The Texas Crew is HERE!

That's right, the P family from TX has once again graced us with their presence! I don't know how J does it. She drove from TX to here, over 18 hours, with five kids in tow! She arrived here Saturday night and we have been going non-stop since!

On Sunday we all headed to GWL for a great mini vacation. Yes, poor J had only partially recovered from a two day drive and here we were hitting the road again. I think it was worth it though as this themed hotel is such a cool place. Rooms with little cabins for the kids, HUGE water park, arcade, story times, games, restaurant...etc. Both the big and little kids had a blast. This is definitely a place we will go again.

FYI for those thinking of going...a Paw Pass is a great idea and DON'T eat at the restaurant inside the hotel...very pricey! You can easily stay two or three nights if you have the cash.

Getting Excited

It is almost July. In July we have lots of fun things planned!

One weekend we will be headed to my parents cabin. While I know this adventure won't be the most relaxing event for me, the twins will have a blast. They had a great time last year and now that they are a year older, I think there potential for fun is even greater! The biggest drawback is this 2 bedroom cabin will house my parents, me and my brood as well as our close family friends. This makes for a total of 13 people!!! Yes, 13 people. 7 of these will be kids who I hope will be agreeable to sleeping in a tent on the deck, but I'm sure we will all be smooshed.

The P family is also visiting us again this July. You'll remember my good friend J and her brood of 5 from this time last year when she visited. She actually came with me to my gender US and was with me when we found out Max was a boy - wow how time flies! - While here we will be visiting a theme hotel with an indoor water park and many other activities for the kids. Another friend of mine just visited this place and had a BLAST so now I am even more excited to go :)

Include working, 3 scheduled appointments so far, a baby shower and a pampered chef party and July is already pretty booked up. Month like this are so exhausting, but I think in this case, it will be worth it!

The Breast Pump Bomber

When planning my trip to Canada yesterday one of the challenges was pumping breast milk. I knew I couldn't go all day without pumping, and I also knew that I did not want to dump everything I pumped. I printed out the guidelines from the TSA website which stated that there was no limit on the amount of breast milk I carried whether or not I had an infant with me.

When I checked into the first airport and went through security, they looked at it funny even though before I put the bag on the conveyor, I told them what they'd be looking at. My bag was pulled for a manual search. The officer took this fabric swatch and rubbed the entire bag with it and then ran it through a machine to test for explosives. Well thank goodness I passed.

I had to go through security again on the way home. Again I declared the pump, and also the now 20 ounces of pumped breast milk. The scanned the bag and freaked out. Not at the breast milk, but crazy me, I had a jar of peanut butter and a container of honey in my bag. They were both newly bought and sealed but were a STRICT no-no. Since I'm a cheap skate, I refused to throw the items away so I needed to check my one bag. Stupid rules.

Gosh, I need to search google and see which explosive I can make with those two ingredients.

So Freaking Busy

I have had a few super busy days and I am beyond glad that they are behind me.

Monday:
K got her cast off. She was super excited, not as much about getting the cast off, as much as the ability to get back into the bathtub! When we got home I think she spent 2 hours in the tub. S and I got our hair cut. He just got a trim while I chopped off 11 inches. As usual, I hate it, but it will grow back.

Tuesday:
After gymnastics and speech we came home and napped which was a bad decision as I had a million things to do for Wednesday. We also woke up super late...which lead to stress. At about 6p we packed up the car and headed to grandma and pop-pop's for a two day sleep over. My attempt at packing lightly wasn't successful.

Wednesday:
DAY FROM HELL
I woke up at 4:30a and headed for the airport. First flight left at 7a and after a short lay-over I landed in Buffalo at about 11a. Picked up the rental car and headed for Canada. Spent a few hours there picking up some Canadian goodies for some friends, eating lunch and killed some time. Went through immigration to renew my work VISA. This was about the easiest time I had with immigration. I lucked out and got a friendly officer! Headed back to Buffalo to wait on my flights back home. Arrived home at 11p and due to this States complete inability to plan road construction and detour planning, it took me over 2 hours to get back to my parents home when it should have taken me 50 minutes. Got in at 1:30a and collapsed into bed.

Thursday:
Woke up early with the kids. Spent the morning packing up the kids and trying to tidy my parents home a little. Took my mom out to lunch for her birthday and then high tailed it back home to make a 3p appointment that I had. Currently my house is a wreck. Suitcases haven't been unpacked and everything is disorganized.

And I'd like to say that I'll get to rest tomorrow....but nope....an early morning play date that I am hosting, renewing my driver's license and then I get the added benefit of working this weekend.

Maybe I'll rest on Monday.

Home Sweet Home

We are now back home. It was actually a really good trip with only a few hiccups.

We arrived on Sunday about 2pm after a pretty smooth three hour drive. The kids LOVED the hotel. They thought 'our new home' was so cool! (so cool in fact that next time I may just rent a hotel room down the road as our vacation). It was so ridiculous on how much I needed to pack for an overnight trip. Four suitcases, cooler, breast pump, pack n play, box of food, double jogger stroller, chairs, sand toys....like I said...ridiculous. After a little rest we hit the beach.

The munchkins in the hotel room

The water was cold, which is probably pretty normal for May, but S still loved it. He is soooo in love with the water. I felt badly that he couldn't do more in it. He was able to play in the surf, build objects in the sand and collect some seashells for friends back home. I think he would have stayed all day if I let him.

K unfortunately had to deal with her cast so she was a little more limited on what she could do. I was able to find a nice, thick knee high sock to wear over the cast, so while she still couldn't get it wet, she was able to play in the sand. K was a little more finicky about things like being dirty, and the wind blowing her hair, which lead to her desire to go back to the hotel after about 90 minutes at the beach.

M, as usual, was great. He enjoyed the fresh air and was pretty happy staying in his stroller. I love his pics as it makes him look like a future rocker baby :o) I wasn't able to get him into the water, but I think he could be a beach bum like his big bro.

On day two we went to the Aquarium. There were many very cool exhibits and some awesome sea life. Unfortunately S was in a grumpy mood and was not the most cooperative child. He refused, for the most part, to have any pictures taken and had to 'sit' in time out a few times. K seemed to like seeing all the creatures, and I guess since S wasn't up for it, she hammed it up for the camera.

K with the scuba diver posing behind her

The drive home stunk! It was raining the whole way, some places so hard that you couldn't see 2 car lengths in front of you. Our 3.5h drive was extended almost an hour, which sucks when you are tired after a busy two days. But we are now home and in one piece. Overall the vacation was a success. I had fun, the kids had fun, and now I know I can do it...so maybe I will be brave enough to plan for another one or two mini vacations :o)

Cabin Trip Day Three

After a great night in the tent, we decided that we should spend our last day fishing. We headed back down to the lake to see what we could catch.

I wasn't too bright as I kept the kids in regular clothes. Of course within 10 minutes of getting to the lake, S was soaked from head to toe. K was a little better, but she definitely would have been better off in a bathing suit.

We only caught 2 fish but I think the kids had fun.

We had lunch and then started our drive home. It seemed much longer than the drive there and I felt horrible the entire drive home. In fact I had to stop twice. Once to throw up on the side of the high way (nice!) and a second time to close my eyes for a few minutes due to sheer exhaustion.

We made it home and I was never happier in my life that I didn't have any further travel plans in my future.

Cabin Trip Day Two

This day was not only a good one because we did lots of great things and had fun, but I also had a relatively nausea free day - YEAH!

We were able to sleep in until about 9am and then woke up to a breakfast of pancakes and eggs - yum! We then got into our bathing suits and headed down to the lake for some swimming and boating. I was amazed at how quick S jumped in the lake and started to play. K was a little more cautious but she eventually got the hang of it.

They both got to ride in the canoe with pop-pop and in the paddle boat with grandma. The three dogs also got into the fun and swam with the twins. Maddy, our dog, even got into the boats.



After swimming we went on a 4-wheeler ride and somehow K fell asleep. Can you imagine falling asleep on a loud, bouncing 4-wheeler?? We came back in for a nap followed by a very yummy barbecue.

We had another campfire but this time we roasted hot dogs. Again K wanted hers raw and S liked to cook them, but wasn't interested in eating them.

At bedtime the kids decided that they wanted to sleep in the tent. Me and pop-pop set it up, got all the mattresses in there and we settled in for the night. I have to say, that while it was comfortable, it was much hotter than I thought it would be. I woke up several times in the night to open the tent flap...ah...hormones.

Cabin Trip Day One

We left this morning at about 9a and got to the cabin shortly after 1p. Not bad considering we had some pretty bad rain and stopped for a quick breakfast and gas. The drive went pretty fast, but there was a lot of twisty mountain driving. Not the best thing for someone who is nauseous already.

As soon as we got to the cabin the twins started freaking out. They were so excited to see their grandma and pop-pop. The ran in and out of the cabin, jumped on all the outdoor toys and made a beeline for the 4-wheelers. It was too cute to watch them get so excited and gitty over the cabin.

The weather was a little overcast, but not too cool. The kids ran around, explored their new environment and had a few 4-wheeler rides. That night we had a campfire and roasted marshmallows. K liked to eat the marshmallows 'raw' while S wanted to burn his black and then spit them out. That night they slept on their inflatable mattresses in the cabin and opted to skip the tent outside.

Going Out of Town Again...

Tomorrow we will leave for my parents cabin in the mountains. The last thing I want to do is drive 4.5 hours in the car tomorrow, but I promised and the kids are very excited.

I have decided that the twins will be Grandma and Grandpa's responsibility. I am lounging and taking it easy. I am just too worn out to make this a big weekend with too much excitement. I am tired, I'm nauseous and my mouth still hurts like hell.

Oh...and tomorrow morning I plan on using my Intelligender test. I will try to remember to post what it says before I go :)

The Long Drive Home

OMG...That was the longest day of my life!

We left the hotel at 7:00a and headed to a rest stop just before the American border to meet a family member. We were supposed to meet at 8:30a. I waited until 10a and then just left. I was so pissed off that I had wasted 1.5 hours waiting for this person! (who had no good reason when I finally did get through to them). Then a few minutes at the border with immigration. We were on our way just before 11a.

The day just seemed to drag. It seemed like we would never get home. We stopped for lunch but opted to just snack in the car and skip dinner. We finally got home at 10:45p. The twins were wired and I was exhausted! My family was all here and waited up for us. I kinda ditched the twins on them and went to bed.

I never want to make that drive again. I really need to get my Green Card.

Canada - Day Three

Again, another low key day. I think I was starting to feel the fatigue of cross country travel with three year olds and I just needed to keep things simple. Our main event today was a trip to the Kanata Wave Pool. Let me tell you that this is the coolest pool. I went all the time as a kid and it's still just as exciting. I have decided that if I ever win the lottery (haha) I am going to open a similar pool here. I would be rich!

The twins loved swimming. It made me realize that I really need to get them into some swimming lessons. I had planned on it, but then all the craziness of the past few months pushed that aside. We spent nearly two hours playing and I still had to drag them out of the pool.

We then went to lunch, a nap at the hotel and then dinner. We went to the grocery store to get some last minute goodies to bring home and then to the hotel for the night. I packed up most things the night before for a quick escape Friday morning.

Too Tired to Update

And I'll be in the car all day tomorrow. Will update Saturday.

Canada Day Two...Low Key

Today we had a quiet day. It has rained all day so we were limited on what we could do. We headed to Bayshore Shopping Center for some more window shopping. The kids had a blast playing on some mechanical cars. After Bayshore we found a dollar store and did some serious shopping - LOL. I bought $28 of some pretty cool toys - most Dora and Diego! The kids have had a blast playing with their new toys!

After lunch and a nap, we met up with some old friends. I have known these girls since we were about 5 or 6. It was so much fun catching up. I will include a pic, although I look so gross and fat in it. I will definitely be dieting after this baby is born!!!

Canada Day One...The Parliment

Today we did the touristy thing and visited the Parliament. We started at the Rideau Center and window shoppe some. We then walked up to the Parliament Buildings. Q and the kids posed for some pictures and we went up to the top of the Peace Tower. It's funny, grew up in Ottawa but I had never toured the Parliament. It was so beautiful.

We then headed back to Rideau Center where we had a Canadian delicacy for lunch - Poutine!!! Yum, yum, yum. Q liked it but the twins couldn't be convinced to try something new. We then toured the local IKEA and got some great ideas for what we wanted...but of course...didn't have the money for.

We headed back to the hotel for an afternoon nap and then dinner at another must for Canada, Swiss Chalet. We had a great dinner. A quick trip to Walmart to buy some pants for the twins - much colder here than I thought - and back to the hotel for the night.

The twins, especially S, are really testing everything and not listening well at all. I'm hoping this is from the lack of sleep last night and that tomorrow will be a new day.

Q and the twin outside the Peace Tower.

The twins looking out the widow of the Peace Tower onto Downtown Ottawa.

The twins next to a statue.

Q and the twins next to the flame.

Day One...The Drive

We left the house almost right at 8am and got here just after 11p. It was a long day but not too painful. We really only stopped twice, once for lunch and dinner. S had a good three hour nap in the afternoon but K barely slept a total of 30 minutes. I am not exaggerating at all when I say that K talked for the majority of the drive. She was never quiet. I couldn't believe it!!!!

The hotel we are staying at is nice. The only thing is I reserved a ground floor and they gave us a second floor. There is no elevator here so lugging all our crap up a flight of stairs really sucked!

Day Four - Our Final Day

On our last day, I tried to spend as much time as I could with my grandma. She wanted to take the kids to a Children's Museum in the area. The kids had a good time. It is significantly smaller than the one here, but it's definitely cute. My grandma and N had fun chasing the twins around the museum and playing with them. After playing at the museum we had lunch at Applebees. By then the kids were getting cranky. We were able to squeeze in a nap before heading back to my grandparents for a spaghetti dinner. It was a wonderful way to end a good vacation.


I do have to add that by this day the twins I think had had enough. They were definitely more whiny and tired. Both kept asking to go home to mommy's house. As stressful as travel can be on adults, I imagine it's more difficult for toddlers. Staying up late, interrupted naps, eating out and meeting new people every day. Overall the twins did amazing and I really can't complain. Although I had a great time, it was very tiring and I was glad to be heading home, although not via the 12+ hours of driving I had in front of me.

12+ Hours in a Car with Toddler Twins...

Can you say painful?

Actually I have to admit it could have been much worse. Although my kids didn't sleep for more than maybe 2 hours, they were fairly well behaved and did co-operate for the most part. We watched movies, played with toys and snacked along the way. This was one of those times I was glad the twins are still in diapers.

We left on the 23rd of December, and stopped a few times along the way trying to be as leisurely as we could. We left home at 8:10am and got to our destination at 7:45pm. Ya know...before I had kids I used to make that drive in about 10 hours.

We got to Florida in just enough time to drop N off at my grandparents (her brother and SIL) and then head over to my aunt S with whom I was staying. My parents also went down, and they actually arrived several hours before we did. We met with them for a few minutes that first night too.

Here is a pic of S and K at the Florida Welcome Center.

I will post seperately each day we spent in Florida to help orgaize the trip better :)