Spring Break with Grandpa and Grandma

My mom and dad arrived Good Friday, in time to eat supper with us. I'd anticipated them arriving in time to eat with us, though I didn't know what time, exactly (and they have no cell phone to call us), so I'd made burrito filling in the slow cooker. Easy to make, and good for eating at pretty much any time, once it's done. It is so easy: Put any kind of meat, a chunk of pork or beef or some chicken, along with a jar of salsa, and two cans of beans. You don't have to be precise with the amounts, just make it look right to you. I usually cook the meat until I can shred it, then add the beans to cook some more. It's easier to shred the meat without the beans in there.

The big kids were SO excited, knowing Grandma and Grandpa were coming "any minute". I think they waited at the window looking for them for probably an hour. They'd leave for a short time, then come back and wait. Austin made his bunny ears at school, and Lauren found hers in a cupboard. Sure enough, Grandpa and Grandma arrived while the kids were on the lookout! All of a sudden, Austin said, "They're here." And the funny thing was, after waiting all that time by the window, none of them moved too fast to open the door and let them in! Crazy kids.


All the kids got lots and lots of play time and attention from Grandpa. They all had several coffee times with Grandpa and Grandma. Grandma and Grandpa drink black coffee, and the kids got brown coffee: coffee with lots of milk and plenty of sugar.

Lauren would sit in the little hallway outside the bathroom whenever Grandpa or Grandma were in there with the door shut, singing a little song to herself while she waited for them: "Open the door, and you can get it!" "Open the door and you can get it!" Over and over she softly sang that song until they came out!


Monday morning Austin woke up very unhappy, not feeling well at all! His right ear that bothered him Easter morning was hurting again. As it so happened, Caroline's 9-month check-up and shots were scheduled for April 13, so I just took Austin in and had him checked then. Sure enough, he had an ear infection. Since he'd just had an ear infection (but in his left ear), and had had 10 days of Amoxicillin, starting March 24, he had to have a different antibiotic, Azithromicin this time. Austin was miserable all day that Monday, but the antibiotic kicked in pretty quickly.

One of the days I was out watering the seeds we planted (they're sprouting now!). I'd set Caroline on the grass to watch. She is fascinated with those Easter eggs so I gave her some to play with. My mom and dad came out too.

Bailey had to visit Caroline.

Another day we had a reluctant princess. Lauren had got out the dress-up clothes and tried on every princess costume, but that was it. On one went, and off it came, in a matter of minutes. Julia insisted Snow White needed her red headband and gloves to complete her look. Princess Lauren didn't like that plan. Julia used to dress up and play for a loooong time, but Lauren isn't as into it as she was. However, Lauren plays with her dolls and toy kitchen more than Julia did.

We had babies being diapered. The real one and the one who's real to this mommy, Abigail Dumpling Baby, she named her baby this day.

I helped Austin build this giant, sprawling train track. He'd drawn a track layout that we loosely followed. Our future architect?

We had a strange character visit (picture 1). We had a sawdust catcher assist Grandpa in making a doll bed (picture 2).

Several weeks ago I mentioned to Julia that her cousin planned to buy an American Girl doll with her own money that she was saving, from birthdays, holidays, etc. Awhile after that, maybe even a week or two later, Julia told me, "I have money. I could buy a doll with my own money." And sure enough, she did have money--two kitty banks and one bunny bank stuffed full of money she's received for birthdays, holidays, from the tooth fairy, found on the ground... All the checks she's received we've put in her investment account, but this cash was money she's gotten for other various circumstances. Plus, Brian and I agreed we needed to start paying her an allowance. So she had that money. She counted her money a few times (because the total was not always the same ;) ), and had a little more than enough to buy an American Girl doll and its accessories. You save $5 if you buy them together.

Julia's favorite American Girl is Josefina. Her second favorite is Felicity. Since she got Josefina for Christmas, she bought Felicity. Felicity arrived April 8, and Julia was SO excited! She gave Lauren the book, since Julia already has that book. You can't buy the doll without the first book in its collection--a way for AG to make even more money, I'm sure. Lauren was thrilled, absolutely tickled pink, to be given that book, but mostly to be included in Julia's world. Lauren says she's saving her money for a Kaya doll. Keep saving, little girl. ;) As Austin told her, "Wauren, you might not get Kaya for a long, long time. You might not get Kaya until you are 8 or 9!" But Lauren is not to be deterred. She insists she is saving her money for Kaya. She's looked at those AG catalogs with Julia and wants that Kaya doll. :)

Anyway. Julia said Felicity needed a bed. She said Josefina does not; she sleeps on a sheepskin. I suggested, that maybe Grandpa could build a bed when they came. And, sure enough, Grandpa did. Julia chose a four-poster style bed, with a canopy. Tuesday Grandpa and Grandma planned it out, and we shopped for wood and screws for it. We also stopped at the quilt shop in Pismo Beach, for Grandma, but Julia and I picked out some fabric for bedding for Felicity's bed. We all went to Carl's Jr. for lunch. That afternoon my dad started making the bed.

He worked hard and long on that bed, and finished it late Wednesday afternoon. My mom had to make an emergency trip back to the quilt shop in Pismo Beach right before they closed, because we'd not figured enough fabric! It was kind of hard to figure when there wasn't a bed actually made, and we were kind of in a hurry the first time. When she had all the fabric, my mom started the bedding. She sewed a mattress, pillow, canopy, curtains and bed spread. It turned out really cute! I still need to paint the bed, and cut some ribbons so Julia can tie back the curtains. She wanted curtains that could be shut at night, because that's what they used in colonial times to keep out the chill. :)


Thursday was spent packing up and getting ready to leave for our trip to Yosemite.

At breakfast Saturday we had to wait quite awhile, as the service was slow! We were all talking, and not paying a whole lot of attention to Lauren. Suddenly I notice her siphoning water out of her drinking glass with her straw, then letting the water drip on the table. She'd wipe the water with her napkin, then put the napkin in the glass...just fiddling around, bored. I told her to stop that (!), and gave her a little notebook and pen from my purse. Grandma asked to draw something or look at the book, and Lauren told her, "You can't have this because you didn't put your napkin in your cup!"

My mom and dad left to drive home Saturday morning while Brian took the big kids swimming in the hotel pool. I stayed in the hotel room packing up and watching a house show on TLC while Caroline had a nap. They all stayed in the pool over an hour! We checked out of the hotel, then took them to Oakhurst's city park.

Sweet little Caroline was so happy to get to swing. She's a big kid, too, after all. :D

Little Swinger, and Lauren up on the play structure. Typical stance of hers, here, walking/standing with one hand tucked in the back of her pants. Oh, what goes on around here!!

One of the afternoons during the week, my dad was sitting on the couch with Julia, Austin, and Lauren surrounding him. They were talking about Easter, and the real meaning of Easter. The talk went on quite awhile. They talked about sin, and Julia quoted one of her Awana verses--word-perfect, with reference. She said she might not have been able to remember the reference if it hadn't been for all that quiz practice. After several minutes of talking about sin, and Jesus dying on the cross, and how we need to be saved, they were all quiet, just sitting with Grandpa. And Lauren pipes up, " Can we pay now?"

I think that took Grandpa a little by surprise, "You want to pray now?"

More quiet. And Lauren says sweetly, "Can we pay now?"

Somebody interpreted for her, "Can we play now, not pray!"

My mom and I got a kick out of that, listening in from the dining room. It was like Grandpa thought he was doing his Bible study, he'd given his talk and then they were going to finish it with a prayer. That's what you do, after all. Except Lauren wanted to play. ;)

Hosemite

That is what Lauren called it: Hosemite. Thursday of Spring Break, April 16, we all headed north and east to go to Yosemite. We stopped in Paso Robles to eat our picnic lunch at their city park. My mom went to a quilt shop across the street. Then we continued on to Clovis, so she could go to another quilt shop. The rest of us went to an ice cream parlor down the street and ate yummy ice cream, most of it made at Fresno State University. We also went to a train shop, near the quilt shop, where we got a present for Lauren's friend, Gracie, who was having a birthday party Sunday after we got back. I was surprised we found a present for a girl in a train shop, but we did; a cute Melissa and Doug wooden/magnetic "paper" doll with clothes to dress up.

We finished our drive in Oakhurst, where we stayed Thursday and Friday night at the Best Western. Our dinner was delicious, at Crab Cakes, a seafood restaurant. The kids were so excited to swim in the pool afterwards! We all went in, except Caroline, who sat in her stroller watching us all. ;)

Friday morning after breakfast at Katie's Country Kitchen, we drove to Yosemite. All was going well, despite getting a later start than Brian had hoped. But that's what happens, when you have all these little kids to take care of. ;) The road from Oakhurst to Yosemite is windy, a mountain road. Lauren, sitting with Austin in the very back seat of the van, suddenly said, "I'm going to trow up...," and proceeded to do so. All over herself and car seat straps. Thankfully, it did not get on the car seat cloth cover!! As it was I had to clean the straps the best I could with baby wipes. Which, also thankfully, we'd filled to the brim before leaving home. And, thankfully, the incident happened just before a hotel, where some friendly housekeepers said we could clean Lauren up in their employee restroom. I keep a clean change of clothes for each kid in the car for emergencies such as this, and this is a time I'm glad I do!! They may not be the cutest outfits, but good enough to be warm and clean. ;) You'll see Lauren's interesting ensemble below. What a start to the trip.

On to Yosemite. No sooner after we enter the park, Caroline thinks she needs to nurse. And indeed she did, as it was her time. Ha ha. Brian leads our mini caravan of us in our van in the lead, with my parents and Julia and Austin, following in their car. He thought the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias would be a good place for me to sit and nurse the baby while the other kids could run around. And it would have been a good idea, except, lots and lots of other people decided it would be a good idea to go to the Mariposa Grove too, and we couldn't even park right away. We had to wait in a long line of cars to even get in the parking lot! Neither of us had seen so many people at Yosemite before. Right then it felt more like Disneyland to me than a national park in the mountains!! We were going so slow, barely going at all, that we decided I should nurse the baby in the long line of cars. Yes, we did take her out of her car seat. Shhhh... So at least that was taken care of.

We only walked around the big Sequoias for a short time. My mom and dad said they'd rather see waterfalls and cliffs, and there were so many people in that area! Anyway, here I am, with the kids in front of part of a giant Sequoia. Notice Lauren's sweatsuit with a dress underneath. It was a little chilly, and that was what we had for layers for her. Austin is on a fallen tree, later, after lunch, near our picnic area.


After the Mariposa Grove, I said I'd like to see Wawona, an area with pioneer cabins and buildings, a covered bridge... Brian wasn't thrilled with this idea. But it was close to the Mariposa Grove, so he agreed. It was interesting to see, and something new we hadn't visited at Yosemite before.

Finally we drove to Yosemite Valley. By then it was lunch time. We were all hungry. And most of us were cold. There was only one picnic table in the sun, and we didn't get it. After lunch we all went in sunny spots to warm up! Do you like our ice chest? It was Brian's grandpa and grandma's, years ago. Kind of fun, huh? I like the vintage look of it, and it still works to keep food cold!


After our lunch and potty break, we continued our drive through Yosemite Valley. We parked and then walked to a visitor center where we looked at displays, and watched a movie about Yosemite. The movie nicely coincided with Caroline nursing again, though she didn't want to nurse, as it was much more interesting to watch the movie on the giant screen!! Austin and Lauren wanted to sit in the very, very back row, at the top of all the seats, and they were glad to go up there by themselves, just the two of them. Brian did go sit with them during the film, though. At the end of the movie Caroline and stayed by ourselves in the theater (no distractions then) while everyone else went out back to explore the Indian village. The Ahwahnee people lived in Yosemite Valley first, and in the village were Indian houses and displays, signs telling how they lived.

Here is Yosemite Falls, Upper Yosemite Falls, that is, while driving through the valley, and Caroline sitting on a big rock in the Ahwahnee village. (Lest you think we are endangering this poor child, taking her out of her car seat while the car's moving, and now sitting her on a rock by herself--Brian was holding her from the back. :D )

We drove to Yosemite Falls trail next, and hiked to it. There were patches of snow here and there in the park, first picture. And in the second picture, tiny little us in front of just part of Lower Yosemite Falls. You can't even get it all in the picture, or even see Upper Yosemite Falls. It is too tall. Very impressive! Of course the movie and displays at the visitor center talked about glaciers forming the cliffs and moving rocks, but we know God made them that way, and put the rocks where He wanted them. It is always the same story at those visitor centers: "Twenty million years ago such and such happened and the glaciers came through and broke the rocks apart and the ice melted and carried other big rocks to 'unnatural' spots and 'left' them there..." Maybe God used glaciers somehow, or maybe not, but I'm not buying the 20 million year story. Goodness. Give credit where credit is due! But they don't, and I don't think that's going to change soon. I thought it was cute Caroline was so focused on the waterfall. Who cares about yet another picture?! Ha!

Grandpa and Grandma with the kids, on the walk back to the cars.

It was about 6:00? 7:00? I think, when we left Yosemite Valley. We had to drive an hour to get back to Oakhurst. So we ate dinner late that night. I know, the first restaurant that we tried to go to dinner at, closed at 8, but they still had the door unlocked and let Austin and Grandpa use the restroom. ;) We were all tired (all three younger kids slept part of the drive back) and hungry, and the kids wanted to swim in the hotel pool, so we ended up back at Katie's Country Kitchen for supper too! That's the first time we've eaten twice at the same restaurant in one day. The food was ok, but mostly we didn't want to get stuck with no restaurant open, as it was only getting later, and Katie's was close to our hotel.

They were having karaoke night, and Grandpa and Julia both sang! The owner was very pleased to have them participate. I think they must have pretty much the same group every week, because they were sure urging my dad and her to choose songs. My dad told them he sings Gospel music, and they asked if he knew May the Circle Be Unbroken, that they quickly found in their selection book. He did, and sang that with a couple of the regulars. I don't think the regulars knew much Gospel music though, as they did ok, but didn't seem familiar with the song. The first song he sang was Elvis' Can't Help Falling in Love, and Julia sang Catch a Falling Star. She did well too, and it was cute. :)

Our dinner was so late, that we decided to not swim that night, but told the kids they could swim the next morning. Lauren was not happy about that! I think Julia and Austin were maybe a little relieved, as they were so tired. We had planned to return to Yosemite for a few hours, but they were more eager to swim and play at a park with a playground (what good is a park with no playground, even if it is a national park with amazing scenery...). After the throwing up incident and knowing we'd have to drive an hour to Yosemite and back again, Brian and I thought we would skip it on Saturday. My mom and dad left to drive home, back to WA, that morning.

Egg Hunts and Easter Musings

Julia and Austin had a half day of school on Good Friday. They came home with a flyer about a community egg hunt at the park. Of course they wanted to go. Saturday morning we walked to the park with my mom and dad. Lauren was in the 0-3 age group, Austin in the 4-6, and Julia in the 7-10. Wouldn't you say Lauren and Austin had quite an advantage? Especially Lauren who will be 4 on May 6?! She would have gotten flustered and not many eggs in Austin's group, though.

Austin and Lauren got a lot of eggs: 28 for him, and Lauren had almost as many. Julia ended up with eight. She was not happy about that. And I was kind of mad too, because, in her group--definitely kids who were old enough to pick up their own eggs--and the group where the announcer specifically said, "Kids only, no adults!"--as soon as they got the signal, one girl and her mother went racing in the egg area. That greedy mom was grabbing eggs left and right, tossing them in her daughter's basket, the daughter not picking up any eggs, just holding the basket for her mom! All for a bunch of Tootsie Rolls. The rule-follower in me doesn't like that blatant rule breaking. After Julia's run for the eggs, we went by the T-ball field so we could see where Julia and Lauren had picked lupines at Austin's last T-ball game. Grandma and I had a talk with Julia, RE the greedy mother, about that's where it starts: cheating on tests, stealing, ending up in prison... And how probably that mom and daughter had never been to church in their lives, and really, we can't expect them to act any differently if they don't have Jesus in their hearts. Julia was cheered up by the time we got home. We divided up all the kids' Tootsie Rolls anyway. And Lauren's Smarties (which was the only candy in all her eggs!). They got fake animal tattoos in some eggs and divvied those up also.


At home, the kids and I dyed eggs with Grandma. We'd cooked 28 and also colored 36 raw eggs. Since I didn't want that many boiled eggs sitting in the fridge!

Coloring eggs is always fun. They sure made quick work of it.

Our pretty eggs... The more pastel eggs are the raw ones. Interesting how the dye didn't absorb as much into their shells. And it went through the shells of some of the cooked eggs. My mom made potato salad with some of them later in the week, and every so often we'd find a piece of blue or pink or green egg in the salad!

Easter Sunday morning Austin woke up not feeling well, saying his right ear hurt. March 24 he'd started an ear infection in his left ear. Dr. prescribed Amoxicillin, which Austin took for 10 days and got better. Immediately after finishing the antibiotic, he got another cold, and I think maybe this ear infection was a part of that. ??? Anyway, I gave him Children's Motrin, and he ate breakfast and was acting much happier. So we all went to church. For awhile there we thought Caroline and I would be staying home with him. Since I always end up in the cry room nursing her anyway, at some point during the service. :) But we all went to church, and it was a nice service, and we did end up in the cry room partway through.

After church we took some pictures, and the kids cooperated pretty well, actually, as they knew they'd get to hunt eggs afterwards. They were SO excited for that.

While the Easter Bunny Grandpa and Daddy finished hiding eggs in our backyard and front courtyard, Grandma and I amused the kids in our neighbor's yard. They are nice neighbors and wouldn't mind that type of thing, I am sure. The kids played on this swing for awhile that another neighbor put up in the big tree in this neighbor's yard. Was that confusing? :)

Grandpa and Daddy came moseying on over, and we took some family and couple pictures.

And the grandparents with the kids. That's our neighbor's bench too. One of the Easter bunnies wanted to be comfortable hiding eggs (I guess??) as he showed up for pictures wearing his motorcycle shirt. :D

On to the backyard for the big hunt. Lauren got to start first, being youngest. The other two were a little not ok with that, but it's how it goes every year, so they accepted it.

As it was, Julia ended up finding the most eggs anyway, then Austin. Julia had to go last, like always. It's always so exciting to hunt eggs, but I tell you, every year it's the same thing: "But I saw that one first, and she got it!" "He's taking all the eggs!!" Fight, fight, bicker, bicker. Oh what a glorious Easter! But when it's all said and done, they all love it! And of course it's great fun opening those eggs and seeing what candy is inside.

Miss Caroline celebrated her very first Easter.

She was very interested in all those pretty, colored eggs!

We had our ham dinner that night at supper time. I'd made a banana cream pie for dessert.

Nine Months

Our sweet baby girl is nine months old today. It's hard to believe she's so close to a year! Here she is, all cozy and bundled up after we got home from our walk to school. And her bear picture.


Getting ready for her morning nap...she sucks her thumb when she's tired. Or bored. Or just because it's there and fits so nicely in her little mouth. ;)

She says lots of consonant sounds, like: Da, Ma, Ba, Wa, and uses lots if voice inflections when she "talks", which is so, so cute to hear!

She's a little charmer and looooves attention.

Caroline is such a content, peaceful baby. She sits so nicely, babbling to herself, playing with toys or interesting objects. Her naps and sleep habits have been a challenge much of this last month. I (and Brian when he was home) was so frustrated with her at naptime. We'd rock her to sleep, and she'd immediately fuss and cry when we put her in her bed. I'd let her cry. And that's all she did, cry and not go to sleep. And I let her cry for a long time some of those days! Even an hour or a bit more. What good that did? None?! I'd get her up b/c it was time to nurse, and then she'd be cranky. This went on for over two weeks.

I've mentioned before how we let her cry at night. Well, she did well then, getting the hang of falling back to sleep on her own, after just a few nights. And finally, FINALLY, she started sleeping at naps after I'd lay her down. I put her on her tummy and that helped. When she fussed she'd just suck her thumb and go back to sleep. Amazing. LOL I'm not worried about her being on her tummy, because she can roll over on her own, though she hasn't yet, in bed! Funny! She just stays where we lay her! Yet, anyway. I am *SO* thankful she is going to sleep on her own! I like rocking her, but when she'd wake up upon going in her crib, that was no fun!

39 Weeks, T-Ball Take 2

Caroline at 39 weeks, yesterday:


Those apricots sure were yummy!

We all went to Austin's T-ball game last night. They got to play 3 innings instead of two, as their hour wasn't up after two. I guess their games last two innings or an hour. We got a kick out of his pants/socks situation.

Playing first base. The boys really are getting better! Notice the ball going TO his mitt, not past it! ;)

Also again, what sisters do during T-ball: Caroline with her fist full of fishy crackers. It was cold out there last night; I was glad she had her little cap!

Exploring... they also went down into a drainage area and collected lupines growing wild. I put them in a vase, and Julia placed it on the dresser in Austin's room, where my mom and dad will stay when they come (arriving tonight).

Brian and I both say, it's a good thing they have each other. Sure makes that hour go faster when you're playing together!

Happy little T-ball player--he'd just crossed home plate and was excited he scored a run! (All the boys get to score a run, though. They don't go in the dugout if they do happen to get out. They just stay on base! :D )

The weeknight games are at 5:30, and Austin has to be at the field at 5:15. This makes for a really busy afternoon, eating snacks, doing homework, getting out T-ball gear and snacks for the game, until we have to leave, as we don't get home from picking Julia and him up from school till 3:45. We eat a later dinner, after the games. Brian gives Austin and Lauren a bath and Julia showers while I get supper together. They have a little time to play, then it's time for stories and Awana verses and bed. Caroline gets her bath in the kitchen sink after the supper dishes are done. Busy nights!