A weekend cross-country trek

This past weekend, I flew across the country. Twice.

Three times a year, Kevin and I fly the kids back and forth from Eugene, OR, to Rochester, NY, so they can spend time with him and his family.

In July, I spent a couple of days and had a bit of Rochester relaxation time. This time, we flew out on Saturday afternoon, arrived at midnight, and I left again at 2 pm on Sunday. I got home at 11 pm on Sunday night. And went to work at 8 am on Monday morning.

It’s a 2+ hour drive from home to the Portland airport. I put a movie on my netbook for the kids.

Fortunately, they travel well. We got through security with no problem (no invasive scanners at PDX) and arrived in Chicago. Duncan and Berry loved the moving walkways and Duncan thought the changing ceiling lights in Chicago were especially cool.

He also liked the pizza.

We have pizza at home once a week or so. It’s an Adam tradition: Pizza and Mythbusters. Unfortunately, Duncan is fickle about the pizza. This Chicago airport pizza, however, this he declared he likes. Hey, it’s only a 4-hour flight away.

Then the kids needed to get their wiggles out–apparently by climbing airport fixtures.

I kept them occupied on the flight with picture drawing and Dora watching. I thought for sure they’d snooze off to dream land at some point. But nope. Until we were landing in Rochester.

After waiting a bit for our cases, we got them, met my friend Karen outside and zoomed off to her house. Her guest bed is a King size, so the kids and I piled in together.

At some point during the night, I decided that it would be more comfortable to lie across the end of the bed, rather than sleeping between them. So, I lay, like their dutiful doggie, at the foot off the bed, while they loudly slept above. (Berry snores.)

During the night, Duncan woke up a bit, sat up in bed and realigned himself with me. Berry did the same. And this is how I found them in the morning.

After they woke up, Kevin came to pick them up. They jumped into his arms.

And then told him about the things they’d made and brought for him (there was lots of picture making on Saturday morning before we left, as well as during the flight).

And then they were off, leaving Karen and I to hang out for a bit, then go out for lunch and back to the airport.

My return trip was fine. I almost ended up being scanned by a millimeter wave scanner at the Rochester airport. But then it needed to be calibrated and I was sent through the regular metal detector. Phew. Hopefully the kids and Kevin will have the same good fortune on their return trip on Tuesday.

It’s odd not having the kids around. Mornings are much easier. Evenings are long and quiet. I have time to do things like organize photos and blog! I miss them, but I know they’re having a good time with their dad and that connection is really important.

Halloween – the quick wrap up

Halloween was great. There were costumes, trick-or-treating in great weather among swarms of children and candy aplenty.

Here’s the video:

Gustina TV

Duncan likes having videos made of him (as well as taking them). At times, he requests them. At times, we just take them. Here’s a collection of what the kiddos have been up to lately.

Duncan and Berry rock out to Taylor Swift:

Berry shows determination in eating with chopsticks at Nanny’s birthday dinner:

Berry dreams about her magical pony on the way to school:

Duncan practices tree climbing in the front yard:

And, from this morning, Duncan brushes his teeth with his new toothbrush, while I sing the teeth brushing song:

I live a blessed life.

Crafty Mummy

I appreciate tastes that sway outside the mainstream. Perhaps the kids possess my eccentric gene. Perhaps they just like to be difficult. But finding children’s clothing that’s not boy=bashing things or is sleepwear in natural fabric isn’t easy

Duncan continues to love Dora. And he’s been wanting Dora pajamas for ages.

Berry, well, she loves being a princess. Which isn’t hard to find. Unless you want to find it in cotton.

During the summer, I decided to attempt sewing a couple of night dresses for her, as I couldn’t find anything in cotton. Emma saw them and asked if I’d make her one. So we went on a mission to the fabric store for material and a pattern and I whipped up a fall/winter night gown.

Then, of course, Duncan and Berry had to have some of their own. So off we went to the store, choosing nice warm flannel.

(As an aside, we were in the store, waiting for what seemed like hours to get the material cut. Duncan and Berry were playing around, being mostly well-behaved but a bit mischievous. A presumably well-meaning gentlemen suggested that I have two more children so that my hands would be completely full. I told him that I did, but that they were at home. Fortunately, he made no further comments.)

My sewing machine has been acting up, causing relentless frustration while I was making Emma’s nightgown. However, it must have been entranced by the princess pattern on Berry’s flannel fabric as it worked fine over the weekend.

Things went smoothly and quickly. Soon, I had a pair of sunny yellow Dora pajamas and a purple princess night gown. The debate continues on whether it features Princess and the Frog or Princess Jasmine.

I confess to making them both a bit on the big side. If they could last a couple of years (presuming Duncan still loves Dora next winter) I’d be delighted.

Back to school fun

The first weeks of school are a busy time.

First come the ice cream socials. Then the back to school picnics. Then the fundraising events. Then the back-to-school viruses that make their way around the entire family at least once. Now that I think we’ve survived relatively unscathed and with just a few less days of paid time off to take to do something fun, I can update you on what we’ve been up to.

Back to school picnic
Duncan and Berry enjoyed the back-to-school picnic at his elementary school. There was playground playing, swinging, climbing and sliding. And sliding down the hill on empty pizza boxes. It’s apparently a school tradition.

Duncan is really enjoying Kindergarten. Surprisingly, he likes the school with more kids in the classroom than the smaller one. Which is good, as that’s the public school he’ll keep going to in future years.

I think a lot of it is that he loves his Kindergarten teacher. She reminds me a lot of his Aunt Karen — just very similar in physical appearance and mannerisms. How she manages with 28 kids in a class, I don’t know. Bless her.

Berry loves her school. We get great reports about how wonderful, helpful, sweet, polite and kind she is at school. I only wish they would send that child home and not her alter-ego, Princess Berry. Her favorite phrase lately seems to be, “I’m going to do what I want to do!”

Surviving the back-to-school bug
At some point after the beginning of back to school time, we all came down with something, one by one. This is what I looked like (photo courtesy of Duncan):

Family outings
Working full-time, I feel like I don’t get to spend as much quality time with the kids as I’d like. Fortunately, they play together really well, especially when Emma is with us and she can dress up Berry in full princess regalia.

So every weekend, we try to get out and do something as a family. A lot of the time, that ends up being a park somewhere.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Mt. Pisgah. I think Duncan got a blister on his foot and so ended up being carried. He’s still perfecting the clutching-at-the-head piggy back technique.

There was also paddling in shallow waters by the edge of one of our rivers:

And climbing into a tree stump together:

Emma discovered Duncan’s Minnie Mouse dress-up dress and decided to try it on for the day. I bought a large size, so it fits her quite well.

Back at home, the kids spend lots of time playing in the back yard. Once devoid of play things, we have added two swings, a rope ladder and a tire swing. There’s a climbing wall on the shed, too. Added to the entertainment of nearby chickens, a sand box and raised garden beds (should they want a snack), it’s become quite the play place.

Berry, fearless as ever, has mastered standing on the tire swing.

In fact, both kids are really progressing in their ability to climb and jump and run and play and do all those fun things that kids so easily do. Duncan is getting more and more confident in his body, which is great to see. Although, of course, as his mum I worry that he’ll break something.

Berry adores her princess dress from Kevin. She wears it at every possible moment. It’s been washed a lot and mended many times. I don’t think it was quite made for being quite so well loved.

She also has a white “wedding dress” that she wears often. Duncan snapped this photo of Berry and Nanny in the hammock.

That completes our adventures through the end of September. Duncan has been taking photos with my camera which I’ll upload into a photo gallery all his own. His perspective is interesting. I need to find out about photo shows for 5-year-olds and enter him.

Church picnic, getting used to each other and going to the beach

It’s been almost a month since our “little” family has started living together full-time. By little, I mean me, Adam and four kids. Things appear to be going well.

We’re aware that there’s a honeymoon period at the beginning of every relationship. We’re hoping, of course, that it lasts indefinitely. Although, perhaps when the kids all start acting like siblings towards each other, that’ll be a good sign in it’s own way.

Last Sunday (the one before last, I guess), we went to the church picnic where Berry and Emma got their faces painted. Duncan didn’t want his face painted–until after he saw the girls’ faces and we were on our way home…

Duncan made this at summer school. Can you guess which cartoon character he is?

(I couldn’t. It’s Super Why.)

Here the monkeys are involved on one of their favorite activities: playing on the computer. They were playing a lemonade stand game and Berry decided to sit on Emma’s lap while they were waiting for the day to pass in the game to see how much lemonade they sold.

It’s much less mess than an actual lemonade stand.

On Sunday, we decided to go to the beach before summer was officially over, at Duncan’s behest. First, though, the kids had to form a rock band–well, the girls did, while the boys played on the computer.

I joined in on the mic and got Duncan going to at one point. It was fun. There is video proof on Adam’s website and YouTube.

Finally, we were ready to go and everyone climbed aboard the flowered minivan.

As soon as we got there, everyone leaped out and ran down to the ocean.

And I thought we were going to eat lunch first.

Instead, waves were jumped, caves were explored and cities were built on the shores of a trickle of water running down the beach. And my phone battery went dead so no more pictures were taken.

This week is back to school freak out week, where I learn about all the school supplies I haven’t yet purchased and scramble to get everything ready.

Photo-laden update (but not up-to-date)

We went to the beach yesterday and I had the apparently unrealistic fantasy of blogging from my phone during the drive. I didn’t get to it.

I did, however, manage to finish listening to the audio book I started in early August when I went to get the kids from Rochester. Jennifer Weiner’s Little Earthquakes. It’s the first complete book I’ve “read” in a long time.

I’d hoped to catch up on tale-telling for the past few weeks. Duncan’s 5-year well check up where he knew all about the blood pressure cuff from visiting an ambulance with Kevin…

…and how he didn’t make a squeak when he got 2 shots (containing about 8 vaccines, I think).

Then there was the mending of Berry’s princess dress…

…which she has taken to wearing at every possible moment. We quickly learned that you can’t wear dress up clothes to Montessori school.

The library, however, is fine.

Then there was their friend’s birthday party at a roller rink.
Berry loved it.

Duncan didn’t.

The first trip with everyone in the minivan…

(we went to a nearby park).

The kids enjoy going over to Nanny’s house most days after school for a little TV watching (we haven’t shown her how to turn on shows on the computer – we no longer have cable)…

…and the princess dress is fine to wear to Nanny’s.

Last weekend, Adam resurrected my old Toshiba laptop that died after I spilled pumped breast milk on it. I’d heard he was a genius. Turns out it’s true. Duncan helped too, standing by in case his tiny fingers were needed to reconnect little wires.

Or perhaps he was standing guard. As he and Berry now get to use that computer, much to their delight.

I’m seemingly obsessed with taking photos of Berry while she’s sleeping (or refusing to wake up in this case).

But she’s too adorable not to.

On Saturday mornings, we commonly take a trip to the library. Duncan and Berry love this globe.

And finding Dora books. And puppets. And anything else that appeals. It’s a great library.

Last Saturday we went to Adam’s nephew’s birthday party. They have a pool. Will really cold water. This is as far as the kids got into it.

Then we all went in the hot tub (which we cooled down to a kid-appropriate temperature).

And that breathless update brings you up-to-date with half of last weekend. More to come. You know, sometime.

Getting ready to go back to school

My mommy friends were recently discussing getting their first-borns ready for Kindergarten. How sad they’ll be. What they need. How the school supply lists are crazy.

A couple are teachers and explained that they’re not provided funding for school supplies and they mostly buy what’s needed out of their own pockets.

I smugly posted (this is an online group of friends) that Duncan’s school is just asking for a supply fee and that they’ll take care of it all. I think it’s wonderful.

Except Duncan is going to 2 schools for Kindergarten (as public schools offer only a half-day program). And the private school does have a school supply list — for both Duncan and Berry.

What strikes me the most is that they’ll need a lot of glue. Each child needs 2 boxes of glue sticks with a minimum of 4 glue sticks per box. That’s 8 sticks of glue for one child in 10 months, almost 1 stick of glue per month. What will they be gluing? The 2 reams of paper? The $20 of paper towels (I only have to buy 1 roll and write a check for $20 for the rest).

Berry also gets 2 bottles of liquid glue. I should warn them about the glue puddles she likes to make. And maybe buy some extra. Fortunately, to go along with the glue, they also request a box of wipes.

I’m happy to buy them whatever they need. We keep a craft closet (which has now spread into Duncan’s bedroom closed) well stocked with craft supplies. But the amount of glue is striking.

The other point on which I differed from my mommy friends was the “I’m going to cry when my baby gets on the bus!” Not only will there be no bussing to school (I’d be happy about that) I’m not sure there’ll be any crying on my part.

I’m excited for my kids to grow up. I love watching them grow, guiding them and helping them (slowly) learn how to become happy, functional adults. I’m not really sad that the baby years are behind them. They were fun while they lasted – great, exhausting fun.

And now we’re onto something new.

Blogging silence

Yes, yes, it’s been a while. The kids went to Rochester for 3 weeks at the end of July and…well, I didn’t have any pictures of kids to post. And I wasn’t sure what else to say. I feel a bit inhibited in being able to say much of anything lately.

While the kids were away, I moved. And unpacked. I’m almost totally unpacked, the boxes in my bedroom/office being the last.

And I got away for an entire 24 hours (before returning to rent another U-Haul to move all the rest of our belongings we didn’t get the first time).

I flew to Rochester 2 weeks ago to pick up the kids and fly back home. I’ll have the pleasure of that 3 times a year. It was OK. Not my favorite way to spend a few days, but all went well with no delays, so there’s certainly no reason to complain.

I put together a photobook with the photos Kevin’s posted on his blog.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Duncan and Berry started a new summer school and seem to be settling into the new routine really well. Adam and I realized that taking everyone places in 2 cars wasn’t going to be OK for long. So we bought a previously enjoyed mini-van.

This is from our first family outing to a nearby park. All went well.

More to come later. Time for bed now.

Sweet cousin love

There’s something about cousins that makes them even better than siblings. Perhaps because they don’t live with you all of the time.

It’s been a week since Christopher and Arthur left. I got an e-mail asking for my new address, so I presume they got home safely. It was a treat having them here. The kids demonstrably loved each other and Christopher cooked dinner every night.

Here’s a pictorial post of the fun and trouble cousins can get into together.