh and I too have a job ... and a company of my own ... and 2 kids ... a house to keep clean ... yadda yadda yadda ... but sure I understand ... thanks for the half full box of crackers that I am guessing your family didn't like. Swell!!"
and even as I write this vent I am thinking ... this time could be used to get work done ... process some bills ... follow up with customers ... clean up the house ... do the dishes ... take a shower ... plan a scout meeting ... the list goes on and on and on ...
And currently my most hated thing to hear from someone is, "Well I am so busy" ... they say that like maybe I am not ... seriously?? ... I recently had someone hand me a half full box of crackers and tell me that they couldn't sign up to bring snacks to one of our Daisy meetings because she is just so busy she couldn't really be counted on to provide snacks ... if 22 adoring little girls hadn't been standing right there I would have said, "Are you freakin kidding me? You can't go buy a bag of cheese sticks or some cut up fruit to provide a snack for your daughter's daisy meeting. You only have to provide it ONCE all freakin year ... ONCE ... so you are telling me your time over the next 8 months is so insanely busy that you aren't going grocery shopping at any point between now and June where you could pick up some fruit roll-ups or granola bars or juice boxes? Because I am here every single month for your daughter and it isn't just the hour of the meeting - it is tracking down people who haven't paid ... and a leader meeting once a month ... and planning what we will do at each meeting ... and picking up supplies ... and talking to every parent about please sign up to bring a snack or a drink or help at a meeting ... oh and I too have a job ... and a company of my own ... and 2 kids ... a house to keep clean ... yadda yadda yadda ... but sure I understand ... thanks for the half full box of crackers that I am guessing your family didn't like. Swell!!"
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, November 19, 2010
Past Time To Go
So I wrote a while back about David letting people stay with us that needed a leg up ... the thing I am not understanding is how when we have opened our home to people that can be so rude and thoughtless ...
The girl that was staying on the couch was told she could stay for Thursday and Friday ... on Saturday she needed another day before she had a place to stay ... and Sunday turned in to several more days ... then she disappeared for a few days and showed back up again and was here for almost a week again ... missed a couple of days and was back again ... each time leaving her stuff here ... after about 3 weeks of this David told her that it was time to find a new place to live and even offered up some suggestions ... she was pissed ... left her stuff here which he had to bring to her and the next time he saw her she stormed out and slammed the door ... now she asked for 2 night and had been here off and on for 3 weeks ... ate our food ... asked David to get her a prescription ... and lots of little stuff ... how do you do that??
Now the other person that has been staying with us has been here for 3 months now ... the idea was that he was having a bit of a rough time and David offered him up to stay with us while he worked on getting his shit together and get back on his feet ... when we all sat down to talk about it he said he really appreciates all we are doing for him ... that he will help with stuff around the house and to not be surprised if once in a while he left some money on the counter ...
The first 2 weeks while he was on the couch he was awesome ... mowed the lawn which was nice mostly because David could spend time with the family on the weekend rather than doing housework ... helped David weed our crazy garden and got plastic down on one half ... and then that was it ... he hasn't done anything else around the house ... seemed to coincide with when we cleaned out the extra room and he moved in there from the couch ...
He kept bringing more and more of his stuff over ... he put his own bathmat and toilet cover and stuff in the bathroom ... and feeding us lines about waiting for a birth certificate so he could get a new social security card and yadda yadda yadda ... when his girlfriend came to visit David made it clear that the room was for just him ... as he was going to meet her he asked David to borrow 200 dollars ... we don't have money to spare but he told David he would pay him back in 2 days when he got paid ... it took 5 days to get 120 of it back ... and another week or so to get another 10 of it ... but that is all we got back ... and while his girlfriend was visiting David let him borrow his car to go see her and he got a $40 speed camera ticket ... he also brought her over without asking anyone about it on a Friday night when it just wasn't how anyone wanted to spend the evening ... and as we were all sitting around the fire out back he waited till she went inside and asked if she could spend the night ... after we already told him she couldn't stay ... totally puts us in a corner ...
The girl that was staying on the couch was told she could stay for Thursday and Friday ... on Saturday she needed another day before she had a place to stay ... and Sunday turned in to several more days ... then she disappeared for a few days and showed back up again and was here for almost a week again ... missed a couple of days and was back again ... each time leaving her stuff here ... after about 3 weeks of this David told her that it was time to find a new place to live and even offered up some suggestions ... she was pissed ... left her stuff here which he had to bring to her and the next time he saw her she stormed out and slammed the door ... now she asked for 2 night and had been here off and on for 3 weeks ... ate our food ... asked David to get her a prescription ... and lots of little stuff ... how do you do that??
Now the other person that has been staying with us has been here for 3 months now ... the idea was that he was having a bit of a rough time and David offered him up to stay with us while he worked on getting his shit together and get back on his feet ... when we all sat down to talk about it he said he really appreciates all we are doing for him ... that he will help with stuff around the house and to not be surprised if once in a while he left some money on the counter ...
The first 2 weeks while he was on the couch he was awesome ... mowed the lawn which was nice mostly because David could spend time with the family on the weekend rather than doing housework ... helped David weed our crazy garden and got plastic down on one half ... and then that was it ... he hasn't done anything else around the house ... seemed to coincide with when we cleaned out the extra room and he moved in there from the couch ...
He kept bringing more and more of his stuff over ... he put his own bathmat and toilet cover and stuff in the bathroom ... and feeding us lines about waiting for a birth certificate so he could get a new social security card and yadda yadda yadda ... when his girlfriend came to visit David made it clear that the room was for just him ... as he was going to meet her he asked David to borrow 200 dollars ... we don't have money to spare but he told David he would pay him back in 2 days when he got paid ... it took 5 days to get 120 of it back ... and another week or so to get another 10 of it ... but that is all we got back ... and while his girlfriend was visiting David let him borrow his car to go see her and he got a $40 speed camera ticket ... he also brought her over without asking anyone about it on a Friday night when it just wasn't how anyone wanted to spend the evening ... and as we were all sitting around the fire out back he waited till she went inside and asked if she could spend the night ... after we already told him she couldn't stay ... totally puts us in a corner ...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
MIA
So I've been missing in action for a while now ... planning Schuyler's 4th birthday party took every spare moment I had ... and now that we had a successful party I am getting back into the swing of things ...
I do have a whole bunch of photos to post from the party that I am hoping to go through tonight ... and get posted ... we had such an excellent time ...
I do have a whole bunch of photos to post from the party that I am hoping to go through tonight ... and get posted ... we had such an excellent time ...
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I Gotta Do It
So I know I said I wasn't going to write anything that I would regret later ... but I just can't hold it in ...
Tonight was supposed to be my night ... a Liz night ... Lincoln asleep ... and David and Schuyler on a movie date to see a sneak preview of Oceans ... it was supposed to be a fun night for everyone ... and our house guest was supposed to go home today ...
Tonight was supposed to be my night ... a Liz night ... Lincoln asleep ... and David and Schuyler on a movie date to see a sneak preview of Oceans ... it was supposed to be a fun night for everyone ... and our house guest was supposed to go home today ...
Friday, February 26, 2010
Me Me Me
(This post might sound a bit complaining but it isn't the intention ... sometimes you just need to get stuff out to get past it)
There are moments in time where I wish someone was thinking about me ... and that includes myself ... I am pretty sure they happen ... but they are so few and far between ... or I had to ask to get them ... that it just isn't what I crave ...
Now my children are too little to think of me as anything but Mommy (or in Lincoln's case mmmmmama) ... so I am not expecting them to see me as someone who needs my own time or space ... that will happen when they go off till college ...
But some things that I think about ... like dishes ... I am not the only one that lives here or uses the dishes ... but I am the only one that knows how to empty the dishwasher and load it again ... and I say to my dearly beloved that we both need to participate ... and that I would appreciate his help ... and even go on to ask if he needs a tutorial ... and he laughs and says, "I know ... I feel horrible ... I just suck ... I should do this more." ... but it is like Groundhog day and again I empty the dishwasher ... load it up again ... and again he tells me how he sucks ... ahhhhh yea you are right ... with this you do ...
Picking up toys is the same thing ... now Skye does help ... but still I do the majority ...
There are moments in time where I wish someone was thinking about me ... and that includes myself ... I am pretty sure they happen ... but they are so few and far between ... or I had to ask to get them ... that it just isn't what I crave ...
Now my children are too little to think of me as anything but Mommy (or in Lincoln's case mmmmmama) ... so I am not expecting them to see me as someone who needs my own time or space ... that will happen when they go off till college ...
But some things that I think about ... like dishes ... I am not the only one that lives here or uses the dishes ... but I am the only one that knows how to empty the dishwasher and load it again ... and I say to my dearly beloved that we both need to participate ... and that I would appreciate his help ... and even go on to ask if he needs a tutorial ... and he laughs and says, "I know ... I feel horrible ... I just suck ... I should do this more." ... but it is like Groundhog day and again I empty the dishwasher ... load it up again ... and again he tells me how he sucks ... ahhhhh yea you are right ... with this you do ...
Picking up toys is the same thing ... now Skye does help ... but still I do the majority ...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Site Move
My blog is moving ... the new home is at:
http://familyandthesuburbs.com
Please update your bookmarks and feeds ....
http://familyandthesuburbs.com
Please update your bookmarks and feeds ....
Friday, October 16, 2009
Week 41
Today's week in review from Schuyler's school arrived in my in box and I was just tickled to read what all they did this week ... when I pick her up each day she says, "I had a great day mommy." ... but when I ask what she did the answer is always, "Nothing." ... like she is a teenager already ...
I was also very excited that the photo they included this week for the Mighty Ducks (the three year olds) was Skye ... she too was thrilled to see herself in the newsletter ...
I was also very excited that the photo they included this week for the Mighty Ducks (the three year olds) was Skye ... she too was thrilled to see herself in the newsletter ...
Three’s:
This week in the mighty ducks they began the theme In The Fall. They read the books: I know it’s Autumn and A tree for All Seasons. They went on a nature walk and saw the leaves changing on the trees. They found acorns and pinecones. They learned that there are four seasons and that Autumn and Fall mean the same thing. They painted with water colors and mixed paint to make fall colors. They went on an apple hunt in the classroom. They used pictures of apples to count from one to ten. Noah Gross brought in an apple that he picked to share with the class.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Revisiting the Past
Tonight I got to go out to dinner with one of my friends from college ... and it was sooooooooo much fun ... Tosha let me know over a month ago that they would be here on the 13th so I have been looking forward to it for some time ...
We both lived in Hashinger Hall together at the University of Kansas back in 1989 ... there was a group of us ... Tosha, Jenny, Mike, Brian and myself that hung out all the time ... our favorite thing to do was watch Spinal Tap ... I even remember that Christmas Break of 1989 we all agreed to not watch the movie so we could have a 3 week break from it ... the night we all got back to school we were giddy with excitement to watch it ... there weren't many people who wanted to hang out and watch it with the group of us because we had watched it so many times that we either started laughing before the funny parts happened or we said the lines alone with the movie ... we were a close bunch and stayed close even after we moved out of the dorms ...
Of course at some point we all drifted apart and then along came Facebook ... wow what an amazing site ... I have now reconnected with Tosha, Jenny and Mike ... Brian is still MIA ... although Brian and I stayed close friends up until about the beginning of 2004 and then I lost touch with him ... the email address he said he would keep forever is no longer working ...
Anyway ... I digress ... so it turns out Tosha and her family lived about a mile from us in MD for 2 years and we had no idea ... they moved away several years ago but there is a possibility that they may be moving back ... which would be so super fantastic ... because we all had a blast together tonight ...
We went to La Madeline and sat outside ... her two daughters and Schuyler had a blast running around ... chacing birds and making pretend castles ... Tosha and I talked about old times ... caught up on what all has been going on in the 20 years since we were in school together ... and David and her husband chatted about work and who knows what ... I was having too much fun hanging out with Tosha and watching the girls to listen to their convo ... but needless to say it was a fantastic evening ...
It really would be great if they got to move back here ... they would be an hour away but that would be nothing ... my fingers are crossed ...
Now I'm just waiting for her to get back to SC so she can send me the group photo that was taken with her camera ...
We both lived in Hashinger Hall together at the University of Kansas back in 1989 ... there was a group of us ... Tosha, Jenny, Mike, Brian and myself that hung out all the time ... our favorite thing to do was watch Spinal Tap ... I even remember that Christmas Break of 1989 we all agreed to not watch the movie so we could have a 3 week break from it ... the night we all got back to school we were giddy with excitement to watch it ... there weren't many people who wanted to hang out and watch it with the group of us because we had watched it so many times that we either started laughing before the funny parts happened or we said the lines alone with the movie ... we were a close bunch and stayed close even after we moved out of the dorms ...
Of course at some point we all drifted apart and then along came Facebook ... wow what an amazing site ... I have now reconnected with Tosha, Jenny and Mike ... Brian is still MIA ... although Brian and I stayed close friends up until about the beginning of 2004 and then I lost touch with him ... the email address he said he would keep forever is no longer working ...
Anyway ... I digress ... so it turns out Tosha and her family lived about a mile from us in MD for 2 years and we had no idea ... they moved away several years ago but there is a possibility that they may be moving back ... which would be so super fantastic ... because we all had a blast together tonight ...
We went to La Madeline and sat outside ... her two daughters and Schuyler had a blast running around ... chacing birds and making pretend castles ... Tosha and I talked about old times ... caught up on what all has been going on in the 20 years since we were in school together ... and David and her husband chatted about work and who knows what ... I was having too much fun hanging out with Tosha and watching the girls to listen to their convo ... but needless to say it was a fantastic evening ...
It really would be great if they got to move back here ... they would be an hour away but that would be nothing ... my fingers are crossed ...
Now I'm just waiting for her to get back to SC so she can send me the group photo that was taken with her camera ...
Monday, October 12, 2009
School Photo 2009
Schuyler had her school photos a couple of weeks ago ... September 2nd to be exact ... and she was so excited to get them back ... I love that we have one of her whole class since she really enjoys seeing all these kids everyday ... and I am especially happy one of the photos got her duck shoes in it ... because that has been the defining item of her threes ... she loves those shoes and wears them all the time ... she even let me do her hair that morning which is a pretty big deal in our house ...
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Clarkland Farm
Today we went to Clarkland Farm with Skye's friends Sophia, Danielle and Jake ... the kids had an absolute blast ... running from one thing to another ...
Schuyler actually road the horse 4 times ... we bought one ticket ... she traded her hayride ticket for another horse ride and then Danielle and Sophia decided not to ride the horse so she used their tickets as well ... she absolutely loved it ... during one of the rides she proclaimed, "Mommy I want a horse!!!" ... of course she does ...
Part way through the day she stopped answering to Schuyler and when I asked her why she said, "My new name is Mrs. Plots" ... we still can't figure out why but she responded to that for the next hour and a half ... it was quite funny when she tried to explain that was her name ...
The group had such a great time that I think we are going to start planning something once a month to go and do ... all the kids love being together and all the parents had fun hanging out ...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Don't Forget The Tail
Lately Skye has been loving playing dress-up ... we moved all her dress-up into her room and she loves to put together an ensemble and the parade around at the top of the stairs then come down the stairs like she is in the Miss America contest and show us her outfit ...
I thought today's was especially cute but it wasn't until she was heading back upstairs that I realized it included the tail ... I had to give her a lollypop to come back down so I could take a photo of the tail ... after I took the first one she wanted me to take a photo of her giving me a little shimmy with the tail ...
I thought today's was especially cute but it wasn't until she was heading back upstairs that I realized it included the tail ... I had to give her a lollypop to come back down so I could take a photo of the tail ... after I took the first one she wanted me to take a photo of her giving me a little shimmy with the tail ...
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6 Month Appointment
Lincoln had his 6 month appointment today ... he is 27 1/4 inches up from 25 1/2 inches at his 4 month appointment and he weighs 9 pounds 9 ounces up from 17 pounds at his appointment 2 months ago ...
The doctor said he is thriving on the charts ... not off the charts like his sister but 80th percentile for height and 70th for weight ... so that is good ...
He does have one little tooth about half way in ... bottom right side and the doctor said he can see a couple more trying to poke through ... which explains the crazy drool and crying fits ...
The doctor was very concerned with the cafe au lait spots ... since his 4 month appointment they have tripled ... he gave me the name of a genetic specialist at Children's Hospital to go and see ... I pray every day that they are just a fluke but I will say the doctor acted a lot different this time than he did at 4 months ... he has about 20 of them now ... legs ... arms ... tummy ... back ... just sucks ... so I'll make the appointment and see what the specialist says ... nothing I can do until then except keep documenting them as I notice a new one ...
He did have to have 3 shots and an oral vaccine ... he wasn't too happy about that at all but then who would be ... he cried just till they were finished and then totally calmed down ... he just wanted to spend the rest of the day cuddling ... which I am all for ... I know that ends all too soon ...
The doctor said he is thriving on the charts ... not off the charts like his sister but 80th percentile for height and 70th for weight ... so that is good ...
He does have one little tooth about half way in ... bottom right side and the doctor said he can see a couple more trying to poke through ... which explains the crazy drool and crying fits ...
The doctor was very concerned with the cafe au lait spots ... since his 4 month appointment they have tripled ... he gave me the name of a genetic specialist at Children's Hospital to go and see ... I pray every day that they are just a fluke but I will say the doctor acted a lot different this time than he did at 4 months ... he has about 20 of them now ... legs ... arms ... tummy ... back ... just sucks ... so I'll make the appointment and see what the specialist says ... nothing I can do until then except keep documenting them as I notice a new one ...
He did have to have 3 shots and an oral vaccine ... he wasn't too happy about that at all but then who would be ... he cried just till they were finished and then totally calmed down ... he just wanted to spend the rest of the day cuddling ... which I am all for ... I know that ends all too soon ...
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Making Friends
Lately I have been working hard at pushing myself to get out there ... to make new friends ... to make friends with other families ... and to do more things ... this whole family is very happy to stay in our house and just spend time with each other ... but I know that it is good for us to get out there ...
So we have started making play dates ... and family outings with other families ... and it is good ... we already have tickets for next month to see Go Dog Go at Adventure Theater ... and this Saturday we are going to a big farm to get pumpkins with 3 other families ...
It may be changing how I have been doing stuff for several years now ... but I am going to work hard and make it happen ... I think everyone in this family needs this ...
So we have started making play dates ... and family outings with other families ... and it is good ... we already have tickets for next month to see Go Dog Go at Adventure Theater ... and this Saturday we are going to a big farm to get pumpkins with 3 other families ...
It may be changing how I have been doing stuff for several years now ... but I am going to work hard and make it happen ... I think everyone in this family needs this ...
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Our Shenandoah Trip
This is a long post about our weekend away ... with just a sampling of my favorite photos from all the ones I took ... I'm almost finished with the video montage of the trip which has more photos and some funny videos ...
We set out for our big weekend away at 9:30 (that is after getting coffee of course) ... so we did fairly well ... we put Lincoln's big car seat in the car which he was thrilled about (he never ever really liked the infant seat) and we hooked up Skye's movie player to the seat in front of her and she got a new movie for the trip ... Mickey Mouse Playhouse in Wonderland ... I also remembered to bring headphones which schwoooo for that one ... she watched the movie the entire trip ... never changed the DVD ... we only had a 2 hour car trip and all in all we had a great time on the road ...
When we got to the caverns we had planned to visit I decided it wasn't the right one ... it was deserted and very cheesy looking ... just didn't feel like it was going to be good ... and we saw tons of signs for Luray Caverns and I had seen commercials for the place before ... so we looked up the address on the Pre (have I mentioned before I am in LOVE with this phone) and plugged it into the GPS ...
Once we got there everyone was a bit hungry and needed a bit of a break ...
After lunch we headed into the Cavern ... and it was AMAZING ... a little tough getting down all the stairs with a stroller and an excited 3 year old but we made it without any stumbles or falls ... Skye was worried it would be really dark down there so we got her a head lamp and she was way excited to get that puppy on ... let me tell you it was a big hit with everyone down there ... she got so many comments about how cute it was and what a great idea and not once did anyone get annoyed that she was shinning that thing right in their eyes ...
The formations were gorgeous ... Skye thought it looked like a cave from Dragon Tails ... and she oohhhed and aahhhed the whole way through ... so did David and myself ... even Lincoln stayed awake the whole time craning his neck to get a look at everything ...
We stopped for a quick push-up break when we got out of the caverns ... and to get a look at the garden maze we were about to enter ... it looked amazing from up above and we couldn't wait to get inside ...
The maze was so cool ... there were cute butterfly and bee wind socks that spun around ... and misters all over the maze ... tons of dead ends ... and 4 stamp stations ... I think that was Skye's favorite part because she got to stamp her card herself ... so each time we would finally find one she ran to stamp her card ... we did pretty good ... and no one got frustrated even though it could easily happen ... and the secret message from all of Skye's stamps ... "Mazes Around The World" ...
After the maze it was time to head to our hotel ... Skye has stayed in a hotel before but doesn't remember at all ... she thought it was so cool that it was "her home for tonight" ... she checked everything out and was excited to find out there was a playground right outside our room ... after a bit of rest we decided to take a drive around town and through the countryside ... saw lots of farms and the most amazing full moon ever ...
After our drive we wound up back at our hotel at the Johnny Appleseed restaurant ... Saturday night was Prime Rib night and David can't miss that ... he got the biggest piece of prime rib ... even the waitress was impressed with the weight of the plate ... Skye was just excited to get some strawberry ice cream as a vacation treat ...
Once back in the room we all just hung out having fun ... lots of tickling going on ... movies to watch ... snuggling ... it was awesome ... everyone was just so happy to be together ... hanging out ... new scenery ... it just rocked ...
I loved seeing Linc and Skye hanging out together in the morning while I got everything together ... they are going to have such a great time when he is finally big enough to play with her ...
After a quick breakfast at Burger King (where they had what I can only say was a 3 story play land area with the longest slide) ... we hit the road to drive through the Shenandoah National Park ... we were really hoping the trees would have changed more and that fall was more apparent ... but regardless it was gorgeous ... the drive was wonderful and peaceful and beautiful ... you can't go over 35 MPH while on Skyline drive so it was just a nice relaxing Sunday drive ... we stopped at several of the lookout points and the view just takes your breath away ...
After our drive through the park we all got situated again for our ride home ... several times on the way home Skye would just proclaim, "I had a good time!!" ... which made me so happy to hear ...
I did post to the blog from my phone on Sunday morning ... I am going to start planning these little trips more often ... it is good for all of us to get out and do something different and fun ...
We set out for our big weekend away at 9:30 (that is after getting coffee of course) ... so we did fairly well ... we put Lincoln's big car seat in the car which he was thrilled about (he never ever really liked the infant seat) and we hooked up Skye's movie player to the seat in front of her and she got a new movie for the trip ... Mickey Mouse Playhouse in Wonderland ... I also remembered to bring headphones which schwoooo for that one ... she watched the movie the entire trip ... never changed the DVD ... we only had a 2 hour car trip and all in all we had a great time on the road ...
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When we got to the caverns we had planned to visit I decided it wasn't the right one ... it was deserted and very cheesy looking ... just didn't feel like it was going to be good ... and we saw tons of signs for Luray Caverns and I had seen commercials for the place before ... so we looked up the address on the Pre (have I mentioned before I am in LOVE with this phone) and plugged it into the GPS ...
Once we got there everyone was a bit hungry and needed a bit of a break ...
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After lunch we headed into the Cavern ... and it was AMAZING ... a little tough getting down all the stairs with a stroller and an excited 3 year old but we made it without any stumbles or falls ... Skye was worried it would be really dark down there so we got her a head lamp and she was way excited to get that puppy on ... let me tell you it was a big hit with everyone down there ... she got so many comments about how cute it was and what a great idea and not once did anyone get annoyed that she was shinning that thing right in their eyes ...
The formations were gorgeous ... Skye thought it looked like a cave from Dragon Tails ... and she oohhhed and aahhhed the whole way through ... so did David and myself ... even Lincoln stayed awake the whole time craning his neck to get a look at everything ...
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We stopped for a quick push-up break when we got out of the caverns ... and to get a look at the garden maze we were about to enter ... it looked amazing from up above and we couldn't wait to get inside ...
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The maze was so cool ... there were cute butterfly and bee wind socks that spun around ... and misters all over the maze ... tons of dead ends ... and 4 stamp stations ... I think that was Skye's favorite part because she got to stamp her card herself ... so each time we would finally find one she ran to stamp her card ... we did pretty good ... and no one got frustrated even though it could easily happen ... and the secret message from all of Skye's stamps ... "Mazes Around The World" ...
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After the maze it was time to head to our hotel ... Skye has stayed in a hotel before but doesn't remember at all ... she thought it was so cool that it was "her home for tonight" ... she checked everything out and was excited to find out there was a playground right outside our room ... after a bit of rest we decided to take a drive around town and through the countryside ... saw lots of farms and the most amazing full moon ever ...
After our drive we wound up back at our hotel at the Johnny Appleseed restaurant ... Saturday night was Prime Rib night and David can't miss that ... he got the biggest piece of prime rib ... even the waitress was impressed with the weight of the plate ... Skye was just excited to get some strawberry ice cream as a vacation treat ...
Once back in the room we all just hung out having fun ... lots of tickling going on ... movies to watch ... snuggling ... it was awesome ... everyone was just so happy to be together ... hanging out ... new scenery ... it just rocked ...
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I loved seeing Linc and Skye hanging out together in the morning while I got everything together ... they are going to have such a great time when he is finally big enough to play with her ...
After a quick breakfast at Burger King (where they had what I can only say was a 3 story play land area with the longest slide) ... we hit the road to drive through the Shenandoah National Park ... we were really hoping the trees would have changed more and that fall was more apparent ... but regardless it was gorgeous ... the drive was wonderful and peaceful and beautiful ... you can't go over 35 MPH while on Skyline drive so it was just a nice relaxing Sunday drive ... we stopped at several of the lookout points and the view just takes your breath away ...
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After our drive through the park we all got situated again for our ride home ... several times on the way home Skye would just proclaim, "I had a good time!!" ... which made me so happy to hear ...
I did post to the blog from my phone on Sunday morning ... I am going to start planning these little trips more often ... it is good for all of us to get out and do something different and fun ...
Love Travel
I'm sitting here in our hotel watching Rudy (love this movie) while my little guy enthusiastically drinks his bottle and my little gal and her daddy are snoring away on the bed, thinking this weekend was a great idea and we need to plan little trips like this more often ... We all had a blast yesterday ... Even Linc spent the day with a smile on his face ... I can't wait to download the photos when we get home and enjoy it all over again ...
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Mini Vaca
So I finally caught up on my blog posts ... it has become a horrible habit writing a little something when I take a photo and then saving it as a draft ... to come back to later when I have downloaded the photos ... but I keep doing it ... I'm just happy I am caught up because in about an hour we are leaving on our mini vaca to Shenandoah Valley, VA ...
First off we are going to the Shenandoah Caverns ... which also have an Americana Museum that holds floats and other things from parades and inaugurations ... there is a Main Street USA with shops and a cafe that has an original 1957 soda fountain and of course the caverns which we are all excited about ... David and Schuyler even got head lamps to wear ...
We are also going to travel through the national park to see the changing of the seasons ... everyone is very excited to see the leaves changing colors and feel the cooler air ...
Although at this moment I am wondering because I have been up for 2 hours already (after only 4 hours of sleep) and I have yet been able to wake anyone else up ...
First off we are going to the Shenandoah Caverns ... which also have an Americana Museum that holds floats and other things from parades and inaugurations ... there is a Main Street USA with shops and a cafe that has an original 1957 soda fountain and of course the caverns which we are all excited about ... David and Schuyler even got head lamps to wear ...
We are also going to travel through the national park to see the changing of the seasons ... everyone is very excited to see the leaves changing colors and feel the cooler air ...
Although at this moment I am wondering because I have been up for 2 hours already (after only 4 hours of sleep) and I have yet been able to wake anyone else up ...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Hey Friend
Yesterday a friend of mine on Facebook posted that she and her husband weren't going to be able to go to U2 because of a sick child ... I volunteered us to babysit ... now we have never met in person but back in the Rock-n-Tot days she totally helped me out so I figured if she was up for it I am sure Skye would love having a friend over ...
They took us up on our offer and Ian came over to play ... and play they did ... they both had such a blast ... riding scooters in the kitchen ... watching Cars ... making each other food in the play kitchen ... having their own Rock Band concert ... snuggling in bed to watch Sprout ... everything is more fun with a friend over ...
Skye did struggle a bit with his name ... and would just call him friend ... "Hey friend wanna come see my room?" ... "Friend wanna watch Sprout with me." ... it was so adorable ...
As they snuggled in bed to watch Cars I heard David say, "Well I was trying to avoid this for another 18 years but oh well." ...
Eventually they fell asleep and Ian's mommy came and got him ... unfortunately Skye didn't quite realize that he would be gone in the morning ... and when she awoke she came to the top of the stairs in tears asking where Ian was ... she kept saying over and over again, "I didn't get to say good-bye to my friend Ian." ... It was so sweet ... she ran to her room and threw herself on the bed in tears ... I told her we would invite Ian over any time she wanted and that he knew she had wanted to say good-bye ...
She dried her tears and told me she had had a lot of fun and she couldn't wait to play with Ian again ...
They took us up on our offer and Ian came over to play ... and play they did ... they both had such a blast ... riding scooters in the kitchen ... watching Cars ... making each other food in the play kitchen ... having their own Rock Band concert ... snuggling in bed to watch Sprout ... everything is more fun with a friend over ...
Skye did struggle a bit with his name ... and would just call him friend ... "Hey friend wanna come see my room?" ... "Friend wanna watch Sprout with me." ... it was so adorable ...
As they snuggled in bed to watch Cars I heard David say, "Well I was trying to avoid this for another 18 years but oh well." ...
Eventually they fell asleep and Ian's mommy came and got him ... unfortunately Skye didn't quite realize that he would be gone in the morning ... and when she awoke she came to the top of the stairs in tears asking where Ian was ... she kept saying over and over again, "I didn't get to say good-bye to my friend Ian." ... It was so sweet ... she ran to her room and threw herself on the bed in tears ... I told her we would invite Ian over any time she wanted and that he knew she had wanted to say good-bye ...
She dried her tears and told me she had had a lot of fun and she couldn't wait to play with Ian again ...
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
He's Doin It
This morning Schuyler started exclaiming, "He's Doin' It!!! He's Doin' It!!!" ... and she was right ... Lincoln was holding his bottle all by himself and drinking as fast as he could ... he of course got a big kick out of how excited Skye was and couldn't stop smiling ... David and Schuyler both grabbed cameras and got these great shots ...
I love how David captured Skye in the shot and then you can see exactly what Schuyler took a photo of ... and even though the photo is a bit fuzzy ... you can see that Lincoln clearly watches her over anyone else ...
I'm not as sad about him holding his own bottle as I thought I would be ... it does make life a tad easier ... and it means he is that much closer to being able to play with his big sister ... which she can not wait for ... besides the feeling of pride you can see in his face makes it so worth it ...
I love how David captured Skye in the shot and then you can see exactly what Schuyler took a photo of ... and even though the photo is a bit fuzzy ... you can see that Lincoln clearly watches her over anyone else ...
I'm not as sad about him holding his own bottle as I thought I would be ... it does make life a tad easier ... and it means he is that much closer to being able to play with his big sister ... which she can not wait for ... besides the feeling of pride you can see in his face makes it so worth it ...
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