Oh Shenendoah!

This weekend I am not at my ten year college class reunion... and it is killing me.

All I can think about is what I would be doing if I had dragged my little troopers to Washington and Lee University and my beloved Lexington, VA... and I'm sure it would have been crazy -- but there is no where else in the world I would rather be this weekend than in beautiful Lexington.

I love my Little Generals, and will enjoy my weekend in Colorado with them...

... but Golly Gee, I wish I was in Lexington.

Oh, Shenendoah...

Good Advice...

Good advice along my drive today...

What I'll Remember...

We spent this past weekend in Colorado Springs with some of Hubby's family, and we had such a great time.

Well, I will remember that we had such a great time.

I really love how nostalgia highlights certain parts of memories and glosses over others.

If I'm being really honest, the trip was not the greatest... but I will remember that it was wonderful.

I will not remember that we only had one hour at the children's museum before it closed for the day -- I will remember how much fun the twins and Tracey and Zivah had in the time we had before it closed.

I will not remember how hard it was to have four children under four on a boat, on choppy water -- how the older girls did not want to fish, and the babies hated wearing their life vests -- I will remember that it was a beautiful day on the water, and we had a really fun picnic on the deck by the lake after our boating trip.

I will not remember that Tracey was sick and cranky while Hubby and I had a date night, and we came home to a very unhappy little girl -- I will remember how much fun our date night was -- shopping, and dinner while we watched great college football and baseball playoffs.

I will not remember how sick and cranky Tracey was at the zoo -- I will remember how much she loved the bear show, and how she and Zivah both sat in Hubby's lap because they wanted to be close to the bear, but they wanted to feel safe in his lap being so close to a huge bear.

I will not remember that the pumpkin patch was the windiest place and kept blowing gusts of dirt all over everyone, or that the older girls were exhausted and kept bursting into tears every few minutes -- I will remember how cute they looked in their costumes, and that they had fun on the tractor ride.

The memory really is selective, and when a trip ends on a good note, the entire trip is remembered with affection.

We are now home, Tracey is back to her healthy, happy self, the weekend really was fun, we would love to go back to Colorado Springs for more adventures, we love that our family came out for some fun... and there really is no place like home.

Better Driver?

Who's the better driver?

Or, maybe the more pressing question is, which babes look most alike at this age?

 

Surprises...

I really like surprises... except, I have recently learned that I really don't like surprises.

Yeah, I know, its complicated.

Surprises are so much fun... but I don't keep secrets from my husband or my mom, so when my mother-in-law has the idea in August to surprise my husband in October, I had ten LONG weeks of keeping a secret from him, which was not fun at all.

Then, Hubby and I were planning a surprise birthday present for his mom (which Hubby didn't know we were going to give her in person in October).  So, when I talked to Hubby, I couldn't mention that we were going to see his parents and give her the gift in person... and when I talked to his mom, I couldn't mention the birthday present.

It doesn't sound that complicated... but it was INCREDIBLY difficult to keep the secrets.

So, I had to get my family to the Children's Museum in Denver at a certain time where his parents were going to surprise.  Little did I know, they were also bringing our oldest niece, to have fun with her Colorado cousins.  Then, once we got to our hotel in Colorado Springs, his two aunts were waiting there for us.  It was  multi-stepped surprise.

Below is a video of when we surprised Chris at the museum...  You can literally see Zivah walk up to Tracey, and Tracey sort of backs up wondering why this girl was so close to her.  I was taking the video, and I never noticed that the girl was Zivah because I was preoccupied with Hubby noticing his parents had arrived. 

1000 Words

1000 Words

 

I Plan For Illness

We are about to enjoy a weekend away as a family, and you would not believe the amount of stuff I pack for our family of five when we're gone for four days.  Its rediculous, expect it's not.

• Outfits for each day
• An extra outfit or two because messes happen
• Pajamas for everyone
• Warm clothes for everyone
• Warmer clothes for everyone
• Winter clothes for everyone -- because this is autumn in Colorado afterall
• Special blankies for everyone
• Specfic passies for everyone
• This time I'm actually bringing towels because, with five people, between swimming at the hotel and bathing at the hotel, there is no way we are going to have enough dry towels on a regular basis
• Strollers -- notice, that is plural
• Sunhats
• Winter hats

And oh, so much more.

 

But, what I find most interesting about packing for our family, is that now, I plan for illness.  Three years ago, I never would have considered packing for an illness I do not currently have -- but these little ones can get sick at the drop of a hat.

I pack the cold medicine and tools, for the sniffles that they do not currently have, the thermometer and Tylenol, for the fever they do not currently have, and even the eye drops for the pink eye they do not currently have.

 

Bleak as it is to plan for illness when packing for a fun trip, I'm not pessimistic, but a prepared who's tired of running to the pharmacy to buy things we have at home every time a little one catches a bug.