Spring Break Adventures - Day 3

Before we left the cottage this morning, I looked out the window to see if all the kids had hats and shoes, and I saw the boys relaxing on the porch. I could tell by their expression they were having such a serious conversation, but I couldn't hear a word of it. Will had his feet propped up on the rail, and Jon had to improvise to copy his brother.

We headed into town to Hot Springs National Park -- we drove over the mountain, saw the city from above, and even spotted a few deer.

We chose this location for vacation because the national park had a junior ranger program. Will had first done the kids-oriented workbook when he and I went on a trip to Natchitoches. Last summer, he worked through another at LBJ National Park, but it was even more special than the first because the park ranger swore him in. This time, all four kids got a workbook when we went into the Fordyce Bathhouse that serves as the park headquarters. We toured the three-story building and were fascinated to see how bathhouses operated in the early- to mid-1900s, to see the interesting bathing tools and steam contraptions, and to see the beautiful stained-glass windows that decorated the bathrooms. Every chance they could, the kids found a flat surface to work on the booklet. I eventually quit taking photos of the bathhouse and just snapped pics of all the weird places the kids found to work (PS - these are all rooms in the bath house, so they are bathrooms, but I didn't let them lay on the floor of a restroom that people actually peed in.)

We tried doing some of the self-guided outdoor tours of the bathhouses and park, but it was bitterly cold and windy and we weren't having any fun. We packed everyone into the car and went for lunch. The kids were thrilled to have lunch at The Purple Cow, especially since we let them each pick their own flavor of ice cream. The kids' naptime was during a two-hour drive through the Oachita National Forest, and when they woke up we played indoor mini-golf in a black-lighted jungle of fake dinosaurs. Initially, when the t-rex roared from the dark corner, the little kids were nervous. When the dino quieted, we taught them how to play, and they had fun. Somehow we ended up with the whole place to ourselves, which was nice because we didn't have to enforce the rules of the game. We just had fun together ... in the dark... with roaring robotic lizards... and we didn't even keep score (or get many decent pictures.)

It was just one of those days I kept giggling over things the kids were saying (even when it was a "serious" moment.) At one point, Ben walked over to me as he waved his arm in my face. "Mama, I am skinny. Look at all this skin all over me!" I decided he had the perfect definition and maybe the only one I'd use for myself :) I'm going with it!

Jon disappeared while the others were reading or playing in the living room. When I found him reading alone in a back bedroom I asked if he was okay. His answer surprised me: "Yup. But I am just being like Pickles ... sometimes I just want to be away from all those kids and by myself where its quiet." (Pickles is our cat that rarely makes it to the photos because she hides while our kids are awake -- she really doesn't like kids.)

Just before we got the mini-golf place, Jon woke up cranky and was upset that we were not going back to the house. I couldn't contain my laughter as he had a carseat tantrum yelling, "I don't WANT to go somewhere FUN!! I just want to go back to the CABBAGE and rest!!" I guess that's what we get for always staying in cabins, but calling this one a cottage. We tried to explain the word to him, and after that he kept saying he still wanted to go to COLLEGE. After a few days, all the little kids were calling our vacation home "the cabbage," but by then we understood what it meant :)

After things calmed down and the kids were ready for bed, Allen worked on more of the ranger book with them and swore them all in as Junior Rangers of Hot Springs National Park. They were so proud to get to wear the little badges the real ranger had slipped to me when she realized we wouldn't finish the booklets during her shift. (PS -- the booklets are geared toward kids ages 6-12, so we changed a few of the requirements for the little ones.)

Spring Break Adventures - Day 2

We knew when we headed out that we were probably going to see some storms this week, so I had a few indoor activities planned. The kids had trouble with the fact that the house has three televisions, yet we said we would not turn any of them on all week. Thankfully, we did bring along the Leapsters, and they were thrilled to get a little bit of screen time while Allen and I enjoyed coffee and books taking our time getting going since the MidAmerica Science Museum didn't open until 10:00. We stayed long enough to see the 12:30 Tesla demonstration. It turns out that we got to see the world's most powerful Tesla coil (Guinness Book of World Records 2009) -- it can produce 1.5 MILLION volts of electricity! They also turned on the Van de Graaff generator. You know... that thing that makes your hair stand up! (We are two nerds trying to train up a few more.) At first they were afraid to try it out, but then Will got in line to try it. Not to be out-dared by  Big Brother. Ben skipped ahead of a few nice ladies to try it... then Maddie wanted to try it, too. Before Ben got up there, Will may have been the youngest to try it. The few adults near Ben were on edge; we were a little nervous he might let go too soon (and get zapped!), but he did fine. Ben was probably the most entertaining to the crowd, not because his hair was standing on end, but because the electricity flowing through him was lighting up his sneakers. When everyone started chuckling about the shoes, one lady asked him if he knew he had them on backwards. He answered as I knew he would, as he does everyday -- with huge grin and "Of course; I like them that way!"

We went to McClard's Bar-B-Q for lunch. It was a small hole-in-the-wall we never would have found had we not seen it listed in 1000 Places to See Before You Die (United States & Canada.) After a tasty meal, we headed back to the cottage for nap time. The rainy, stormy day made it easy for us to get good naps. We spent the rest of the day snoozing, reading, and playing games.

Somehow Ben still had dirt under his fingernails and it was time to fix that just before bedtime. Ben HATES for his nails to be cut. He understands it doesn't hurt, but he still has an aversion to the process. I jokingly explained, "Ben, your nails are so grubby you probably have creatures living in them." As I started to clip them, he pushed my hand away and very seriously pleaded, "Mama, don't cut them! You'll break up their homes." That sweet comment made the kids' bedtime games a bit more bearable :) ... or maybe its that Allen and I had our lights out by 8:30, too.

Spring Break Adventures - Day 1

We have another FIRST for our family. Allen and I decided that we were ready to try a family vacation on our own -- no grandparents or other extended family travelled with us this time. It was our first trip without help, but with all four kids.

Yesterday, we drove to Hot Springs -- a total of about four-and-a-half hour drive, but broken up by a lunch-stop about halfway. The kids read or slept most of the way, but Will played 20 (or 50+) Questions with Allen. The game started out sort of like this:

Allen: Okay, I have something in mind.

Will: Is it a squirrel? (No)

Is it a pine tree? (No)

Is it a magazine? (No)

Is it a blue shirt? (No)

Does it have a favorite color? (No)

Is it a school bus? (No)

Is it a gray squirrel with a bushy tail? (No)

Without a tail? (No)

I give up. This is just too hard!

If Will gave up, Allen got to go again, so Will began to get grumpy. Allen and I started working with him on breaking down the categories, and soon the questions progressed to:

Will: Is it natural? Is it alive? Is it man-made? Is it bigger than a person? Can a person go inside it? Does it move? Does it have wheels? Does it have four wheels?

He was actually getting somewhere... then the trouble began. Will got to answer while Allen asked, but Allen gave up at about question #50. The answer? A super-bionic chicken express gun! Allen quickly learned and started all his question-rounds with "Is it something you made up with your imagination?"

We rented a three-bedroom cottage on Lake Hamilton, and got there mid-afternoon after a quick stop at the grocery store for the few things I didn't feel like packing from home. Allen unloaded the car while I set up the kitchen and unpacked the food. The kids explored inside for a few minutes (it doesn't take long to look through about 1100 square-feet,) chose their rooms, then played outside on the swing and with the horseshoes. We had dinner at a German restaurant downtown, and the kids impressed me with their appetites for new foods (Jager Schnitzel, Pasta Bolognese, Sauerbraten, and some sort of Roulade.) Everyone had a different favorite, but I was surprised how eagerly the kids devoured the marinated red cabbage. We topped it off with dessert ... just because dessert everyday means we're on vacation.

Bedtime had some challenges. The kids were sharing beds, kicking each other, pulling covers, giggling, getting up to go potty fourteen times -- all things we expected. They finally were all dozing around ten. We were surprised to wake up at THREE IN THE MORNING!! Ben had turned on the light, woke Will, and the two of them started their normal morning wrestling match on the king-sized bed. They didn't understand that it wasn't anywhere close to wake-up time, and they kept trying to get up for the day again and again. Around six thirty, we gave up on sending them back to bed.

We were out the door by 8:30, and we headed to Crater of Diamonds State Park. It was a beautiful one-hour drive through the edge of the Oachita National Forest.  At the park, we went through the visitor center just long enough to get a vague idea of what we should look for -- yes, you really can find diamonds at the park. We rented some basic equipment for mining the gems and headed out for the dirt fields. The kids started off a bit cranky -- there was only one shovel and all of them wanted it. It didn't take long for them to start filling their bags with rocks. Though their finds were not gems, by my standards, they were excited at their growing treasure. Ben and Will soon took off to make piles of big rocks, Allen and I looked for the little shiny rocks that could be worth something, Jon filled a bag with pretty rocks, and Maddie filled hers with all pink and purple stones. Maddie got bored before the others, but all three boys could have been in heaven -- we were encouraging them play in the dirt ... and dig ... and gather as many stones as they wanted! Allen and the boys headed for the water to try sifting there, while I stuck around and put up with Maddie's tantrum. Sadly, she decided to make her point by dumping her rocks. When I didn't react, she tore up her bag. When I still didn't react, she wadded it up and threw it. I had to do my own sort of meditating to not lose it myself. So... all the boys came home with sacks of pretty rocks, and some other little girl will be delighted to find a pile of all pink and purple rocks out there in the field. I put the ripped sack in my pocket and Maddie sobbed until we sidetracked her with lunch.

After lunch in the car we headed back to town. We got back to Hot Springs two hours later (we took a few scenic detours to make them sleep a bit longer,) just in time to spend the late afternoon at Garvan Woodland Gardens. This place was gorgeous and only the early bulbs were in bloom! I'd love to see it early summer when lots more are blooming. It was fabulous for the kids even if the train garden didn't have the three trains going while we were there. There is a neat garden created just for kids -- lots of neat bridges, endless places to climb and hide, even a few waterfalls to get wet in on a hot day. The gardens have several interesting structures -- my favorite was the church (see bottom photos), but the half-moon bridge was a close second (probably because it reminds me of a painting I did that is handing in my parents' home.) The kids all had a great time, but I didn't get too many pictures of them. Ben was constantly running, so all my pictures of him are blurry. Will still doesn't like looking at the camera, either, but Maddie and Jon cooperated plenty.

The kids requested pizza for dinner, so we had pepperoni and pineapple pizza at place with a train that drives around all the rooms of the restaurant. At dinner we each told what our favorite part of the day was -- Ben loved collecting rocks, Will enjoyed climbing rocks, Maddie liked the flowers, and Jon liked the train at the pizza place.

We INTENTIONALLY wore the kids out so bedtime would go smoother, but it still seemed to take longer than we planned. We discovered a challenge to having only one bathroom with four potty-trained kids -- all of them have to do #2 when we are trying to get them all to sleep... maybe next time we need to stagger bedtimes so there isn't such a long line at the john.

Embracing 34

I've made a huge decision... after celebrating my 29th birthday for five years, I've decided to skip ahead to 34. I was born 34 years ago, and I'm ready to  admit it. Part of it is that I'm growing wearing of plucking those silly gray hairs, part of it is I'm starting to look too old for 29. I am embracing 34, and I'm ready to be here for the next 5 years.

This was NOT a typical day for me. For starters, Allen took the day off from work to spoil me. He did a fabulous job, and I had an awesome day!!

Here is what my day looked like at the 34's:

• 00:34 -- sleeping
• 01:34 -- sleeping
• 02:34 -- sleeping
• 03:34 -- tossing and turning, trying to sleep
• 04:34 -- sleeping
• 05:34 -- I heard Allen leave to work out. I rolled over and tried to sleep a bit more.
• 06:34 -- turning on the water to take a shower
• 07:34 -- kissed Will as he was leaving for school, then put oatmeal in the microwave and poured coffee for Allen and me, inhaled the scent of fresh pink tulips from my family -- mmmm
• 
• 08:34 -- reading I Samuel and Psalms, studying the life of David
• 09:34 -- getting my birthday gift, an iPhone
• 10:34 -- picking out cupcakes from Ganache (salted caramel, giandiju, and carrot cake)
• 11:34 -- lunch at Fish City Grill (yummy fish tacos!)
• 12:34 -- quick detour through mall, but I sat to try a shoulder massager
• 13:34 -- sitting and reading lots of birthday greetings on Facebook and placing an Amazon order
• 14:34 -- picking up little kids from preschool
• 15:34 -- filling out a health survey for the insurance company after going through Will's backpack. This is the inside of the card he made me at school...he got the entire class and both teachers to sign it. It was definitely my favorite card even though I got lots of sweet ones.
• 
• 16:34 -- contemplating starting dinner, trying to get rid of a headache, listening to little kids play Legos while Allen and Will play chess
• 17:34 -- sitting down to eat a fabulous home-cooked meal (Thai chicken with tomato, basil, & coconut)
• 18:34 -- laughing as Allen plays with my iPhone... and I thought it was my new toy :)
• 19:34 -- catching up on recorded shows (House and Community)
• 20:34 -- heading to bed to read for awhile
• 21:34 -- gave up on reading to watch tv
• 22:34 -- sleeping, again
• 23:34 -- still sleeping ...

A Week of February Happenings

Is it only here that we can start February with a long string of super-cold, snowy days, and two weeks later the kids are playing outside barefoot wearing t-shirts and shorts? It has suddenly been so warm we have even slept with our window open. BEAUTIFUL!!! This warm weather is why I love living here!!

Last week was a crazy-busy week. Allen and Will were actually home on Valentine's evening -- usually they go to Cub Scouts on Monday, but there wasn't a meeting that night because of Valentine's day. Tuesday, I went out with my close buddies -- three of the four of us have February birthdays, so we had a great reason to celebrate :) Wednesday night, I had a MOPS steering meeting, but our family met at the church to have dinner together; Thursday night, I went to a home owners association meeting. Friday, it was wonderful to just stay home all day and evening.

Saturday, Allen let me sleep in, then fed me pancakes and suggested we go to Mission Tejas State Park since the weather was beautiful. We got some waterbottles packed, grabbed the hats, and hit the road. It is fabulous to not have to worry about packing a diaper bag anymore -- the first time in almost seven and a half years!! At the park, the kids enjoyed the playground, then we got to do a little bit of easy hiking. We often had to stop to wait for Maddie to get her drink of water. It didn't take long for her to learn how to attach the waterbottle to her hat strap, and then she taught her brothers. Ben was getting sore legs about the time we needed to find some lunch, so we headed for a small town and had some barbeque at a local restaurant. The kids slept all the way home, which later proved to be a great thing.

Saturday night, we all went to Will's Cub Scout pack's Blue & Gold Banquet, and he got his Tiger Cub rank and badge. It started a bit later than we normally have dinner, and we didn't get home until 9:00 -- two hours after the kids' normal bedtime. Thankfully, the kids went right to bed, but next year we will NOT all be going.

Though we did have some fun this week, I am looking forward to next week because I think we will be home every night. I do like to get out occassionally, but enough is enough. Enjoy the week!