Road Trip!

Monday - I look at the calendar and realize that there isn't anything on there next week. A completely unscheduled week? That never happens! Hmmm... I call Spence mid-day and ask, "Do you want to go to Disney next week?" Before the end of the day I received an email with a suggested itinerary, a route of travel and a budget. (It was in quad chart format, of course.) Yep, we were going to Disney!


Wednesday - I asked the kids where they would like to go for vacation. They were unanimous in their answers - CRACKER BARREL! Oh to enjoy such simple pleasures.


Saturday - We were on the road at 7:30 a.m. It was the start of our family cavation (Allison's new word). We made it into Florida, 14 hours later, with only 2 stops. I dare you to try that with 4 kids under 5. Go on, I dare you. :) Dry erase boards entertained Katie, John and Allison for many hours. They quietly colored for so long... And then I heard from Allison, "Mommy, I am decorating!" I turned around and found my little warrior, in full face and body paint, smiling at me from the back seat. Note to all moms: Dry erase cleans off of faces just as easily as washable Crayolas and the entertainment value is well worth the clean up!


The week that followed was wonderful and joyful. We spent a day with Mema (my mom's mom) and Agnes (Mema's sister). Gigi and Ray happened to be there that day so we shared a great dinner with lots of family. The kids were (and I am so very thankful for this!) well behaved and they can't wait to go back to try out the pool! We spent a day with Grandma Dyer (my dad's mom) and another house full of relatives. Katie, John and Allison braved the cool pool water - all day long. That night as we waited for Spence's mom to arrive Katie declared, "I hope Elle brought her cookies. She is a great cookie maker!" I'm quite certain that in the minds of my children Grandma Elle spends all day making cookies and that she is never without them.


Our two days at Disney were better than anyone could have predicted. The temperature was moderate and the skies were overcast. It was lovely. The lines were short. We all rode Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Cinderella's Carousel... We even made it through the Haunted Mansion, though Allison was traumatized by the lights out thunder and lightening in the beginning. If I hadn't been holding her hand I don't think I would have found her when the lights came back on. Katie and John tried Splash Mountain with Spence and me. John loved it. Katie was not pleased to be splashed. Nor did she enjoy the drops going over the hills. She won't be braving the roller coasters any time soon. John, on the other hand, was willing to try anything. He even rode the Dinosaur and Everest with us at Animal Kingdom. Some of the funniest moments were after the rides when he interpreted what happened. When asked what their favorite part of the Disney park was they all agreed - Cotton Candy treats! Once again, such simple pleasures. :)

Check out our Disney slideshow. You can click on it to see it fullscreen.

Moments

Katie to me - Wow Mom, that cemetery sure is beautiful with all of those flowers. Let's dress Daddy and John in handsome clothes. You, me, Allison and Claire can wear dresses and we can have a wedding! We can eat cake because sometimes there is cake at weddings.

Mis-steak (pronounced mistake) - the new name for steak in our house. I am certain they aren't commenting on my grilling abilities! :)

Allison has more emotion in her than any 2 year old I've encountered. Sure, she can throw a tantrum with the best of them... Those tantrums are worth dealing with because of the numerous joyous outbursts she shares. When she steps out of her school to wait for me to pick her up she runs right up to Katie and shouts with glee, My sister Katie! My best friend! as she bear hugs Katie. When I walk up the path to take them to the car she throws down everything in her hands, sprints to me and jumps into my arms. What a lovable little girl!

Have you interviewed your children lately?

I borrowed this from Laura. (Thanks Laura!)

I lived as my mother's daughter for more than 30 years without knowing that her favorite cuisine is Italian and her favorite vegetable is Brussels sprouts. (Maybe that explains why we had spaghetti 4 nights a week when I was a kid... OK, that is a slight exaggeration and a running family joke!)

After reading Haddie's responses to Laura's interview questions I starting wondering what my little ones think my favorite food is. I took a copy of the questions on a recent trip to the park and invited Katie and John to sit with me and answer the questions. After playing for a short while Katie joined me on the bench and happily answered the questions. John answered a question here and there as he bounced past me playing with sticks and chasing bugs. Typical John. :)

Below is a transcript of the interview with each of their answers. My notes are in parenthesis. I deleted the questions they weren't able to answer.

1. What is something mommy always says to you?
K – I love you
J – I love you
2. What makes mommy happy?
K – When I give you hugs and kisses
J – That we save a tree (he is literally hugging a tree as he answers)
3. What makes mommy sad?
K – If I be naughty
J – When you knock a tree down (dancing around the tree)
4. How does your mommy make you laugh?
K – She…(thinking)… Tickles me
J – (runs away)
5. How old is your mommy?
K – I don’t know
J – 16
6. How tall is your mommy?
K – Very tall
J - 18
7. What is her favorite thing to do?
K – Sleep
J – Make dinner
8. What does your mommy do when you're not around?
K – Does something what you just do yourself
J – Bible study
9. What is your mommy really good at?
K – Taking a nap
J – Helping people
10. What is your mommy not very good at?
K – Fixing the swings; fixing stuff
J – Making dinners and what parts she forgets to put in (wondering off to play with a stick)
11. What does mommy do for a job?
K – She tells me to um…; she goes potty (she obviously did not understand the question; still she tried to answer)
J – Help us
12. What is your mom's favorite food?
K – Spaghetti
J – Bean burrito
13. What makes you proud of your mommy?
K – Giving me ice cream
J – Helping people (he as obviously decided to go with this theme to get through the interview faster!)
14. What do you and your mommy do together?
K – Play in the park
J – Anything we want to
15. How are you and your mommy the same?
K – We have hair like this (twirling her blond hair)
J – If mom’s a boy and I’m a boy (indeed that is how we would be the same; note to self - next time rephrase so that they understand the questions)
16. How are you and your mommy different?
K – When we have little hair (I think she meant that we would be different than we are now if we had short hair like John)
J – Mom is a girl and I am a boy
17. How do you know your mommy loves you?
K – ‘Cause she gives me hugs and kisses
J – By helping (there is that answer again)
18. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go?
K – To the store
J – To Kroger

Angels

I've been wondering for a while now why it is so difficult to blog about John. He is certainly as entertaining as the girls! I tell stories about him often... So why can't I blog about about him? Yesterday, as I was down on his level listening to one of his stories it hit me - AHA! It isn't easy to write about John because so much of his communication is non-verbal. He isn't by any means a quiet kid. Far from it, in fact. His emphasis, his expression and his personality all come through his hand movements, his body posture and his extreme facial expressions. I am not able to adequately describe the tilt of his head, the seriousness of his eyebrow arch, the cluck of his tongue behind his teeth and his hands on hip posture as he nods his head and says - Yeah, Mom. It's OK if you make vegetables with my dinner. Gee, thanks for the permission John!
He is perpetual motion. When I ask him to sit still he responds with a very teenage-like But moooooooom! And then goes on to explain to me that he loves to wiggle. Tigger has nothing on my boy! When the weather is bad he does laps around the house. He gets up at night to come visit me. (Mom, I like sleeping in your bed best! And I like to wiggle when I sleep.) And he is the first one awake every morning.
He makes me tired just blogging about him! :)
Last night as he wiggled through Mass he noticed the Altar Bearers standing in the front. They wore their traditional white robes tied at the waist. He was still for just a moment then looked over at me and whispered, Mommy, are they angels? No John. Well, maybe to their mommies just as you are one of my angels...

My name is Mama!

Claire's favorite words have been dada and back. Dada is what she called me and Spence. It is also what she babbled when she just wanted something to say. Back (said sharply) is what she called the dogs and what she yelled at the kids when she didn't like what they were doing. It was her version of no. Her ears are finally clear of the fluid in them and she can hear and say the softer N and M sounds. She calls me Mama now. Yay Claire! And she says No. (Uh oh!) Her newest words are Katie and John John. I can't wait to hear what words are next.

She is learning a few other tricks as well. She easily climbs onto the coffee table where she likes to stand up and bounce and she navigates down the stairs very quickly. I so enjoy watching her learn these things. Spence isn't so sure. He is a bit nervous about his little baby girl making her way down the stairs. (Um, Spence...? If this makes you nervous the teenage years are going to be very rough!)

Katie is teaching herself to read and write. As an added bonus she is teaching Allison to spell. Rhyming is a favorite game of hers. Recently when I asked her what she would like for lunch she responded P-I-E. OK then... :)

Allison is befriending all of the shadows in her room. This step is a significant improvement. For a short time those shadows were all naughty ghosts and monsters. That (thankfully short lived) phase made for difficult nap and bed times!

John. Hmmmm... What is new with John? I'll save that for my next update.

I caught her with the cell phone! :)

Should I nickname her Popeye?

Claire has the same fake cry all the kiddos had at her age. She, however, has added her own flair to it. She does the one eyed cry, pout and tantrum. You can't cry properly with your eyes wide open! And she certainly isn't willing to miss any attention she may be gaining by throwing a fit! So she does a one eyed squinty thing. She looks just like Popeye every time! I have been trying to catch a picture of it for more than a month. Unfortunately, the need for the attention she seeks is fulfilled when I aim the camera or phone at her and she instantly stops. STINKER!