Utah

Wow.  It has been a while since I've updated.

The kids and I just got back yesterday from a week in Utah with my parents.  We had a great time.  It was literally nonstop activity.  The kids (three big ones) went to Deer Valley camp Monday through Friday from nine to 4:00.  What a great program - they went to a family fun center, a pool, the city park, played tennis, soccer, kickball, baked cookies, and hiked.

My mom, Charlie, and I ran errands, ate good lunches, and walked (up hill both ways) while the kids were at camp.  My hammies have never been more worked.  One day my dad drove us to Stein Erickson Lodge for lunch, and then my my, Charlie and I walked home.  That means about four miles zigzagging down the side of the mountain and one mile walking pretty much straight up the hill to their house.  Worked I tell ya.

Charlie is the best little buddy.

The kids had so much fun playing in the house on the Plasma cars.

My parents are filling in their pool to lay sod in its place.  My mom's dream is to have the grandkids frolicking on the grass in the yard playing croquet.  One day.

Still a little snow left on the mountain.

My dad took the kids on a hike.

Fun to watch the daily progress!

So what if I use the iPad as a babysitting tool at night!? 

sibling love

I found some old pictures:

I sure love this guy.

This is the epitome of happiness.

bliss 

 One day after Charlie and I picked up the kids from camp, we headed down to town to Dolly's (ripoff) Bookstore.  I got worked by the kids.  They all got a prize because I was tired and hungry and had a head ache and didn't have the energy to say no.  One our way to the car I got a migraine.  I drove home, looking through a squiggly line, but made it up the hill safely.

Georgia holding her prize: a book.  Go figure.

 Gosh I love these kids.

Every chance she got, Charlie would climb up here, turn around and dangle her little feet.  Proud of herself no doubt.

There was even a little time for nakedness on the balcony!

Georgia opted to practice piano.

Two days before we left, Charlie woke up at midnight throwing up.  Four times from then until   seven.  She had a bad belly the next day but seemed fine.  She wasn't her totally happy self, but she was fine.

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon.  We bid farewell to the Murphys and headed to the airport in the car.  Charlie started acting up, but I (very stealth-like so the driver wouldn't see me!) leaned over and gave her the boob.  She was out cold for about twenty minutes until we arrived at the airport.  We made it through the ticketing process and to the gate easily...only to learn the plane was an hour and a half delayed.  Drats.  I remembered we passed a little play area on route to the gate, so we headed there.  There were some really naughty kids and a few cute ones, and it definitely passed an hour swiftly.  We headed back to the gate - ten more minutes delayed.  We all went potty.  Millie went poopies but didn't realize she had to and locked the door.  She had to hop off and unlock it so I could wipe her.  Well, in the process she got poop on her pants.  No biggie.  I planned ahead and swapped her into her back up pants.  We got back to the gate and the kids colored in their books and played with their animals.  I heard, "Now boarding all Spokane passengers."  "OK guys, that's us!  Let's go!" I said to the sweet little redheads surrounding me.  "Oh SHIT," I said to myself as I looked down at Charlie only to see yellow poop out her diaper, on her pants and up her back.  In what seemed like 20 seconds I said "sit here, here and here" and made a human wall with my kids around the little pooper and I stripped her and changed her diaper.  So WT - she was half naked on our way to the plane.  I was sweating, but found it all comical.

Murphy's Law at it's finest.

Once on board, I put Charlie's back up outfit on her (this ain't my first rodeo!) and she boobied to sleep in no time.  Murphy, Charlie and I sat together in 10A and 10B, and Georgia and Millie buddied up in 11C and 11D.  I glanced over at Millie and she had passed out while we were taxying.  I thought to myself, "Great! This will be a great flight!  Easy!"  No more than 15 minutes later, Charlie woke up.  "Huh!?  She always sleeps on planes!"  Whatever.  She was happy.  Four, three, two, one...THROW UP.  We're not talking spit up here.  Throw up.  Charlie threw up between Murphy and me.  Praise the Lord it didn't get on either of us! It went right through the tray tables and onto the floor.  Disgusting.  Murphy was classic.  He said, "That smells so nasty! I'm going to throw up!"  I told him if he did I wouldn't clean it up.  I'm so sympathetic.  So, now Charlie was crying and I was wiping crap off my hand and tray table.

Then I whipped her clothes into a Ziploc bag (to which I have an addiction!), popped Millie's extra shirt on Charlie, and said fifty seven Hail Mary's that she wouldn't puke again.

About ten minutes later, Millie started tossing and turning and crying (still half asleep).  I asked Georgia to see what she needed, but she had her nose in her Kindle and didn't hear me.  Whatever...not like people haven't heard a kid cry before, right!?  In the back of my head I knew she was going to pee her pants, but she proved me wrong, thank you Jesus.  What's up with all the religion!?


Well, there is a God ha ha ha because we made it to Trevor at baggage claim in one piece.

And we made it home.

The only downfall: there was only half a glass of wine remaining in the only bottle of wine we had.

Lessons learned/confirmed:
1. Carry back up clothes for everyone.
2. Carry everything in gallon Ziploc bags.
3. Carry sanitizer wipes (the individually packaged ones - mine are from Costco).
4. Highlights Magazine's Hidden Pictures books are great.  They have stickers to put on the hidden pictures as well as coloring pages.  Even when Millie doesn't want to find hidden pictures, the stickers keep her busy.
5. Bring a sandwich or two and snacks.  Because of the delay, Georgia was hungry and had half a turkey sandwich, and Murphy had the other.  Millie ate the turkey out of it.  I LOVE these for Charlie's food.  I used them during the year for Georgia's lunches too.  So neat and organized. :)  They make things a lot easier.
6. My mom always says "What's the worst that can happen?"  Well, I'm pretty sure some of the worst happened this past trip.  Did I survive!?  You bet.  And I laughed at it.  We are going back in one month for the same routine, and there is no way the same shenanigans could occur again.  So there is nothing to be stressed about, right!?  Ha ha ha....well....as my mom said "It could be Georgia or Murphy or Millie throwing up!"  Well true.  Actually, me throwing up would take the cake.