Traveling to DC part 2

While we were in DC it was fun seeing the sights and tourist areas but I also love just having time to hang out.  When I only see my sister and the kids only see their cousins once a year it seems more important to just spend time together than see tons of sights.  With that being said it is very hard to contain my kid’s energy in doors all day not to mention adding her three in as well.  We had to have some fun plans for the days we weren’t actively sightseeing.

I think the things my kids remember the most are Aunt Jackie’s chickens.  At the farm where she gets her farm share from they have a chick raising program.  For a small fee you can take four chicks home to raise and watch grow.  You can either keep them or bring them back when they get bigger.  My sister was very excited to have these four baby chicks at her house for a few weeks.  The kids got to learn how to handle them and care for them.  We also got to watch them grow each day.  It was amazing.  Every morning they looked a little bigger and had a few more feathers.

My sweet James and his little chick extra crispy.

Lilly, Livy and Sunflower

 The kids would all sit in a half circle on the kitchen floor and we would let them out to run around on the floor.  At first the boys were a little timid but by the end of the week they were confident in their ability to pick them up safely.  Lilly still didn’t want to hold them; she just wanted to sit by her cousins while they held them.  She would try to sit next to whoever had sunflower (her favorite chicken) on their lap.

Joe and Dominic

One eyed Willy picked a nice perch on Nick's head

Chicken herding circle

They got to join in with one of Olivia’s favorite activities, roller skating.  Ours have never been before and boy is it and adventure to handle four kids who have never been on roller skates before. Did I mention I haven’t skated since about middle school?  I was not exactly a graceful skater myself.  They had these little walkers for learners to use which was great.  They still fell quite a bit and when they got tired each time they fell was enough to bring on the tears but overall I think they had a great time.  We might even try to go to the Skateland by us.

Lilly and her Aunt Jackie, they were buddies!

Good thing we had some help from their big cousins.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with one of the other bloggers from Hellobee.  I have blogged with her for almost a year and a half now it was great to meet in person.  She told us about a great park for the kids and a fun restaurant with burgers and custard.  (I had to be informed that “custard” is a frozen treat and not pudding, I was trying to figure out why a restaurant would specialize in burgers and pudding)  Our boys and her son had a great time playing and goofing around at lunch.

Climbing wall at the Park

Even the grown ups got some play time in

On your marks get set go....

We were lucky enough to celebrate Easter with my sister and her family.  So of course we had to have some fun Easter activities.  We did the usually egg dyeing, Easter egg hunt and Easter baskets.  We also hid a secret bonus prize, a giant chocolate bunny for the kids to split.  While they were hunting for eggs Nick opened the closet and said “nope, no eggs in here just a giant chocolate bunny.” Then closed the closet thinking it wasn’t something he was supposed to find.  We set up the bunny in the middle of the table and let the kids have at it.  It was a bit like watching 7 rabid dogs fighting over their next meal so after everyone got their first bite we torn off big hunks for each kid.

Making Easter eggs

She found her basket!

Egg hunt!!!

Attacking the giant chocolate bunny

I just want one piece mom!

My sister and I had the whole day planned out.  We were going to go to the 4:00pm service at their church and then come home and have dinner.  We got 11 of us dressed and ready to go to church and took a few family pictures in front of her house.  We piled everyone into the car and as we approached the church I heard my sister say “Uh oh.” As we looked around the parking lot and so absolutely no cars she realized that she had the times wrong.  We had missed the services and had to head back home.

Quick Easter picture before heading out to church

We decided we would go back home and do a little bit of our own Sunday school so the kids felt could hear the Easter story.  My sister had a set of resurrection eggs (12 eggs filled with little things that represent the story) that we used and my nephews read the story to the younger kids.  We printed out some coloring sheets with scenes from the Easter story for each of the kids to color.  It was a bit of a holiday fail on our part but we still had a fun day.

Our own little Sunday school at home.

There were times when we decided to just hang out at home too.  My sister has a great grassy area right in front of her town home so it was nice to just let the kids run around.  We found some badminton sets and rubber band airplanes in the dollar section at target that the kids loved playing with.  

I think watching the big boys play was the funniest part

Joe loved it!

Let them fly boys!

When it came time to say good bye I had to try to hold back the tears a bit.  I love my sister and our time together.  I love watching our kids play together and seeing their relationships grow.  As we were driving to the airport Nick told me “I am glad to be going home to see Jake and Raya (our dogs) but I am sad that we can’t play with our cousins anymore.”   I always feel sad when we have to leave and I immediately start looking forward to the next time we get to see each other.  Guess it’s time to start hoping for a Christmas visit!!

Big cousin Nathan read our boys their bedtime story,  I can't express how much I love seeing them have a relationship!

Traveling to DC

It feels like whenever we take the kids on vacation it takes me twice as long to catch up around the house.  I have been in crazy mode and it seems like more and more things keep piling up but I wanted to share a bit about our adventures visiting with my sister and of course share pictures.

Last spring we visited my sister in Buffalo.  This year she is Virginia so we headed out to visit her on the kids spring break.  The big difference between this trip and any other we have taken was that there were no grandparents accompanying us on this trip.  IN the past whenever we were on a plane with the kids we always had some extra hands and eyes so I was a little (ok.. .very) nervous.

I think most people seeing us walk through the airport just think "Oh God...please not on my flight"

  So we did everything to ensure we had the most successful flights we could.  Our kids do the best in the morning so we always book morning flights.  I packed each of them a backpack with some toys and snacks.  I always buy lollipops to help with the ear pressure and other treats that they don’t often get at home.  I also bought each kid a new sticker book and some small toys.  The excitement of new things usually keeps them occupied.  We also had our ipad and Kindle to keep them entertain as well.  On our way home the man sitting in front of us actually turned around and told me how well behaved my kids were.  I was so proud of our little ones during most of the trip they had really good behavior.

While we were there we had a few sightseeing days and other days we just hung out and relaxed.  Although there is so much to see in the DC area I also know that the kids need a little down time too. 

We drove into DC one day to see some monuments and to visit the zoo where my sister works.  We got to see the Mr. Luther King Jr, Korean War and Lincoln memorials.  The boys had learned about Martin Luther in school so they really liked seeing the statue.  Joe wanted to know if the statue was how tall he really was.  He seemed a little disappointed when I told him that he was just a normal man and not a giant.  

After seeing the soldier statue at the Korean War memorial James became obsessed with fighting, soldiers dying, and good guys versus bad guys.  It’s a hard thing for a little five year old brain to understand but he was trying really hard and had tons of questions.  

 As we went up the stairs to the Lincoln memorial Lilly insisted on climbing up herself the whole time yelling “Mommy I am a big girl I can climb the big steep stair all by myself. I can do it!”  I must say she had quite a few admirers as we went up.  I know she talks a lot for a 2 year old but where ever we go she draws attention with people saying how cute she is.  Maybe is the crazy hair?  I don’t know but it is kind of funny.  The boys like the big statue of Lincoln as well.  We showed them that he was an important president and that he is even on our money.  Nick was particularly interested in the penny and comparing Lincoln’s head with the Lincoln statue.

The Cherry blossom festival was the week before we came but we were able to see a few while we were there.  

My sister wanted to show us where she has been working.  Her colleagues allowed us to come in the back and take a little tour of their enclosure.  We got to meet a red river hog, several cheetahs, and Oryx, and a zebra.  The kids really enjoyed seeing them up close.  None of them knew how loud a zebra could get so that was a little surprising.  They were a little shocked when they were told to stay behind the yellow line because they were just the right size for a cheetah snack.  Joe wanted to know if a cheetah would eat his clothes too or if they would have to take his hat off before they ate him.  Apparently I let them watch too many nature films since the idea of being eaten by a cheetah didn’t really phase them that much.  After that the kids were spent an no one wanted to walk anymore so we didn’t go any further into the zoo than my sisters area.  We did get to see the maned wolf on our way out which I was super excited about.  I love seeing animals I have never seen before.

Red river hogs, so ugly they are cute!

Lilly absolutely loved the cheetahs (guess who got a stuffed cheetah on this trip)

Maned wolf - this guy was awesome!

Another day we decided to go to the Air and Space Museum by my sister’s house instead of going into the DC area again.  I thought LA traffic was irritating but wow….DC is rough.  As soon as we walked in Lilly ran in screaming “Daddy Look!  I have never seen this many airplanes before.”  I have to say this museum was a big hit with my kids.

Daddy daddy daddy.....PLANES!!!

Joe was so excited to see a plane that looked just like his toy Skipper from Planes

We all loved seeing the space shuttle.  I think my boys are a little spoiled.  They have been to see the Endeavor here in LA and I think they think its normal to have a space shuttle in the science museums.  They probably just think silly old mom is getting excited over nothing.  I don’t care…seeing the space shuttles is awesome.

They even had the Enola Gay on display.  It seriously gave me the chills.  I don’t know if it’s because I visited Hiroshima as an 8 year old and it has left a lasting impression on me but seeing that plane was eerie.  The kids didn’t know much about it but they did like looking at it and listening to their Daddy tell them that it was a war plane that carried a big bomb.

I think their favorite part was the place that was on display in an interactive exhibit.  They loved getting they turn at sitting in a cock pit and touching all the buttons and controls.

The day before we left we decided to take the kids to a battle field.  The National Battlefield Park at Manassas was pretty close to my sister house so we decided to take the kids there.  They had an awesome program for kids.  There was a little booklet and upon finishing the pamphlet they could earn a badge.  Our kids were a little too young to complete the pages but it would have been perfect for ones a few years later.  They did give each kid a set of 8 cards with famous generals and locations around the park.  Our kids absolutely loved those.  I didn’t think James would be a big history buff but that kid cannot get enough information about Stonewall Jackson.  I love it.  He and my dad will have to be history buddies.

Looking over the battle field.  The boys loved looking at the cannons.

The Henry House.

Comparing our cards to the sights around the park.  This one was a card of Stone House.

Pretending to be soldiers.

James' new favorite General, Stonewall Jackson.

I love that they got to spend time with their Aunt, she is the BEST!

Next time I will fill you in all the other fun things we did like skating, playing with my sisters chickens and celebrating Easter.

A Changing Identity Part Three: To Preschool and Beyond.

After surviving the “new mom era” I have felt like I have been in this slow transition to a new me and it comes from changes in our family dynamic.  It’s nothing like the unending feeling of being lost that I felt with infertility.  It’s not this overnight colossal change that being a new mom brought with it.  Instead it has been developing slowly since around the time my twins turned one.

As a mom I know that many changes in me are a result of milestones that my kids meet.  When my twins learned to walk at 8 months and I was chasing three little boys with things to do and trouble to get into I had to learn how to manage them in public (which including becoming a much more patient and relaxed person).  I stopped nursing them at 1 year which all of a sudden gave me way more freedom with my time.  The older they got the more they were able to entertain themselves and I could run to the bathroom from time to time, although it usually resulted in them jumping off the furniture by the time I got back.(again a test of patience) I also became more confident in my abilities to handle three boys.  This was huge for me to be able to say “Kids are happy, husband is happy, things are going great!”

We even added another child into our family and it didn’t change everything as dramatically as those first few years with the boys.  There were some changes.  The day she was born I became a mother of four.  I wasn’t the one with all the babies any more.  I became “the one with the three boys and the little girl.”  But this new title and identity wasn’t as difficult for me to transition too.  I already knew how to be a parent to a large family.  It was just a slightly bigger now.   I had been a mom for almost three years.  I was used to being tired (What are a few more months of night time feedings). I was used to being at home with no time to myself (I never thought going to the bathroom by myself would be a luxury but truly it is).  I was used to being greatly outnumbered during the day while Mr. Train was working (Now I did all the same things but I did it with a baby strapped to my chest).

With my daughter I was over the new mom insecurities and was able to truly enjoy her infancy.

Being a mother has been absolutely, hands down the best part of my life and the most difficult. I never knew how much love I could have until I had these four little ones running around my house.   I worry nonstop about who they will become and how to give them the best that I possibly can and it has changed me.  I have had to learn to be more patient, more selfless, and more forgiving than ever before.  I even began to throw in my own style and truly show my kids who I am separate from being their mom.  They loved going to the marine mammal center I worked at and adopting an elephant seal who happened to be named after us.  They love when we do science experiments, craft projects or themed lessons at home.  Each time I do something like that I am sharing little pieces of myself with them.  Pieces that would not have made much of a difference in those early years of constant feedings and diapers but make a world of difference now.

In the last year or so, as I have watched my kids grow, I have noticed the intensity of what motherhood used to be is dwindling.   My little toddlers and my infant are growing older and my responsibilities are changing.  The boys became potty trained, Lilly weaned, they all stopped using sippy cups.  All of those things have lead to changes in my behavior.  The boys can use the restroom on their own now.  Lilly, who I never got to take a bottle, doesn’t need to be near me every second of the day.  They can get their own water from our refrigerator.  All of these little changes and milestones they reach gives them more independence and takes some of the jobs off of my shoulders.
When all three boys went to preschool last fall it seemed as though a new chapter was really starting.  I walked into their room one day and one of their friends came up to me.  He said “Hi James’ mom, Hi Nick’s mom, Hi Joe’s mom, Hi James’ sisters’ mom. That's a mouth full - you sure have a lot of kids - that’s pretty funny -your house must be like a big play date -can you call my mom so I can come over?”  I don't think he even took a breath.  I laughed and told him he was right I do have a lot of kids and it is fun.  I am James, Joe, Nick and Lilly's mom and I love it.  I have found my stride in this life as  a parent.

I rarely get a picture with everyone looking forward and smiling, but that's life, and this life is good.

But just as I feel like I am hitting my stride I can feel the winds of change again.  Right now I am a preschool mom. I volunteer when I am needed.   I participate in all their events and bring treats to their parties.  Now we have fundraisers, class birthday parties and school events to attend.  Lilly still has three more years before kindergarten but I know from experience those years will speed by before I know it and I will be at home with no kids during the day.

So what now?  I laughed with Mr. Train and told him it’s weird because I feel like I have to decide what I want to be when I grow up…again.  It was easy the first time around.  I wanted to be a biologist so I went to college and got a biology degree.  I wanted to teach biology so I continued in college and got my credential and got a job.  Now I am not so sure. At this point I don’t know what I am going to do when my kids go to school but I do know it's time to starting thinking about my own future.

Saying good bye to those early years is a bitter sweet but really exciting.

I have had some ideas but I don’t know what will work out for our family.  I have considered writing and trying to get some projects published.  I have considered opening an Etsy shop.  I am pretty sure I don’t want to return to the class room but I can always tutor again.  I have a few years before Lilly is in school but I know that will fly by in no time (is the fact that the summer is just around the corner taking anyone else by surprise or just me?) I know I will take on anything that comes my way.  I survived the new mom stage and grew to love my new role.  I am loving life with preschoolers and I am looking forward to the adventures that await us in the elementary school days.   I just can’t help but wonder about what that new chapter will look like and who I will be while we are living it.