Thursday, May 12, 2016

The Beach

So we successfully took our first family of four vacation this week. We've taken Hartley on several trips but they were all to meet up with family so this was actually the first time we vacation just "our little family". 

I was actually pretty optimistic for how it would go and was only really worried for how we'd do with the whole sleeping thing. My reasoning was this: my normal life the ratio is one of me and two of them so this was actually a true vacation for me because my workload would be halved! Plus, life around the homestead can get a little stale, especially with boatloads of rain, so a change of scenery and heated indoor pool sounded pretty damn good! But obviously a hotel isn't a great deal of space for people to have private sleeping space. We picked a nice hotel that was set up with a small living room (enough to fit two cribs) and had a door to shut it off from the bedroom.

My only fear was that no one would sleep. The good news is that people actually did sleep... just not in the arrangement we thought. That ended up being totally fine because as all parents know, it's not really how you sleep, it's that you get to sleep that matters!

We left our house at 9:30 am on Monday to avoid rush hour traffic. The drive would usually take us about 3 hours but with kids it ended up being a little over 4 hours. There was a bottle and diaper change stop and a coffee & donut stop. All the important things! 

We did let Hartley watch tv in the car. We ordered a headrest tv for the trip, and it was perfect. And Patrick was good in the car with toys and books. He's now in his "big boy" car seat, which made the drive more comfortable.



When we got there it was raining so we decided to take our crew to the indoor pool. It was advertised as being heated but the heat wasn't on. However, our kids were so awesome that the cold water didn't stop them and they splashed around happily.


Since we didn't eat lunch on the road we were hungry for early dinner so after the pool we took them to this awesome place called Dead Freddie's. It actually has an outdoor eating area with a playground! So after Hartley was done eating I took her to the playground and Brian kicked back and had a couple beers with Patrick. We decided since the rain had stopped to take the kids to the beach that evening. Hartley went nuts for it. She loved the beach.



She actually calls the sandbox at my parents house, "the beach", so I thought she'd like the real deal. It did not disappoint. Brian showed her how to use her buckets and sand moulds and shovels. She thought it was great.


She wasn't nuts about leaving but bedtime was approaching, and Patrick had a runny nose that was tiring him out more than usual. 

This night we put Patrick down first, then Hartley. They both laughed and shrieked back and forth from their cribs. Then Patrick fell asleep, and Hartley managed to fall asleep, too. However, Patrick's congestion caused him to wake up after a little while so we took him into bed with us. He actually fell right asleep in our bed, and since it was a king size there was plenty of room. I slept like crap though because I was so afraid something would happen to him. 

The next morning we ordered room service - and as pathetic as it sounds that was a huge highlight of the trip for me. Having someone deliver a meal to you that you didn't have to prepare or clean up? Um, heaven. 


After breakfast, we took the babes to the beach. Keep in mind it was in the 50's the whole day so they were very bundled. Again, kids are so easy, they didn't mind. They did have cute beach outfits they never got to wear but oh well. 





Hartley discovered seagulls and seashells, and we had the whole beach to ourselves. When Patrick started getting tired, Brian took him back to the room to nap, and I took Hartley to the pool. Another highlight of the trip was having special one on one time with the kids. Hartley loved her mommy and me time at the pool. Added bonus was some lady had complained about the water temperature so the heat was turned on, and it felt so good! Hartley didn't want to leave the pool so I eventually had to bribe her ;)



We got back to the room, and Brian went out to pick up subs for lunch. Then after lunch it was time for Hartley to nap so Brian and Patrick left for the boardwalk. Our hotel became a girls napping suite because I napped, too! 

Our male counterparts were less lazy - Brian and Patrick walked 4 miles. They did the whole boardwalk and grabbed a beer at Hooters. Father son bonding at its best, right? 


After their boardwalk adventure, Hartley and I were up. So we all did the indoor pool together as a family. The kids again loved it. We took turns carrying each of the babies around the pool. Patrick was all about the splashing and kicking, and Hartley was more about the relaxing back float, resting the back of her head on my chest.

For dinner I didn't feel like schlepping the kids around in the cold and rain so Brian picked us up pizza. 

After dinner, he took Hartley to the arcade in the hotel, and she loved it. Patrick stayed up in the room with me. I got the room organized and tidied, and we relaxed and snuggled together.


Then we attempted having them share a room again at bedtime. Patrick we put down asleep. After about 20 minutes of Hartley calling out his name to wake him up - he woke up. He was so tired and not happy to be woken up by his crazy sister. So we put his crib in our room. He slept while we watched the New Girl finale. Then Brian and I crashed, and a good night of sleep was had by all! 

The next morning we decided since the kids loved the pool so much we'd take them for one last swim. They had a blast one more time at the pool. Then we headed out.

The drive home took a while because we did end up in some early rush hour on the way back. But we all bathed when we got home, put on fresh pajamas, and I managed to wash all the dirty laundry from the trip! Our dining room table is still covered in duffle bags that I'll eventually get to unpacking... someday! 

But honestly, I'm shocked at how well the trip went. There were no meltdowns or tantrums. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Brian and I managed to have energy and not be exhausted afterwards. I think we both wish we'd stayed longer but we did anticipate it being tougher than it was. 

I think if there was something we did "right" to make our trip so successful is that we planned the trip around the kids. It was a manageable length of car ride, a family friendly place to stay and not a long trip. I also think compiling a long packing list in advance was very helpful because an infant and toddler aren't exactly light travelers, and you don't want to forget anything they deem important.  But I also thank God for the vacation luck he sent us and hopefully next time the weather gods cooperate too!

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Rainy days & Mother's Day

Rain, rain go away. 

The past couple weeks leading up to Mother's Day weekend have been all about the rain. In the beginning I was all about finding the good in it - an excuse to stay in our pajamas and watch some tv. I bought painting supplies for Hartley, and she went nuts for that. She is loving coloring and painting. 




We've been reading a ton. Patrick is army crawling around like nobody's business. Both kids had therapy this past week. We hosted a pizza party play date at the beginning of the week. But at the end of the week I felt like I was coming a little unglued. The rain has gotten to me. I hosted my first MOMS club play date on Friday morning, which went well but after that I was ready to collapse into a heap and just sleep until the sun comes out again! 


Of course that's not an option, and I had ballet with Hartley this morning. Last week I wanted a break and asked Brian to take her. She wouldn't do it without me. Brian said she darted out of the classroom every chance she got, screaming, "Mama! Mama!" So they bailed after ten minutes. Today, however, she did great. All she needs is her mama there and then she can shake her tush and bop her head and sometimes even follow directions ;)



I think the rain is making me a little off so I've been a little extra emotional this Mother's Day weekend. It's the first one since my grandma passed last summer, so that makes its kind of different. I guess I keep thinking a lot about how my mom doesn't have her mom this year, and that thought is really painful. I think about how I couldn't bear losing my mom and then I think about how my mom must be feeling. 

Then also my mom isn't here. She's in Europe - and totally deserves that vacation but I kind of wish I could hug her. 

So this Mother's Day it'll just be me with my little family - Brian and the babies. It's my first Mother's Day as a mom of two, and I feel ridiculously blessed. Patrick is the sweetest baby and the most amazing, chunky, happy addition to our family. It's hard to imagine he wasn't here last Mother's Day. 


Brian and the kids are taking me out for brunch tomorrow and then giving me the day "off". They gave me a gift certificate to get a manicure and pedicure so I'm thinking I'll redeem that, and I plan on lounging in bed and taking a bubble bath! 

Of course, I'll also do laundry and pack the kids for the beach. We leave on Monday for a couple days to go to Ocean City. Patrick will celebrate turning 9 months by putting his toes in the sand and seeing the ocean for the first time. I'm a tad nervous for our first family of four trip (the kids will be sharing a room for the first time which is what im nervous for) but mainly really excited. I can't wait to see what they think of the beach and pool. 

We'll do a little Mother's Day celebration with my mom when she gets back. That woman really deserves everything. She is such an incredible mother and nana. I almost thought about writing a blog for her but the truth is it would take days to write down all of the wonderful things about her. I'm lucky to call her my mom, and over the past few years I've loved seeing her as a nana to my kids. She loves them and takes care of them in the sweetest way, and it shows whenever Hartley makes imaginary phone calls, always saying, "Hi Nina!" She calls her Nina, asks for her regularly, and it's adorable. And Patrick gets his sweet smiling eyes from my mom; I love that people have started telling me that he looks like her. I know he loves her so much, too. She made him little Easter egg Maracas, and my little musician boy loves them. Can you tell I miss her? I do. 

It's funny how much becoming a mother has made me appreciate my mom so much more. She is seriously a real super mom, and my goal is to be half the mom she is :)

Well, better take whatever is left of nap time to rest up. We're having a cook out with my brother and sister in law tonight. Hartley will be so stoked to see them. Ever since she had brunch at their house last Sunday all I've been hearing about is her "uncle an-du and key-line". We're still working on the difference between aunts and uncles but for now this is pretty adorable!


And sorry this is written a little all over the place with the scattered thoughts and pictures but I slept like 4 hours last night so my mom brain is even worse than usuall!