Virginia Beach Day 1

I really didn't think I'd be blogging on vacation, but we brought the computer just in case, and we have internet here! Tomorrow night I have a good idea we will be too exhausted to move, let alone stay up and blog, but we'll see. To see our hotel, click on the link at the very bottom of the post.

We left X, OH at 6:36 last night and drove until Midnight. The boys slept about 20 minutes of that drive each. Joy. If my friend Mindy hadn't let us borrow her portable DVD player for Snug, we would have been...well people traveled for years without DVD players, but we would have been...stopping more often? It would not have been as convenient, lets put it that way. We were also stocked with books and toys. See the headphones? Those were #1's from jr. high. When we took them off of Snug they left black flecks of plastic all over his neck and ears that we had to scrub off of him...kinda painful. We may have to buy some new ones at Wal-Mart if there is any money left at the end of the trip.

The drive is absolutely beautiful. That was nice seems as we were exhausted. #1 was coming directly off of a 12 hour shift, and Baby J decided that he wouldn't sleep in the car OR in the pack N play at the hotel last night. Delightful. I am happy to say he is sawing logs as I type.

The aquarium wasn't the one we were supposed to be at today. There was a communication error between #1 and I about which museum we were visiting (the one I had picked out reciprocates with our children's museum and would have been FREE) but it was a nice place to visit. By the time we realized the mistake we would have had to drive more than an hour back where we had been, so we just paid the admission fee and went on with life. Both boys were thankfully free.

Ok Aunt B., you said you wanted to see some pictures with me in them, and you will get your wish. I handed the camera over (and dictated what I wanted photographed) several times today. I noted as I uploaded these photos that I wore that same shirt on the Friday of last year's Virginia Beach vacation. Only I was 8 months preggo. I am pleased to say it fits quite a bit differently this year...but I probably need to work on my wardrobe choices. Aunt B is to thank for Snug's wardrobe today. Doesn't he look handsome?

There was a place where you could pet the stingrays.

The sea turtles were my favorite. Baby J loved them too. This one would just swim up and stare at him. He is standing...he isn't supposed to be...but he wouldn't bend his little legs and I wanted the picture. Don't tell.

Snug also liked the turtles. The shark exhibit was similar, but my photos didn't turn out as well.

There was a children's room that had different toys. This was the seafood cafe or something. It was supposed to be a restaurant, but I didn't see any seafood being served...just pizza and burgers.

Baby J liked the playroom too. After 10 hours in the car the boys were ready for action. Snug was actually pretty wild at the aquarium, and I was a bit embarrassed, but really he had sat for a L O N G time so I can't blame him.

As I type this picture has some regrets. Snug is always talking about snakes getting him, or that there are snakes in his bed. Today he actually got to touch one. We really encouraged him to do it thinking that maybe he wouldn't have this weird fear of them...we thought if he actually saw/touched one it would be ok (seems how he has never seen one except through glass). Ha. He is currently sleeping beside me as I type because he was crying very hard and super upset when we put him to bed. Apparently the snake followed us from the aquarium, to the hotel, and got in his bed couch. In leiu of a cranky boy tomorrow I bit my self pride and let him in bed with me. He usually (last year and supposed to be this) sleeps on the small couch with some chairs put next to it so he doesn't fall out. Aunt B. did you tell him about snakes????

This is how Baby J took a nap today. It wasn't long-lived, but it was hilarious.

Despite meeting Snug's deepest fear, Baby J going on 24 hours with 3 hours of sleep, and being at the wrong museum, it turned out pretty good!

And we made it to the beach! We haven't been down to the water yet. I'm just waiting for Pop Pop to come warm it up for me. I better explain that.

We've been prepping Snug for this vacation for a few days, but we warned him that the water will be cold and not to get his hopes up about swimming. So in the van on the way for pre-school drop offs, he announces "It's ok Blue Bear. Mama call Pop Pop. He'll fick it. We have warm water".
You can tell what happens when something breaks or isn't right around our house. Our hotel has a pool, but there is no water in it...so that won't be an option either.

As a treat we stopped tonight and got ice cream on the "boardwalk" across from our hotel.

Baby J got his first taste...

...and he didn't like it. At all.

Snug did. In fact when his was gone he ate about 1/2 of mine. Next time we will order one child one adult small. I will eat the child's, he will get the adult small.

See Aunt B? Here I am again!

To end the day we went swimming in the hotel bathtub where the water is always warm, and available...except for that one time last year where even the tub didn't have water. Not this hotel, I assure you. If you click on that link above you can see a picture of us last year at this time.

Wish #1 luck tomorrow as they will be playing 3-5 games...and up to 9 games on Sunday.

http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-virginia_beach-virginia-VA563

Alphabitty Moments

Yeah! It is Thursday! I know I am #13 (twelve people, thirteen actually including Carrie) posted Alphabittys before me, but we are going on vacation! To VA BEACH! TONIGHT! I had to do the normal preschool runs/library/lunch/naps today, then we (#1 on his lunch break) packed the van and believe it or not I have about 30 minutes to blog. I love Alphabitty Moments! (Still don't have Storybook installed...working on it...)

L is for Library

L is for Library, we like it a lot.
While Miss Elizabeth reads, we all sit in our spot.

There are stories and songs, fingerplays and rhymes,
And when she is done, then its playtime!

They have lots of great toys, balls, puzzles, and books,

Baby J hopes nobody notices the ball that he took*.

All the toys are top quality and at the end of the day,

The librarians was them and put them away.

(which is why it is ok for Baby J to mouth them)

Snug's favorite part is playtime its true,

but he's also made lots of new friends who are two.

If you'd ever like to join us for library time,

It's every Thursday at 10, step up! Get in line!

*Baby J didn't steal the ball from the library...just from my Draycare kids. Also, see his red shirt? Some people I used to babysit for when I was a teenager mailed it to me when I had Snug...I always think of them when Baby J wears it.

Wordless Wednesday

Just Another Tuesday? Never!

OOO I haven't done one of these in awhile. Tuesdays at my house seem to be a bit hairy. I never made a "label"* for "Just Another Tuesday?" posts...probably should have.


I tweeted earlier that Baby Kayleigh has passed away. I can't imagine what her family is going through, please be praying for her family and take a moment to leave them a comment on their blog. Their family is scheduled to be on "The Doctors" on Wednesday to share their family's story.

I did not do "Not Me! Monday" yesterday as Lindsley pointed out in my comments section...things were just too busy. I did post I ♥ Faces, if you scroll down you can see my entry. Not a photographer's dream entry, but I liked it. I love the looks on their faces and how good #1 is with his boys. He is the best daddy!
The guest judge is Ree Drummond who is so "perfect" she would never in a million years pick my photo anyway. I used to read her blog but I felt like the crummiest mom each time after I did, so I quit. Terrible, I know. If you want tons of cooking, photography, decorating, farming, (and many other topics) tips, she has them! She has one of the most put together blogs I have ever read.

So why was it "Just Another Tuesday?" Well... here is my schedule as it has unfolded thus far:

7:15 Little Miss E and 2 older siblings arrive
7:30 Baby J & Snug up
8:00 Mother Hen, her brother, and Little M arrive
8:05 Breakfast
8:30 2 kids to school
8:45 Mother Hen to preschool (where upon I discover she was supposed to have a sack lunch...)
9:00 Mother Hen's brother to school
9:10 Unexpected trip to the grocery (because I couldn't pack PB&J for above lunch)/gas station/bank
10:15 Quick stop at home to prepare lunch/pack for a picnic
10:40 Arrive at Mother Hen's preschool for field day and picnic
12:00 Finish the grocery shopping not completed earlier
1:15 Naps for everyone, put groceries away
1:30 Pack for trip to VA Beach
2:30 Blog
3:00 Everyone up from naps/snacks/outside play time
3:15 Big kids back from school
4:00 First pick-ups
4:30 Second pick ups
4:40 Take van for an oil change
6:00 Make dinner
6:30 Eat
7:30 Kid's Bedtime
8:00 relax Laundry, prep for tomorrow, clean house...

WHEW. So the grocery shopping was interesting. I had 4 kids for the first trip to Aldi. I needed 2 carts, each with a passenger. The kids were really really good. (I took 4 to the Children's museum by myself yesterday also...they were really really good then too!)

When I had dropped Mother Hen off there was a nice little sign that said "Set sack lunches here...please no peanut products". Um.... I think it probably went home in a news letter to the parents that this was going on (Mother Hen is not my own child, so I don't generally read her newsletters), but her mom is out of town and it probably didn't make the radar. It is a lovely preschool, Snug will probably attend there in fact, but they have so many "special" things it makes my head spin! Knowing that she would be the only one there without a lunch, and that I had nothing picnic-y that wasn't PB&J, we headed out shopping.

The parents were invited to attend the field day activities and lunch, so I packed up the troops and we all attended. Snug even got to play the games because they had uneven teams. I know every mom thinks that their child is super spectacular, (being a teacher we heard from each parent how their child was the smartest/fastest/wittiest/most adorable in the world) and I generally think of Snug as a pretty average little guy (although of course I beam with the best of them when he accomplishes something new). Until it comes to athletics. Although he is not so good at riding a tricycle (read: tears and tantrums) he is really good at throwing, dribbling, catching, batting, and shooting a ball. When the teacher had even teams and the event was shooting a playground ball into a hoop, I volunteered him. I'm sure they thought it was just cute, but when it was his turn in the relay race, he ran up, shot it in, and ran back faster than 90% of the other 4 & 5 year olds. They let him compete in the rest of the events. There was one event I had to assist him in, but if you are not tall enough to get on the chair containing a balloon and not heavy enough to even pop it with your tush...it is ok for your mommy to help :o)

The trip to Kroger was funny. I don't know you you mommies of 4+ do it everyday. I mean, I do it everyday from 7:30-4:30 roughly, but I have my evenings with just 2, and my weekends off. So props to you mommies who do it all the time. Kroger has a lovely cart that holds 4 children. 4!!!!! I should have taken a picture, but I was afraid to do anything but move quickly through the store. Poor Mother Hen had to all but run to keep up with us. The lovely lady at the bakery gave each of the children a free cookie...that was great until I noticed Little Miss E had fed most of hers to Baby J (they share a double seat in the cart)!!! Well, I guess he got some extra calories in, but I don't ever give him sweets.

Did you count the ins/outs for this trip? I'm pretty sure I counted 7. And all five children are in car seats. Yeah, you mommies of 4+, you are heroic.

Well, people are scheduled to be getting up from naps so I better go. I'll post pictures of Snug enjoying his very first field day later.

*Labels are tagged onto posts about the same subject...so since I do Alphabitty Moments every week, it has a label. You can click on my labels (found on the right hand side of my blog if you scroll down) if you are dying to read more of what I have written about that subject. Like for instance you just love my rantings on, oh....say...softball, then you click on "softball" and read everything I've ever written about it. But don't click on softball because I haven't written that much about it...yet...but don't worry we go to VA Beach, VA this weekend and I'm sure to post some pictures of/stories of the trip.

I ♥ Faces

So I will never win with this picture (ok, I will never ever win anyway, who am I kidding!) but I love it so I am posting it to share with all of you! The I ♥ Faces theme this week is Laughter. #1 and Snug love to wrestle and they both laugh quite a bit while doing it. I know I don't have cool photo editing software, Snug is a bit blurry as he is being caught in this photo and I'm sure that I didn't angle it/focus it/center it correctly. Too bad! I like it and am sharing it with the world. Enjoy!