I can hardly believe that today we had Ryan’s orientation for the first ever pre-school/enrichment program that he will attend on Tuesday’s.  Where has the time gone?

We decided that Ryan wasn’t quite ready for a “full blown” several times a week preschool yet, so we decided on a program that frankly, just seems perfect for him.

It is on a farm just up the hill from Joe’s parent’s house.  There are horses, chickens, goats, lambs, and I am sure other animals that I am forgetting.  There is a tree house / fort, swings, sandbox, toys, and bikes. The kids are outside everyday unless the weather is just horrible.  There are eight kids in his group and a teacher, and a teacher’s assistant.  They will have some “formal” learning sessions, but in general, being outside is their classroom.

We got to go for an hour today to meet Ryan’s teachers, and just get him used to the place.  Unfortunately, when we got there, the director/owner told us his teachers were not able to make it today, but we got Ryan acquainted with the grounds, and he absolutely loved it.  He didn’t want to go home.  He has been a little nervous talking about going to school, but now that he has seen where he gets to go, he keeps asking when it will be Tuesday. I was joking with him and said maybe I could come too, and he told me, “No, you need to find your own school.” 

He will be going from 9:30-12, and he gets to bring a lunch.  He is excited about his new lunchbox.  He also had to make sure that Cole wasn’t coming with him.  I think Cole would like to enroll as well.  He was in heaven there today, following Ryan around, and he actually got up all these steps to the tree fort. 

 I was reading the director’s welcoming letter, where she was explaining some more about the program, and I love her philosophy when she says,

     “…I loved being outside with a group of children- spontaneous, creative play.  I loved the fact that there was no agenda, no structure…just exploring, smelling, touching.  The air, the sky, huge trees, birds.  I loved not teaching.  I loved that everything was already there-in nature.  The kids seemed more free, more alive.   I remember this huge realization: life does not get any better than this.  It was truly that simple.”

So my ‘baby’ is off to school in a few days.  It seems like he was just born.  While I am a bit sad he is growing up so fast, I am also very excited for him to start to branch out on his own, and start to explore, and find his world away from me. 

It seems as a mother, that is your ultimate job- to prepare your child for life away from you one day.  At least for now, he is only away for a few hours.  Wonder how I’ll feel when he is leaving for college?

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Today Ryan was back to his little sweet self.  He told Joe and I at dinner that last night the moon came in his window to cuddle with the little boy in bed.  He said the moon slept on his tummy and kept it warm, and when it was morning, the moon flew out his window.  I was in the middle of making dinner, and couldn’t get the video camera, but I hope to have him tell me this again tomorrow, so I can record it.

Joe had some work to do tonight, so I put Ryan to bed.  He asked me to close his curtains, because the moon was coming in.  He said the moon was coming to visit the boy again, and he needed the curtains closed, so the moon didn’t fly away until the morning! 

What a little imagination.  If he keeps going with this, I should write it down, and maybe write a children’s story about it one day!   It is so fun to see his personality and creativity come out when we are least expecting it. 

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We are finally all healthy again!  Joe got the “crud” on Friday afternoon after he got home from work, and was sick until Sunday.  It was a rough weekend, because the boys wanted to play with their daddy, and they couldn’t.

On Friday night my in-laws and I took the boys to an end of summer festival on our Main Street.  The boys had a terrific time, and I did too!  There were some bouncy castles, a big bubble tower that blew tons of bubbles out- they boys had fun trying to catch them.  There was also a mini-train ride that Ryan rode three times, and once I managed to squeeze my self into one of the cars, and hold Cole on my lap.  He thought he was quite the big boy.  He kept waving to Grandpa, and was quite proud of himself.

The big surprise was a local dance studio was having some performances of their dancers- girls from probably about age 10 to age 17, and Ryan loved watching them!  He wanted to keep going back and see the dancers.  One set they did had a boy dancing too, who was probably about 11 or 12, and Ryan kept asking when the boy was going to come back and dance.  Cole was jamming out, bopping to the music in his stroller.  I think I have two little dancers on my hands.

On Sunday I went shopping with Cole for about 4 hours for some new clothes.  He did so unbelievably well.  I don’t think he has ever had a day since he has been born where he didn’t cry / fuss at least once.  Yesterday he didn’t!  He sat in his stroller, waving at people, babbling, and playing with his toys.  I had about 10 people stop me and tell me what a cute little baby I had.  In the dressing rooms, he just looked at himself in the mirror, “hung” the clothes back on the hangers for me, and just had fun.  He was like the poster child of a perfectly happy, contented baby.  So we had a fabulous afternoon. 

We are entering into a new phase with Ryan though.  He has suddenly decided that he is the boss, and throws fits now when he doesn’t get his way.  Saturday night, we had a bad episode, where he was in a fit, and he actually slapped my face.  I was stunned- I can’t believe my sweet little boy did this.  When you get hit in the face, my first reaction is to hit back.  I felt my hand go up, but I stopped, and just put him in his bed.  I told him he is never, never, to hit me.  He cried and cried, and about twenty minutes later he came out of his room and apologized.  I told him he hurt me very, very, much.  He said he was sorry again, and Joe took him back to his room to talk to him. 

It will be interesting to see what happens during the next fit.  I can put up with a lot, but having my son hit me, is not one of them!

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If you haven’t seen this new report just out, it is definitely worth a read, if you, or anyone you know is considering a Cesarean section. 

If you have been reading my blog for a while now, you know that I gave birth to my first son, Ryan, via c-section.  He was a breech baby, (meaning his feet were down-not the ideal birthing position), and there are hardly any OB’s anymore that will consider attending a birth, when they know the baby is breech presentation, or hospitals that will allow them. 

After trying an external cephalic version, (where the Dr. tries to turn the baby, by massaging the uterus- mother is drugged up!), that failed to turn Ryan, she recommended a C-section. 

At the time, I believed that was really the only option left, so I agreed to it.  Knowing what I know now, there are SO many other options to try.  Hypnosis (which has about an 80% success rate, versus only 60% success rate of the external version), and acupuncture, just to name two other options (which are natural, drug free choices).  At the time though, we made the best decision we could with the information we had.  If you are in a similar situation, I urge you to check out other options.  Despite what even the best doctor will tell you, a C-section is MAJOR abdominal surgery with many risks. 

I was happy to see this article pointing out the REAL-LIFE risks associated with C-sections.  Too many times today we hear in the media about Famous Actress, going in for a C-section, like she is going in for a haircut, and we never hear about increased risk of hemorrhaging, blood vessel blockages and infections. 

It also REALLY bugs me that these articles never point out that Famous Actress has access to nurses, nannies, cooks, and household help, that the average woman does not.  It is a lot easier to recover from major surgery with an army of help at your disposal.  When it is just yourself, and your husband, trying to take care of a newborn, and stay on top of the household, it slows the recovery time down considerably, and leaves you susceptible for incision infections, leading to even more complications.

The media has made C-sections the “trendy,” and preferred way to have a baby.  Not to mention how so many doctors are afraid of being sued, so they just automatically recommend repeat C-sections, and completely disregard the VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) option, which is a very safe option for the majority of women.  Of course C-sections have their place, but when women and doctors choose a C-section merely for the convenience factor, or they are “to posh to push,” they are putting themselves at a higher risk for problems, perhaps even death. 

After seeing this article last night, I also saw it today in my local paper, and the bigger capital city paper that we get.  I hope small steps like this help change the perception that C-sections are safer than vaginal birth, because in general they are not. 

I am also very happy to say, that I was able to have a VBAC birth with Cole.  My local hospital didn’t allow VBAC’s, so we chose another hospital about 10 miles away that did allow women to choose this option.  As my friend Amy says, “Knowledge is Power,” so please educate yourself, and do your own research into the subject if you could be facing a C-section.  All our babies need their mama’s around, and it is so sad when ANY woman dies during childbirth- but it is truly a tragedy if it could have been prevented.

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Thanks for all the kind comments, and just to update- Ryan was sick today, Cole seemed better but still had some very runny, messy, diapers that leaked out all over the kitchen floor (oh joy)- Ryan started puking at 5 am, and again at 4:30 pm, right AFTER I had just finally got the room cleaned up from his first round- had to wash everything and start all over again.

 Joe said he is feeling sick, and I have been sick twice now myself.  I still feel awful and feel like I am going to be sick again- it actually helps sitting up- when I lie down it is worse- what kind of ’sick’ (pardon the pun) irony is that? I am so bone dead tired, but can’t lie down, or I feel worse-

Anyway, this does seem to only last a day, so hopefully Ryan will be feeling better tomorrow, Cole will be over it, and by tomorrow night, I’ll be over it too.  What a terrible couple of days!

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I just posted today about Cole being sick again, and then the day went from bad to worse!

I only got three hours of sleep last night, so I was hoping I could catch a nap today when the boys took theirs.  I put Ryan down at 1:30, and at 2, he was still up, and then Cole woke up.  No nap for this Mama today!

While Cole was sleeping he had an incredibly foul diaper, which leaked through some, so there was another mess to clean up.  He did manage to drink some water, and breastmilk and keep it down, but he was terribly fussy.  I don’t know how I managed to get all my consignment sale tags done, but I did.  (Yea for small miracles!)

I called Joe at 4:30 to ask him to bring some Jell-O home for Cole, and he said he’d be home in half an hour.  Then my dad called and said he’d be by for a short visit on his way home from work.  I was happy that my dreadfully long day was ending, and was hoping I could make a quick dinner for the boys and then rest for a little bit.

At 5, the phone rings and it is the massage therapist Joe has been working with since the car accident, wondering where he was.  S***!  He had an appointment at 4:45, and we both totally forgot, even though it was written on the calendar.  I told her I’d try calling him, and he could probably still make it.  He did end up making it, but now Ryan was wondering where Daddy was, and to top that off he said his stomach was hurting, and now Joe wouldn’t be home for another hour.

Fortunately, my dad still stopped by, but Cole & Ryan wanted nothing to do with him. I have to hand it to Grandpa- he pulled out his work cell-phone / walkie-talkie, and made it beep and the boys flocked to him like bees to honey.  I was trying to get some dinner made while my dad was here, and got it finished just as he had to go. 

By the time I freshened up a salad for my dinner, Cole was done with his rice and wanted out of his chair.  I got him cleaned up and thought I could finally sit down and try to eat.  Ryan said his stomach was feeling better so he was up and down from the table, playing with Cole.

I wrote a few weeks ago about their Drinking “Beer” game and they started playing that again.  But this time the 3.5 year-old took it a step further and threw one of the cans of Coke back into the pantry, and then I heard it- the can of Coke exploding.

Ryan looked stunned- Cole looked stunned- I looked stunned- time stood still.  I slowly made myself look at the Coke dripping down the pantry walls, the door, and over absolutely every thing and item in the pantry.  I saw my two boys covered in sticky, gooey, Coke from head to toe.  I saw Coke puddles all over the floor.  I saw Cole splashing in the Coke, making an even bigger mess.  I heard Ryan saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry- it was an accident,” over and over, and I heard myself starting to cry.  I heard myself asking why did this have to happen today- haven’t I had to clean up enough messes during the last 24 hours?  I heard myself saying, I just wanted to sit down for five minutes and eat, and now I have to clean up another gross mess.   

What else could I do, but start?  I rinsed the boys off in the sink.  Ryan told me it was almost night-time and I would feel better in the morning.  He kept saying he was sorry, and said he wanted to give me a hug to make me feel better.  I told him it was okay, it was an accident, but I was upset and didn’t want to hug him right now.  I told him I needed him to play with Cole in the living room, so I could clean up.

As soon as I put Cole in the living room, he started to scream.  He dashed back into the kitchen to be with me.  I put him back in the living room, and he screamed again, trying to get back in the kitchen.  I grabbed a chair and blocked the entrance to the kitchen with it- you can imagine how much Cole loved that, and what kind of screaming fest I was treated to!

I asked Ryan again, to see if he could sing a song or play with Cole, and I was crying again.  He told me he was very, very, sorry, and that just made me feel worse!  I finished filling up the mop bucket and went to Ryan.  I hugged him and told him he didn’t need to be sorry anymore, I loved him, and Mommy was just very tired.  He looked so relived and it reminded me how much power I have right now over him, and how utterly miserable he looked before I told him everything was okay.  I never want him to think that I don’t love him, but sometimes it is so hard to keep everything running and having to think about everyone else’s feelings when I am just beyond exhausted.  I am glad that I took those few seconds with him, so he knew everything was okay, and I was not mad at him. 

As soon as I was done hugging him, Joe walked in the door to our lovely situation.  He offered to clean up the mess, but I told him I’d get it, and he picked up Cole, who immediately stopped screaming.  Joe read to the boys and then took them upstairs to play, while I cleaned up.  Joe also had a talk with our oldest son, on why we don’t throw pop cans.  :-)  It took half-an-hour to clean everything up.

Later while I was cleaning up Ryan’s bedtime snack dishes, he gave me a big hug and said, “I love you Mommy.”  Then when I was putting on his pajamas he told me I was his number one girl.  I don’t know where he picked that up from, but it melted my heart.  I really do have a sweet little boy, who is very good.  This was just a very bad day for an accident to happen, but under the circumstances I am happy that I didn’t yell at him, or lose my temper. 

This is the type of day as a mother you can’t prepare for- you just find yourself in the middle of this tempest, like a hurricane, with more and more problems brewing, and gaining momentum.  You can’t predict these days, you just have to go with it, and hope in the heat of the moment when you think you have taken all you can take, and then more and more crap happens, you can get through it the best you can, without taking it out on your children.

I have to admit that I am so glad these 24 hours are over, and Cole has stopped vomiting. Even though only one can of Coke exploded, I threw away the other can, and it will be a long, long, time before pop cans make another appearance around two little boys in our house.  

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Last night, Joe *had* to go to see the pro. baseball team in our state’s game- his boss bought tickets for their entire team at work.  

No big deal- I was happy Joe got to go do something fun and get a break, even if it was work related.

He hadn’t been gone more than ten minutes, when Cole started crying.  I thought he was hungry, and I was making dinner, so I gave him a mini graham cracker to tie him over.  He also started drinking a lot of water- which I contributed to him being hot from playing outside- it was in the upper 90’s!

A few moments after he ate his snack, he threw up.  He seemed better so he ate a little bit of dinner, but then couldn’t keep it down.  Ryan saw him getting ready to up-chuck, and ran out of the kitchen saying, “Yuck, I don’t want to smell that- I’m getting out of here!”

I couldn’t blame him.  On top of that I promised Ryan I would take him to a new McDonald’s that just opened with a brand new play area.  He kept asking me, while I was cleaning up after Cole, who was crying and clinging to me, when we were going to “Mc-O-Donald’s,” as he calls it. 

Try explaining to a 3.5 year old why you can’t take him to a playground when his brother is sick.  He had every possible reason why we could go, which is good he is thinking through situations, but not really what I wanted to hear at the moment. 

He was finally resigned to not going, but an hour later, Cole seemed back to normal.  He had rosy cheeks again, was running around and playing, and seemed fine.  So I decided to risk it and take them to play.

Ryan wanted to play first and then get some ice cream, and they both had fun, and there was a smaller kid area that Cole loved.  He seemed fine.  After 45-minutes, we got some ice cream, and I didn’t really want Cole to have any, but again try telling a 15 month old he can’t have any ice cream when his brother is having some.  He seemed contented to have very small bites and he didn’t eat more than 2 tablespoons.

As we were leaving, I was holding Cole and the tray, and he started to dribble.  I was praying he wouldn’t up-chuck all over me in the restaurant.  He didn’t there, but when we got home, the second we were in the house, we were in for another round.

At this point I knew he has some type of bug.  I gave both boys a bath, and Cole seemed happy as a clam.  I told Ryan he could watch a Barney DVD, while I put Cole to sleep.  As I was lifting Cole up, round 4 started.  Of course this time it was all over the carpet as well. 

So I cleaned up Cole, and then cleaned up the carpet and finally got Cole to sleep, without nursing much.  He still nurses to sleep, but I obviously didn’t want him to do that, since he couldn’t keep anything down.  He nursed a few minutes, and did manage to keep the milk down.

He woke up at 3, hungry so I gave him a little water, and he kept that down, so I gave him a little toast, and he kept that down as well. We got back to sleep at 5, and then we were up at 7, when Ryan woke up.

Cole did fine all morning.  He wasn’t that interested in eating but he did eat some banana and little dry cereal.  I thought he was better, but at 11, he threw up everything again.  URG!

I hope this doesn’t keep up. He has never vomited this long before- he is taking a nap and seems to be keeping breastmilk down, so I know he won’t get dehydrated and maybe it will satisfy his tummy a little.  Thank goodness for nursing- I don’t know what I would be doing if he wasn’t nursing, since he can’t keep water down.

I hope this isn’t another long, drawn out virus.  Hopefully he just has a stomach bug and he’ll be better soon.  I am participating in a local kid’s item consignment sale this weekend, and have over 100 items to still finish putting tags on before tomorrow.  We’ll see if I make it. 

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I have added another page to my blog, My Book Reviews.  I decided it was easier to have one page with the books I am reading or plan to read in the near future, and then another page where I write my review of the books I have read.

I just added three reviews, based on the books I was able to read on vacation, so check out the new page if you are interested. 

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We have had a pretty low key week- on Wednesday we finished unpacking and did some laundry, and went to the grocery store to restock.

Joe had to go back to work yesterday, so the boys and I had a relaxing day at home- they played outside and got reacquainted with their toys.  After lunch, Ryan’s grandpa came and got him and took him to a ranch supply store in town that had “The World’s Biggest Horse,” visiting.  This horse is a Belgian Draft horse and is in the Guinness World Record Book as the tallest living horse- he is 6′7 1/2″ at the withers and weighs 2600 pounds!

Ryan really liked seeing him, and then he went back to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for a nap and dinner. 

I finally got out to the garden to start harvesting my tomatoes- I love growing them, and there were some that were just getting ready to pick before vacation, so I had lots that were ready- here is a picture of my “first fruits” of the season:

I used the two bigger tomatoes last night- I sliced them, drizzled them with olive oil and garnished them with fresh basil, salt, and pepper, and then let them sit for about 20 minutes before we ate them with dinner- they are great that way.

Tonight I picked two more big ones, and we had BLT sandwiches- yum!  There isn’t anything quite like fresh picked, homegrown tomatoes.

Finally this morning, we met up with some friends at one of the kiddie pools in town for an end of summer swim play date.  All the pools in our town close on Sunday, since school is starting next week.  There was a nice turnout- about 5 mommy’s, and about 9 kids.  Ryan liked going out in the “deeper” water, which only got to 2 feet, 8 inches- he was actually doing some skills he learned in swim lessons, and he was very comfortable in the water. 

Cole liked playing the shallower end, but I got him out in the deeper end a few times, and spun him around and played with him, and he liked that once he got used to the water.

I love these last few weeks of summer- it is a nice excuse to be lazy before all the fall activities begin.

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I’m back!!  Our vacation was wonderful…fun, relaxing, not too long, not too short, and the boys had a blast! 

Here is a daily summary of what we did.  I have lots of pictures at the end as well. 

Day 1: Planes, Trains, Automobiles, & Boats

We left at 7am for the airport.  We arrived at the airport at 8,- the plane left at 10.  Cole nursed and fell asleep before the plane took off, and slept for an hour and a half.  Then he woke up and played with the window shade, toys I packed, and ate his snacks.

Ryan and Joe were sitting two rows back from Cole and I, so I didn’t get to really see or hear what Ryan did on the flight, but he did like his etch-a-sketch and snacks.  He enjoyed looking out the window, and he got all the apple and orange juice he wanted- he thought that was neat.

We arrived at 2pm, local time.  We rented a car, and had to take a shuttle bus a few blocks away from the airport.  As we were loading up the car, about an hour after we arrived, we realized that we only had 4 bags, but brought 5- my bag was missing- yikes!!  We drove back to the airport, and I dashed back into the baggage claim, after getting a “warning” from a security guard that I wasn’t allowed to just hop out of the car in the middle of the lane- whatever. (sometimes I think these guards in small towns really don’t have a lot to do.) 

I went to the carousel and didn’t see my bag.  There were some bags lined up against the wall, but mine wasn’t there.  I was getting nervous, thinking I would have to go stand in the lost baggage line- you know how fun that is- but then I saw my lone bag sitting on the carousel towards the back. 

We then stopped for lunch, and we were on the road by 4.  The boys did great, considering it was a really long day, and around 6 they both got cranky, so we stopped at a grocery store, got them some grapes, and let them stretch their legs.  We arrived at my grandma’s around 8pm.

The boys ran out to the beach immediately, where their grandpa was, and started playing.  We realized the boys had been on a plane, train (at the airport), and an automobile all in one day. We laughed and joked that they just needed a boat ride, and then they would have been on practically every mode of transportation.  My dad then put Ryan in a raft, and gave him a “boat” ride.  Ryan smiled the entire time and said, “This has been a big day!” 

Day 2: First Beach Day-

In the morning Joe, Cole, and I went to town to stock up on groceries, and spent about 2 hours doing that.  Ryan stayed with Papa Dan (my dad), and started his first day playing on the beach and in the water.

Some neighbors loaned us their grandkid’s sand toys, so Ryan was equipped with sand pails, shovels, molds, and even a Tonka bulldozer, and dump truck.  Talk about a 3-year old boy heaven!

When Joe and I got back, I went out in the water with my dad and Ryan.  My dad pulled Ryan in the raft to deeper water where there is an anchored raft.  Ryan had fun sitting on the raft and then I asked him if he wanted to jump in the water to me.  He did, and then spent the next two hours jumping in to Papa Dan, Joe, and I.

My dad and step mom were wonderful in helping with the boys- my dad sat with Ryan in the shallow water so he could play in the sand, my step mom sat on the deck and read, and listened for Cole to wake up from his nap, and Joe and I got to go out for a swim by ourselves. 

For dinner, my dad grilled hamburgers, and I made a green salad. 

Day 3: Date Night / No Sleep

We all took a walk to the library on the peninsula (except for my grandmother, who obviously knew better than us, not to walk).  It is only about a mile and it was cloudy and cool when we started out, but then the sun came out and there were enormous, steep hills to climb. I could barely make it up with Cole in an umbrella stroller!  Poor Joe had to carry Ryan on his shoulders the entire walk.

Needless to say, we were hot and sweaty when we arrived at the library, but it was air conditioned, so we stayed a while and browsed to gear up for the walk home.  We got the boys a Builder Bob DVD and a few books to read for our visit. 

We got home at noon.  It was so hot and we were hungry!  We ate lunch and then hit the water.

I took Cole in later for a nap, and then went back in the water.  Joe and Papa Dan played with Ryan in their “sand kingdom,” and Cole joined in too, until dinner. 

My step mom, (Grandma Jean) made spaghetti.

Joe and I gave the boys a bath and put them to bed by nine.  We got to go to a movie!! Woo hoo!  We went into town and saw Bourne Ultimatum.  It was really good!

We got home at midnight, and Cole was up with Papa Dan, and Grandma Jean.  He had been crying, but the grandparents had him eating some Cheerios, but he did NOT want to go back to sleep.  I had a very hard time trying to get him down.  He would drift off for a few minutes, and then wake up crying.  My grandmother’s house is pretty small, and I didn’t want to keep everyone else up with Cole’s crying, so I put him in the car and drove him up and down the peninsula for about an hour, listening to “soothing music” from the XM satellite radio that was in the car.  He finally fell asleep at 3 am!  He woke up again, when I put him back in the Pack N Play, but he rolled over and stayed asleep.  It was a long night. 

Day 4- All Aboard!

My dad said he would watch the boys in the morning so I could take a nap to recover from the night before, and he didn’t have to offer twice!

When I woke up, Cole took a nap and then Papa Dan and Grandma Jean took Ryan to pick blueberries.  When they got back, Joe, Ryan, Cole, and I left around noon and took the boys to a park in town, where we rode a train that went around the park- complete with a real engineer, steam, and a whistle.  They loved it!  Cole and I rode once, and then Joe bought him and Ryan another ticket for another ride.  For some reason the engineer decided to go around twice, so when Ryan got off the train he was excited and said, “I got to go around two times, Mommy!”

We were planning on taking a short drive to another town about half an hour away, but ended up just driving around where we were.  We stopped for a late lunch / early dinner at Chili’s.  Then the boys fell asleep in the car, so we drove around some more, and parked at a pretty park, overlooking the water.  Joe and I talked, and snoozed ourselves, until the boys woke up.

We got back home around 7, to see some other relatives who were leaving after a visit.  Then the boys played in the sand.  My grandmother, Mimi, made a delicious blueberry cobbler with some of the blueberries Ryan picked.

After the boys went to bed, I played cards with my dad and step mom and read.

I stayed up until 2am to finish Two Little Girls in Blue, by Mary Higgins Clark (click to see my review).  It was a page turner!

Day 5: Daddy Day

We all slept in late this morning- until 10 and 10:30. 

I took my dad and Jean back to the library to help them reserve a rental car for their trip back to the airport (out of the same town we flew into- they drove up with my grandma, but didn’t want to have to have her drive them back down).

Ryan and Cole stayed with Joe.  He built them a huge sand pit, and lined it with a trash bag to keep the water in it.  Mimi extended her garden hose all the way down to the beach, so there was a slow but consistent flow of water into the hole.  I don’t think I have ever seen my two little boys happier!

After the library, the three of us ran some errands and picked up some local food in town.  We returned home 3 hours later, to find Joe reading and BOTH boys down and sleeping for their naps.  I guess Dad has the magic touch. 

I had a snack, read, went swimming, and snorkeling.  When the boys woke up, we played in the water until dinner. 

Mimi made pork loin roast with farm fresh green beans (from a garden just up the hill from her), and Jean made roasted potatoes. 

We watched the sunset, and Cole was having trouble going to sleep.  Joe got him to sleep after putting Ryan to bed.  He put both boys down for their naps and bed today- super, super, Dad!

Unfortunately, Cole did not stay sleeping.  He had another bad night.  He woke up around 2, and did not want to sleep.  He was doing the same thing from a few nights before.  He kept waking up my grandma, so I took him to the car again. 

By this time it was 4 am.  I was so tired, I wasn’t going to drive- I was afraid I would be too drowsy- so I just held him in the car, while sitting in the passenger side of the car.  He finally went to sleep and I was dozing.  I thought to myself, “Five more minutes,” in order to make sure he was really in a deep sleep, before I would bring him back into the house.

Then, all of a sudden, the car alarm went off!  I have no idea why or how it went off. The horn was honking, and as quiet as it is on my grandmother’s peninsula, it might as well of been a space shuttle being blasted off.  The noise was deafening, and I know the noise woke up everyone within miles!

Joe came up to the car, and wanted the keys.  I didn’t have them, since I wasn’t planning on driving.  He went back to get them, and finally got that damn alarm to stop.  Of course everyone was awake, and I felt terrible.  Cole seemed very excited, but as soon as we went back into the room, he conked out!

That was about all the excitement I could handle.  I hoped and hoped, that Cole would not have another night where he couldn’t sleep (and he didn’t!). 

Day 6: Shopping

I slept until 9 am, and then Ryan told me when I got up, that his bear (stuffed animal), had had a hard time going to sleep, and he had a rough night with his bear!

Jean and I decided to drive into a town about 20 minutes away to browse the shops and pick up some local jams and jellies.  We took Cole with us, and Ryan stayed back for more fun in the sun with Dad, and Papa Dan.

Cole did well on our shopping outing- we browsed, had lunch at a local grill, and then found the shop with the goodies!  I got wild blueberry jam and my all time favorite- strawberry rhubarb preserves, which were all made locally!

We headed back home to find Ryan still playing in the water.  Cole had reached his limit, so he and I headed in the house for a two hour nap, which we both took.  Ryan was still in the water, (no nap), having a blast.  Cole woke up, and we went in the water as well.

For dinner I made pizza- it was pizza from the deli, which I “doctored” up with some mushrooms, and green peppers.  I made another green salad too. 

Joe gave the boys a bath and then it was bed time.  Cole fell asleep very fast, so I went into Ryan and Joe’s tent to snuggle with Ryan, but he informed me that no girls were allowed- but I stayed anyway.

I finished reading Ravenhill, by Timothy Hillmer, (click to see my review), which was another fantastic read. 

Then Joe and I went into town for dessert and got to talk for a while.  We drove back to the peninsula and stopped to look at the stars.  It is so dark on the peninsula, we could see billions of stars, and we even saw the Milky Way Galaxy.  I also saw two shooting stars.

When we got back both boys were still fast asleep, and we went off to sleep.  It was a very nice and relaxing day!

Day 7: Lake Michigan

We drove today, and ended up at a beach on Lake Michigan.  It was awesome!  The waves were fun, and the water was just right. 

Cole just wanted to run right in- he had no fear what so ever.  We had to really watch him, because he kept trying to run in.  At my grandmother’s the water is very shallow and gradually gets deeper and deeper.  Where we were on the lake though, there was only a few feet where it was shallow, and then it dropped off considerably.

Ryan got used to the bigger waves and played in the water with Papa Dan.  After an hour or so, the boys were getting cold, so we headed back.  My dad and Jean took my grandmother’s car, because we all couldn’t fit in our rental car, and they decided to stay for a while longer.

We drove back and decided to stop at Olive Garden for dinner.  It was nice, and the boys behaved well.  Joe and I got dessert to go!   

This night, about 2 am it started to rain.  It was a complete downpour and the lightening was only about a mile away from us.  The thunder was so loud, it woke me up, but it was so cozy to be tucked into bed, where it was so dark, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, except for when the lightning would flash and light up the entire house. 

The bottom of Ryan and Joe’s tent got soaked but they were on an air mattress, so they were able to “ride out the storm”, without getting their bed wet.

Joe sleeps very deeply and he didn’t wake up with the thunder.  He said he heard Ryan going, “Dad, oh Dad,” and he woke up and saw Ryan standing over him.  He was shaking and was scared.  The thunder was very loud.  So he cuddled up with Ryan, and he said he could feel his heart pounding about 200 beats a minute!  Poor little guy- but he went back to sleep- what a trooper!

Day 8: Another Day Bumming Around 

By now, this is probably getting pretty boring- more swimming, napping, eating, and hanging out.  I don’t think we could have been any more relaxed if we tried.

My dad and Jean told us they were going to spend the night with my dad’s aunt, and then go fishing with her and her husband the next morning. 

Then my grandmother said she was going to spend the night at one of her friend’s house, so we actually ended up having the place to ourselves Sunday night.

We ate a late lunch, so we weren’t really hungry.  I made grilled cheese for the boys and Joe, and I had some left over ravioli from the night before.

We decided to take the boys into town for ice cream.  The one place downtown that we love, was closed so we went to another place that serves soft-serve.  It was ok, but Ryan really liked it for some reason. 

We got back to the house, and Joe bathed the boys, and we put them to bed.  Then we hung out, and we read.  I finished The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, (click to see my review), by Kim Edwards.

Both the boys slept really well and it was nice to have a quiet evening to ourselves. 

Day 9: Our Last Full Day

We all woke up about 8, and decided to go into town to a wonderful place for breakfast. 

I got cherry-pecan French toast with eggs, and Joe got a Denver omelet.  The boys got eggs and pancakes.  They gave the boys their milk in a kiddie cup, and it had a really think bendy straw, all Cole wanted to do, was take the straw out, and then put it back in again.  He did that for the entire breakfast!

When we got back to the house, my grandmother was home.  We talked for a while and then Joe went in with Cole to take a nap, Ryan played on the beach, and I watched him, and read. 

It was a lot cooler this day, so it was kind of cold to go swimming, but we all got in the water to our waists and I chased Ryan around the water.  We had so much fun- he is still talking about me chasing him.

Then I took a shower, and stared getting us packed up, so I wouldn’t have to do it in the morning.  My dad and Jean came back with fresh salmon filets they caught that morning on Lake Michigan!  Guess what we had for dinner?

The boys went to bed, and Jean and my grandma watched a movie.  I was trying to read and finish a book Jean had gotten at the library, but I was really tired.  I just couldn’t keep my eyes open.  My dad was tired too, so we actually went to bed early, and left Joe reading, and Jean and Mimi watching the movie.

Day 10: Home

We got up at 7, to get ready to leave.  We finished packing, ate breakfast, got the boys ready, and were ready to leave for the drive back to the airport at 9:15. 

My dad and Jean were leaving the next day, and I actually started to cry when I said goodbye to them and my grandma.  They were all so helpful, and helped us have a fantastic vacation.  It was just perfect. Even with the few bad nights Cole had, no one complained or made me feel bad. 

They were all great about helping us with Ryan and Cole, and allowed Joe and I to have some much needed time for us, and just catch up on sleep, relax, and unwind. 

I  know we didn’t do our “fair share” of cooking or cleaning, but no one minded, and my dad told me that was why they were staying an extra day, so we could just relax and not have to worry about it.

So, we are so thankful and grateful to my dad, Jean, and Mimi.  Thank you guys, for giving us such a wonderful break and vacation, and being so great and loving to Ryan and Cole.  They had a terrific time as well.

On the way to the airport, Cole threw up- I think he was gagging himself, and of course, as soon as I picked him up, I got it all over my shirt.  So we stopped at a rest area to change, but we still made it into the town an hour early.

We stopped and got some lunch and then dropped off the rental car.  We managed to get all our bags this time, and arrived at the airport an hour before the flight. 

Ryan kept asking when we would be in the clouds again, and was super excited when we finally took off.  Cole fell asleep again, and slept for two hours.  I dozed off and on, and noticed that Ryan was sleeping too.

Joe’s dad came and picked us up from the airport, and then his mom had a delicious meal of hamburgers, sweet corn, cucumbers, green beans, and home grown tomatoes for us.  It was so nice of her to cook for us, and it was just the perfect ending to our vacation. 

The minute we walked in the door, the boys went to their toys, and Cole had a smile on his face like, “Hey, I remember this place.”

Ryan was thrilled to be in his own bed again, and I find it true for myself as well- no matter how much I love vacations, there is something to sleeping in my own bed.  I don’t think anything feels more like home to me, then those first few minutes after I am laying in my bed after being away.  It was a great vacation, but I am happy to be home- back in my own bed.

If you have read this far, thank you, and now for the pictures: (you can click on any of them to see them bigger)

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