My favorite parts of the beach

I think my absolute favorite thing about the beach trip, if I had to choose just one moment or part, was Evie's reaction to the ocean. The undeniable awe as she looked out at the never-ending water and her squeals of  "OCEAN OCEAN!" as she ran from the waves were so precious. One of the coolest things about having kids is watching them learn and experience new things. And of course seeing the ocean for the first time was definitely an experience for Evie.

Elly is still too young to really care. Sure, she looked at the ocean. Yeah, she sampled the sand. Literally. But it wasn't really something for her to take in. She did enjoy the experience however. I think traveling, to at least some extent is really important. Especially today, when society is so connected. Kids need to experience life beyond their neighborhood and their community.

I highly doubt that Evie will remember this ever-so-precious first beach experience. She will probably be awestruck and overwhelmed the next time she sees the ocean as well. But that's okay. It's something that will certainly stick in my mind. I have a catalog of firsts in my mind from the babies. Evie's first words, her first steps, her first birthday, her first time at the beach. Elly so far just has first smile and first words. But she'll get there!

The next coolest thing from the beach was definitely the aquarium. Evie was all gaga over the mermaids. But for me the best part was totally the sharks.

In case you don't know me very well, I am just a smidgen obsessed with sharks. I'm not sleeping on shark sheets and snuggling with a plush shark at night or anything like that. But sharks are INCREDIBLY fascinating. And cool. And scary as hell. Sharks ate dinosaurs. And thousands of years later here they still are. Eating...whatever and whoever they want. Cause they're sharks. They are really smart. And really dangerous.

I look forward eagerly to shark week every year. And I set my DVR the week before making sure I don't miss anything. And I spend that week at work glued to the Discovery channel. No joke. Like I said. Just a smidgen obsessed. But I haven't ever seen sharks in real life. Not like real sharks. Little black tips and the such yeah. But never like Tiger sharks or bull sharks and I would absolutely LOVE to see a Great White. I read Jaws for the first time when I was in middle school. And I read it annually about the same time as shark week. I guess I should spend more time going to aquariums.

Anyways, Ripley's Aquarium at Myrtle Beach was pretty cool. I really, really loved the tank that you walked under/through and looked up at all the sharks and fish and even a sea turtle! I really hate that my camera batteries died and I didn't get more pictures. Because it was really cool. There were 6 foot long Tiger sharks and big Nurse sharks. The Tigers just ceaselessly circled the tank with their empty black eyes. I loved it!

Evie liked the little sharks. And of course the sea turtle. But she was much more fascinated by the fish tanks. They have one massive tank that has a replica coral reef and is just full of fish. A diver goes in and does a dive show every hour but Evie was more impressed just watching the fish. Even Elly loved the tank of fish. All of the brightly colored fish darting here and there. She clapped and giggled and babbled at them. But her attention span is pretty limited.

She was more interested in snack time. But I'm sure you  just can't believe that girl worries about when she'll be getting her next meal! haha

Baby Bunching Away from Home

Taking the bunch on vacation is a whole different sort of challenge.

At home, our lives are simplified by schedules and routines. It's what keeps my bunch happy. It's what keeps me sane and allows me to sleep at night. I am, after all, a schedule person. And my babies are schedule people too. Otherwise they wouldn't be so happy on a schedule and so miserable when they get off it.

Elly isn't quite the schedule-holic that Evie is. But let me tell you, Evie is a total terror when her schedule gets disrupted. And disrupting schedules is what vacationing is all about!

Another challenge when vacationing is gear. All the gear that it takes to keep my two happy is absolutely impractical to pack up and tote around with you. The toys, the jumperoo, the high chairs, the pillows and blankies and DVR'd television. Things that can stop a tantrum, keep babies happy, burn energy, or put babies to sleep. My life pretty much revolves around these things. Not literally of course. But really, this gear is the oil that keeps things running smoothly in my baby bunched world.

I think all in all things went well on our week away from home. We certainly took a car load of things with us, including a space saving high chair that my husband thought would not fit. But I don't feel like we took an overwhelming amount of things. Even after the serious eye-brow lifting that our car load got as we were loading and unloading. I can't think of a single thing that went with us that wasn't utilized. Though it turns out I needed to pack a few more pull-ups and I completely forgot razors (guess I was just going with furry legs at the beach? lol.) But razors were pretty easy to acquire and Evie kinda got a kick out of napping in diapers a couple of days while we were there.

Even five plus hours of riding in the car went fairly smoothly. There were no fits of screaming or crying. No unplanned stops or frantic fumbling to find a toy or snack to calm a tantrum. My meticulous planning (even if it was last minute!) really paid off. Evie watched movies and chatted pretty much the whole ride down while Sissy slept. And they both slept the majority of the drive back. We stopped for lunch on the ride down where the only problem was that Elly didn't want to eat because she was too busy looking around and Evie didn't want to eat because she was too hyped up from sitting down for so long. Supper on the way back went really well though. Both girls ate a pretty average amount and then happily returned to the car.

My biggest tip to anyone preparing to travel with their bunch? Hmm...prioritize. Obviously you can't take everything. Take the most important stuff. But don't be afraid to take things that your mom-sense says you'll need. Pay attention the few days BEFORE you leave to the things you turn to when baby is melting down, or it's naptime for the toddler. Those are the things that you cannot live without.

And if you are early in the baby bunching and haven't invested in a lot yet but are planning on traveling with your bunch ANY in the next few years...buy a pack and play or two. Definitely. Also, a space saving high chair for big baby at home and both while away is fabulous. Evie uses hers as a booster seat at home and it worked great for them at the beach. Also, white noise machines are life savers for baby bunchers. Especially if you intend to ever let your bunch share a room. Having them accustomed to sleeping with white noise worked out really well at the beach. That way I didn't have to worry about them waking at night due to unaccustomed house noises or neighborhood noises or anything.

Another nice investment? A van! Boy, one of those would be pretty nice about now. I am totally eating my words for all the times I swore I would never, ever drive a minivan in a million years. Two car seats can change your perspective.

So Much to Blog About!

Well, I have so much to tell about our week at the beach that I don't even know where to start!

It has been a long time since I've seen the ocean. But it is still big, blue and beautiful. The ocean is still hypnotic and mesmerizing. Beautiful and terrifying. Sitting on the sand, staring out at the endless horizon, thinking about how much water there is. How there are entire mountain ranges in the ocean that are bigger than any of the mountains on the land. When you picture how big that ocean is on the globe...and how little you are by comparison...well, it just makes me think about the bigger picture. Life is a lot like the ocean, ya know? It's not about one little wave or one little seashell or a handful of sand. That's not what makes the ocean. Life is so much more. Each little moment comes and goes, shaping us, molding us. The years pass like the tides and shape us and the waves shape the shore.

See, the ocean makes me all allegoric and metaphoric...I wax all poetic when I look at the ocean!

For nearly a week, the ocean was the second thing I got to see every morning upon waking. The first thing, as always, was Evie. My little alarm clock did not let a pack-n-play stand in the way of her waking me up. Nope. She discovered that with a little heft and little heave she could hoist herself out of that pink-and-brown stuffed-animal-filled prison and roam the house, whispering "Mommy...Mommy....HELP!" until I tracked her down. The first day she did it scared the crap out of me.

But after finding Evie, we always went and looked out off the balcony at the ocean. Dark and never-resting on the sand. I tried really hard to get to watch the sun come up, since I was up BEFORE it every morning. But I wasn't quite successful. Toddlers are really good at keeping you busy in the a.m. hours. My eight-month-old did a good job as well.

Our days stayed pretty busy. Keeping up with three from the car seat crowd burns some calories! Between diaper changes, bottles, snacks, diaper changes, sippy cups, meals, naps, more bottles and snacks, clothing changes, more diaper changes, baths, more bottles and bed times...shoo, I'm wore out just REMEMBERING how wore out we were.

I had honestly forgotten about that phase that babies go through right after they start walking where they are into EVERYTHING and won't listen. They're tearing into boxes, rearranging kitchen chairs, pulling books off shelves and climbing bookcases and hiding the remote. I guess I blocked it out. Even in a "child-proofed" house it's a tough phase because they are really, really testing their limits. Wanting to see what happens when they pick up the book end and throw it for the 18th time. It's not like the terrible two's, when they're asserting independence and individuality by intentionally doing things they aren't supposed to. Nope, this phase of toddling is just about curiosity and cause and effect. They want to know all about this great big world they have access to. So they climb, pull, tear, rearrange...just whatever it takes. That's the phase my nephew is in right now. And it keeps you on your toes CONSTANTLY. It was exhausting. But a lot of fun.

It was definitely a great reminder for what I am in for in a couple more months with Elly.

In addition to just maintaining the three kiddos, we did plenty of sight-seeing and went to the ocean a few times.

We took a trip to the boardwalk, went to Broadway at the Beach and had a big shopping trip to the outlet mall. We also spent a morning at Ripley's Aquarium, which was AWESOME. Went out to eat a couple of times. Had some really delicious meals cooked in the condo. Ate a great pizza.

Evie got a new Minnie Mouse from the Disney Store. Elly acquired a Winnie the Pooh. Now I am intent on getting the girls all of the Disney Pooh plush characters. I think they will be super cute in the play room, which is already pooh themed. I can just picture all the characters lined up on a big toy box in there next year, when Evie and Elly are bunking together in what is currently Evie's room. So, we went ahead and got Piglet for the girls to share. Plus went back later and got Eeyore and Tigger for the girls for Christmas.

We also went to the Carter's Outlet store. Which was AWESOME. I love Carter's. I wish we had a Carter's outlet store nearby, but it's probably best that we don't. I found matching Christmas dresses for the girls. Also got them each an outfit and Evie another shirt.

The Rack Room shoes store had the light up Sketchers that I have been wanting to get Evie for only $15! So she got some new shoes. Her very first pair of lace up shoes. I guess that's kinda goofy considering she's two. But generally I prefer to deal with minimum effort when trying to get Evie dressed and out the door. Especially since most of the last two years have been spent pregnant or dealing with a new baby.

We even went by a Wings and got everyone a nice touristy t-shirt.

Wednesday

Weel, here we are at the halfway point...

Our vacation is halfway over. It has been wonderful! I have loved getting to spend so much time with my family though I admit I'm beginning to miss my house and my things.

Contrary to any segment of Josh's, I have definitely broken my toe. My little toe on my rit foot. I think it got put back into place on Monday night when josh convinced me to let him pull it. Which was excruciating. It is still swollen. Still misshapen. And still hurts like a mo-fo. Currently ther is a trio of Dors band-aids holding my little toe to the next me. That seems to be making it feel a little better. But it aches in a way that I cannot explain and is oh so very painful.

The beach has been wonderful. A little drama. But that is to be expected. Vscationing with the diaper set is really not a joke! They hare difficult. Bottles and baby food and nap times and potty breaks. It is really challenging. The whining. The crying. The fussing. It is truly exhausting. But simultaneously it has been so fabulous. Seeing Evie and Hunter take in th ocean for the first time. Fighting to keep Elly from eating sand. Playing in the pool and chasing each other around the house laughing. It has been awesome.

Tomorrow we are doing the beach again and pictures and maybe more shopping followed by supper at Olive Garden. Friday is the aquarium and maybe more shopping. Lol. Then Saturday we will be packing back up and getting ready to head home that night.

It's been great. The next fewe days are going to be awesome!

Randomly Sunday

So exhausted from all the packing but so excited and nervous that I haven't been able to sleep yet. Well, except for the doze off on the couch curled up watching TV with Evie. But that doesn't really count.

Packing was...intense. The amount of bags we are taking is insane. And we really aren't taking many toys for the girls. Just clothes. And all the day to day stuff. Like spoons. And bowls. A crap, I forgot to pack bowls.

Dang it. Okay, that remedied.

It's been a wild day.

Evie killed me on the way home from dropping Mushu off at my mom's. (Yeah, it's really handy when your mom owns a boarding and grooming kennel lol) We're driving the highway when suddenly Evie yells, "Oh no!" from the back seat.

What baby?

Mushu! Ma's house!

Yes. He's at Ma's. Remember? He has to stay there while we're at the beach.

Oh no!

Yes. He can't go with us.

Oh no! Mushu! Mushu!

That girl kills me. Lol. So, she has asked about him a couple more times since we returned home. But fortunately she was tired. Both girls apparently were.

So, some random thoughts for the day...

Tennis shoes in the dryer can hit the door hard enough to open it.

I may possibly have the ugliest knees I've EVER seen...might help if I could quit banging into things with them.

What does a broken toe look like? Mine certainly feels broken. And it's swollen...and purplish. And I cannot move it. *sigh* I am ridiculously accident prone.

Well, I absolutely have to go to bed! Goodnight sweet world!

What dreams may come...

When Brilliance Backfires

Okay, so maybe my obsessive need to make lists doesn't necessarily qualify as brilliance. But apparently neither does my decision to try and be more laid back and less OCD.

I resisted the temptation all week to make any lists regarding our vacation next week. No "To Dos." No "Don't Forgets." And I did really well. I didn't have any sort of psychological or emotional break down. I wasn't freaking out. I didn't even really feel unprepared. I mean, how hard can it be to pack for 6 days away with two very young children?

Ohmygoodnessgracious.

Last night I started really thinking about it.

And now I'm just going to make a few lists.

But I tried! I really did! A pretty good effort if you ask me.

But last night I started sort of ticking off in my head..."Gotta remember Sissy's sleep sheep, and some spare sheets for the pack n plays, and to take several movies for Evie to watch, and to load up the iPad for Evie, and to set the thermostat back, and to take Mushu's bed with him to the B&B he's staying at while we're gone..."

And as I thought of all these things I kind of started freaking out.

I thought that not making a list would make me less OCD. Turns out it just makes me disorganized. So I'm giving into my inner neat freak, opening up Wunderlist (a phenomenal to-do list app) and typing away!

Also we are planning on doing pumpkins today (hopefully) for the girls. If so I will totally take some pictures for posterity and post those tomorrow. I haven't decided how much I will be posting while we are at the beach. But I know there will be so much to record! I can't wait to see what Evie thinks of the ocean. And Sissy is going to LOVE the sand.

Happy Saturday!

The Good Sort of Problems

Some weeks, you really gotta focus on the positives to get through.

This has totally been one of those weeks. Not because it's been a bad week. Though it has had some pretty bad highlights to it. Which I'm not even going to get into because they are water under the bridge and a recap, however well intentioned, will just drag all those negative feelings and bad vibes back to the forefront of my brain and I really want to keep the good vibes flowing if you know what I mean. My gosh that what as a long sentence.

But this week has absolutely been dragging. Mostly because if I can just make it through Friday I won't be back here for 10 days. TEN WHOLE DAYS. Oh-my-gosh. The only vacation I've had in the last year was my maternity leave. And I don't need to tell you how non-vacation, non-restful and non-relaxing that was. In addition, the Dowd family has never gone on a beach vacation. I haven't been to the beach since I graduated from high school. The only family sort of vacations we have taken are a trip to the zoo, trip to Tweetsie, and last year we flew out to California to see family and attend my sister-in-law's baby shower before everyone moved to NC.

So I'm just trying to take everything a day at a time and focus on the good stuff. Like the fact that I'm down yet another pound. Putting me one pound under my goal weight of 118, though I am no longer TRYING to lose weight. I guess it's a good sort of problem. And probably not one I will have after a week on vacation. Though I do plan on continuing my daily walk while we're at the beach and don't intend to suck down greasy burgers and milkshakes three meals a day or anything.

I've also seen Elly crawling. Like, really crawling. I don't know if she has temporarily given up on walking or if she has finally realized that walking is a little out of her physiological reach right now and that ANY mobility is better than none. It's going to be really hard on Evie. REALLY hard on Evie. Until she adjusts, there will probably be lots of yelling and knocked noggins. That's Evie's response whenever Elly does something terribly unacceptable or will simply not yield to Evie's incessant screaming of "SISSY!" or "NO!"--she knocks Elly on the head. Mobility is a good sort of problem for us to have though.

Evie simply won't stop talking. About helicopters and the moon and Duck and our trip and Ma's and the new porch (at Ma's) and Daddy and herself and Dora and Mickey and...well, you get the idea. It's non-stop. I just take a DEEP breath and remind myself that not too long ago I fretted and worried because she wasn't talking. Well, I am eating those words.

The best news is that it's finally Thursday. I've got so much to do this weekend that it'll be Monday before I know it. I just have to make it through another day or so at work and I'll be home free. Then I'll be trying to pack and make sure everything is done and oh wow, there is so much to remember to TAKE when you are traveling with two very little people.

So, its been a week chocked full of the good sorts of problems. I'm feeling quite blessed and fortunate. Looking forward to a weekend of packing and making lists (which I will check more than twice!). I am going to make a pot of chicken and dumplins. Maybe go pick some pumpkins. Yep, life is good.

Tweet-Tweeeet...Tweetsie

DORA! DORA!

Momma! Dora!

Pointing, yelling, jubilant.

Evie was thrilled. Ecstatic. Overwhelmed. There was Dora.

Two weekends ago, our family went to Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock. My mother-in-law had acquired some free tickets to meet Dora the Explorer and Diego. My husband and I, despite spending a lot of time in the Blowing Rock area, had never been to Tweetsie. We were excited about going and Evie was stoked that she was going to see Dora. Though until Dora actually came out onto the stage I'm not sure she really understood that she would be SEEING Dora.

The park was a lot of fun. There is a lot to do and a lot to see. Kids of all ages can enjoy it. Though the under 1 set is a little limited. Mobile babies can definitely enjoy some bounce houses, running around, kiddie rides, toy shops and even a petting zoo.

 The petting zoo was my favorite. But only because they had baby pot-bellied pigs. I love pigs. Especially teensy pot-bellied ones. They just make my heart flutter. I didn't really do any rides, despite the decent selection. Evie rode a boat ride that she seemed to really enjoy. Elly spent her time in the stroller or in someone's arms.

My sister-in-law Eryn brought her lil boy, 10 month old Hunter. He seemed to have a good time. I stayed so busy with my babies I didn't really get to spend much time with him, which I was disappointed about. He's a sweet lil fellar. And I don't see him nearly enough!

Evie was jubilant that she got to see Dora. She even did really well with meeting Dora. I know a lot of kids can be overwhelmed seeing their favorite character in the flesh.

But Evie had Nanny come on the stage with her and bravely had her picture made with Dora and Diego.

Evie even survived the entire day without a single potty accident. Yet another bit of mind-boggling potty training information. Apparently kids can hold it for prolonged periods while at a theme park. Go figure.

We rode a train. Had lunch at a fabulous BBQ place. Got Evie her first (temporary) tattoo. Bought some souvenirs. Did ridiculous amounts of walking. It was a fabulous day.

I hope in future years that we get to go back to Tweetsie Railroad. When the little ones are older and able to enjoy more of the park. It was a great experience! Even though Evie was over-tired and even after her nap was a little on the surly side that evening, I thought the day was stellar.

Second family vacation-type trip down. It was spectacular! Can't wait to do it again.

p.s - These pictures were taken by my fabulous father-in-law, Gary Dowd. You can check out his website at www.garydowd.com.

Summer

I don't know what it is, if it's the summer time or just because my children are older or what but I'm tired. Maybe both.

I have always planned on being one of those parents that was active with my kids. I don't want them to remember their childhood as days spent laying on the couch watching TV or playing by themselves because their parents don't have time or whatever. I want to do THINGS. Whatever they may be. Board games, puzzles, movie night for when the weather is blah. But when the weather is nice I want us to be outside. I want to go to the park, the library, the zoo, local historical farms, local tourist spots, the playhouse, the pool, ANYWHERE. I want them to see as much of the world as I can show them. I don't think you have to travel all over the country and spend a small fortune on family vacations to get your kids an adventure. Kids can learn so much just from taking a walk down Main Street or going to the park or the library. You just have to take the time to teach them. Talk to them. Explain the world to them. That's what I want to do.

But anyways, our family adventures have left me exhausted and with absolutely no time for blogging. And I'm sorry. On top of that, work has been INSANE so that just adds to the exhaustion.

This is my eldest baby...swimming.

She actually swims. All by herself. It is amazing and wonderful and somehow really sad. The more she can do by herself the less she needs her Momma for. *sniffle* But it is so adorable!

She's such a good little swimmer!

And such a sweet big sister she has become! Watching them interact as Elly gets bigger is amazing. They have been siblings since Elly was born but they are really becoming sisters.

Look at her helping lil Sissy out! So sweet!

The zoo trip was a HUGE success. Elly was briefly happy, briefly fussy, then asleep for a few hours. Our biggest challenge was keeping Evie in the stroller. We would let her get out and walk until she started wandering off then we'd have to wrestle her back in the stroller. And of course we had to tackle the issue of Evie not really "getting" the whole zoo concept at first. We got into the zoo and we were in the little square with restaurants and gift shops and exhibits. And Evie loved it. But we wanted to go see the animals and she thought that meant we were leaving and threw a hellacious tantrum. Until we saw the giraffes. Then she was happy and excited and totally infatuated. But then we wanted to go see the lions. And she threw a hellacious tantrum. Which continued until we got to the chimpanzee exhibit about 10 minutes later with brief pauses when we saw the lemurs, looked for the wild pigs, listened to the lions roaring, etc. But the chimpanzee was right there at the glass.

It was so neat! Of course she threw another tantrum when we left the chimps. But soon after she began to understand the whole concept of leaving one animal to see another.

Then she relaxed and enjoyed the ride.

Her favorite was probably the polar bear. He was awesome, but aren't the polar bears always awesome? He wrestled a trash can lid, splashed in the water, yawned, swam. He was great. She threw another fit when it was time to leave his enclosure because we were all starving.

She enjoyed lunch. Though the price was ridiculous. And next time we will NOT be eating in the park. Lessons learned. Paying $3 for a bottle of water and $5 for a PB&J is ridiculous.

But still, it was a good trip. Considering its pretty much our family vacation this year we got off pretty cheap. We all had a good time. Got plenty of exercise and Evie and Elly took great naps. They both really love the souvenirs they acquired. So that's pretty much been my week.

By the way, this baby is 4 months old now. Holy. Crap. Blowing my mind how fast it goes with the second one. Hope everyone has a great weekend!