Remember me?

I used to actually blog with some regularity. Now, it seems like a thing of the past along with scrapbooking, downtime, and sanity among other things! And as I sit down to type, thinking I may have just a moment, my little man has found me and how he hates seeing me at the computer. He knows it means I won't pay attention to him. So, he resorts to destruction to pull me away from his dreaded enemy...yes, I hear it beginning now. He is rummaging behind me, looking for something to destroy. Better go for now before it gets bad. Maybe I'll try again when he is asleep, if I don't fall asleep with him!

Friday, last full day at the beach

Happy Birthday Owen!!! We had so much fun celebrating Owen's first birthday at the beach. It was a rough start for Owen. He woke up around 5:30am, cranky and crying. It took two bottles to finally get him back to sleep around 6:30am. By then, the other two were up but they were playing quietly, so I slept in until 7am. I made everyone breakfast - and the birthday boy and Joe finally woke around 8am. After we ate, it was time to open presents! Alex got Owen a stuffed frog. Jenna got Owen a car. Mom and Dad got Owen a toy remote control, which he did not want to let go of all day! Heather got Owen clippos and they were a huge hit with all three kids! Some green stuff fell out of Heather's card, too! Due to our celebrations, we had a late start to the beach. But, wow, what a day!! The waves were out of control!! They were huge and powerful and we had a blast. Joe, the daredevil, went way out and let the waves crash over his head. Me, well, I was more cautious and when the break reached my shoulders I called it quits and headed for land. Alex and Jenna had so much fun sitting further inland and letting the waves push them ashore. I tried it once and what a ride! Owen had another great day in the waves and playing in the sand. He looks so cute walking down the beach. We hit the pool on our way back to the condo for a quick dip and then up for lunch. After lunch we sang to Owen, though I forgot the candle...bad Mommy! I made Owen froggy cupcakes and he did a number on one!!! He is destructive by nature, and he unleashed his wrath on this poor cupcake! More of it went through his tiny fists than actually got in his mouth! It was a great time! After a short nap, the kids wanted to go back to the pool. Owen and I headed to the beach for a short walk. We saw a small crab and Owen loved chasing it. Owen really wanted to go in the water but it was really low tide and the sand was really soft, I just kept sinking. I didn't go out as far as he wanted and he was getting angry! Luckily, Joe and the kids joined us on the beach and Joe took Owen out further for his "wave fix". We played in the water a bit longer but the wind really picked up and the sand started to blow, which does not feel nice at all. We ran for the condo and as we were getting in a storm blew in. It was actually nice to watch a storm out at ocean. It blew over soon and now it is nice again. I'd like to get on the balcony for one more night, but I'm trying to get us all packed up. How fast the week went by!!! It has been a great vacation for all of us and I am so happy we did this. Now, if only I can remember this feeling 3 hours into our trip back home, 6 hours in, 9 hours in....15 hours driving time alone - then count in the potty breaks, the food breaks, the gas breaks - they never all line up! We'll be home Sunday. Until then...

Thursday at the Beach

Yet another great day here at Myrtle Beach! We spent the morning down at the beach where Owen decided that today was the day he would just plunge into the ocean and stick his face in the water! He also enjoyed playing in the wet sand. He would gather handfuls and try to throw them, however, throwing for Owen means dropping them behind him, or in this case, on top of his head. Luckily, his hat caught most of the mess! Alex caught a minnow and was very proud of himself. He went running up the beach to show Joe, who was making sandcastles with Jenna. We were yelling at him to put the fish back into the water, I think he made it...at least, I hope he did. Owen took a nice siesta on the beach and I held him while I sat with my beach chair in the water's edge...bliss! Afterwards we took a dip in the pool. Alex is getting really good in the water and Jenna and I had a great game of "shark and diver" where she was the shark trying to get me, the diver. We came back up for some lunch and then got ready to go shopping. The kids had been given money by family members and were eager to spend it. We went to this really nice shopping area that resembled a coastal town, complete with boardwalks and water. Owen was treated to his first ice-cream and the "more" sign was in full force after his first bite! Back to the condo for dinner and then bed. Tonight was the first night I did not sit on the balcony and listen to the ocean. Instead, I was busy in the kitchen making cupcakes for Owen's first birthday tomorrow!! I cannot believe that my baby will be turning one year old. We have a few small presents for him and plan to spend the day on the beach, our last full day here.

Wednesday at the Beach

This morning we saw a pod of dolphins playing in the ocean!! It was amazing! At first we saw three sets of two dolphins, one set coming shortly behind the other. The second set played in front of our building for a bit, jumping out of the ocean so we could get a good look. I was able to capture bits of them on camera but it was difficult to do. After the third set swam out of our view Joe noticed more further out in the ocean. It appears that the six we saw were like scouts while the rest of the pod stayed further back. It was great and I am so glad that I finally saw some sea life!! Our morning consisted of some time on the beach, where we were finally able to build a sand castle without Owen destroying it. Owen actually got into the ocean today, wave jumping with Joe. Joe would put Owen into the water and then pick him up as the wave came in. Owen was full of laughs with that! Joe, Jenna, and Alex saw a stingray in the water, too. Before coming back up to the condo we stopped at the pool for a quick swim. Owen and I didn't last long as the water was too cold for Owen. So, we headed up and let the others swim a bit longer. Owen took a nice long nap and after lunch the older two eventually crashed also. I had some time to myself on the beach today thanks to Joe. It was great. I took my chair and a magazine and sat at the waters edge just soaking up the sun and the beauty of the ocean. We all had dinner on the balcony and decided to take a stroll on the beach afterwards. I thought this would be a perfect time for my envisioned photo session on the beach. Well, what I envision and what my reality is are two different things. I got the kids dressed, we found a nice empty spot, took maybe one or two pictures with a fussy Owen and then the batteries died. Joe ran up to get new batteries, the kids got wet, Owen got into the sand, and somehow our nice empty spot on the beach became a football field. Joe got back, Owen was no longer in the mood for any type of pictures, and the kids just wanted to play in the water. Well, we did the best we could and I haven't looked at any of the pictures yet, but I hope I got a few decent shots. I don't think I have any good ones of the three kids together. Oh well. We came back for some dessert, I put Owen to bed and when it got dark, Joe headed to the beach with Alex and Jenna for some crab hunting! They caught one and spotted a few more. They had lots of fun and Joe got about 3 minutes of it on tape. Well, I am being summoned by my little man. Another great day at the beach!

Tuesday at the Beach

Today was a much better morning for me. I was up early with my boys and enjoyed a nice breakfast with them while Joe and Jenna slept in. Of course, I didn't get to see anything cool like dolphins or sharks, but I had fun with the boys anyway. We hit the beach about 9am and actually remembered to bring the camera this time. The kids went right into the ocean even though it was a bit chilly this morning. And of course, they collected tons of shells. Jenna has added some seaweed to her collection also. Owen was a bit scared of the sand and water this morning. He didn't want any of it touching his toes but he certainly wanted to be out in the waves! He loves watching them roll in and crash against my legs. He laughs as I squeal and say another one is coming for us! Finally, he decided to get down in the sand and I tried to build a sand castle with him. Well, Owen the Destroyer likes me to make a castle so that he can quickly knock it down. He went exploring and likes the tall grass along the beach. Owen took a nice nap on the beach and I didn't end up with a baby outline tan as I had thought while I held him! We came back in around 11am for an early lunch, showered and headed out to Ripley's Aquarium. The kids really enjoyed it and so did we! There was one part where we stood on a moving floor and went through a glass tunnel so that the fish and sharks were swimming overhead as well as on both sides of us. Owen was in awe! His face was priceless. Alex and Jenna were amazed at all the sharks. Afterwards we headed out for some seafood - well, I had salad and non-water living food. The kids ate their weight in crab legs and Joe ate his weight in all the seafood they had to offer, he was in heaven. With full bellies, we headed back to our beach home. Everyone is sleeping now, ready for another full day at the beach tomorrow, with some added pool time at Jenna's request.

Myrtle Beach

So, I have to play catch up since this is the first time I have had a chance to blog. Prepare for a long post! Friday June 19 - So, things never go the way you plan, even if you plan well. We were supposed to have gotten on the road by 4am. Life lesson #1 - we are never on the road when we say we will be. We headed out the door at 5am and learned life lesson #2 - just because you pull your kids out of bed in the early morning, they do not go back to sleep. We started our journey and my plan was to drive until 8am when we would stop for breakfast. Life lesson #3 - I am not an out-the-door-on-the-road type of person. I need to eat within 30 minutes of waking, so I was very sick and on the verge of puking, so we had to stop earlier for breakfast. That started the non-stop potty breaks that Jenna required. Needless to say, it was a long day spent traveling. We all had a great time going through the mountains. We went through two tunnels, through the mountains, and Alex and Jenna thought that was just the coolest thing ever. The kids, for the most part, traveled well. Our last minute decision to buy a dual screen DVD player really paid off! We finally stopped for the night at 7pm (eastern time) and ended up in a less than stellar hotel. It looked great from the outside, the lobby was nice, the room horrible! Owen found a pot pipe and glass jar in the drawer and his feet were filthy from walking on the floor. It was late, the kids were tired, against our better judgement we stay but I made sure discounts were given. Saturday June 20- It was another full day of traveling. As we got closer we ran into Myrtle Beach tourist traffic and spent a long time going a short distance. But we arrived at our condo around 5pm. And it is so worth the long drive!! This place is beautiful!! Our balcony looks out right onto the ocean. We hear the waves from our bedroom. It is a short walk to the beach - like down the elevator and a minute to the sand. The condo is beautifully decorated and has the comforts of home. As much as we wanted to hit the beach, we had to get some dinner and do our grocery shopping. We ate at a great deli and then headed to Walmart. Wow! What an experience that was! I don't even want to know what that place would look like if a hurricane were on the way, but I think we got a glimpse of what if could be like. I have never been to a store that packed before and so picked over. It was all tourists stocking up for the week. Grapes were gone, cheese was gone, small containers of ketchup and mustard gone. The shelves were empty! We gathered what we could and headed back to the condo. It was a late night and we just all headed to bed. Sunday June 21 - Our first beach day!!! We were up early, had breakfast on the balcony, changed into our swimsuits, lotioned up and headed to the beach. Alex and Jenna charged right in and took to jumping the waves like pros. They had two boogie boards here at the condo - the way Jenna was on it, she looked like she belonged on the other ocean!! Owen, well, it took my baby some time to come around. He didn't like the feel of the sand on his feet. He hated the water. But he loved watching the waves. After some time, he was willing to put his feet down but if a wave got to close we had to pick him up. After he got braver, he started exploring more. However, as he was walking back up the beach to me he stepped on a shell and cut his foot. It isn't bad, it doesn't hurt him, but it bothered me all the same. I kept him out of the sand for the rest of the day. We headed back up to the condo for a snack and decided to just stay in until lunch. Well, Alex and Jenna don't really spend much time indoors. They love the balconies and spend all their time out on them. We had lunch on the balcony, had some quiet time and then went down to the pool. We didn't stay too long because the ocean was calling the kids! Back to the beach for some more wave jumping and shell collecting. Back up to the condo for baths, dinner and a movie - we watched E.T. and then to bed. Joe and I like to spent some time on the balcony watching the waves and listening to the ocean after we put the kids down. Monday June 22 - Today I woke up sick, very sick. I was in bed all day with a severe headache and nasty stomach. I don't even remember how many times I threw up. It sucks being sick and listening to the waves and wanting so badly to go to the beach! Joe was a huge help and took all three kids down to the beach for the morning so I could rest. They had a great time and saw lots of wild life. In the early morning they saw dolphins swimming in the ocean from the balcony as well as a school fish and larger fish, maybe even small sharks, eating the school! They saw crabs and little bugs of some sort when they went down to the beach and of course, they came back with lots of shells. Lunch on the balcony with Dad, quiet time on the balcony while Owen napped with me in bed. Then the older two and Joe headed down to the beach again. I was feeling much better and planned on bringing Owen down to meet them, but discovered we were out of formula so back to the dreaded Walmart to get some. It wasn't as bad today and we made it back in time to head to the beach. This place is great because it is next to a preserve so the beach is less crowded and a bit of a further walk down and you feel like you have your own private beach. Today I got into the ocean and jumped the waves, first by myself and then with Jenna. Alex and Jenna built castles and we stayed to watch them be destroyed by the high tide. Owen is loving the water now and is getting into the shell collecting thing too. Of course, he loves to pick them up and put them straight into his mouth! Dinner on the balcony, baths and then to bed. I love being able to type while sitting on the balcony and listening to the waves. It's too dark to see them now, but the sound is so relaxing. Time to go to bed.

Owen Update

We have a walker!! Owen took his first steps a couple of weeks ago and has been perfecting his technique ever since. He prefers walking over crawling and will crawl to the nearest object to pull himself up. We love watching the pride on his face as he walks towards us. Of course, with his new found skill, we are entering the bumps and bruises phase of life with a baby. It doesn't help having older siblings who chase after him or come running around corners and take him out. Owen has also cut another tooth bringing his total up to 7 and is working on two molars. He is waving bye-bye and says ba ba for bye-bye and for baby. He signs "more" and "all done" and has mastered the art of shaking his head no!! Owen loves clapping and is realizing that he can make us laugh. Tonight he entertained us with a new dance and just kept going because of our reaction. He is still horribly attached to me but when I think of Alex finishing up his first year of school in just a couple of weeks, I relish it and know that it will all go by too quickly!

Jenna Update

Jenna participated in a gymnastics recital earlier this month. She had so much fun and loves her ribbons and medal that she received! Last week we learned that her coach would like to put her on the pre-team track at the gym. Today, we signed her up. Over the summer Jenna will spend two hours in the gym a week. She will begin working on the larger equipment more. During the next year, they will work with Jenna to move her up to a level four, which is the standing that is required to begin competing. Jenna will be able to begin competing when she is six years old. Right now Jenna is very excited about all of this. We will continue to follow this as long as she is having fun. Of course, all this happening today coincided with her first injury. I was awed at watching her hold a perfect hand stand today for a good amount of time, then watched as she crashed over and quickly grabbed her foot. I noticed her rubbing her little toe on her left foot. She sat for a bit, then jumped right up and went back to work. After class she told me she hurt her toe. I told her I saw it and asked if it still hurt. She said a little. We went to the park, where she jumped and ran and climbed all afternoon with her friends. After getting Alex from school, we finally came home and she took her shoes off. She said she hated her shoes because they hurt her toe. When I looked at her toe I could not believe what I saw...red, purple nasty bruise the entire length of her toe and wrapped around the backside. It isn't broke, not after everything she did that day, but it looks terrible and I sit back and sigh and think this may just be the beginning of many more injuries.

Alex Update

The first picture is on Mother's Day. Alex lost one of his front teeth. OK, he pulled it a bit prematurely as there was too much blood involved for my liking. Luckily he did do this because it was a great cover for one of our biggest parent blunders to date...the tooth fairy forgot! Here is the story - Mother's Day was great. I spent a quiet day with my family which is just what I wanted to do. We spent the afternoon outside enjoying the weather but I was silently being attacked by nasty allergens. During Owen's bath my hands broke out in a very painful allergic reaction. I took some benadryl knowing that it would knock me out for the rest of the night, but needing it because my hands hurt so bad. Before I passed out I reminded my back-up tooth fairy of his job. Well, he was side-lined by Jenna later that night due to nightmares, leg pain, something along those lines, so the tooth fairy never came. UGH! After much doubt in the tooth fairy's existence, Joe reassured Alex that the tooth fairy would come that night. That is was actually Alex who messed the tooth fairy up. See, she had Alex on the schedule for that night, but Alex threw her off by pulling the tooth out early and she could not possibly squeeze him in. Sold, story worked, tooth fairy came, all was good!! Three days later the other front tooth came out and the tooth fairy was on time!! We love his gappy grin!!

Overheard

A conversation between Alex and Jenna- Jenna: Alex, we're best friends, right? Alex: Yup. Jenna: And our fun will never end, right Alex? Alex: Never.

Family Bingo Night

Last night was Family Bingo Night at Alex's school. It was to be a night of family fun - dinner (hot dogs and popcorn), bingo, and raffle prizes. It turned out to be a disaster!! It started out rather chaotic, but once we were settled in our seats and Owen adjusted to the huge crowd of people, I thought it would be fine. The bingo caller was really fast and Joe and I had to keep an eye on our own cards, completely help Jenna, and double-check Alex's card. Oh, yeah, I was also feeding Owen his dinner at the time, too! Alex came close to bingo several times but just when he thought for sure he would win, we were told to clear our cards. He also wasn't winning any of the raffle prizes and was starting to get discouraged. Well, several games into it and Jenna gets a bingo. We cheer for her and Joe takes her up to pick out a prize. Alex slumps further into his seat. Joe and I are both one number from getting a bingo and tell Alex if either of us win, he can have our prize. Well, neither of us win. Alex does not get a prize. I see the storm clouds coming. Alex fights back the tears as he is at his school, after all, sitting next to his best friend, no doubt, who insists on talking to Alex, unaware of the inner turmoil that Alex is in. We pack up and head home. I know it is going to be bad when we walk in the house. And then it happens. I try to talk to Alex, to explain that it is very hard to win when that many people are playing (at least 100) and that we were very lucky that at least one person in our family won. He huffs and puffs with his back to me, arms failing at me anytime I try to touch him. So, I ask him to talk to me, to tell me how he is feeling. More huffs and puffs. So, I tell him he doesn't need to talk. I tell him how I can't fix it for him but that I could certainly hold him and hug him. And with that, I see his back heaving and hear the sobs getting louder. I pick him up and just hold him and let him cry. I feel horrible. I want to fix it. I want to make it better. But, really, I can't fix it. I can't make him win something. Buying him something won't fix it, either, it just puts a band-aid on the situation and makes him dependent on retail therapy. So, I just hold him and know that this is just a life lesson that he has to learn. When Alex calms down we explain to him that he is going to have to lose many times in life before he will win but that just makes winning that much better. We tell him it is hard to understand but it is something he must accept. The thing is, it seems like Jenna is the one that always wins in situations like this. The girl is just lucky. And while I am so happy for her, I feel so bad for Alex. Growing up is not easy. Parenting a child through these lessons I have already learned is even harder because sometimes we can't make it better and sometimes we should not make it better and that is what is hardest for me.

Owen at 6 months

More Owen pics

Owen Pictures

It's been too long since I've lasted blogged. My bad, but where to find the time?! I'll keep it short and simple - Owen is now 6 months old and still a pure delight! We've battled some nasty stomach bugs, but overall Owen is doing great. He is now rolling from his back to his front and vice-verse. He has mastered an adorable scoot on his bottom that he uses to move himself forward and when on his tummy he can spin around and move backwards. Owen weighs 21 lbs 2 oz and is 27 1/2 inches long. The pictures of Owen are from November 2008, December 2008, and January 2009.