Exhausted kids..... no such thing
Summer vacation is in full swing and I am really making it a point to do some fun and hopefully educational things this summer. I feel like I owe it to the kids to have a wonderful summer because last summer SUCKED... I was already on bed rest by the time 2012 summer came around. The last day of school last year started a long line of TV, movies, reading and computer games for the kids which was incredibly hard for ME! I typically go- go- go- so to be stopped dead in my tracks was tough. We did make it Grandma Jackie's about once a week for swimming but other than that the kids were so bored and I didn't blame them. This year I promised myself would be different no matter how tough it would be for me. We have already gone to the zoo twice, one movie, some sewing with the girls, the Island water park and tons of reading thanks to Ty's obsession with mythology. Of course we made a trip to Ripon as well to visit Grandma Ripon aka Little Grandma.
The last week we tried some new things which we hadn't done before. The first was Skywalk. Skywalk is a pretty cool deal, wall to wall trampolines and the kids just went wild! We took along G'ma Gina and my nephew Talyn to run out some energy and boy oh boy did they. They jumped, hoped, bounced and fell over and over again- I was so jealous! Oh to have that energy again- I was exhausted by the time we left just from holding babies so to jump, jump, jump was not in my vocabulary. I am going to try and get a sitter for the twins next time so I can get out there and show 'em how it's done.
Talyn was not shy- he went for it full force
I love this kid so much. He is a bit challenging for my sister for sure. He has a wild case of ADHD and OCD so you can imagine how much he loved the running. He was care free and happy so I definitely earned some "Awesome Aunty" points. NO matter what Talyn loves me- I can do no wrong. I hope I can always stay that way in his eyes.
Here's my little string bean getting in her cardio
Gigi watched the high school kids who did some awesome flips and she followed the best she could
Ty met up with some older kids for a game of dodge ball but came out by at the end to hang with his sisters
Charlie was in amazement
I LOVE Charlie's expression-pouting
"I want to jump NOW mama!"
My week was broke up due to my MICN class. MICN is an extra deal to get as a nurse that opens a few more doors and hopefully will make me a better nurse. I took the first class Thursday and was strapped down to a back board and drove around recklessly in the back of an ambulance... I now know it sucks to be in C-spine...but I still loved it... I always have loved learning and I try to make it fun for the kids so that they will be more likely to enjoy school and stick with it, that's why Friday we headed to Columbia.
When I was a kid we went to Columbia regularly. We lived in Merced so I don't remember it being a far drive....From Madera it was two and a half hours!!!! Winding, slow, truck filled roads with a pre-teen who didn't want to go, a car sick 8 year old, a frequent peeing 4 year old and 8 month twins.... We still had fun! We played music way loud and all sang along to every hit song of 2012- thanks to Paris's CD collection. We made jokes and told stories and I taught the kids Road Rage 101. Paris pointed out bad drivers by the end of the trip and Ty learned about some important "passing other cars" criteria. Once we reached Columbia and unloaded the twins, diaper changed, pee breaks <sigh> we were off to seize the adventure! IT WAS LIKE A GHOST TOWN!!!! Most of the little stores and shops to look in that I remembered were closed down. The jail was closed down as was the school house and I was instantly disappointed but then I remembered they didn't know any better so I pretended to be excited and they followed. We went to the little museums and read all the plaques about the miners and gold rush... We learned about the great fire and the ways gold got from one place to another which Ty educated us even further on ( he knows so much random stuff).
Paris loved looking at the old fire trucks and pointed out once again that fire men don't work and all they do is cook and work out......(thanks for that education from her daddy)
Charlie was an angel on this trip. She just looked around and laughed when Paris or Gi paid the slightest bit of attention to her
Penny did just as well, she stayed cool even with her helmet thanks to the fan G'ma Gina bought
Paris talking about firemen
Gianna Checking out one of the few window displays left
Ty and Paris learning about the General Store
Thank goodness they were interested or the whole thing could have been a disaster
Paris dressed up to fit in
Ty even let me get a picture
Gianna building a wall of gold
Ty reading up about whisky production
Paris helped Gi
The kids also had a lesson in gold panning and loved it. They searched for gems and gold flakes
They had the sweetest teacher who cracked jokes and really got them involved. He explained a lot about the history of Gold Rush and they soaked it all up. It paid off that so few people were there because they got some extra attention from the employees.
The picture below was taken while I fed the babies and prepared for the long drive home- I dreaded the drive!
We ended the trip with some ice cream and kettle corn and called it a day.
Josh and I squeezed in a lunch date on Saturday because I was craving Pismo's and it was so worth all the craving. The heirloom tomato side is back so everyone run out and get some before it's gone! We had a lovely afternoon and then had some couch time and movies with all the little ones. In all honesty as much as I love taking the kids places, I loved being home more! I love sitting on the couch holding babies, tickling big kids and just soaking up every minute. I wish I could have more energy and just go- go- go but honestly even when I am not leaving the house I am still go-go-going! So for now I will just do all I can and hope we make some awesome memories in the process.
I realize the big kids have no clue as to how challenging it is to take them to do things with the twins, especially all on my own and I am glad they don't- for now... Someday Ty, Paris and Gianna will have children of their own and will take family day trips and excursions and it will be tough and tiring, they will look back and think "Man, my mom took us everywhere with FIVE kids- she was CRAZY but she must have really loved us" and they will be right...
Much love to all, I hope you are all out there making memories even if it's in a mud puddle in your very own yard!
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