Sunday was not an overly active day as we all were still recovering from the big drive the day before.
We went to Kennesaw Mountain to watch a Civil War reenactment of shooting the cannons. We thought we were going to see an actual battle with a thousand men, but I guess that was 2 weeks prior. Anyway, it was interesting since I didn't know much about the cannons. I learned about each person's job and the type of shot they would place in it.
Then we were off to find some girl toys to keep at my in-laws so the girls would have something to play with. They have kept quite a few toys, but they only had boys so there was nothing much for the girls.
Scott's brother and his wife met us back at the house. The girls and I took a nap while everyone else played cards and the boys played with the toys. After naps we went to a new park and then to dinner at a pizza/cal zone place-Mellow Mushroom-recommend it.
Back at the house to give baths and get to bed. Hopefully going to Helen, GA to shop and go tubing down the river tomorrow.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Driving to Atlanta-Part 3 (7/11/09)
The rest of the trip was pretty typical for our family. The youngest 3 took short naps after lunch. We drove for a couple of hours then stopped to get gas in Marion, IL.
The weather was looking bad, and we found out the Marion had just had a severe thunderstorm with hail. Thankfully, we missed it!
I took over the driving for 3 hours while Scott tried to rest while the kids watched a movie. But the kids didn't stay quiet for long, so Scott didn't get much of a nap.
We stopped at Sonic for dinner. We decided to get our and eat at the picnic tables to stretch. I think Scott and I were starting to get annoyed with it all. I accidentally spilled a drink which he didn't respond very well to and the kids didn't want to eat much, which I didn't like much. To top it off, we piled in the van to hit the local Target for a potty break, and when we arrived, Malea was missing a shoe! I had to carry her to the bathroom and back. When we returned, I remembered that the sliding door has a storage pocket. I asked Scott if her shoe was in there. It was!
Back in the car with everything we needed, we were off for the last 3 hours of the drive. Thankfully, the last 1 1/2-2 hours were quiet as all were asleep (except Logan since he took a good nap before dinner, and he played some games).
We arrived safely at my in-laws after 12 hours of drive time and a total of 16 1/2 of travel time!
The weather was looking bad, and we found out the Marion had just had a severe thunderstorm with hail. Thankfully, we missed it!
I took over the driving for 3 hours while Scott tried to rest while the kids watched a movie. But the kids didn't stay quiet for long, so Scott didn't get much of a nap.
We stopped at Sonic for dinner. We decided to get our and eat at the picnic tables to stretch. I think Scott and I were starting to get annoyed with it all. I accidentally spilled a drink which he didn't respond very well to and the kids didn't want to eat much, which I didn't like much. To top it off, we piled in the van to hit the local Target for a potty break, and when we arrived, Malea was missing a shoe! I had to carry her to the bathroom and back. When we returned, I remembered that the sliding door has a storage pocket. I asked Scott if her shoe was in there. It was!
Back in the car with everything we needed, we were off for the last 3 hours of the drive. Thankfully, the last 1 1/2-2 hours were quiet as all were asleep (except Logan since he took a good nap before dinner, and he played some games).
We arrived safely at my in-laws after 12 hours of drive time and a total of 16 1/2 of travel time!
St. Louis Zoo-Driving to Atlanta-Part 2 (7/11/09)
Road construction in St. Louis wasn't in the GPS, so we got a little lost on the way to the zoo. After many turns to get back on track, we finally made it. But literally as we are pulling into the parking lot, it starts to rain! It lets up to a sprinkle as we are walking in, but after potty breaks, it is a downpour! We huddled under a big bush til it let up then headed to the reptile house and monkey house. Both were indoors. After those 2 exhibits, we were on our way to all the outdoor animals.
St. Louis Zoo is wonderful! All the animals are close enough to see, and the ones that need bigger areas have multiple places to stop and see them. So you should always be able to get a good look.
Another great exhibit there is the indoor penguin and puffin habitat. It's pretty cold in there, but you can see them swim and stand up on the land. We really enjoyed this particular puffin swimming, splashing, and showing off.
Probably the best exhibit for our family was the hippos. The exhibit was half in the water, half on land with a thick glass front where you could stand up close and see them. One just kept swimming in circles so we could really see him! Malea especially enjoyed the hippos!
After 3 hours at the zoo, we were off to grab some fast food and hit the road til dinner.
St. Louis Zoo is wonderful! All the animals are close enough to see, and the ones that need bigger areas have multiple places to stop and see them. So you should always be able to get a good look.
Another great exhibit there is the indoor penguin and puffin habitat. It's pretty cold in there, but you can see them swim and stand up on the land. We really enjoyed this particular puffin swimming, splashing, and showing off.
Probably the best exhibit for our family was the hippos. The exhibit was half in the water, half on land with a thick glass front where you could stand up close and see them. One just kept swimming in circles so we could really see him! Malea especially enjoyed the hippos!
After 3 hours at the zoo, we were off to grab some fast food and hit the road til dinner.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Driving to Atlanta-Part 1 (Saturday 7/11/09)
Today is the first day of our vacation! We are driving to Atlanta. We would love to fly, but those days seem to be in the past for us. We would have to buy 5 tickets, rent a car and somehow manage the kids, luggage and car seats too. Even though driving seems long and miserable, this is how we are going to have to travel from now on and we better get used to it.
My mom was kind enough to give each of the kids a small canvas bag full of snacks, books and toys to help keep them entertained. We also have movies to watch, Vsmile and Leap pad to play, and workbooks to work on. Hopefully, this trip will go smoothly.
This is a 12 hour drive, but we are planning on stopping at the St. Louis Zoo for a few hours on the way. We hope that will wear them out and after we eat lunch, they should be out for a few hours. Then a few hour after that, we'll have dinner and then the last leg on to Atlanta.
That is the plan anyway. So, we'll see how it goes.
My mom was kind enough to give each of the kids a small canvas bag full of snacks, books and toys to help keep them entertained. We also have movies to watch, Vsmile and Leap pad to play, and workbooks to work on. Hopefully, this trip will go smoothly.
This is a 12 hour drive, but we are planning on stopping at the St. Louis Zoo for a few hours on the way. We hope that will wear them out and after we eat lunch, they should be out for a few hours. Then a few hour after that, we'll have dinner and then the last leg on to Atlanta.
That is the plan anyway. So, we'll see how it goes.
Getting Ready for Vacation (Friday 7/10/09)
Tomorrow we leave for our 2 week long trip to Georgia. I've been getting ready all week. I'm packing a bag of snacks, a bag of movies and a cooler for drinks. I've filled the van with gas and gotten the money from the bank. I've also put a stop on our mail and made sure all the bills are paid.
So today is dedicated to doing all the laundry and packing all the suitcases. Scott it trying to get off a little early so he can change the oil in the van and rotate the tires. He is also going to mow the lawn.
I started the morning by washing the towels and sheets and realized my washer and dryer were taking longer than usual. "Great, of course when I really need to do laundry!" is all I could think. Thankfully I figured that the outside lent trap was full, so the dryer began working better and the washer did better with the clothes, too. I don't know why it wouldn't spin the towels and sheets better, but I'll deal with it another day.
The best part of the packing for me was realizing I could get all 2 weeks worth of clothes for the kids and close to for Scott and me. I absolutely hate doing laundry n vacation and take all necessary routes to avoid it-even packing for 2 weeks! Now, I just hope the kids don't get so dirty they need multiple outfits a day. I will have to do some laundry for Scott and myself, but I hope I can just do one load.
So today is dedicated to doing all the laundry and packing all the suitcases. Scott it trying to get off a little early so he can change the oil in the van and rotate the tires. He is also going to mow the lawn.
I started the morning by washing the towels and sheets and realized my washer and dryer were taking longer than usual. "Great, of course when I really need to do laundry!" is all I could think. Thankfully I figured that the outside lent trap was full, so the dryer began working better and the washer did better with the clothes, too. I don't know why it wouldn't spin the towels and sheets better, but I'll deal with it another day.
The best part of the packing for me was realizing I could get all 2 weeks worth of clothes for the kids and close to for Scott and me. I absolutely hate doing laundry n vacation and take all necessary routes to avoid it-even packing for 2 weeks! Now, I just hope the kids don't get so dirty they need multiple outfits a day. I will have to do some laundry for Scott and myself, but I hope I can just do one load.
A Lesson for Logan (Friday 7/10/09)
Tonight Logan broke both of his sandals! They were the generic Teva-type sandals with the velcro straps. I had been noticing he would bend the front part back on itself and stand on them. On more than one occasion, I told him to stop because he would break them. Then tonight while helping Scott change the oil on the van, he broke them.
I was so upset with him! I decided that he was going to have to pay for his next pair. Thankfully, I called a store that was having a sale and they had one pair in his size left. They were only going to be about $4!
I was excited about the sale but I also didn't want him to have to pay too much out of his bank to learn this lesson. Hopefully he doesn't think "it's no big deal" and takes care of this pair.
I was so upset with him! I decided that he was going to have to pay for his next pair. Thankfully, I called a store that was having a sale and they had one pair in his size left. They were only going to be about $4!
I was excited about the sale but I also didn't want him to have to pay too much out of his bank to learn this lesson. Hopefully he doesn't think "it's no big deal" and takes care of this pair.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Why Do Only Girls Do Certain Stupid Things?
Sometimes I really hate being a girl. Let's face it, sometimes we do stupid things.
We were going out of town for my mother's birthday and the 4th of July. I spent the morning finishing laundry, packing the kids and cleaning the kitchen. I decided since Scott told me he would be getting off early, we would have time to get family pictures taken.
I knew the pictures would take a while, but I didn't think an hour and a half! Then, Scott told me he had to go back to work for a while and didn't know when he'd be able to get off.
I took the kids home and fed them. I then finished up the packing. I decided to fore go naps so the kids would sleep away part of the trip.
Two hours later, Scott still was not home and the girls were at their limits. I decided to help Scott by packing up the van. We usually do this by backing it up into the garage. Now, I am not good at backing up, and can admit that. But today I did a great job! I was able to get it all the way in, except a couple inches of the front end.
I popped the back hatch and loaded it up. Then, I thought, "Scott may not be home for a couple more hours. I'll try to scooch the van in a little more so I can close the garage door." I left the hatch open so we could still put in Scott's stuff.
I proceeded to back up and ran the back door into some storage shelving! Of course I get out and what do I see? Scott driving up and pulling in! I almost cried. I could do nothing.
I bent the bottom of the door so much the paint flaked, torqued the door since I hit only one side and not straight on, and bent the vertical angle so it wouldn't close properly. Thankfully, Scott was able to bend all 3 areas so it works now, but really! I didn't hit it that hard, and yet so much damage!
Only a girl would do this, I'm sure. And I know this will go down in the memory book to be brought up year after year.
Hopefully, the rest of our weekend will go much better.
We were going out of town for my mother's birthday and the 4th of July. I spent the morning finishing laundry, packing the kids and cleaning the kitchen. I decided since Scott told me he would be getting off early, we would have time to get family pictures taken.
I knew the pictures would take a while, but I didn't think an hour and a half! Then, Scott told me he had to go back to work for a while and didn't know when he'd be able to get off.
I took the kids home and fed them. I then finished up the packing. I decided to fore go naps so the kids would sleep away part of the trip.
Two hours later, Scott still was not home and the girls were at their limits. I decided to help Scott by packing up the van. We usually do this by backing it up into the garage. Now, I am not good at backing up, and can admit that. But today I did a great job! I was able to get it all the way in, except a couple inches of the front end.
I popped the back hatch and loaded it up. Then, I thought, "Scott may not be home for a couple more hours. I'll try to scooch the van in a little more so I can close the garage door." I left the hatch open so we could still put in Scott's stuff.
I proceeded to back up and ran the back door into some storage shelving! Of course I get out and what do I see? Scott driving up and pulling in! I almost cried. I could do nothing.
I bent the bottom of the door so much the paint flaked, torqued the door since I hit only one side and not straight on, and bent the vertical angle so it wouldn't close properly. Thankfully, Scott was able to bend all 3 areas so it works now, but really! I didn't hit it that hard, and yet so much damage!
Only a girl would do this, I'm sure. And I know this will go down in the memory book to be brought up year after year.
Hopefully, the rest of our weekend will go much better.
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