More Fun in the Sun

So camping is fun, but it isn't my favorite thing. I like to go because I loved camping when I was a kid and I want my kids to have that experience. Well, camping with babies isn't fun. We have two. (Ok, so Lucy really isn't a baby anymore, but it is still two sets of diapers, two cribs, two high chairs, you get the point...) Well, camping it the rain REALLY isn't fun. It rained both nights we camped. So you would think we would have had a horrible, nightmare of an experience. Oddly enough, it was quite the opposite. We had a blast! I think there were a few things to our advantage: friends, the beach, and twin 12 year old girls! We met up with our long lost Ann Arbor friends and it was so great to catch up. Max and his bestest buddy of 3 years didn't just gel right away after the year hiatus, UNTIL they remembered their common passion : Computer Games! They sat like this for 45 minutes straight, totally captivated in conversation, it was a riot! I basically didn't hold Sam for two days straight because he was passed from one set of eager hands to the next. Lucy thus had more Mommy AND Daddy time than she has had in a long time so she was super happy. We camped at Warren Dunes off the "coast" of Lake Michigan. Basically Lake Michigan beaches RULE!! The sand is finer than California sand, the waves not quite as big but big enough to play in and not feel like you are going to get dragged out to sea. The greatest bonus is the FRESH WATER! You can actually clean off from the beach and get clean! It totally feels like you are at the ocean, but it is fresh lake water, AMAZING. Plus there are incredible sand dunes close by that are super fun to climb up and jump or run down. The boys loved hiking and exploring, just couldn't get enough. We all had a ball and decided we definitely have to go back before the summer is over. There are more friends going in August and we are thrilled because we realized that we DON'T have to go have another camping experience to enjoy the beach. I mean, why press our luck? Camping with babies and rain and mosquitos was great and all, ONCE, but who are we kidding? It couldn't be so great the next time, especially without the twins! We think we are the smartest people in just planning a day trip, and we can't wait for another day at the beach!

Family, the Fourth, and Thirty Four

What a wonderful week we had. We were so lucky to have Byron's parents visit us for almost one whole week! They are on their way moving from Hong Kong to Salt Lake City via Ann Arbor then Mesa. They get to spend about 3 weeks in AZ but they have to spend their time at doctor and dentist appointments and split the rest with 5 children, 5 spouses and 23 grandkids. Well, we got them here at our house for 6 full days by ourselves!! We still feel so lucky. They came at the perfect time with the long 4th of July weekend, Byron's birthday and absolutely gorgeous weather. Ok, except for the huge storm that knocked our power out during our barbeque and stayed out for the next 30 some hours. Our kids thought it was the best barbeque ever and still ask if we can have another barbeque durning a rainstorm that knocks out the power. Sure, why not? We celebrated Byron's birthday at Greenfield Village which is a Henry Ford museum of cool historical things village style. It was really interesting and fun to walk around while visiting. We ended the day with nothing else but birthday dinner at Red Robin. We were too stuffed for cake, which was a good thing because our power was still out when we got home. No baking here! Byron got one candle on the candlestick Max shaped himself at Greenfield Village. What an awesome birthday for one great guy! We were invited to breakfast and a bike parade on the 4th. It was so fun with great food, fun friends, perfect weather, and a relaxing atmosphere way better than any city parade. That night we had our own fireworks show in our backyard that was spectacular. Ok, maybe not spectacular, but it was super fun with fireflies adding their own sparkle of light, and knowing we weren't having to battle traffic and crowds. Grandma and Grandpa got the MVP award for coming to help with family pictures. I knew we needed extras to help situate and make kids smile, and they not only fit the bill but were the best. They danced and told silly jokes and fixed clothes and basically were awesome! What a relief that is over -- pictures are never my favorite. We haven't seen them all but here is a sneak peak of the sneak peak we got. I'm quite excited (mostly that it is done!) We spent the rest of the week doing the normal things like cooking and eating (a lot!), going on walks, church, and trying out fun gifts from Hong Kong. Mostly we just relished being together, letting the kids really get to know Grandma and Grandpa. It was so much fun, we are so sad they are gone. Lucy really took to Grandpa and today was asking for him, it was so cute. They definitely made a lasting impression! Luckily Grandpa has a church assignment in the fall that will bring them back to Michigan. It made saying goodbye so much easier. We can't wait to see them again!

Beach Bummin'

We had a wonderful week in Southern California. We stayed at a beach house on Capistrano Beach, a nostalgic place where we used to go with my Harbaugh grandparents and cousins. Oh, how I loved those trips to Cali! My mom has always wanted to recreate these wonderful memories with her own family and we were finally able to do it. Byron has joked that any reunion with my family is "girls camp". Well this was way better than any girls camp I've been to! My mom did an amazing job of creating an incredibly fun week for her 6 kids, spouses and 25 grandkids. We had beach olympics, sand castle competitions, Chinese day, smores around the campfire, boogie boarding in the waves, Bonko night, and a Sunday fireside. We ate incredibly well (meaning way too much food and delicious desserts everyday!) My mom even had Burnham Capistrano Beach 2008 shirts made for each person. I was the lucky one who got to celebrate my birthday there with everyone, including Byron's two sisters and their families who came for the day. It was a blast! We ventured off the beach one day and took our kids to Legoland, they had a ball, (minus Max getting sick and throwing up about 4 times while we were there.) The best part of the whole week was just being with everyone, getting reacquainted with all the kiddios that seem to grow up so much in the months we are apart, and laughing with my siblings. They truly are some dang funny people. What a Burnham Camp to remember! Way to go Mom, it was the BEST!

Sam Recap

So I think I jinxed Sam when I wrote about the fourth baby being bliss. All you have to do is mention how great something is to have it turn on you! He is still such a dang cute baby but boy has he been a terrible sleeper lately. He is addicted to his binki and won't go to sleep unless he is TIGHTLY swaddled, but he is getting old enough that no matter how tightly he is swaddled he squirms enough so that his little hand pops out by his face and he grabs his binki and messes up the whole system. Sheesh. Maybe it is time for him to learn to sleep without it all but I sure liked it when he just slept and didn't mess around. Sheesh.

On a brighter note.... Sam rolled over for the first time a few weeks ago and has continued to go from tummy to back. We have to watch him carefully when he is on the ground because his big sis likes to lay down by him and sometimes misses and sits on him. Or pokes him in the eye. Or tries to "hold you" as she says over and over. So sometimes I feel he spends too much time in the bouncy seat on the table, but at least it is safe. They all love to play with him. Jack came through the kitchen pushing the laundry basket with some Webkinz and Sam. He's just a part of their favorite things! The other night Jack had been holding Sam like he always does: Jack lays on the couch or ground with Sam sitting on his belly like he is riding a horse. Jack holds his hands and talks to him and sings to him and jostles him quite a bit. Jack loves his little baby Sam and takes every opportunity he can to hold him. Well this night, Sam showed Jack just how much he truly loves their play sessions. He nailed Jack smack in the face with puke. It was so funny, Jack was so startled and luckily didn't just throw him down because he really didn't know what to do. We were all there to witness this and thought it was most funny because Jack had done the same thing to Byron 8 years ago. Sam has been the lucky kid around here that gets to go on date nights with mommy and daddy. We find it amazing how easy it seems to just take one baby with us instead of the four kids. We have sure had fun with our little addition. He is a happy baby, quick to smile and easy to distract when grumpy. We love our little Sambo!

Max Recap

A few new things have been in store for Max this spring. He is starting to learn to ride his bike without the training wheels. He isn't too thrilled to keep trying, but he is so close! Max has also started soccer for the first time. We realized with Jack that we started him way too early at three years old (first child excitement). So Max is just beginning and it has been the perfect time for this six year old. We have had so much fun watching him; he is aggressive and follows along with the game and has ALMOST scored numerous times. He is highly motivated with rewards and is always asking us if he can earn something if he does something. Before every game he asks if he can get a reward if he scores a goal. He is quite manipulative because it is usually something I want to agree to like a place to eat out for dinner or movie night for the family. It has been pretty funny, even though we are trying to teach him to love to play and do well simply because it's fun (yeah right, I'm out there cheering my lungs out so we can go to Red Robin!) In the few games Max has played he has handled the ball 10 times more than Jack did in a season. They are definitely two different kids with very different personalities. Speaking of being highly motivated by rewards, Max has gotten some pretty great "treats" with good haircuts the last couple of months. Mas HATES to get his hair cut, and even though we've made progress over the years it still isn't a favorite activity for anyone involved. So, like any good parent, we bribe him. Max said he would only do a buzz if he could have a mohawk. We said what the heck, why not for the day, as long as he would be PERFECT for the haircut in the morning and later to get the mohawk gone. It was sweet! We had planned to go bowling that day, and one of his best buddies was having a birthday party later that afternoon. We got the funniest looks from people wondering what kind of people we were to let our six year old kid wear a mohawk. He was the HIT of the birthday party and thought it was the coolest day ever. He finagled 4 Oreos out of the latest haircut, but I tell you, he was an angel for both haircuts, and our house was actually peaceful (or at least our neighbors don't think we're abusive anymore!)
Byron took the boys to our ward Father's and Son's Outing and they had a blast. They were the first ones to the site and Max was thrilled because he helped Byron build and start the fire that ended up being THE fire that everyone used the whole night. Way to go buddy.
One last thing about Max. He is the best brother ever. He always is thinking of Jack and how he can make him happy. He and Lucy have a special relationship. He is in school every morning and she gets so excited when it is time for him to come home. He plays and plays with her and makes her so laugh all the time. She calls him Maxers and says it so affectionately. The other day after playing on the trampoline and doing every single thing she wants him to do, he said, " I am so done playing with her." but two seconds later he was back at it. So cute!

Jack Recap

There have been so many things going on lately that I have not written about. I decided to post them categorized by individual children. This time the first shall be first....

Jack has been a busy kid this spring. He was able to participate in his first ever Pinewood Derby. He totally designed the car and Byron helped him cut and sand and install weights and paint. His car did really well the first few rounds, including beating car designed by the Ford Engineer Dad. After winning twice they decided Jack's car might be not within regulation. They said it was too long with the weights sticking out the back. Hmmm. Thought the cars were inspected BEFORE the race, but whatever. Jack and Byron took the weights off the back and stuck them on the sides. The car won it's next race, but fell off the track on the next one and it was down hill from there. Unfortunately our boy got the sweet taste of victory in his mouth early on, only to have it turn a bit sour. We were proud of him, though. He kept a good attitude, and really only complained a little bit on the way home. Leave it to scouts to teach boys the hard lessons of life and how to deal with them. Jack also had his piano recital a while back. He had practiced and practiced his songs for weeks, and was so bored of it he raced through the songs. His teacher was really concerned that he would not be able to keep the right tempo and recommended Byron sitting with him to count with him. Jack really thought he could do it on his own, (and we did too...his teacher is a little over zealous!) The recital was on a Sunday immediately after our church, so he hadn't practiced that day, and heaven forbid he ever practice on Saturday, so I was a bit nervous for him. He was calm as can be and performed wonderfully! He was proud to be a part of the recital, and was even talking about next year's performance, which is a huge thing considering he regularly goes through phases of refusing to play after this year! All in all, it was victorious!A few months ago we discovered that Jack really gets a bum deal around our house. He happens to be home only during the really chaotic times of the day. In the morning before school when it is rush, rush, rush. After school when it is homework, piano, scouts, sports. Dinner time: eat, sit down, eat, sit down, sit down, sit down. Bedtime for the little ones occupies all our focus, then it's nearly time for Jack to shower and go to bed. We don't think he really realized this, nor did we for a while, but after many struggles of behavioral issues, we took a different look at things. We decided he needed some Mommy Time. Once a week we have scheduled a time for he and I to spend some alone time together. It has made such a HUGE difference. It doesn't even matter what we do. He just knows that on such and such a day, at this time, he will get his special time and it somehow makes everything else okay. He gets to pick (within reason) what we do, and it usually isn't very long, but it is enough. We have worked on his pinewood derby car, gone to a book store, shopped for shoes at Meijer (that was random), played the Easter Bunny, and played catch with the football. I have found that it is harder to be frustrated with him when I have more positive experiences with him. For a while the only interactions we were having together were nagging and negative. After having good moments together, I feel like he knows I really care, and I can see him in a different light too. Plus, it has truly been fun to just hang out with my boy! Hooray for Mommy Time and hooray for Jack!

Therapy and Psuedo-Therapy

There have been a number of things this past month that have made me feel "normal" again. ( I know many would argue that I have never been normal...) Between having a baby and nursing that baby every 3 hours and throwing out my back, I have not been able to do a lot of the things that help me feel like something other than a slave to my house, children, and aging body. I started physical therapy for my back and it has been wonderful! No miracles or anything, but definite changes and relief. This means I have been able to RUN! Woohoo! I haven't run since before I was pregnant with Lucy. It feels great (actually there's a whole lot of jiggling going on that doesn't feel so great!) , but hopefully my back will hold up and I can continue to pound it out on the pavement. It feels fabulous! I also mowed the lawn yesterday, which takes me back to my teen years and is totally therapeutic! A few weeks ago we gave Sam a bottle for the first time so I could go to the temple with our Relief Society sisters. It was so needed! I hadn't been to the temple since Dec. and was in need of a spiritual boost and was greatly filled. Next we had a girly night where two friends came over and we made dresses for our girls. It was so fun! It made me remember that yes, I can do something other than change diapers and pick up all day. Lucy totally didn't need another dress, but turning a couple of pillow cases into a dress for her was what I totally needed! Date night with my hubby was also pretty sweet. Byron owed me a date from FOREVER ago because I beat him in bowling, thank you very much! This means he had to arrange babysitting and decide what we were going to do. Dinner and a movie is an all time fave, but lo and behold, he came up with something better: dinner and shopping at the outlets! And not shopping for the kids (well a little) but he said it was shopping for me! With being fat and pregnant for 18 months out of 2 years, not to mention the postpartum fatness, it has been a long, long time since I have shopped for myself. I didn't find much, but the fact that I could shop kid free and with someone to show off to, it was a blast! Book club is also mega-therapy for me. I love, love, love to read and escape in a good book, but I love going and visiting with the girls even more! I came home from the last one and Byron said, "How was it?" I said, "great, but my back hurts. I think I sat in the same spot too long." He said, "Yeah, well FOUR hours is a long time." I said, "Duh, it wasn't FOUR hours! OH MY GOSH! I was there for FOUR hours?" Sorry, Elizabeth, we stayed a loooong time, but truly, it makes me a better woman. Maybe not the next day when I am so tired, but I continue to find myself chuckling over past book club conversations and it just makes me happy. Each of these things has made me feel whole and well again. Hallelujah!