Road Trip

Now that summer is here, I got a little crazy and decided to take a road trip.  Destination Minnesota--to visit my sister Jenn and family.  Mark "wouldn't let me" (haha) drive with the kids by myself so we happily invited Hannah to come with us.  Morning of I woke up at 5am, we picked up Hannah in Virginia 2 hours later and continued on to West Virginia, then Ohio, Indiana and finally Illinois before we stopped for the night.

We took a break 6 hours in at Hopewell Culture National Park.  It was conveniently located in between two prisons.  Seriously, the prisoners were outside in the yard, close enough that I could have yelled to them--a little unnerving when you have 3 kids with you.  This place is called Mound City and is a collection of burial sites that date back to the time of Christ.  There isn't much to see other then the hills that my kids wanted to run up, but weren't allowed; but, it was a good place to get out and walk around and see a little history.  At one point Addy found a piece of something that looked like part of a dead rodent and threw it at me saying, "here is one of their dead heads!'

The kids got ahold of the camera

We made another pit stop at the outlets and again for dinner and kept going until 11pm.  

The kids woke up bright and early so we hit the hotel pool and ate a yummy breakfast.  Then we drove to Wisconsin and finally to Minnesota.  The kids were so good on the ride there--they had been talking about this trip for weeks.  They only asked "are we there yet" 3 times in 18 hours.  We arrived earlier then anticipated and got in a full half day of cousin time--it got crazy fast.

The next day was Sunday, so after church, the kids had a grand time playing, while the adutlts ate yummy food and tried to ignore them.

Ryan took Hannah, Katie and I to see the Mayo Clinic, where he is finishing up his residency.

Katie, Ella and Madeline getting a little crazy at the Mayo Clinic

Monday we ate lunch at a park and then hit a bike trail.

Hannah, Sam, Marcus and Max

My kids ride scooters more than bikes, so the bike ride was something new for them.  After a few mins Katie was a pro and rode with Maddie and Ella.  Marcus took off with Max and after a little bit stopped and "needed a break".   After break number 6 we got left behind by the group.   My efforts to not get frustrated with him and just enjoy being outside with the greatest little boy ever paid off when two deer ran out in front of us and stopped.  Marcus insisted they were reindeer because they had antlers.  We got really close to them before a passing biker scared them off.  In between biking we picked flowers and sang songs.

Max, Ella, Maddie, Marcus, Addy, Sam

Addy and Sam

When the group passed us on the way back Max decided to ride with Marcus and me.  Marcus peddled for a while as hard as he could but then had to take another break.  At this point it's pretty hot and I was getting a little frustrated that he wouldn't just ride, he is usually so physically tough.  Max was excited that we had seen deer and was disappointed when we passed the spot without seeing any...but, then, out of the bushes popped a fawn, both boys were beyond excited.  We finished the ride with me pushing both mine and Marcus' bike; it was a little difficult and then I realized Marcus' front tire is completely flat.  Poor kid, no wonder he was getting so tired.

We decided to go for ice cream after, and who did we run into?  Santa and Mrs. Claus!  He gave each kid a picture of himself and thanked them for being good.  After the excitement wore off and the kids turned to order ice cream, we noticed shy little Marcus quietly tapping Santa on the back.  Santa turns to Marcus and Marcus asked where were his reindeer (remember the deer we saw on the trail?), Santa told him that they were in the North Pole, but Marcus knew they were in the woods on the bike trail.

That evening the kids were outside and Katie rode her scooter down the hill and crashed.  She had some pretty good scrapes in four different spots and lots of blood. (Quick back story, Katie fell on the playground a few days before we left and scratched her face.  I put neosporin on it the morning we left and her whole face blew up, so we found out she is allergic to neosporin)   Dr. Ryan came to the rescue to help clean her up as she is screaming at the top of her lungs.  All the kids are gathered around her in sympathy.  Addy is crying (with worry) clinging to me as I try to hold Katie.  Katie is crying for Rufio (not me or Daddy).  When Ryan pulls out the rubbing alcohol to clean her up Max gets a horrified look on his face, then starts shaking his head, saying, "no, no".  Despite Katie being hurt, the whole thing was pretty funny.

Tues we decided to explore some caves.  It was a lot of fun (other then Addy complaining about being cold, with her two sweatshirts on, and Marcus and Addy saying that something smelled).

TOP: Addy, me, Jenn, Hannah  BOTTOM: Max, Marcus, Sam, Ella, Maddie, Katie

At the playground after the caves.

Tues night we hit the local kids track meet.  It was awesome.  Katie and Addy (Addy only because I forced her) participated.  Katie did awesome.  Marcus refused to run despite my threats, bribes, getting mad, etc--he gets social anxiety in large groups and me trying to force him does the opposite of what I want.  Someday I will learn.  All of Jenn's kids ran and did a great job.

Katie and her participation ribbon

Max

Ella

Katie getting ready to run

After the meet we hit the pool and then got pizza.  Katie had a sleepover with Madeline and Ella.   It was a late night and I paid for it the next day.  

We spent Wed morning at the house playing in the water and on the water slide. After we went to a magic show at the library. 

Max got to be the volunteer

At one point the magician was reading Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech where it reads, " little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as brothers and sisters".  When she finished Addy, the lone black girl in the room, yelled out "YEAH!"

Marcus enjoying the show

That evening the (cranky) kids used marshmallows and toothpicks to build stuff.

Thurs morning we left for home.  My kids were tired and sad to be leaving their cousins.  The trip home was long and not very much fun-the kids were crazy and in really bad moods.

At the outlets, with the crazies--check out Katie's hair

After two LONG days of traveling, a yucky night in a Red Roof Inn and dropping Hannah off we made it home.

Home Sweet Home

(and thanks to the Swapps for letting us visit, we miss you already)

A day in the hospital

Monday was Hannah's birthday; her, Heather, Caleb and Bryan came down to Carowinds.  Flossie decided to come down with her boys and we all gathered at Sarah's pool for dinner and a party.

Tues morning Flossie decided to take her 4 week old baby to the children's hospital bc of some breathing problems.  (Don't worry he is ok,  he has trachea malacia if you know what that is.)  She was there WAITING and WAITING... Sarah was watching her boys and I live right by the hospital so my little group went to hang out with Flossie and baby Caden for the day.   Funny enough, the kids had a blast, there was no shortage of snacks for them to eat, coloring books to color and TV to watch...and of course a cute little baby to hold.

 

Katie was pretty sad to leave, on the way home she let out a big sigh and said, "I just want to hold baby Caden all day."

School's out for the summer...

Katie's 5 months as a Kindergartener were a blast.  I LOVE her school (and not just because I can walk to it); in the Spring her teacher would call me everytime they would go to the park so that I could meet them there with Marcus, Addy and Rufio.  Katie and her friends had so much fun running the poor dog around the park.  I spent a couple hours every Wed working with Katie and then eating lunch.  Katie's class ate lunch in the classroom so we got to sit at a little table together.  The first couple times I ate school lunch with Katie (she thinks it is such a treat), but quickly learned so then I started bringing us in Subway.  

Towards the end of the school year Katie's teacher, Ms. Cheryl, said that Marcus and Addy were welcome to stay and work, so by the end of the year I felt like I was spending more time at her school then at home.  Of course Marcus and Addy loved hanging out feeling like big kids, they made friends with Katie's classmates.  On field day I finally let Marcus and Addy eat lunch at Katie's school with us--it was like a mini-party for them.

Katie on Silly Day during Spirit Week

When she got home she got a little carried away with Rufio

The Wed of the last week of school we had Katie's birthday celebration, I brought in a picture from each year of her life and got to talk about her and all her classmates wished her a Happy (future) Birthday and we ate cookies.  The last day of school the teachers hinted it would be great if none of the kids stayed for the day, so we brought in our homemade bread and jam, said goodbye and headed to the pool.

Now...we are almost two weeks into the summer and I am starting to wonder if I was crazy for not signing my kids up for any summer camps...not that they would have time to go to any anyway, this summer is starting out way busier then I thought.

Katie's soccer season ended with a bang.

The kids have swim lessons at the Y every morning for these first two weeks.  (I'm not sure they were a good idea...Katie is learning but now Marcus and Addy are officially scared of water.) We have spent the rest of the time swimming with friends/cousins, going to the museum and library or relaxing at home.  Sat. Mark and I took the kids bowling, the place was straight out of the 70s, seriously it didn't have any score screens or anything.

 

Katie's obsession with bugs/worms led to this...her worm house.

Mark and Katie on Father's day--wearing the mask Katie made him.

Some other fun shots of M & A

I got made at Addy at the store, this is Marcus comforting her

And Rufio joined in

Camping

The Friday before Memorial Day we went camping.  We have been planning it for a little while so the kids had lots of time to get super excited.  We went with some good friends and our kids spent a lot of time making a list of everything they needed.  Mark wasn't as excited as the kids, but we dragged him with us anyway.

Marcus and Kainoa

Elle and Katie--Elle (who hadn't really met Mark before) told her mom that "Katie's daddy looked like the man who bought the zoo."

 We had a great little spot on a river, it was a great place for the kids (and Rufio) to play.  There were  rocks to climb, snakes and tadpoles, and water perfect for wading.

For dinner we cooked hotdogs--both Marcus and Addy broke their vegetarian streak and ate one.  After dinner we gathered around the campfire for s'mores and ghost stories. 

 

The kids got to stay up really late, so when it was bedtime everyone was ready to sleep.  I think Mark and I actually got some sleep as well.  We woke up ready to party (really it was just a repeat of the day before).   The kids put on bathing suits bright and early--the water was freezing!

When it got warmer we rented some tubes and floated down the river.  At one point Mark had Katie on his lap and I had Addy on mine; we were almost at the bottom near the swim whole when Mark and Katie got stuck.  Mark put Katie on the shore to fix the tube and they got back on and kept going and it WENT FLAT.  Luckily, I had noticed and Addy and I were waiting to see if they were ok.  Mark was able to get Katie onto my float and he had to swim back.  Did I mention the water was freezing.  Katie was pretty shaken up...she wouldn't go down with Mark again (although she did trust me enough to ride with me).

All in all, I would say it was a great trip, I think we will make Mark do it again.

Me, me and me

This year my birthday fell on Mother's day.  Blah. Not the greatest, but after 6 years of it being close, I'm used to them being rolled into one.  Mark had already bought me a big present (season tickets to the upcoming Broadway season) that doesn't start until November so he worked hard to spoil me rotten all weekend.  

We got free babysitting at our Y on Friday night (Parent's Night Out) so we went to dinner.

Sat evening we got a babysitter and went to Carowinds.  It was all fun and games until Mark got sick,  seriously he did almost get sick.  He felt terrible about it and tried to make me ride some of the roller coasters without him.  I did, one.  But there is nothing more awkward then a 30 something year old standing ALONE in line with teenagers for 20 + mins and then getting up to get to the front of the line and being asked "how many?", responding "one" and the girl being stumped about where to seat me, cause they never have just one person.  We left and went to dinner after that.

I know you can't really see me, this is just to prove to my kids that we were there.

On Sunday Mark made me dinner and we had a little family party. 

As you can see the girls were very generous with their gifts, they even wrapped them in their baby doll blankets.  I think I had about 100 cards, some of them were Christmas themed, they must have ransacked their art stash.

Last weekend I ran the Warrior Dash with a group of my friends.   

Before, we did a super hero theme, I was Storm (from X-men)

Other then almost drowning in the water it was lots of fun.  There were a couple moments where I couldn't think about what I was doing or I would have chickened out.  At one obstical we had to slide down a pole after rock climbing up the wall.  I literally closed my eyes and thought about the instructions that I have given to our kids while they slide down poles at the park and went down (with my eyes still closed).  I feel ok about admitting that because there were some people that got there before me still standing there after I left.

Wjumped over fire, this was at the end where the kids could see me

grand finale was crawling through the mud under barb wire

Taya, Banda, Olay, Jennie, Emma, me,  Dore and Lexy

Marcus was the funniest, when he saw me he looked at me like I was crazy and he wasn't sure he wanted to know me and backed away.

 

They had a very weak hose where we could try to rinse off.  It didn't do much so we just tossed our shoes and used a towel to get some mud off and changed into what became somewhat less muddy clothes.