A Sordid Affair, part II

The saga continues...

So, I hated the tandem double. It was really massive and HEAVY!!! It was really hard to get in and out of the car and steering was a beating. But I'd gotten the stroller I wanted, so I had to suck it up and use it without complaining.

Then came Mitchell, baby #3. By the time he was born, Holly Grace was pretty much out of the stroller so I didn't need another double. I convinced John that we needed a new single stroller. I used re

straint, though, and bought this one. It was not an expensive stroller, but I loved it because I could just set my (new!) infant carrier right in it. Strangely enough, my infant carrier was a Baby Trend Latch-Loc. It was fabulous!!! I was so excited that my new infant carrier would work on my old [Baby Trend] Snap & Go ... but then I discovered the strangest thing: it didn't. How weird is that? I had a Baby Trend infant carrier and a Baby Trend stroller - and they didn't go together. I was irritated, but I decided I'd just have to get over it and get a new stroller! So we got this Graco Metrolite instead. Big basket! Two cupholders! Snack tray! Adjustable handle! Stands when folded! It has been a great stroller and served us well. But, I've moved on. I'm getting ready to post it on CraigList. Farewell, good stroller!

Then, Baby Charlotte was on her way and Mitchell would not even be two when she arrived. I needed a double stroller again. Arghhhh. I seriously considered this Phil & Ted's E3, but it wouldn't work with an infant carrier and toddler. Plus, it was HEAVY. Especially compared to the Metrolite. It was a single-to-double convertible stroller. I actually went to Right Start, picked it up, shook my head (too heavy!), then put it back down and left. 

I searched and searched and finally came up with this! A side-by-side (SBS) that would accommodate an infant carrier on one side. This is a Combi Twin Savvy EX. Three cupholders, fits through any standard doorway. But wow, it sure was plasticky. I mean really plasticky. And it wiggled from side to side so easily. I wasn't crazy about it, but I didn't have a whole lot of choice because I certainly was not going to do a tandem again. We used it for six months until Charlotte was out of the infant carrier and then I went shopping again.

At this point, we were getting ready to go one our big vacation to Vermont and needed a stroller that could do some serious all-terrain strolling. Which brought be back to Phil & Ted's. Only at this point, they'd upgraded it and it was now called the "Sport". It was going to be perfect for us. I spent an outrageous amount of money on it, and it really was the best money I've ever spent on a stroller. The best thing about it was the removable toddler seat on the bottom. People always stopped and asked me about it and if the one on bottom (usually Charlotte) hated it there. Actually, she didn't. She did great. And I bought it as they were just coming out with new colors and got this great blue camo. This stroller went to Vermont with us twice and Disney World once. When we went to Disney, we didn't even have Charlotte with us, but we took the doubles seat so that Holly Grace could ride if she wanted. And she did want to ride sometimes, even at five years old. This stroller is so maneuverable, it's amazing. It's the combination of the three-wheel design and the swivel front wheel that make it so easy to push. Oh, and the air tires. The lovely air tires. They were wonderful! 

I just sold this stroller to my friend Kim and I was sad to part with it. But, she is going to Disney World in a few short weeks and is going to get some great use out of the stroller, toddler seat, raincover, pannier bags, packing tray, parent console and travel bag. 

When Kim contacted me about buying my P&T, the wheels started spinning and light bulbs came on all over the place. I was about to fund a brand-new single stroller of my choosing! It doesn't get any better than this! Would it be a Quinny Zapp? a Mia Moda Cielo Evolution? a Bugaboo Bee? a Mutsy Spider? 

To be continued...

A Sordid Affair

I have a long history with Strollers. Yes, Strollers with a "capital S". I love them. I have since before I had babies. I can't help myself.

Hello, my name is Crissy and I'm a Strolleraholic.

Today I was prowling around on the net and I found a photo of my first stroller, the Chicco 2002. Then I thought about it and realized, no, it wasn't my first stroller. My first stroller was a Baby Trend Snap-N-Go. Oh, wait, nope that wasn't my first, either. Then I smiled and counted up how many strollers I've had over the years. The current count is eight. Eight strollers in almost nine years.

Here was my first stroller, an Emmaljunga Viking.

Actually, this isn't the actual stroller, but it looked a lot like this. And you could take the seat off the chassis and it had a bassinet that you could attach. Jack actually slept in that bassinet for the first eight weeks, or so. I bought the Viking before I was even pregnant. My neighbor was selling hers and approached me about buying it. I just knew I would feel like Mary Poppins if I could push that "old-fashioned perambulator" down the street. I wanted to have a baby just to have an excuse to take it for a spin.

I talked John into buying it, since we would use the bassinet portion in our room and the stroller would last well into the toddler years. Plus, I just didn't really like the look of the "travel system" back then. They were all cream or navy and there were lots of teddy bears and the like. Just not really my cup of tea.

When I did get pregnant, we made the pilgrimage to Babies'R'Us to register. Oh, to be shopping for the first baby again. We picked out the Evenflo "On My Way" infant carrier and John's grandmother generously bought it for us. I loved that infant carrier. It had a dark denim cover and the canopy was a really pretty dark blue and green plaid. That dang canopy never would stay up to block the sun, but that's another story. By the time we had Holly Grace, I just took the whole thing off. I remember that it was one of the only infant carriers at BRU that had a 5-point harness. Most of them just had a 3-point harness.

As luck would have it, while we were at BRU, we saw the Baby Trend Snap-n-Go Lite (I think it was the "Lite") and thought that it would be perfect for the short period of time the baby would be in the infant carrier. Ours looked way better than this one, though, because our carseat was navy blue and perfectly matched the Snap-n-Go. I always thought that white infant carrier with the blue Snap-n-Go looked tacky.

Very snobbish of me.

Well, we brought our precious bundle home from the hospital and five days later took him for a walk to the gazebo that was near our little four-plex. It overlooked the harbor in San Pedro and the weather was gorgeous. (It was December, you know, in LA.) My parents were with us and I was livin' the dream, pushing my baby in his Emmaljunga stroller.

Occasionally, we'd put him in that stroller, or "pram", and walk around the Base Housing area, which was really quite pretty, or we'd walk over to the "shopette", a little convenience store about 200 yards away, but the Snap-n-Go was what we kept in the car to use when we were out and about.

Well, he outgrew the infant carrier at four months. Back then, the height limit on infant carriers was only 26" (much smaller than today). And besides, he was a FAT little baby and I really couldn't carry that thing around much longer. So we moved up to the Britax Roundabout we had received as a shower gift from my coworkers and thus began the loading up of the Emmaljunga in the car. That lasted about a day before I declared I needed a real stroller for this kid.

Which is when we made another trip to BRU for this Chicco 2002:

Oh, I loved this stroller. I really wanted to get it, but it was about $160 on clearance at BRU, and I still felt like that was a lot to spend on a stroller (hah!). Really, though. I loved the colors, the seat was really cushy, the handles rotated 360 degrees (good for one-handed pushing). It had a five-point harness and a reclining seat. Strollers didn't really have cupholders then, so the lack of one wasn't really a hardship. Oh, and it was an umbrella fold and stood when folded. It was GREAT! I used and used it. Actually, my mom still has it at her house. I just couldn't bear to part with it. One of the best things about it was that we could sit our Britax Roundabout carseat in it, forward-facing, when we were going through the airport. And we traveled quite a bit when Jack was young. I never did understand why it was called the "2002", though. We bought it in 2000, and it was a 1999 model!

But then, little Holly Grace came along and it was time to upgrade (???) to a double stroller. I labored over this decision until after she was born. When she was two weeks old, I went to The Right Start in Plano and bought this monstrosity, the Baby Trend/Swan Caravan Lite:

Oh, how I came to hate this stroller. It seemed like such a good idea at the time because it could accomodate one infant carseat in the rear position, and Jack could ride as well. Plus, we'd had such a great experience with the Snap-N-Go. But it was so very, very heavy. Caravan Lite? Not so much. To lift it in and out of the car was just misery. I just didn't have many options, though. I wanted to get a Sit-N-Stand, but if you used it with an infant carrier, there was no place for the older child to sit or stand, which kind of defeats the purpose, right? So I dealt with it until I felt like Jack could just walk and I went back to my beloved Chicco for Holly Grace.

Also somewhere in there we acquired one of these. I believe that a friend of ours gave it to us when she made a $20 purchase at BRU and got it for free. That should say a bit about the quality. I have to say, however, we still have it and pull it out when the car is packed full and we still need a stroller (it fits between the seats, on the floor); we've also taken it through the airport when our nice big stroller is all packed away and checked through. It's a good stroller for going through security. Unfortunately, in order to steer it, you have to tilt it backward since the front wheels don't really roll very well. A disadvantage in a stroller, to be sure.

Well, that's only five, but the others will have to wait. To be continued...

Did They Eat It?

This week I decided I'm turning over a new leaf. Cooking EVERY night this week, for real. No running out for pizza at the last minute because I didn't have a plan. I'm serious.

Monday
Stopped in at Wal-Mart after I dropped the dog off at what Holly every-so-seriously calls "the broomer". Her mispronunciations could be a post of all their own. I picked up a few fresh items that will hopefully allow me to cook all week. I have about an hour and a half of "peace" in the afternoon, so I put together my mom's lasagna recipe. However, I have pork chops to cook Monday night, so I stick the completed lasagna in the outside fridge. Monday night we have grilled pork chops, salad and corn.

Jack - not crazy about them.
Holly Grace - Yes, please. And can I have Jack's leftovers, too?
Mitchell - uh, no thanks. But I would like some more salad dressing to dip my fingers in.
Charlotte - harrumph. I'll take some milk, though.

I'm really bummed - we ate pork chops a lot growing up and I loved them! We'll just have to keep trying.

Tuesday
Tacos. I've decided that one of the biggest deterrants to me actually cooking is having the meat out and thawed. We have lots of beef in the freezer from the side of beef we get every spring, but I'm just not good about bringing it in to thaw in a decent amount of time. So, this morning, I asked John to bring a package of beef in for tacos tonight. Everyone loves tacos, except Charlotte, who claims that they are "yucky" and proceeds to toss hers on the floor and ask for a "snack" instead.

Jack - 2 HARD SHELL tacos, let's be clear that they must be HARD SHELL.
Holly Grace - 2 SOFT tacos. Again, let's be clear that they must be SOFT tacos.
Mitchell - THREE! TACOS! I don't care - in any combination - I'm starving here. And after I'm done, can I have an extra hard taco shell to munch on?
Charlotte - "Yucky!" But now that you mention it, can I have a hard taco shell, too? Yum! It's like having chips for dinner!

Wednesday
Spaghetti? I have all the stuff and it's pretty quick if I use the canned sauce. Hmmmm. 

Yep, they ate it, and some of them (Holly Grace, I think) even requested sauce. Everyone, of course, loves Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread, but only John and I ate the Caesar salad. Of course, I put some on everyone's plate, but they complained about that "yucky sauce" until I gave in and said, "Fine, you don't have to eat it. But nothing else to eat until BREAKFAST, capice?" Okay, I didn't really say, "capice". Heck, I don't even know how to spell it. But I thought it.

Thursday
Roast? Heading out to the freezer after finishing the post.

Friday
Lasagna. Ah, the beginning of the weekend and I've already made dinner!

Live Blogging - Couch Pillows

Why bother having them when you have four kids? Let's just see what happens with the couch pillows over the course of a day. Maybe it's not as bad as I think.

11:00 a.m.-2 on the couch, 3 on the floor. Pick them all up and place them, nicely, back on the couch.

11:32 a.m.-all four kids are still outside for their morning "break" (my shower). Cushions still in place; I'm thinking about lunch...

10:25 a.m.-everyone's in bed, and guess what? the couch pillows are STILL on the couch, nice and neat. And tomorrow everyone's at school, so maybe it's just my imagination. To be continued...

7:48 p.m.-ALL FIVE pillows on the floor. I'm not sure how it happened, 'cause they were all on the couch when I last checked at 6:00 p.m. I know this, because five of the six of us played a rousing game of Ring-Around-The-Rosies in the living room at that time. WHO IS THE CULPRIT??? I shall begin the interrogations as soon as they are all out of the shower.

The new thing that I love

It's called Click-and-Pull. It's at Sam's Club. It helps me avoid the vortex at Sam's that sucks you in holds you hostage and makes you pay a ransom of at least $200 to leave the store. Every Sunday, I log onto samsclub.com and "do" my grocery shopping. It's great. I take John's laptop upstairs and sit with him while he watches football. Good wife, on two counts. She is grocery shopping and she is also watching football. I click "place order" and go about my business. Monday morning, I drop the two big kids off at school at 8, then Mitchell at 9. Then I cruise right on over to Sam's, go through the exit (since I am a big fancy "Business" member and can shop earlier than the lowly PUBLIC). I pull my order out of a binder at the membership desk, take it to a cashier, and pay for it. Then a person brings my cold stuff out of the back and I pick up my basket of everything else by the pharmacy. Then we leave. Ten minutes, tops. The End.

Warning: you cannot add stuff to your Sam's Club shopping cart over a period of a couple of days. It will not save. It makes me sad, but this is how it is. I know from experience, so trust me. All of your "clicking" will be for naught if you try to keep "adding" to the cart over time. You will log in and the cart will be empty. And there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. And someone might rend their garments. It's very upsetting, is what I'm saying, so use a 20th century notepad and pen to make your list until you are ready to shop.

Chicken Cacciataco

A new recipe for you! Six ingredients! And you probably already have (or should have!) them in your pantry/freezer. A side note: every time I try to type "pantry", I inadvertently type "panty". What does this mean???

2 tsp. seasoned salt

4 chicken breasts

1/4 c. (or less!) oil

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/4 c. water

1 16-oz. can tomatoes

Leave the chicken breasts whole, or, if you really want to live a little - cut it up into bite-sized chunks. (Did you know that chicken is easier to cut up when it is still just a little bit frozen? Yes, I have time to hover all day until my chicken reaches the perfect state for cubing.) Heat the oil in a skillet. Toss the chicken and seasoned salt in a bowl until the chicken is coated. Brown the chicken on all sides. Drain. (If you don't use the full 1/4 cup of oil, there won't be much to drain! What a concept!)

Add everything else to the skillet. Cover and simmer 40 minutes (or less, if you're pressed for time). Serve over spaghetti, rice or on tortillas. John likes it on tortillas, with cheese and taco fixin's. I like it tossed in a big pot of spaghetti. The kids like to eat the tortillas and spaghetti plain while I sob quietly over why they won't eat what I cook unless it's meatloaf. 

I check my blog ...

frequently to see if I've posted anything new, yet.

I can't wait to read this entry next time I open all my bookmarked blogs "in tabs". 

Did you think I'd fallen off the face of the earth? I did, into the world of volunteerism. Argh. 

Disney World

We took the BEST trip to Disney World a couple of weeks ago! We were there for 11 days/10 nights and had an absolute blast. Here are our secrets:

We rented a condo at Mike Ditka's Lighthouse Key Resort and Spa. It was almost 2200 square feet and had four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen, dining room, living room and laundry room. It was, in short, incredible. It was ONLY $129 per night. AMAZING. Especially when you consider that, on our last trip to Disney World (after which I swore I would never go again) we paid $99 per night for a "Disney Hotel" on property that was MAYBE 300 square feet (one room).

We bought a $30 crockpot when we got there and cooked most of our meals in the crockpot while we were in the park all day. What's that? Oh, you want the recipes? Of course. Yes, I will share those soon. :)

Each kid had a "pack" that they wore around their waist (I refuse to use the f-word ... as in "fanny-pack") (What f-word did you think I meant?) They carried their own snacks for the day, "Disney Dollars" that they had earned at home for their souvenirs, an i.d. card with their name, our names and our cell phone numbers, and pennies for pressing.

Mitchell didn't carry a pack - John carried his stuff for him. But, I wanted his name and our phone numbers on his person somewhere. I didn't want a place that was too obvious - like a nametag, yet I didn't want anything too hidden like a piece of paper in his shoe (who would look there at park security?). I finally came up with what I thought was the perfect solution. I went to PetSmart and bought a little round animal tag that said "Mitchell" and then listed John's cell number and my cell number. And then I bought the cutest little dog collar. Just kidding ... I attached it to his shoelaces ... it was noticeable if someone had found him, but not obvious to everyone walking down Main Street, USA.

We left Charlotte at home with my parents. It was really hard to say goodbye to her, especially because we knew that she didn't understand that we were leaving, and more importantly, that we were coming back. My mom told me when we got home that it seemed like she was a little depressed the first couple of days, but then she perked up and definitely began to "bask" in all the Grammy and PawPaw love she was getting. When we got back, she actually didn't want anything to do with me at the airport, though. She only wanted John (definitely a Daddy's Girl).

We took our Phil & Ted's stroller with the doubles kit so that Mitchell and Holly Grace could both ride if they wanted to. It was awesome. And a lot of moms pushing those tandem double stroller "limos" wanted to know where we got it after they saw the small footprint and maneuverability of it. It's camo blue, in case you were wondering. We also got the double rain cover, pannier bags, and packing tray to take with us, all three of which were invaluable.

Why did we stay so long? Well, consider this: an adult 4-day ticket to DisneyWorld (includes Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney's MGM Studios) costs $212. A 10-day ticket is only $13 more at $225. Yes, it's crazy, I know. So, we just figured we'd take our time in each of the parks and not try to "marathon" it by staying from opening until closing. We did not buy the "park hopper" option, but we did buy the Water Park Fun & More Option for an additional $50 per ticket. It allowed us ten (total) entries into the two Disney water parks (normally $39 per day), Disney Quest ($37) and Pleasure Island ($21.95). We went to the water parks three times and Disney Quest twice, so it was definitely worth it.

This year Disney's theme is "Year of a Million Dreams". Now I'm not really sure why they have to have a different theme each year. It seems to me that an appropriate theme that would always be fitting is "Disney - Where it's all about the movies and us cashing in on them". Anyway, on our first full day in Orlando, we went to the Magic Kingdom. Jack, Holly Grace and I rode Space Mountain (yes, she is too young to ride, but she is tall enough and she insisted that she wanted to and so we said, "okay" and yes, she was in tears at the end of it). Well, as we were getting off the ride (tears and all) there were these people at the "disembarking" area handing out free mouse ears as part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration. Apparently, sometimes they just start handing out free "stuff" at random times in the park. So, I gave my mouse ears to Mitchell outside and all three kids then had a pair. So that was a great start to our day. Then, just a little while later, we were riding "Pooh" and there they were again - at the exit! Only this time, they were handing out "Dream Fastpasses". Basically, it was like a credit card on a lanyard. It had nine different break-off tabs for nine of the most popular attractions at the Magic Kingdom that were like Fastpasses (basically, you get to go to the front of the line when you use a fastpass. At least, you get to go in the Fastpass line, which is significantly shorter than the "standby" line). We actually saved most of those Fastpasses because the crowds were so light that day that we didn't need to use them. We did use them, however, when we went back to the Magic Kingdom another day and the lines were longer.

We spend three days at the Magic Kingdom, 1 1/2 days at Animal Kingdom, 1 day at Disney MGM, and one full day and two half days at Epcot. We worked in Water Parks and Disney Quest in the other half days. And the afternoon we arrived in Florida was spent at Cocoa Beach. Until Holly Grace got too much sand in the nether regions of her bathing suit and begged to leave so that she could take a bath. :)

Someday I'll get around to getting the photos off my camera and onto my computer. And then maybe I'll upload them and share. We'll see ...

Charlotte at 15 months

My friend Lindsay posts monthly updates about her little guy - and I love it! I've never really done that with Charlotte, but I thought it might be nice to let everyone in on what she's up to at fifteen months:

Height: 31" (75th percentile)
Weight: 21 lbs, 3 oz (25th percentile)
Head circumference: 18" (50th percentile)

Words: "Dad-dee", "Mama", "Jack", "PawPaw", "Uh-oh", "Puppy", "Kitty", "Moon"
Signs: More, milk, please, thank-you, yes, no

Loves: dancing, the "Itsy-Bitsy Spider", when Mommy sings "Moon, moon, moon" at bedtime, swimming, milk, Dad-dee, toilet paper, sneaking into Mommy and Daddy's room when the door is left open, going outside, grabbing her girly-parts during a diaper change, eating crayons

Hates: diaper changes, when Holly Grace tries to pick her up and carry her around, when we run out of milk, getting awakened from a nap to take someone to an after-school activity, staying up late, hairbows/ponytails

She's still a delightful child who LOVES HER SLEEP. She still naps twice a day, although we're starting to push toward one early (about noon) nap. It's hard unless we are out and about and staying busy. She is starting to be interested in climbing the stairs (ack) and she gets really upset when the other three kids go trooping outside to play and leave her standing at the door.

Meatloaf - the sequel

I have been honored recently on two other blogs. Go check it out here and here. And all because of a meatloaf recipe I posted over a year ago! :)

Thanks, guys!
*wipes a little tear away*

The Word Art Below

Here's the link to the program that I used to make the Word Art below. Why did I select "Jack" as my example? Because it's only four letters long. Anything longer than four letters wraps around the page because it's too wide.

Word Art

If you have a blog...

would you let me know so that I can keep up with your family? This is you:

Cathy M.
Angie B.
Kay L.
Carrie S.
Jorie G.
Kim W.
Carrie H.
Debbie N.
Kelly E.
Candice D.
Stacy M.
Tara H.
all of John's siblings (except David and Beth since you already complied with my request)

And anyone else who's lurking around. I woud love to know what you're up to!

I guess I'm "tagging" you to get a blog.

Double Feature

Last night John and I got a babysitter and had a real date. Our baby sitter showed up a few minutes early and took the kids upstairs while I finished cleaning up the kitchen and getting ready. I could hear her upstairs playing "Blue's Clues" with the kids. Not watching ... playing. They were having a blast. With the kids in good hands, we left right on time for a local theater where you eat dinner and watch the movie at the same time. We arrived 30 minutes early, like you're supposed to, were seated and ordered our dinner, and were eating by the time the lights dimmed for the movie. It was great! I mean, the food wasn't all that, but it's a real time saver to eat while you watch the movie. And The Bourne Ultimatum was excellent. Just our kind of movie.

The movie let out at about 9:10, which is still pretty early for us. We walked out to the car and were talking about what to do next, when I said, "Hey, I wonder if Ocean's 13 is playing over at the $1 movie."

"Do you wanna go see?" asks John.

"Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

So we hopped in the car and drove over to the $1 theater (about 5 minutes away) and, sure enough, it was playing at 9:45. So, for another $3.50, we saw another movie before we got home at midnight. Ocean's 13 was also fabulous, although I think I would need to see it about 3 more times to really get it.

The whole time we were waiting for the second movie to start, I was thinking to myself, "Look at us! We're so spontaneous! We never do things like this!"

The First Day of School

Jack went back to school yesterday. Holly Grace started Kindergarten yesterday. Whew. What a summer. I'm so glad that they are back in school!!!! Here are some pics:


Holly Grace picked her own shirt out of the catalog, we ordered it, and she wanted to wear it the first day. I was really pulling for the sweet petal-pink shirt that I picked out, but nope, she wasn't having it. The purple bow has little sparkles all over it, too. Notice that the backpack is practically as big as she is. She chose it, too. She has to take a beach towel and a pillow every day for "quiet time" so it really is stuffed full.


Oops!


I always like to get their shoes in the picture. I love the blinding whiteness of those brand spanking new back-to-school shoes. Although I do wish that Jack didn't have to wear all white tennis shoes.


This picture I just loved. My firstborn is getting so big and serious.

And what, exactly, did I do with myself all day on Wednesday? Well, Mitchell and I had a nice morning while Charlotte took a short nap. We played "Mark, Seck, GOOOO!" with matchbox cars on the wood floors. Wow, they go a long way if you really fling them hard. Also, I have not yet fished out the ones that went under the buffet in the dining room.

Then, everyone had an early lunch and I put them both down for afternoon naps at 12:45. Then I had TWO WHOLE HOURS to myself before we had to leave to pick up the big kids. Did you hear me? TWO WHOLE HOURS. So what did I do?


Made cookies, of course! Hoping to be back in the running for mom of the year by having warm cookies for the kids when they got home from the first day of school.

When John got home from work, he promptly plucked the top cookie off the pyramid of tastiness and ate it. After which I fussed at him for ruining the perfect display. Then he rearranged the cookies to look as if he hadn't eaten anything. He might just be in the running for husband of the year.

The best school supply yet

Every year I struggle with this school supply: the water bottle. Some teachers want sport-top, some don't care, some sport tops my kids can't even get open without using their molars to pop the thingy up. A couple of weeks ago, we were at REI and I found these:

CamelBak Water Bottle - 25 oz.
*CamelBak® convenience comes to popular water bottles for the benefit of anyone in need of quick hydration.
*Durable Lexan® polycarbonate construction now benefits from easy-to-use, no-drip bite valve system; simply flip up the valve, bite and drink
*Wide-mouth bottle fills easily and holds 25 fl. oz.; dishwasher safe in the top rack
*Standard cap size fits most wide-mouth bottles; bottle fits many water filters
*Easily attached to a pack or belt using a small, lightweight carabiner; handles warm liquids as easily as cold
*Lists approximate volumes in ounces and milliliters

Did you see that part about the "bite-valve"? It's awesome. The kids just bite on the blue part and the slit opens up; then it works just like a regular straw. As soon as they release their bite, the slit closes again and prevents leaks. It's polycarbonate, so it doesn't absorb odors and make the water taste funny. Holly Grace (a.k.a. the "midnight waker") likes to keep one on her nightstand and sometimes sleeps with it in the bed with her. It never leaks. And that blue thingy can be replaced if need be.

Grandkids' Camp Day 6

Our day started with cranberry orange scones, oranges and a smorgasbord of meats. A Bible story about pouty children followed - I promise that was not planned! God gave it to us on just the right day, though.

An attempt at the hot tub was more successful today - no flies.

Dressed and ready for the day, the rock shop opened briefly. We are concerned about the fate of the business. A better offer came along and the choice was made to go crawdad fishing. Everyone caught at least one, but we employed the catch and release program, thankfully.

Lunch was sandwiches at the picnic table on the deck. A squirrel wanted to join us when he found a few goldfish crumbs. We wouldn't let him, though. He was very entertaining!

Some free time outside allowed the kids to fight off the Japanese (?) bad guys before quiet time. Everyone was in separate rooms with books chosen just for them at the library. Jack was thrilled to have time to read in Grammy and PawPaw's room. Holly Grace was singing in her room. We heard Will reading in the attic room. He also had a perfect view of the new culvert being installed on the driveway above us. Of course, Grant was the last one up and he made a surprise appearance at the top of the stairs with, "What's up, Doc?"

It was then time to complete the camp project - a new bridge across the ditch. It is beautiful and sturdy! We have pictures to prove it!

Now we decided to play a new game - Hide and Seek with Walkie Talkies (Rocky Talkies according to Grant). It didn't go over so well at first. It is a difficult concept to embrace - being quiet with a communication device in hand! So Grammy and PawPaw hid (without walkie talkies) while the kids counted under the deck. The kids are not so quiet or sneaky and Grammy and PawPaw are. After an extensive search, they finally found the old folks waiting where the kids had been counting. hmmmmm.....

PawPaw had a good time with Jack and Will by giving them directions via walkie talkie. Jack was the communications officer and Will was the navigation officer. They followed directions very well as PawPaw sent them to the gate, up to the cul-de-sac, across the water and the new bridge to the deck and around to the hot tub. Very impressive! Grant and Holly helped Grammy with supper.

Supper was Chicken Stir Fry filled with veggies - yummy and everyone ate very well. Showered and jammied, ice cream was served with a movie and then, popcorn.

We are headed home tomorrow!
Grammy and PawPaw

They will change your life

I recently took a big leap. With the prodding of my husband. And it's phenomenal - the difference.

I invested in 800-threadcount sheets. I LOVE getting into my bed every night. The sheets are so thick and heavy. They aren't as soft as I thought they might be, but they are NOT scratchy like the 6-thread count sheets on Jack's bunk beds (kidding - they are at least 10-thread count).

I have often thought that nicer sheets would be a luxury I would like to have, but have held back because I thought we would be getting a king-size bed soon and didn't want to invest in nice sheets that we would be getting rid of. But, John's been traveling and sleeping on quality sheets in some hotels that are really proud of their beds. So, he urged me, when he saw a sale ad for 50% off to take the plunge. We are in love. With the sheets, I mean. And each other, lest you should wonder.

We got them two days before my surgery. That afternoon, when I got home from the hospital, it was so wonderful to crawl into my freshly made bed with nice cool sheets. I slept for four hours straight. Okay it might have had something to with the fabulous drugs I had. But still.

So having a fabulous bed (I got new bedding, too - nothing expensive, but new to us) has inspired me to clean out the master bedroom. Get rid of all those kids' toys lurking in there. Institute a new rule: No Kids Playing in My Room or Watching TV in My Room That's Why There's A TV in the Gameroom Full of TiVoed Kids' Shows. Donate the old bedding already. Figure out a better laundry system that will actually get the clean clothes put away instead of sitting in laundry baskets until the kids need them. I feel like I'm "nesting" only I am most certainly not pregnant! :) I am feeling SOOO liberated now that Charlotte is one. I am getting rid of pesky things like: bottles, the breast pump, the boppy, the bouncy seat, the infant carrier, the pregnancy/nursing/childbirth books, the burp cloths, etc. etc. Whew. Apparently we needed a separate storage unit for all that baby paraphernalia. Who knew?

Today I went through all of Holly Grace's clothes and boxed up all the too-small things, labeled with sizes on the outside of the tubs, and put them in Charlotte's closet. I helped the kids clean their rooms and the gameroom and get school uniforms ready and accessible.

All because of new sheets? Can you say "obsessive"?

Grandkids' Camp Day 5

GKC 2007
Day 5
Date: July 11, 2007 10:20:02 PM CDT

Pancakes and bacon got the day off to a good start! A Bible Story and morning activity included coloring pages. PawPaw found a space program on the Science channel and the kids decided that the cabin would be a great space shuttle with booster rockets and we would all wear space suits. Holly Grace would have a purple one. The most important thing is to look good!

Grammy and PawPaw put together a fun obstacle course on the driveway that included hurdles, cones, loops, balls, frisbee, start and finish lines and a stop watch! Everyone handled the course very well. A game of washers followed.









Off to the creek on the 4 wheelers with fishing poles! Grant and Jack almost caught minnows and crawdads, but they would not hang on to the salmon eggs. We had only one serious fisherman, Jack kept his bait and hook until something took both from his line. Everyone else traded them early in for a little yellow fish to cast.

Back to the cabin for lunch - hot ham and cheese sandwiches with pickles and carrots, then ice cream cones! It seems that everyone looks forward to quiet time each day with no complaints. It is such a good break in the day for one hour! PawPaw and Grant usually make the most of it.

The campers have struck gold! It was found in the fire pit where PawPaw had been burning scrap lumber. You won't believe how many nails and screws are there! Everyone will be rich!

Will has moved the little orange trailer about 10 miles on the driveway. A little trailer is always useful, especially when there is a rock shop that needs inventory. Speaking of which, the Rock Shop opened again late this afternoon. There are many helpers and they are always busy. Grant was trying to shoo away the humming birds today because Holly Grace does not want birds in her store. They might eat the food if there was any. She is definitely in charge and is good shop keeper. However, we are unsure of how profitable this business will be. There is no business plan and no set hours but lots of fun and she is generous!

The zip line has been in use and probably needs to be raised because these kids are getting so big! A big campfire was just the ticket tonight for cooking supper. It was cool with a little wind, but no rain. So, hot dogs and beans and marshmallows were cooked over the fire. More sticks have been cooked this week than any food. They are all getting really good at firebuilding with great respect for the fire and the fire pit.

Inside, there were showers and a game of Old Maid. Then, we had to make a decision - another game or ice cream? Grant was so excited that he said, "Ice cream? - I don't know how to play that!" The vote went to ice cream.

Dental hygiene, Bible story and bedtime story relaxed everyone and caused some heads to nod. So, off to bed...
Grammy and PawPaw

Grandkids' Camp Day 4

We knew it would be a good day when there was ice cream in the honey nut cheerios for breakfast!

After the Bible story, an activity book for Smokey's Friends kept everyone busy for a while. PawPaw discovered a show on the Science channel about dinosaurs while we made dinosaur posters. We found the flag and said the pledge as we put it up.

The rock shop opened early with expanding inventory. Rocks have started appearing in the bathroom, livingroom, dryer and elsewhere! Jack has found a piece of obsidian and is very excited about it. Geology is a wonderful hobby.

We started the camp project which is cleaning out the drainage ditch on the north side of the cabin that has been filled in with rocks and limbs and wood. Maybe we will build a new bridge across it! Taking a hike to check on Grammy's blackberry plants, we found a huge, new climbing rock. A long 4 wheeler ride completed the morning. We stopped to talk to the neighbors and their "giant dog, Ziggy". Holly Grace thought that Ziggy wanted to snuggle with her.

We had a great lunch - turkey sandwiches and a wonderful quiet time - one hour of total peace! Letters home were painfully written and you will find them in the duffle bags upon return. This brought a need to get outside. So, a hike along the game trail took us to the old castle rock. There was a big fight with bad guy indians, but good prevailed and we are all safe.

When we returned, we started a freezer of ice cream and tried out the hot tub. Unfortunately, horse flies chased out all hot tubbers. So, back to the rock shop when rain began and then hail! Talk about exciting! Glad we weren't trying to cook outside today! All camp cooks got the day off andGrammy and PawPaw cooked tacos and beans. Hopefully, we will have a campfire again tomorrow. We had a diverse group of ice cream sundaes - chocolate, strawberry, and banana and all mixtures!

We discovered Jack reading Calvin and Hobbs to all the other kids after supper.

A short ride took us to the meadow to watch for the bats - and we saw three, though Grant got a little "freaked out"! PawPaw had left a fire going and it sure felt good when we returned to prepare for bedtime. First, we had to receive stickers for today. Teeth, meds and jammies readied everyone for the bedtime story. Will and Grant fell asleep and Holly Grace was almost there when we made our way to the attic room.

Today, Will asked, "When does the next Grandkids Camp start?"

Yesterday, the birds were fed and everyone tasted the hummingbird food. The general consensus is that it tastes like marshmallows.

Grammy has received fresh flowers everyday.

More tomorrow!
Grammy and PawPaw