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Happy Birthday to me
Well, today I'm 25. I can definitely say I never expected to be where I am now at 25. I figured I wouldn't get married until about 30. Not because I didn't want to, but because, well, I'd never even been on a date before I went to college. But things went astonishingly quickly once I met my husband, and here we are with two kids. I'm very glad to have what I have and be where I am, and I hope I continue to be as blessed as I have been. ...also, it'd be nice if Luke learned to talk...just a small wish...
We just got back from vacation yesterday, and what a week it was.
On Saturday a week ago we loaded up the car and drove to Pennsylvania to my parents' house. As usual, we got there later than expected and barely had time for hellos before we had to collapse into bed. (How can sitting for six hours be so exhausting?) The next morning we went to church and went straight from there to Virginia, behind my parents and sister in their car. About halfway down my husband and I stopped to switch drivers, only to realize we'd left our diaper bag, which had my wallet, which had my driver's license, back at the church. So my poor husband would be doing all the driving down in Virginia. There was also the matter of the cash that I had gotten beforehand and put entirely in my wallet. And, well, a bag to carry diapers in. Fortunately, my mother was able to contact someone at the church to make sure the bag was put in a safe place for us to pick up on the way back, and we didn't need too much cash. And we borrowed an extra bag of my mother's for diapers. And my husband did a whole lot of driving. Oh well.
So the place we stayed in Virginia was wonderful. My parents recently bought a time-share in Utah because with my siblings going to school and missions and such, not to mention most of my mother's family living there, they end up going there every summer. They can exchange that time-share for other ones, and they decided to try one in Williamsburg. It turned out to be quite a bargain, since the one in Utah houses four at most, and this one comfortably fit all seven of us. The darn place was bigger than our entire apartment. And frighteningly, I found the housewife in myself coming out as I happily prepared meals, put dishes in the dishwasher, and made everyone's bed every morning. My father finally had to tell me to stop so someone else could do it. Scary.
On Monday we just hung around, relaxed, played about a dozen card games, and went to the pool. Luke is a fish, apparently - he adored the water, and screamed every time we took him out of it. Emma was much more hesitant, but eventually, she came to enjoy it. We probably could take a vacation just at a swimming pool and our kids would be content. And I even managed to slather them with enough sunblock that they didn't turn crispy. Oh, it was hot. It was sultry, boiling, deathly hot. Tuesday we went to an amusement park, and we were all amused. But the best parts of the park were the ones indoors with air-conditioning. Luke had a blast on the kiddie-rides - Emma was still too small for most of them - but even he got pretty worn out by the end of the day. So we left the park in the early evening, and then began the unexpected leg of our trip - the flat-tire escapade. A hassle, but it really did happen at the best time. We weren't on the road - it went out some time when we were in the park - and my father and husband were able to change the tire without too much trouble - who knew we had a spare and a jack tucked away inside our car? Then we drove about 20 miles to a mall with a Sears, and ambled around the mall for several hours while waiting for our new tires. We really were due for new tires anyway, so now we just got them in Virginia instead of Boston. It was 11 by the time we got back to the resort, but all in all, it worked out much better than it could have.
Wednesday was another pleasant day to relax. My parents had to endure a time-share presentation where the staff tried to guilt-trip them into buying a share in Williamsburg, but my mom is impervious to ploys like that. They're perfectly content with what they have in Utah, thank you very much. I'm still astonished that they even bought that, knowing how economical my parents have always been. It must have been a really, really good deal. ;)
That day Luke gave us trouble at the pool, at first, when he desperately wanted to get in the hot tub and we absolutely refused because he's a good thirteen years under the age limit. So I finally dragged him back to the luxury bathroom complete with jacuzzi, filled it up with a safe temperature of water, and started the jets. Luke gradually stopped his tantrum and climbed in, swim suit and all, and played until he was satisfied and got out on his own. Then when we took him back to the pool, he was ready for the normal water again, having no interest in the hottub. I was reasonably proud of my parenting techniques that day.
Thursday we went to Colonial Williamsburg. It was probably the hottest day that week. Thank goodness they're willing to allow the anachronism of air-conditioning. We really didn't enjoy it as much as we could have if the outdoors had been just a little more bearable. The reenactors weren't as much into their parts as we had hoped; they were more like tour guides than actors. Oh well. It looked very authentic, anyway.
Friday we had considered doing a second day at Williamsburg, but after the heat and exhaustion from Thursday we decided to just let my parents go and stayed at home for more card games. We went to the pool again, and then in the evening my family threw me a birthday party! We had a Boston Creme Pie (the next best thing to an ice cream cake, which apparently they don't have in Virginia?!) and my parents got me presents, mostly fun stuff from Williamsburg. I'll be getting presents from my husband today, which is just marvelous for the greedy little kid in me. I still love to rip off wrapping paper and see what's underneath.
Saturday we drove back to PA, this time arriving in the late afternoon, so we could relax a little. Or not. My parents wanted my husband's help in moving the entertainment center, and we needed to get food for the trip back, and Luke and Emma needed a bath, and...well, at least we were still enjoying air-conditioning. Sunday it was church, pick up the diaper bag, and then back to making do with open windows and fans. The trip back home was pretty uneventful, hot with some traffic, but our kids were very patient. Luke, for whatever autistic reason, can keep himself fairly well amused just by looking out the windows and such, and Emma kept calm as long as we kept up a steady supply of grapes. Her diaper this morning revealed just how many grapes she had been eating yesterday...but hey, it keeps her system nice and regular...
So that's all. A vacation that was so relaxing, I almost don't need another vacation to recover from it. And I'm very grateful my parents were generous enough to invite us along. I'm sure spending time with their grandchildren was a big incentive, of course. :D
We just got back from vacation yesterday, and what a week it was.
On Saturday a week ago we loaded up the car and drove to Pennsylvania to my parents' house. As usual, we got there later than expected and barely had time for hellos before we had to collapse into bed. (How can sitting for six hours be so exhausting?) The next morning we went to church and went straight from there to Virginia, behind my parents and sister in their car. About halfway down my husband and I stopped to switch drivers, only to realize we'd left our diaper bag, which had my wallet, which had my driver's license, back at the church. So my poor husband would be doing all the driving down in Virginia. There was also the matter of the cash that I had gotten beforehand and put entirely in my wallet. And, well, a bag to carry diapers in. Fortunately, my mother was able to contact someone at the church to make sure the bag was put in a safe place for us to pick up on the way back, and we didn't need too much cash. And we borrowed an extra bag of my mother's for diapers. And my husband did a whole lot of driving. Oh well.
So the place we stayed in Virginia was wonderful. My parents recently bought a time-share in Utah because with my siblings going to school and missions and such, not to mention most of my mother's family living there, they end up going there every summer. They can exchange that time-share for other ones, and they decided to try one in Williamsburg. It turned out to be quite a bargain, since the one in Utah houses four at most, and this one comfortably fit all seven of us. The darn place was bigger than our entire apartment. And frighteningly, I found the housewife in myself coming out as I happily prepared meals, put dishes in the dishwasher, and made everyone's bed every morning. My father finally had to tell me to stop so someone else could do it. Scary.
On Monday we just hung around, relaxed, played about a dozen card games, and went to the pool. Luke is a fish, apparently - he adored the water, and screamed every time we took him out of it. Emma was much more hesitant, but eventually, she came to enjoy it. We probably could take a vacation just at a swimming pool and our kids would be content. And I even managed to slather them with enough sunblock that they didn't turn crispy. Oh, it was hot. It was sultry, boiling, deathly hot. Tuesday we went to an amusement park, and we were all amused. But the best parts of the park were the ones indoors with air-conditioning. Luke had a blast on the kiddie-rides - Emma was still too small for most of them - but even he got pretty worn out by the end of the day. So we left the park in the early evening, and then began the unexpected leg of our trip - the flat-tire escapade. A hassle, but it really did happen at the best time. We weren't on the road - it went out some time when we were in the park - and my father and husband were able to change the tire without too much trouble - who knew we had a spare and a jack tucked away inside our car? Then we drove about 20 miles to a mall with a Sears, and ambled around the mall for several hours while waiting for our new tires. We really were due for new tires anyway, so now we just got them in Virginia instead of Boston. It was 11 by the time we got back to the resort, but all in all, it worked out much better than it could have.
Wednesday was another pleasant day to relax. My parents had to endure a time-share presentation where the staff tried to guilt-trip them into buying a share in Williamsburg, but my mom is impervious to ploys like that. They're perfectly content with what they have in Utah, thank you very much. I'm still astonished that they even bought that, knowing how economical my parents have always been. It must have been a really, really good deal. ;)
That day Luke gave us trouble at the pool, at first, when he desperately wanted to get in the hot tub and we absolutely refused because he's a good thirteen years under the age limit. So I finally dragged him back to the luxury bathroom complete with jacuzzi, filled it up with a safe temperature of water, and started the jets. Luke gradually stopped his tantrum and climbed in, swim suit and all, and played until he was satisfied and got out on his own. Then when we took him back to the pool, he was ready for the normal water again, having no interest in the hottub. I was reasonably proud of my parenting techniques that day.
Thursday we went to Colonial Williamsburg. It was probably the hottest day that week. Thank goodness they're willing to allow the anachronism of air-conditioning. We really didn't enjoy it as much as we could have if the outdoors had been just a little more bearable. The reenactors weren't as much into their parts as we had hoped; they were more like tour guides than actors. Oh well. It looked very authentic, anyway.
Friday we had considered doing a second day at Williamsburg, but after the heat and exhaustion from Thursday we decided to just let my parents go and stayed at home for more card games. We went to the pool again, and then in the evening my family threw me a birthday party! We had a Boston Creme Pie (the next best thing to an ice cream cake, which apparently they don't have in Virginia?!) and my parents got me presents, mostly fun stuff from Williamsburg. I'll be getting presents from my husband today, which is just marvelous for the greedy little kid in me. I still love to rip off wrapping paper and see what's underneath.
Saturday we drove back to PA, this time arriving in the late afternoon, so we could relax a little. Or not. My parents wanted my husband's help in moving the entertainment center, and we needed to get food for the trip back, and Luke and Emma needed a bath, and...well, at least we were still enjoying air-conditioning. Sunday it was church, pick up the diaper bag, and then back to making do with open windows and fans. The trip back home was pretty uneventful, hot with some traffic, but our kids were very patient. Luke, for whatever autistic reason, can keep himself fairly well amused just by looking out the windows and such, and Emma kept calm as long as we kept up a steady supply of grapes. Her diaper this morning revealed just how many grapes she had been eating yesterday...but hey, it keeps her system nice and regular...
So that's all. A vacation that was so relaxing, I almost don't need another vacation to recover from it. And I'm very grateful my parents were generous enough to invite us along. I'm sure spending time with their grandchildren was a big incentive, of course. :D
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I have a question for you. I was getting the news about a friend of mine yesterday, and found out her three-year old son was diagnosed as autistic. (Didn't surprise me too much, we'd been telling her since he was 6 months old that something was going on there) They're living in Nebraska, which is something like 47th on the list of states with decent autism support. One of the things she'd complained about to my mother is that the sole parent support group out there isn't really working for her.
Would you have any recommendations for good online support groups? I think it'd help her a lot to have a place where she can share stories and find information.
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Oh, and I wanted to say how surprised I was that you're the same age I am, only 25! You sure manage to take care of things pretty darned well, from the sound of it. I'm going nuts just trying to handle a kitten!
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Taking care of things? Well, I doubt it's from any super-maturity or anything; it's more a necessity-is-the-mother-of-something-or-other...If I didn't have two kids demanding that I be responsible and organized, I wouldn't be. And I'm still not always put-together. But thank you anyway.
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Luke really does sound like a fish - Daniel loves the water too so I anticipate many similar tantrums in the future ... argh. Um, is that rule about hot tubs pretty universal? Because when we were in Illinois I took Daniel (11 mos.) into the hot tub with us without a second though. Obviously we were holding him the whole time and he seems to have suffered no serious trauma, but I really had no idea.
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