A Day Out with Thomas

 

 

 

We won tickets to A Day out with Thomas.  After collecting our tickets our first stop was pictures with Sir Topham Hat.  My kids were creeped out by him, but both gave him a high five!

 

Christian loved the activity tent and went straight for the train tables!!!  There were five or six tables set up here.  They also had magnetic fishing and temporary tattoos.

 

 

Katie stopped for a picture with Angelina Ballerina and Thomas…not Barney. I’m supposed to tell you that.

Katie waving at the people standing outside the depot!

 

Christian looking out the window.

 

We were getting ready to leave the station and they were so excited!!!  This is just after Christian had a mini meltdown!  Thankfully, the “toot toot” from Thomas’ whistle brought him right out of it!

 

They couldn’t believe they got their pictures made with “the real Thomas”.  I heard this is cool or this is awesome about 100 times!

 

 

They were checking the coal supply on this mini train!

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This was an amazing day for our family!  Since we live in historic Metamora, IN and A Day out with Thomas was in Connersville we had only a 18 mile trip to see Thomas!!!  Some of the volunteers told us there were people there from Florida, Michigan, and Iowa!!!

All of the on site activities were included with the cost of the ticket (we won ours though).  This was a VERY pleasant surprise because there was a lot to do.  Katie jumped in the bouncy house, but Christian didn’t.  He opted for more time with the train tables.  They also had a barrel train, a balloon artist on stilts, a magic act (we got there too late), and a movie tent.  We missed/opted out of several of the activities.  I didn’t want to overstimulate the kids and cause a meltdown so we followed their cues and not our own desire for them to do everything.  We also took advantage of the free shuttle to and from the event.  Katie thought riding on the school bus was the coolest thing ever.  Mike and I were working on a 5 year plan that includes living on a bus!

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Time Flies!

 

I can’t wrap my head around this picture.  It was almost 2 years ago.  My climbing, running, jumping, talking big boy was just a baby.  I can’t believe he’ll be 3 in October and my little gal will be 6 in December. Enjoy every second…even when they are driving you nuts!  Time flies! 

Write your own song

We were having a pretty rough day yesterday.

I am battling a UTI/kidney inflammation and Katie has an eye infection.   We were both a little cranky.

We were sitting on the couch after I convinced her and Buddy to chill out for a few minutes and she asked this question:

Are all the songs written?

I asked her what she meant.  She asked if new songs can still be written.  I told her absolutely!!!

She wrote a song about flowers and  puppy dogs on the day the above picture was taken.  Christian  likes it so much he sings it on his own.  It’s so catchy I sing it sometimes too.  She hates it.  I am going to continue to encourage her follow songwriting/story telling.  She loves it.  I want her to grow up and write her own song.  I want her to do what makes her happy and not worry about what anyone expects of her.  I want her to wait a while before this growing up thing happens though…she’s my little baby.

Monday Morning Madness

My kids were driving me crazy earlier.

Picture me standing in the kitchen with both hands over my ears..

It rained last night so sending them out into the fresh cut yard is not something I want to do.  It’s been very cool so our upstairs playroom is open for business.  I begged them to go upstairs and give me a little down time.  Finally, they listened.  They put up a crazy fight about going up there, but as always once they get up there I won’t hear from them for a couple hours.

I would sneak up there and take a few pictures, but I don’t want to disturb the force.  Tonight when they go to bed I’m going to get a few craft bags together for them.  Our biggest issue with crafts is Christian.  The kid can’t resist drawing on walls.  I wanted to put up one of those super cool chalkboard walls, but I don’t feel comfortable doing that until he understands that you don’t draws on the walls/couch/kitchen table.

So for now they are upstairs playing quietly.  I’ve heard, “Oh, look what I found!” and “This is cool!’  I haven’t heard any grumbling or complaining.  I haven’t heard any yelling or screaming.

I feel about 10,000,000,000 times less crazy than I did an hour ago.  We’ll call that a victory!

Our very boring backyard

“Mom, we’re bored,” reported Katie one morning.

“Why don’t you guys go outside?”  I asked.

“It’s just too boring,” she replied.

So we went outside.  This is what we found while looking around!

The playhouse and picnic area!  Shady and perfect for a nice snack!

Snoozer the car!  We bought Snoozer used at the flea market for $25 and later found out it was supposed to be a bed!  Pretty boring, right?

This is the “school house”.  It’s perfect for boring activities like climbing, sliding, and sending Thomas, Percy, and James into dangerous ravines.

Next, lets meet the swing sets.  Yes, sets plural.  There are TWO of them.  On the left is the toddler set equipped with a little pirate ship/clubhouse and slide.  One the right is the very amazing tree fort swing set complete with a double glider, two single swings, and infant swing, and the super cool climbing rope!  I’m tired just thinking about it!!!

 

The super cool climbing rope!

 

 

 

And finally, their little blow up swimming pool.  It’s really not so little.  Three of us can easily fit inside!

 

I lost them during the tour.  They ran off to their boring backyard.  He was pushing Thomas and Percy down the slide and she was swinging on her belly and screaming with joy.  Sometimes kids just have to be redirected.  I set out to give them the whole speech about me only have one single swing set and no other outside toys, but they got side tracked.  Thankfully, they got sidetracked!  Happy Sunday y’all!

Seriously, I’m a mother. Seriously. Part 1

I take my role as a mother very seriously.

Imagine being 17 and your gynecologist tells you that you will “most likely never get pregnant and if you were too you will never carry to term.”

I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). Other than a longer than average menstrual cycle I have no other symptoms of this condition.

For 12 long years (17 to 29) I thought I couldn’t have kids.

Mike and I were living together. We were planning on going out and he asked a very important question, “Hasn’t it been a while since your period?” I didn’t think anything of it. I figured it was just a longer than normal cycle. I never tracked the actual length of them since I thought pregnancy wasn’t an option.

I stopped and bought a pregnancy test figuring it was wasted money. He was at work and I was home alone. I took the test. It was positive as soon as I looked at it. Literally, pee on the stick and it was positive. Turns out I was already 10 weeks pregnant!!!

My pregnancy with Katie was so easy. The hardest part was choosing her name and waiting for her! I wish I had been more educated about birth and not went straight for a c-section, but I also don’t regret that process.

I breastfed her about an hour after her birth. That was a difficult journey for the two of us. I didn’t realize until after Christian’s birth that she had a bad latch. Every time we nursed…it hurt. Due to that fact I fell into the formula trap. I nursed her but supplemented with formula until she was 6 months old and then I switched completely to formula. I regret that I wasn’t more informed.

Since we knew I COULD get pregnant and I COULD carry to term we tried for Christian. I got pregnant on our first cycle of actively trying. His pregnancy was different. I didn’t have any complications, but I felt much more “hormonal”. I was very moody.

He was also born at full term. He weighed 8 lbs 9 oz (1 lb 2 oz more than Katie). He was a very good and eager nursling from birth. Thank God he was born via My recovery time post c-section was much longer with him than Katie, but I now had TWO kids to care for!!! He nursed full time until 9 months and then finally self weaned at 19 months.

One day I asked him to nurse and he pulled my shirt back down and said, “No, Mommy”.

Being a mom is hard, but I am blessed be able to hold them in my arms and teach them about the world around us.    Stay tuned for Part 2!