Road trip!

Alternatively titled, All I need to know I learned from 22 hours in the car with my kids
Or, I used to hate road trips

There's nothing quite like a booster shot of super-mommy-ness to my ego other than two - count 'em, two - successful 11 hour road trip journeys with my two kids. Now I'm not suggesting that anyone else channel their inner mommy diva by hopping in the car and driving 600+ miles, but it worked for me.

Maybe a time or two I've doubted my mommy instinct, and doubted my children's ability to bounce back from a routine change (late naps or bedtime) or dietary indiscretion (processed food). I was so afraid they may melt down into a weeping pile of toddler-infant-babyGap-drool-and-snot on the floor. Rational me knows that is not going to happen.* Irrational me watches the clock and has more than once removed forks from hands mid-bite when we are approaching bedtime and are away from home. (Tell me I'm not the only one...)

Dear Self, doubt no more!

We got back from vacation number one: Lake Michigan (where it's like the beach but better - fresh water, little waves and no crabs, stingrays, sharks or other digit/limb removing creatures) and I had been thinking about driving the kids down to see my parents in Florida. With clean laundry, beach accessories, snacks and the double BOB already packed, we hit the road. Once we were on our way at 6:30am I knew we were locked in. I tried to quiet that little voice of doubt in the back of my mind; and quiet it did.

It was the perfect age for both of them. Sophie is so dialed into tv and movies that she had zero qualms about watching the screen for an entire day. Tucker is no longer nursing, so bottles were really easy to mix and administer. He's also just starting to worm around on the floor, so he isn't an anxious-I-want-to-run-everywhere toddler yet. (Although he is a oh-you-thought-your-floors-were-clean-watch-me-worm-around-and-then-check-my-onesie type of kid these days.)

All of our food and drink was packed for the day, so stops were mainly about gas, bottles, diapers and stretching our legs (as if we needed yet another great reason to delay potty training until 13 years old). We played on QSR playgrounds and rocked on the porch at Cracker Barrel and stopped about every three hours.

Our road trip was SO uneventful. Blissful, even. Tucker might make a peep every so often, but Sophie was quick to make a funny face or "speak whale" to make him giggle. Sophie watched Finding Nemo FOUR times on our return trip (where she learned to speak whale). Three stops on our way down south and two stops on the way back to KY.

Speaking of the return trip... I have a family member that once told me she used her daughters diapers to thwart extra stops if baby was sleeping but el baño was calling. Let me just tell you that a size four diaper does not accommodate the bladder of a 31 year old adult.

And that's all you need to know about 22 hours in the car with my kids.

*I'll still defend my nap/sleep/dietary choices as the number one reason why I have happy children 95% of the day.

Photos from our Florida trip. Not pictured: Tucker's first tooth, delicious, fresh shrimp and oysters, yummy burgers, Peg Leg Pete grouper sandwiches, infamous Brussells sprouts, a trip to the children's museum and six days of shake-the-house thunder, lightening and rain.

Girl loves some bubbles.

I really just take pictures of this swim suit
because I think it's so cute.
Going to sell it soon though :(

Happiest Baby on the Block.

Yaya and her babies.

Sophie and her Avengers "swim-a-ring"

Girl's got some hops.

Sweet thing.

I mean, this is not an act.
90% of her day is spent loving Tucker.

Beach bum.

Yes, the sun actually came out.

Sir splash-a-lot and Yaya.

Case and point.

Tucker's model face. Those lips!

"You would have more fun with
wet sand on your face."

New towel from Yaya's friend, Peggy!
(Her handmade creations are adorable, yall.)

Buh-cation 2012

I've had really good intentions of writing a long entry to go with this long string of photos... had a lot on my mind. I actually scuffed my feet around my house wishing I kept a journal of things I wanted to get out of my head and into words for posterity sake. Um, duh, I write pretty frequently/infrequently in this little family blog. So, some family thoughts coming up soon.

Sophie pouted upon going to bed for six straight days because she was ready to go to "buh-cation." Here are some pics from our family trip to Lake Michigan, Buh-cation 2012.

Lady and the Tramp-style speghetti.

They can use the iPad better than me.

Master sandcastle builder.

Sorry for the zinc nose, Sophie.
Doc said it will keep new skin from scarring.

Shawn, Soph, Bryan. Love.

She loves her daddy.

GDaddy and Tuckerman.

Our preferred mode of transportation to/from the lake!

You can do it! Tucker's cheering squad.

And, what baby doesn't need a hug after first crawling?

Lake fun.

Getting her Olympic jumping skills warmed up.

Cousins!

Daddy's girl ALL week.

Tucker's first beach experience.

She's always so helpful!

Love.him.

Loving the lake.

Soph and mama.

Having so much fun together!

Soph and GDaddy.

Looking at the lighthouse.

Future plumber?

My sweet boys.

His cheeks must be so sore at the end of the day.
Smiles-a-lot.

The bravest girl

Sophie checked out great at our follow up yesterday. Her version of what happened:

"I fhewl into the fireflace. 

And Daddy picked me up. 

And Daddy got me a nah-kin. 

And Daddy took me to the hospital. 

And we watched DORA!

And I got a balloon!"

Weekend in review, or, the crappity-crap-crap-crappiest weekend ever

I've been neglectful, friends. I've been meaning to write about Sophie's new phrases that drive me bananas are SO adorable:

Watch me do dis, mommy!
No, I can do it all.by.myself.
Mommy, look at me!
But, why?
Why?
Why?
But WHY?

And I've been meaning to tell you about this new venture if you haven't already heard: Bluegrass Bebe photography in Louisville (go on over and 'like' my page if you have a minute, it would mean a lot to me).

Also been meaning to write about Tucker (aka Super Baby) and just post some sweet pictures in general.

And finally to tell you about my furbaby Maddox who has officially torn her other ACL. My first born... its been really tough to see her age, but she is a champ. Still happy and still wagging that awesome boxer nubbin (or her "kickstand" as we like to call it).

But, I've just been a little busy.

We had an awesome weekend planned of good food, some outdoor adventures, a party to celebrate the engagement of sweet cousin Lindy, and probably some good drinks going down like water - you know how we like to do it on the weekends.

Instead, Sophie had some firsts that were probably inevitable for a toddler, but still unexpected. Her first big fat bloody event: landed face first into our brick fireplace, first trip to the emergency room and first stitches. It happened so fast I am not 100% sure how she fell. Daddy rushed her to the emergency room where she remembers nothing of the experience with the exception of Dora, stickers, slushies and two balloons. Phew. She has three stitches between her eyes and almost her entire nose is skinned and raw. I'm so super thankful that she still has all of her teeth and that her eye didn't catch the brick. That said, I'm still a mom and am concerned about scars on her face. We will be following doctors orders to a "T" to care for and protect the new skin that will grow back.

Not to be outdone, Tucker had a temperature that kept going up and down from a normal 98 up to 101.5 for more than 24 hours. Sophie was settled down watching a movie Saturday night (and still acting like a little drunk person from the meds) and I decided to take Tucker's temp one more time before he went down for bed. And the battery in the thermometer died. Which part of the plan, obv. Shakes fists to the heavens.

Two different stores and no replacement battery, I finally just bought a new thermometer. Back home, his temp registered at 103 which was the highest I've ever seen. Off to our second trip ever - and in the same day - to the emergency room where he rang in at 103.5 degrees. Thank heavens it was an ear infection (never thought I'd say that). And let me tell you how much fun it is to try and administer amoxicillian through a dropper to an infant. I kid. It is the opposite of fun.

Everyone slept through the night, but Sunday started at 5am with my early bird Tucker. When Sophie finally woke up around 8am she said, "Mommy, my face is coming off." I die. One of the bandages that Bryan taped her up with had peeled loose, and with no memory of her injury, of course she thought the bandage was her face coming off. I mean, who wouldn't?

Mommy and Daddy are exhausted - physically, mentally and emotionally. We all survived and everyone is generally happy. Just hoping that the week ahead is a little less eventful. And hoping Sophie leaves her stitches alone in bed tonight. So while we enjoy some Copper Cupcakes and a bottle of wine, we raise a glass to Lindy and Tim and to the close of this crappy weekend from the comfort of our cozy sofa. Salud!

What to do

 What to do when one the very best people in the world come to visit for the weekend:

You jump for joy.

You squeeze and kiss on smiling babies.

You stop to roll around in the grass.

You invite others to come over and roll around in the grass.

You might take off all your clothes.

You might get super awesome toys.

You smile, like, all day.

You soak up the sun.

You get close to ones you love.

You look pretty and laugh a lot.

You enjoy a frosty beverage with a handsome man.

And laugh some more.

And give big hugs.

And then you might tear up when you kiss babies goodbye and you wave at the airport... but you most definitely look forward to meeting again.