Hi.
It's me, again.
And it's going to be short and boring, again. I just don't want "Blah" to be my last word on my blog anymore. Such a downer word, eh? And, while things aren't entirely better yet, I don't feel so "blah" anymore, so I thought I'd write a quick something new for all you readers who have been wondering if my world is falling apart into complete "blah"-ness.
It's not. Things are fine and I'm in a better mood. I vacuumed tonight -- that always help improve my outlook, ya know?
But the kids still aren't sleeping. They have colds/coughs now, and Spencer is getting more and more afraid in the dark. Any suggestions on helping him out with that? I was up with him from 2 - 3:30 a.m. last night... without ever going back to bed. I would leave his room and sit on the staircase nearby, reading, waiting for him to get up again and need me, which he did about every 7 minutes. Sigh. He decided he didn't want to sleep in our room, because it was too dark. (Not a big surprise. oh well.)
Tonight, he's been up 12 to 15 times since I put him to bed at 8:15. He wants more lights on, more drinks, a quick cuddle, a prayer... I finally told him, "look, Spence, night time is going to come. Every. single. day that you live... you will have to face the night. You need to just get used to it now, Buddy. And I love you. And I'm done talking to you." (Which, in fact, I wasn't, because he got up another 7 times after that conversation, of course.)
We went to Walmart today, just to get out of the house for a bit. Natalie was so funny, riding around in the cart, in the store, saying "I go a-Walmahht." again and again. Love that girl. And Spence was super-duper excited to pick out a laminated US States map place mat thing for him and a map of the world place mat for Samantha. Nat got an Elmo shapes and colors mat -- breakfast will be such fun at our house now, with our new mats!!
What else can I share here? Oh yes, the exciting news of the day is that I finally joined all you tech-junkies and got a smart phone. No, it's not a Siri. But it does text and internet and stuff. And maybe I'll even remember to keep it charged and keep it with me sometimes. Brian found it on clearance at Target -- only $15, and no contract, just pay-by-month. Wish me luck as I enter the world of texting. I already tried for a bit this evening, texting back and forth with my fam... ended up in the Spanish setting a time or two, told my sis-in-law that "I ruina un Androide" -- instead of "it's an Android, I think." Yes, hopefully I'll get some texting skills eventually. Or we wasted $15, eh? ;)
Goodnight, friends! "Blah" is not my last word anymore. :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Blah
Blah bleah bleh blaha whatever.
It's been one of those days. Or maybe a few days in a row. I think it actually started when I couldn't find the onions I bought last week. I looked, and looked and looked... a WHOLE 5 lbs SACK of onions. Disappeared!! Bleh. A girl who cooks every night NEEDS onions. Right? It's just a fact.
So, I went to the store and bought another bag of onions. Had it home and put away in the fridge for a whole 15 minutes when I FOUND the other bag I bought. No joke. It's kind of been like that around here in some ways lately. Blah.
Another one... I read a friend's blog about how their little girl keeps waking up in the night and it's getting really frustrating. Oh yeah, I remember those good ol days, I thought, as I wrote a comment on their blog. Good thing we've passed THAT phase, eh?
I kid you not: That. very. night. Spencer woke up with a bad dream. And he woke up Natalie. And Samantha. And me, of course. Repeatedly, about three times in the night. And then... he has CONTINUED to wake up every. single. night since I wrote that post. And Natalie, too. Multiple times. Inconsolable. (He's scared of owls, again.) And yes, I'm losin' it. Bleh.
And Samantha is sick. Poor Samantha, who never gets sick. She has a fever and a really rough throat and is lethargic and quiet and so unlike her normal self and so sad to have to stay home from school and do nothing. (She read for about three hours yesterday... "Power Tales" or mini-biographies about famous people.) Bleah.
And Brian has worked until 3 or 4 a.m. almost every night since all of this "bleah"-ness started. Poor poor man. Bleahbblah
And then, the presidential race was soooo close, and I really had no idea I was so invested, because it really did end the way I told myself it was going to end from the beginning. But there I was listening to the wrap-up, and I got so disappointed and surprised myself by yelling at the television (which I really don't think I've ever done before... I'm not a man and I don't watch much football anymore, ya know?) And then I felt really silly for yelling at the tv, but those gloating know-it-all reporters just sounded a little too in-my-face about things, and I couldn't even bring myself to watch the acceptance speech. And now I feel even more silly for having to watch it on youtube, because... well, I just have to do those things, right? And here I am actually BLOGGING about this, when we all know mine is NOT a political blog. (So no bawling me out for caring one way or another... at least not on here, kay? I won't even TALK about all the nastiness I saw on fb! sheesh!!) Bleh.
And now, here it is, Thursday night, and I should be making dinner, or taking Samantha to urgent care maybe, or at least putting away the folded laundry that's all over the couches, or -- no, I guess I should finish folding it first. sigh.
But all is well, really. It's just "real" life, and it isn't always super fun, I guess. But we have power, and heat and a garage and carpet and a good home and family life, and we missed Sandy, when so many of our friends are still having a hard go, And of course I know and remember about all those other wonderful blessings that make it worth going through the occasional "blah" day. I know. Believe me, I know.
So... I'm going to go play the piano. That beautiful piano that I love. And I'll leave you on that note, for now!
It's been one of those days. Or maybe a few days in a row. I think it actually started when I couldn't find the onions I bought last week. I looked, and looked and looked... a WHOLE 5 lbs SACK of onions. Disappeared!! Bleh. A girl who cooks every night NEEDS onions. Right? It's just a fact.
So, I went to the store and bought another bag of onions. Had it home and put away in the fridge for a whole 15 minutes when I FOUND the other bag I bought. No joke. It's kind of been like that around here in some ways lately. Blah.
Another one... I read a friend's blog about how their little girl keeps waking up in the night and it's getting really frustrating. Oh yeah, I remember those good ol days, I thought, as I wrote a comment on their blog. Good thing we've passed THAT phase, eh?
I kid you not: That. very. night. Spencer woke up with a bad dream. And he woke up Natalie. And Samantha. And me, of course. Repeatedly, about three times in the night. And then... he has CONTINUED to wake up every. single. night since I wrote that post. And Natalie, too. Multiple times. Inconsolable. (He's scared of owls, again.) And yes, I'm losin' it. Bleh.
And Samantha is sick. Poor Samantha, who never gets sick. She has a fever and a really rough throat and is lethargic and quiet and so unlike her normal self and so sad to have to stay home from school and do nothing. (She read for about three hours yesterday... "Power Tales" or mini-biographies about famous people.) Bleah.
And Brian has worked until 3 or 4 a.m. almost every night since all of this "bleah"-ness started. Poor poor man. Bleahbblah
And then, the presidential race was soooo close, and I really had no idea I was so invested, because it really did end the way I told myself it was going to end from the beginning. But there I was listening to the wrap-up, and I got so disappointed and surprised myself by yelling at the television (which I really don't think I've ever done before... I'm not a man and I don't watch much football anymore, ya know?) And then I felt really silly for yelling at the tv, but those gloating know-it-all reporters just sounded a little too in-my-face about things, and I couldn't even bring myself to watch the acceptance speech. And now I feel even more silly for having to watch it on youtube, because... well, I just have to do those things, right? And here I am actually BLOGGING about this, when we all know mine is NOT a political blog. (So no bawling me out for caring one way or another... at least not on here, kay? I won't even TALK about all the nastiness I saw on fb! sheesh!!) Bleh.
And now, here it is, Thursday night, and I should be making dinner, or taking Samantha to urgent care maybe, or at least putting away the folded laundry that's all over the couches, or -- no, I guess I should finish folding it first. sigh.
But all is well, really. It's just "real" life, and it isn't always super fun, I guess. But we have power, and heat and a garage and carpet and a good home and family life, and we missed Sandy, when so many of our friends are still having a hard go, And of course I know and remember about all those other wonderful blessings that make it worth going through the occasional "blah" day. I know. Believe me, I know.
So... I'm going to go play the piano. That beautiful piano that I love. And I'll leave you on that note, for now!
Monday, November 05, 2012
VOIP -- good techonology/good comic relief!
So, most of you know we have a telephone number through a voice-over internet provider (VOIP ) -- which means, our phone line is run through the internet. Brian could probably tell you the technical details, but all I know is that when the internet works, our phone works; when it doesn't work, our phone doesn't work either. Most of the time it works, and works well, thankfully!
We started using a VOIP line when we lived in London. This gave our family and friends a US number to call, so they didn't have to worry about international phone rates. It worked well enough that we've kept it this whole time since then. (Let's all knock on wood that it continues to work well.) When you stop to think about it, it's actually pretty amazing, the things we can do with technology, right?
Well, a few months ago, our VOIP provider offered us a new additional service that we thought would be pretty cool... When someone leaves us a message on our voicemail, our VOIP service automatically transcribes it into an email and sends it to us, so we can READ our messages when we check emails. (I know, it would be even more cool if we actually used smart phones and could read our voicemail throughout the day as we walked around glued to our phone like most everyone else... keep persuading us, maybe we'll get there someday.)
Anyway, the transcribing-to-email idea is pretty cool, but well... sometimes it's pretty obvious the VOIP provider is making a guess in the dark at some of the things our callers actually MEANT to say to us. It's provided some great comic relief for us from time to time. I usually delete them after having a little laugh. But this one from today was just so funny I thought I'd share, in case anyone else needs a little humor right now...
Actual voicemail message I heard on the phone: (about the upcoming election)
I'm a volunteer calling on behalf of the Travis Manning campaign. As you know, tomorrow is election day. I'm really excited to support Travis. He is running as a conservative Democrat for the Idaho Caldwell seat eight. As a teacher at the Vallivue High School he wants what's best for students. He also wants ethical leaders in government and a stronger economy. Please check out his website at votetravismanning.com.
VOIP TRANSCRIPTION on email:
"I don't want you calling on behalf of the truck man I just complete. As you know tomorrow is election day. I'm really excited but Travis is trying to compare with the Democrat. I called seek and eight. As a teacher at the lot of the high school. She wants one starts for students. So if you want to at the Cooley, listen Carmen it's to calling. Please check out she's upset and so it's roslyn.com."
So... if you wonder where I'll be tomorrow, I'll be down at the "Cooley," listening to "Carmen" since "she's upset!" ha!!
Happy elections, ya'll! Here's one pic we saw in Santa Fe, appealing to the Spanish vote, ha!
We started using a VOIP line when we lived in London. This gave our family and friends a US number to call, so they didn't have to worry about international phone rates. It worked well enough that we've kept it this whole time since then. (Let's all knock on wood that it continues to work well.) When you stop to think about it, it's actually pretty amazing, the things we can do with technology, right?
Well, a few months ago, our VOIP provider offered us a new additional service that we thought would be pretty cool... When someone leaves us a message on our voicemail, our VOIP service automatically transcribes it into an email and sends it to us, so we can READ our messages when we check emails. (I know, it would be even more cool if we actually used smart phones and could read our voicemail throughout the day as we walked around glued to our phone like most everyone else... keep persuading us, maybe we'll get there someday.)
Anyway, the transcribing-to-email idea is pretty cool, but well... sometimes it's pretty obvious the VOIP provider is making a guess in the dark at some of the things our callers actually MEANT to say to us. It's provided some great comic relief for us from time to time. I usually delete them after having a little laugh. But this one from today was just so funny I thought I'd share, in case anyone else needs a little humor right now...
Actual voicemail message I heard on the phone: (about the upcoming election)
I'm a volunteer calling on behalf of the Travis Manning campaign. As you know, tomorrow is election day. I'm really excited to support Travis. He is running as a conservative Democrat for the Idaho Caldwell seat eight. As a teacher at the Vallivue High School he wants what's best for students. He also wants ethical leaders in government and a stronger economy. Please check out his website at votetravismanning.com.
VOIP TRANSCRIPTION on email:
"I don't want you calling on behalf of the truck man I just complete. As you know tomorrow is election day. I'm really excited but Travis is trying to compare with the Democrat. I called seek and eight. As a teacher at the lot of the high school. She wants one starts for students. So if you want to at the Cooley, listen Carmen it's to calling. Please check out she's upset and so it's roslyn.com."
So... if you wonder where I'll be tomorrow, I'll be down at the "Cooley," listening to "Carmen" since "she's upset!" ha!!
Happy elections, ya'll! Here's one pic we saw in Santa Fe, appealing to the Spanish vote, ha!
Saturday, November 03, 2012
More Road Trip Details -- Tennessee to Loisiana
Ready for more road trip details??
Well, on our way through Kentucky, down to Tennessee, we passed signs for Mammoth Cave National Park. I was sleeping, and I think Spencer and Natalie were also sleeping. But Brian couldn't resist stopping. So, we all woke up in the parking lot of Mammoth Cave -- the largest cave in the United States, I think.
Well, on our way through Kentucky, down to Tennessee, we passed signs for Mammoth Cave National Park. I was sleeping, and I think Spencer and Natalie were also sleeping. But Brian couldn't resist stopping. So, we all woke up in the parking lot of Mammoth Cave -- the largest cave in the United States, I think.
It was near closing time, but the park ranger said we could join their "lantern/starlight tour" if we wanted to. Doesn't that sound so cool? Walking through a cave at sunset, with your own individual lantern as a light?Well, we didn't do it, because it would have taken an extra couple of hours. But we did get to walk down to the Historic Entrance -- for free.
And, on to Nashville. That's where we had a great hotel with a pool and delicious waffle breakfast. And Natalie spilled/poured a whole container of syrup over herself, the table, the chair, her hair, the floor, etc. Good times.
So, Tennessee's capitol building is way up on top of a hill. We thought it would be a great idea to let the kids get out and stretch, and climb these steps to the top...
Too bad it was under construction, but we enjoyed the views and the walk...
Next stop, the Parthenon. Did you know that Nashville has totally rebuilt the Parthenon, just like in ancient Greece? It's a pretty amazing building. Inside is a museum, with lots of replicas of the Grecian Marbles. We didn't go through the museum, because... well, on a scale of one to ten, how interested do you think our kids would have been, to see the Grecian Marbles?? Yeah... maybe some other time.
But running around the outside was fun for our little rowdies...
(btw, we learned that sprite is the best beverage treat for travelling; it's clear, so it cleans up better if spilled, and Natalie thinks it's just water, so we didn't always have to get one for her, ha!)
After lunch, we wandered over to the Opry Land Hotel. I LOVE this place! I went there with my Aunt Kathy and her family a few years back, and I've wanted to take Brian back there ever since. I took a ton of pictures, but I'll only share a couple. The fountain...
Look at this stunning water fall! They have several of them, in the atriums throughout the hotel...
There's Brian, on the far balcony, next to this one...
(Aside: if you must know, our Opry Land Hotel experience wasn't ideal. Even surrounded by all those lovely waterfalls and flowering plants -- one in our group cried and said he wanted to go the car about every two minutes, another had a sick stomach and just felt miserable, another kept running away and had to be confined to the stroller and then screamed out her fury for the whole hotel to hear, etc. Lesson here... even amazing ambiance doesn't always make for perfection, if you know what I mean? But it was still a good time, and now we sort of wish we would have paid the $30+ to ride their boat around the indoor river -- or at least paid $7.50 for that tiny slice of carrot cake. ah... live and learn.)
Here's the Grand Ole Opry. We didn't go in (probably because it was right after our Opry Land Hotel experience), but at least we can say we've seen it, right??
On to Birmingham, AL. We stayed the night there, and then toured around a bit the next morning. We stopped at their children's museum and science center, which was one of the highlights of the whole trip for our kids. In the lobby, they have this amazing mousetrap/marble thingy. Spencer is convinced that Grandpa Dale can build one just like it for the grandkids...
Hello, Mississippi! We initially planned to spend the night in Jackson, but it worked out better for us to go on to New Orleans that night instead. So, I'm afraid all Mississippi got from us was a wave and maybe a stop at a service station.
New Orleans, party city!! We got there after dark, with hungry kids and no hotel. No problem, we stood outside the Marriott while Brian used their wireless connection to hotwire a hotel for us. We ended up staying on Bourbon street. No joke. It was quite the night life! Bars, clubs, and caborets as far as the eye could see!
We ate at a great hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where Brian got a New Orleans sampler plate, with red beans and rice, crab ettouffe (sp), and gumbo. I got a shrimp po-boy sandwich, and the kid loved sharing the fish and chips. yum!
We actually stayed in a really nice Sheraton, and our room was facing the inner courtyard -- away from the party scene. (And I might as well mention, we went waaaay out and around Bourbon Street for several blocks, to get to our hotel without exposing our children to too much "atmosphere.")
(Pictures of the perfect pool are on the iPad... if I get ambitious, I'll add them here, kay?)
We also took a little walk down to the river. We went inside this beautiful cathedral...
And then let the kids play in the fountain in front...
Said hello to the Mighty Mississippi River. Our kids hardly understand how famous that waterway is. But they liked the boardwalk...
One of my favorite pics of the entire trip. Doesn't she look so pensive? I'll call it "Natalie and the Mississip."
And then a late breakfast of French beignets (donuts) on the patio at Cafe du Monde. Delicious! It was one of those nearly perfect moments, where we wished we could spend all day wandering the French Quarter, peeking in shops and eating fancy French or Cajun food. mmm! I think it may have been one of Brian's and my favorite days of our trip.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Nonfiction
Samantha's Grandma Susan found three big boxes of books in a long-lost closet she had forgotten about for several years. They are the old-school, hard cover books that Brian had as a kid... probably hundreds of them. Grandma Susan decided each of the kids could pick ten books when they came over. She told us about this a few days ago, and Samantha has been super excited to go to grandma's so she could pick her ten books.
Today was the big day! New/old books for Samantha, Spence, and Natalie. Well, we got home, and the first book Samantha pulled from her bag was a big encyclopedia of insects, with huge color pictures of grasshoppers, katydids, bees, etc. She was thrilled, and had me pause my work to look at several large insects. Next, she showed me her "things that fly" book, all about airplanes and helicopters of different varieties. And then, she started reading aloud to me about woolly mammoths, from her new book about prehistoric animals.
After awhile, she stopped to look over her complete collection of books she had just acquired. "I guess I like nonfiction, Mom," she told me. "Seven out of ten of my books are nonfiction, and only three are fictional story books."
Is this normal six-year-old behavior? If it's not, I'll take it anyway! I love our inquisitive little school girl!
Today was the big day! New/old books for Samantha, Spence, and Natalie. Well, we got home, and the first book Samantha pulled from her bag was a big encyclopedia of insects, with huge color pictures of grasshoppers, katydids, bees, etc. She was thrilled, and had me pause my work to look at several large insects. Next, she showed me her "things that fly" book, all about airplanes and helicopters of different varieties. And then, she started reading aloud to me about woolly mammoths, from her new book about prehistoric animals.
After awhile, she stopped to look over her complete collection of books she had just acquired. "I guess I like nonfiction, Mom," she told me. "Seven out of ten of my books are nonfiction, and only three are fictional story books."
Friday, October 19, 2012
Road Trip Details -- THE BEGINNING
I know it's already old news, but I HAVE to take time to write about our amazing trip across the country. It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime type of trip. (I hope. ha!)
-- 4500 miles
-- 16 states
-- 14 days
-- 3 kids, age 6, 4, and 2
-- 6 to 10 hours in a car each day
-- fast food and sandwiches for most meals
-- 9 hotel stays
-- 5 nights with friends or family
-- 3 national parks
-- 8 state capitol buildings
What a trip! See, I planned to blog or at least post fb updates as we went along. But then, it seemed like I was just EXHAUSTED by the time we got to our hotel each night. And well... it just didn't happen. So, now you get the less exciting "after" version, in however many installments it takes me to write about this wild and crazy adventure.
Day 1: Leaving Harrison
Saturday, Sept 29
I didn't get a last picture of our empty house the day we left. But Brian did get this funny one of all three kids in a box together, as we were packing up. It was sad to say goodbye to our house, but such a relief to FINALLY get everything packed up and all the last cleaning done. Whew!
We stayed the last two nights with our sweet friends, the Anguses. They let us stay in their basement apartment -- two bedrooms, a living room and a bathroom. Such a nice place to regroup! Thanks to Spencer, sneaking the camera for a quick photo shoot, you get this lovely view of the living room area...
You also get this close-up of Spencer's shorts, as he was hiding under the table, taking pics of the room, sneaky boy!
Tuata Angus and me, as we were heading out. I will miss her and her husband. They had us over for Christmas dinner last year, and always made us feel so welcome in their home, and at church. They're from Australia/New Zealand; I will miss hearing their fun accent.
We stopped at the house one last time, so the kids could see it all emptied out. Then, on to Harrison Library to check out books for our trip. What a clever idea, eh? We checked out several books on CD, plus some "real" books, then mailed them to our friend to return to the library. (Thanks, Lindsay!)
The kids played in the nearby gazebo and park, while Brian and I took turns in the library, picking what we wanted to read...
Samantha, "posing" in front of the war memorial at the park. I will miss our little Harrison town. It really has a charming feel. And it has a Dunkin Donuts. My kids will miss that, too.
We headed over the Tappan Zee Bridge and into New Jersey. Within the first 50 miles, Brian taught Natalie this fun trick. It's called "put your diaper on your head!" Samantha and Spence thought it was hilarious, so of course Natalie did it quite often throughout our trip!
That first day, we had plans of leaving bright and early, making good time, and stopping to see Gettysburg and drive through Hershey, Pennsylvania. Well. We reinstated our family motto that day: Everything Takes Longer. (Not the most inspiring motto, I know. But true to life, and helpful to remember when starting a two-week road trip with kids.)
We did NOT see Gettysburg. It is still on our "next time" list. And our drive through Hershey was short and the chocolate museum was closed. So, we scooted along to Harrisburg, PA, where we stayed in a nice hotel downtown. They were having an atheist convention at the hotel that night. Interesting. Brian took the kids swimming, while I went to get us some dinner somewhere. I got lost, drove through some sketchy neighborhoods in Harrisburg, and learned that my GPS does NOT hunt down "grocery stores" very well. But it did eventually lead me to a Walmart... not the best dinner, but edible.
Back at the hotel that night, I went swimming after the kids were in bed. Some drunk people from the atheist convention were swimming in their undies. ahem. Security people had to come kick them out of the pool, where they proceeded to dress and flirt and swear, right beside the pool. Not the best swim, but I pretty much had to pool to myself after they left.
Harrisburg's capitol, with the green dome. It's right next to a big river, which is a nice setting, we thought...
Day 2: Maryland and West Virginia, flat tires and rain
Sunday, Sept 30 -- Happy Birthday Jenn Hone (we thought of you!)
We didn't know it at the time, but our second day we drove through some of the most beautiful scenery of the entire trip. We passed through the Appalachian Mountains (wow! I actually spelled that right on the first try, pretty impressive, eh?!). Rolling hills, red barns and white farm houses, bright fall colors, etc. It was gorgeous. I snapped a quick pic as we drove. Now I wish we would have stopped for a real pic instead....
It was Sunday, so we went to church at a ward in Cumberland, Maryland. (I wondered if that's where the Cumberland Gap is, but Brian said he didn't think it was. Anyone know??) The kids were restless, and we still had a lot of driving to go, so we hurried off. But then... bad news for us. We had a nail in a tire. We pumped it up and tried to drive on, thinking it would be hard to get it fixed on Sunday. But it went flat again quickly. So we had to stop and buy new tires... FOUR of them, since our tread was fairly low. Bummer.
Yes, I took a picture, while we waited to get our tires changed...
And then, I took several pics of this cutie, while I changed her diaper and blew raspberries on her tummy in the change room at the tire place. (Did I mention it was quite a wait??)
I think that was probably the least desirable day of our trip. During church, one of the speakers mentioned how grateful they were to have the blessing of spending eternity with their family. I silently added to myself, "eternity... but hopefully NOT in a minivan!"
In the evening, as we tried to make up time after the tire incident, our kids were out of control, screaming and fighting and whining like wild banchees in our back seat. I told Brian, "I think you can just drop me off at the next airport, and I'll meet you and the kids at home when you get there in a few weeks. Hey, I'll even take Nat with me, since she isn't two for a few more days." I was serious. We eventually pulled over, and Brian and I stood outside the car for a full five minutes, while our kids continued to scream and fight and cry in the car. They would open the door occasionally, but we made them close it again until they were ALL DONE. That was probably the lowest moment -- for everyone. See why I was thinking "eternity -- NOT in a minivan?"
We spent the night in Charleston, West Virginia. Nice place, even in the rain.
Day 3: West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee
Monday, October 1 -- Happy October! (Brian 'got' me.)
We drove by the capitol building first thing in the morning, before we left Charleston. It was also a nice city, built between two rivers, I think.
I wanted to get a picture of the "Welcome to Kentucky" sign, because Brian had never been to Kentucky. But I missed. So I got this lousy shot of a water tower, and a semi...
Lots of driving meant lots of "thinking about what to do" for our kids in the back seat. Natalie liked taking off her clothes. Not sure why she does this, but she is quite skilled at removing her shirt while in her car seat...
We made it to the Kentucky capitol building, in Frankfort. (Aside, Frankfort is tiny, and the capitol building may be its only claim to fame, in case you wondered.) I already posted a few pics from the inside, but here are a couple more. Check out that massive set of stairs, and that little Spencer head at the very bottom...
And here's the champ, at the top of the stairs. I'm sure he would have hummed the Rocky theme music, if he knew Rocky, eh?
-- 4500 miles
-- 16 states
-- 14 days
-- 3 kids, age 6, 4, and 2
-- 6 to 10 hours in a car each day
-- fast food and sandwiches for most meals
-- 9 hotel stays
-- 5 nights with friends or family
-- 3 national parks
-- 8 state capitol buildings
What a trip! See, I planned to blog or at least post fb updates as we went along. But then, it seemed like I was just EXHAUSTED by the time we got to our hotel each night. And well... it just didn't happen. So, now you get the less exciting "after" version, in however many installments it takes me to write about this wild and crazy adventure.
Day 1: Leaving Harrison
Saturday, Sept 29
I didn't get a last picture of our empty house the day we left. But Brian did get this funny one of all three kids in a box together, as we were packing up. It was sad to say goodbye to our house, but such a relief to FINALLY get everything packed up and all the last cleaning done. Whew!
We stayed the last two nights with our sweet friends, the Anguses. They let us stay in their basement apartment -- two bedrooms, a living room and a bathroom. Such a nice place to regroup! Thanks to Spencer, sneaking the camera for a quick photo shoot, you get this lovely view of the living room area...
You also get this close-up of Spencer's shorts, as he was hiding under the table, taking pics of the room, sneaky boy!
Tuata Angus and me, as we were heading out. I will miss her and her husband. They had us over for Christmas dinner last year, and always made us feel so welcome in their home, and at church. They're from Australia/New Zealand; I will miss hearing their fun accent.
We stopped at the house one last time, so the kids could see it all emptied out. Then, on to Harrison Library to check out books for our trip. What a clever idea, eh? We checked out several books on CD, plus some "real" books, then mailed them to our friend to return to the library. (Thanks, Lindsay!)
The kids played in the nearby gazebo and park, while Brian and I took turns in the library, picking what we wanted to read...
We headed over the Tappan Zee Bridge and into New Jersey. Within the first 50 miles, Brian taught Natalie this fun trick. It's called "put your diaper on your head!" Samantha and Spence thought it was hilarious, so of course Natalie did it quite often throughout our trip!
That first day, we had plans of leaving bright and early, making good time, and stopping to see Gettysburg and drive through Hershey, Pennsylvania. Well. We reinstated our family motto that day: Everything Takes Longer. (Not the most inspiring motto, I know. But true to life, and helpful to remember when starting a two-week road trip with kids.)
We did NOT see Gettysburg. It is still on our "next time" list. And our drive through Hershey was short and the chocolate museum was closed. So, we scooted along to Harrisburg, PA, where we stayed in a nice hotel downtown. They were having an atheist convention at the hotel that night. Interesting. Brian took the kids swimming, while I went to get us some dinner somewhere. I got lost, drove through some sketchy neighborhoods in Harrisburg, and learned that my GPS does NOT hunt down "grocery stores" very well. But it did eventually lead me to a Walmart... not the best dinner, but edible.
Back at the hotel that night, I went swimming after the kids were in bed. Some drunk people from the atheist convention were swimming in their undies. ahem. Security people had to come kick them out of the pool, where they proceeded to dress and flirt and swear, right beside the pool. Not the best swim, but I pretty much had to pool to myself after they left.
Harrisburg's capitol, with the green dome. It's right next to a big river, which is a nice setting, we thought...
Day 2: Maryland and West Virginia, flat tires and rain
Sunday, Sept 30 -- Happy Birthday Jenn Hone (we thought of you!)
We didn't know it at the time, but our second day we drove through some of the most beautiful scenery of the entire trip. We passed through the Appalachian Mountains (wow! I actually spelled that right on the first try, pretty impressive, eh?!). Rolling hills, red barns and white farm houses, bright fall colors, etc. It was gorgeous. I snapped a quick pic as we drove. Now I wish we would have stopped for a real pic instead....
It was Sunday, so we went to church at a ward in Cumberland, Maryland. (I wondered if that's where the Cumberland Gap is, but Brian said he didn't think it was. Anyone know??) The kids were restless, and we still had a lot of driving to go, so we hurried off. But then... bad news for us. We had a nail in a tire. We pumped it up and tried to drive on, thinking it would be hard to get it fixed on Sunday. But it went flat again quickly. So we had to stop and buy new tires... FOUR of them, since our tread was fairly low. Bummer.
Yes, I took a picture, while we waited to get our tires changed...
And then, I took several pics of this cutie, while I changed her diaper and blew raspberries on her tummy in the change room at the tire place. (Did I mention it was quite a wait??)
I think that was probably the least desirable day of our trip. During church, one of the speakers mentioned how grateful they were to have the blessing of spending eternity with their family. I silently added to myself, "eternity... but hopefully NOT in a minivan!"
In the evening, as we tried to make up time after the tire incident, our kids were out of control, screaming and fighting and whining like wild banchees in our back seat. I told Brian, "I think you can just drop me off at the next airport, and I'll meet you and the kids at home when you get there in a few weeks. Hey, I'll even take Nat with me, since she isn't two for a few more days." I was serious. We eventually pulled over, and Brian and I stood outside the car for a full five minutes, while our kids continued to scream and fight and cry in the car. They would open the door occasionally, but we made them close it again until they were ALL DONE. That was probably the lowest moment -- for everyone. See why I was thinking "eternity -- NOT in a minivan?"
We spent the night in Charleston, West Virginia. Nice place, even in the rain.
Day 3: West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee
Monday, October 1 -- Happy October! (Brian 'got' me.)
We drove by the capitol building first thing in the morning, before we left Charleston. It was also a nice city, built between two rivers, I think.
I wanted to get a picture of the "Welcome to Kentucky" sign, because Brian had never been to Kentucky. But I missed. So I got this lousy shot of a water tower, and a semi...
We made it to the Kentucky capitol building, in Frankfort. (Aside, Frankfort is tiny, and the capitol building may be its only claim to fame, in case you wondered.) I already posted a few pics from the inside, but here are a couple more. Check out that massive set of stairs, and that little Spencer head at the very bottom...
Next stop, Nashville, Tennessee. We had our best swimming pool on the trip that night. I wish I would have taken pictures of it, it was that nice. There was a big hot tub, too. And we had the place all to ourselves, for over an hour. Good times!
Stay tuned for more. I promise it's coming, even though there's so much unpacking still to do around here! I'll be back!
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