Life after Florida

The post vacation hangover is the worst.  We spent all of Monday going to Costco and a million other places to get caught up on life. We even skipped the first day of swim lessons. Swim lessons was at 8am and I couldn't bear to get three kids up and out the door by 7:45am. I just couldn't.  

But we made it the rest of the week.  We made it because I changed swim lessons to a more realistic time of 9:30am.  We are still almost, if not, late for the 9:30 class too.  Let's just say we are less late than we would be for 8am.  

The kids are all enjoying swimming lessons. I don't know how much they are getting out of it but I am telling myself I don't care this year. I want them to have fun and enjoy summer. I am less worried now that Miss M seems to be picking things up. They all three jumped off the diving board on the last day of class on Friday.  Miss M hasn't had (or at least complained about) any ear pain since we had the tube removed in early May. I feel relieved and also frustrated I didn't take care of the problem earlier.  

 Miss M jumping off the starting block.  

 Big Willie...going big off the board.

Cate's swimming lessons are what they are as for the most part the teacher (it's been one on one which is awesome) carries her around the pool and talks to all the other teachers.  It's 30 minutes someone else is dragging her around and she loves it.  She was kicking at this point in the picture but most of the time she just gets carried around on someones hip! Not a bad deal for her. 

There is significantly less fighting between each of the kids and myself with the kids when we don't stay home. It's a lot of work to pack snacks, extra clothes, water bottles and whatever else we might need for the trip ahead but I rarely regret not being home. I also appreciate the lack of iPad time and iPad fighting as well as the fact that my house is relatively clean still.

We found a new park area around Schaumburg.   It's relatively new. It was pretty awesome.  There were a lot of things for the kids to play on/with around the playground area and then there were walking trails surrounding.  The trails then had little playground areas throughout.  There were tree stumps set up to walk/jump around/on. Bridges to walk over. Frogs in the bog and so much more.  We could have stayed longer except I was reprimanded by an older woman about how terrible of a parent I am as well as I ran out of water and couldn't find a drinking fountain.

Willie on the grasshopper.

 BBBUUUZZZ

A stream running all along the playground perimeter. The big kids walked all over it like it was no big deal but Cater struggled with stepping on all the rocks.  They were smooth but big and awkward and sometimes slippery.  Eventually she got the hang of it and she wouldn't leave.

 She stayed by this massive rock for so long. She would get her hands wet and "paint" the rocks or throw them back in the water if she deemed them too big/small/rough/smooth/who knows.  She was so curious about all of it. It was awesome to watch.

 We found another little stream to explore on the trail.

 Trees to walk/jump on/off.

Backyard game of soccer.  This picture is a great reminder for me to not sign her up for soccer.  She's completely uninterested.

 Exploring the arboretum pond area and looking for frogs and turtles.

 After five hours of non-stop playing at the arboretum he just couldn't take anymore.  We had to go to Target for essentials so the only option was to wake him up or make him a bed out of damp pool towels and listen to one less kid "need" everything we walked by.

While at Target we bought some new games. Big Will is generally the first one up in the morning and he loves to play games.  We can get a solid 30-60 minutes of game time in before anyone else wakes up to bother us.

 We've had more tea parties lately.

 He got smart and put the digger in the sandbox. He can now do a lot more work than he was previously capable of. I am hoping this might keep more of the sand in the box and less of it everywhere else that it doesn't belong.

Cate got a new high chair for her baby so the girls played tea party with the baby.  Cate loves her babies as much as she loves the knots on her head!!

Florida part 2

Grammy tasked the children with finding shells when we went to the beach.  It felt like Miss M picked up every shell that crossed her path, Cater picked up the "cute, tiny ones", and Big Will picked up the sparkly ones.  Tiff and I tried to pick up whole shells.  Grammy had a project in store for the kids.  She had bought picture frames and all the kids (some with more assistance than others) and they hot glued their shells to the frame.  We had pictures from the trip printed and they each got to pick which picture they wanted for their frame.  

 Even Tiffany got to participate in the craft.

The knot the next day on Miss M's head! And her magnificent frame.

 Group picture with the finished products!!

We went to Poppy and Grammy's friends' house to swim in their pool b/c they were on vacation and b/c their pool is bigger and nicer than the rental house pool.

 She had fun jumping in with the floaty between her legs.

 Big Will needs more sleep than anyone else.  We played in the pool for a couple hours while he caught up on some much needed sleep!

After we cleaned up from the pool we went out on the boat. I am the only one who prefers to sit in the back of the boat. I truly don't like sitting in the front of the boat. I never really have and I am not sure I ever really will. It gives me anxiety.  I can't imagine sitting up there with kids. I would freak out.  I feel safer in the back and it's much more comfortable b/c no one else is sitting there.

The kids beg to go on a boat ride. They love it.  They like to go fast and slow. They like to help drive. They like to find dolphins.  They also like to run from the front to the back over and over again and drive me bananas.  No one has an issue wearing their life jackets. Everyone knows and accepts it's an unbreakable rule so it works. Miss M also likes wearing her life jacket b/c it has a whistle and drives everyone nuts.

Tiffany took the kayak out the next day. I imagine she wanted some alone/quiet time. I am always looking for that but can't seem to find much of it.  She kayaked to where we were swimming and the kids begged her to take them for a ride. She willingly (maybe) took them each on their own ride.  They loved it but I think she was exhausted by the time she was finished.  

Tiffany and Willie.  

 Miss M was able to help paddle to allow Tiff's arms a reprieve.

Cater was so mad she had to wait her turn to go in the kayak.  She was so happy when it was finally her turn to ride with Tiffany.

Florida part 1

We were fortunate enough to head back to Florida.  Andrew had to work about 30 minutes from Poppy and Grammy's house so we turned it into a family trip! Nothing says summer like Florida! The kids spent about 80% of their time in the pool and the remaining time was spent sleeping, eating or playing on the iPad.  

Miss M has been working so hard to become a proficient swimmer. She has come so far in such a short period of time.  She loves the freedom of swimming without her floatie.  She worked on jumping into the pool, coming up and then swimming back to the wall.  

The kids loved to jump in the pool or be thrown around.  

Cater really has no fear. It's incredible.  She wants to do what the bigger two are doing so she does it.

One day we went to the beach but I don't have any pictures from that day.  It's hard to take pictures at the beach with the kids in and near the water.  Willie played in the ocean like he was born with fins and gills.  He charged each wave head on.  Some he attempted to jump over and some he put his head down and swam through it.  He kept going and going and going.  Cater and I stayed mostly in the sand as the tide was in and the water was rough.  Miss M flipped back and forth like she does with everything.  Everyone had so much fun until we got home and realized how burnt everyone was.  I didn't reapply sunscreen and I didn't get the kids sprayed very well b/c they were in such a hurry to get into the water. Lesson learned.  I was by far the worst of the group as I could barely put a shirt on for a week.  I would rather be the worst than see my kids in the condition I was in.

After the beach, Poppy dropped me off at the hotel Andrew was staying at and we had a night to ourselves. It was lovely. We ate an adult meal and watched Netflix in bed.  We couldn't have asked for anything more.  We had the kids come and stay the next night b/c they love staying in hotels and they love a good hotel pool.  The pool was amazing. It didn't get deeper than 3' 6" which means Miss M could touch anywhere on her tip toes.

Sunkissed cheeks.

Cater's newest trick.  She would stand up on Tiffany's hands and they would balance as long as they could until someone fell down.  Look at the determination on that girl's face.  Next stop...the circus.

When Big Will doesn't want his picture taken he let's it be known. He won't even consider cooperating.

He loves her so much. He wants to do everything she does. He wants to get whatever she has.  And it drives her bonkers.  He waits to order sometimes so he can get the same thing as her.  She tries to wait him out but he changes his order.

Tiffany put Miss M's hair in a bun on the top of her head one night. It looked like she had her own Cate styled knot.  It was pretty adorable. It was more adorable that when I took the ponytail holder out it was gone. Unlike Cater's current knot situation. I think right now there are between 9-11 knots in her hair.  She won't let me touch them and I forget about them until we go into public and forget it's not normal to everyone else.  Oh well.