Learning how to travel with kids, one baby step at a time!

So first things first, this week we reached a very important and long-awaited milestone in Sebastian's life.

It is something I could not be more thrilled about.

And though it hasn't happened consistently through the week, it has happened often enough that I believe it is here to stay!

(No. He is not sleeping through the night. One thing at a time! ;)

But he just started doing this:

Yes! He is starting to self soothe! So so excited about this development. He is still a little rusty on figuring how to put his thumb in his mouth, but with time it is bound to happen, right?! We are awaiting that day with eager anticipation. Kateri was literally self soothing while we were still in the hospital, which, looking back, I did not appreciate near enough!

Anyway, a couple weeks ago, my parents hosted all of us at a lovely house down in the Outer Banks. This vacation was a blast!

Things that worked really well:

1. Lots of stops on the drive down (and the drive up!)

About to head down to NC. . . Excitement abounds!

Usually I tend to be a Just-drive-as-fast-as-we-can-and-ONLY-stop-if-150%-necessary kind of girl, but I quickly learned the following equation = Truth:

(2 kids 1 and under) + (frequent stops while driving) = Sanity for parents

And really, I suppose our stops weren't that frequent. Just once or twice on the way down and a few more on the way up. Pat is a very relaxed traveler, and really takes the whole 'Life's a trip, Enjoy the Ride' advice much better then I do. I tried to do that more, and guess what? *shocker* the trip down and up were actually a TON of fun, much better then I imagined with the two littles. They truly were part of the vacation itself!

2. Eating/drinking minimally while driving

Most people probably are not like this, but I have this tendency to think there is a downright need to have plenty of snacks, drinks, and candy on any car trip. This time, I decided to wait to eat until we were having lunch, and wait to give Kateri many snacks until then either. Probably it is super obvious to everyone on the planet (unless your name is Teresa G) to do this, but it really was a break through for me! Kateri ate some (not a TON, but some) when we stopped for lunch, and I was hungry enough to have some icecream from Chick-Fil-A after lunch! (That ice cream is to die for, btw!) Maybe I am projecting, but I think we all felt better for it.

This also made snacks and treats much more effective when we gave them to Kateri. If she was starting to get a bit fussy, she was hungry enough to actually eat something rather then immediately throw it on the floor!

Caveat: We had had a pretty crazy (and fun) weekend prior to the trip and very VERY little sleep, and so Pat did need some caffeine:

How can you say no to a drink that has your name on it?

And an occasional sunflower seed . . .

Much healthier then the snacks I tend to choose

3. A pac-n-play for each kid

This really made a difference in sleeping arrangements. Initially, I was planning on having S sleep in the bed with us, but my mom generously let us borrow one of her pac-n-plays so each of the littles had their own space to sleep. They slept better and so did we. (This was really a blessing because Kateri had two really rough nights, and the fact that Sebastian was sleeping in his own space really meant he could sleep through her noise and us getting in and out of bed. It also meant we could sleep better when we actually were in bed!)

4. Multiple bathing suits for each kid

Usually, I am a minimalist and would only use one for each. HOWEVER, with a pool in the backyard and a beach nearby, I decided to bring two suits for each baby. This really made life so much easier and gave each suit plenty of time to dry before the next time swimming. It was so much fun to see these two in the water!

This is Sebastian before his first time ever in a pool! He wasn't the biggest fan of the pool. But he really loved the beach. He seemed really enthralled with the waves, and did not fuss at all when we put his feet in the surf. He was in awe of everything!

Kateri was very VERY excited to get into the pool, as you can see. She loved it, although she hated the floaty device we bought to keep her afloat (that was scrapped almost immediately. . . maybe we will use it next year?).

She was really unsure about the crashing ocean waves the first time we went to the beach, and really preferred to dig in the sand and fill up her plastic bucket, and then go commandeer some of Charlottes toys.

However, as time went on, she started to love the thrill of the sea. She would stand in the sand at the oceans edge, and laugh with delight as the wave came rolling towards her, and she would bounce up and down slightly in anticipation. She LOVED when it crashed over her (we were holding onto her of course!! pretty much in an iron grip!)

But, I digress, the two suits per kid turned out to be quite the blessing!

5. Bringing pre-made food

Anyone who has travelled with littles knows while a ton of fun, it is also pretty tiring! We brought a couple frozen lasagnas for one of the dinners. This made life so easy~ just throw together a salad and some garlic toast and BAM dinner is done. Little prep and not completely exhausting, which scores awesome in our book. For dessert we had Klondike bars. Kateri was a fan of her mint-chocolate-chip bar:

fuzzy but worth seeing

6. Another new thing we did was bring a bag for dirty laundry. Probably everyone under the sun also does this already! I usually never did this when travelling in my single days, and when Pat and I travelled in the past we were able to maintain our dirty/clean laundry. But with those two extra kids in the mix, this really made things easier. There was even a washer/dryer unit available, so we went home with all.clean.clothes. Awesome!

7. Crayons/markers/signing times DVD's/toys

The toys were great, and the Signing Times DVD's (Kateri's all time favorite) were a huge blessing. It was really entertaining to see the different way Kateri and Charlotte play (their approach is very different. For instance, when coloring, Charlotte will pick up her crayon and start coloring, where Kateri will first try to collect all the crayons in one place, and THEN pick out a crayon to color).

Crayons provided more entertainment then just coloring, though:

And BONUS: one thing that did NOT work out as planned:

What was supposed to be a quick stop at McDonalds . . .

There was a big line outside for the drive thru, so I ran inside assuming that would be quicker.

The line was HUGE.

It took me at least 30 minutes to get to the front!

Enough time for Pat to drive across the street, fill up the gas tank, drive back, take Kateri out of her carseat, hear Sebastian have a giant blowout, put Kateri back IN her carseat, change Sebastian's giant diaper, buckle him back up, and take Kateri out again.

So, word to the wise, pick your McDonald's carefully!

When I got back to the car, these two were ready to go!

Thank you so much, Mom and Dad, for such a wonderful vacation! We had such a great time! Thank you for giving us a truly fantastic time!

We enjoyed every moment!

Early Californian Mission Style?

Last Friday while at The Store, Nonie and aunt Betty pointed out this piece of furniture:

Intriguing!

As Pat said, "The price is right for me!" (see the price tag?)

So after a quick "What do you think of this?" text to Pat, I decided to go ahead and buy it! And by 'buy', I mean agree to pick up.

So, this past Sunday after 7:30 Mass (quite the feat for us Greniers, I must add!), we had a delish breakfast over at my parents; and then proceeded to remove all the benches from the van and head up to Ashburn.

We met Nano right away, with his snazzy car out in the parking circle. Aunt Betty, Uncle Bill and Lucy soon arrived (they graciously came early to help us move the piece). And, as I drove the van down to the 'loading dock', Nonie was there to meet me and make sure everything went smoothly!

And everything DID go so smoothly! Pat and uncle Bill managed to move this very heavy and incredibly SOLID wooden piece and make it look easy-peasy. Lucy was quick to anticipate whatever needed to be done, removing the drawers/shelves to make it lighter and pushing them in the dolly. Aunt Betty held Sebastian and infused everyone with her joy and can-do attitude, and Nonie directed the procedures with a smile and energetic gusto.

When we got to the van, we all studied the sideboard closer. It is a fascinating piece, at least to my admittedly very unknowledgible eye.

Here it is on the trip home en route on 28 somewhere:

Taking up most of the van

Once we got home, my parents generously met us there and Dad and Pat brought it upstairs quicker then ever!

My mom snapped these shots of the proceedings:

And it made it safely! No backs were thrown out! And the sideboard stayed in one piece! So grateful for all the help that was so generously shared with us!

Here are a few close ups about this piece:

1. Wooden Panels

There are 60 of these wooden panels (rectangular and square). As uncle Bill noticed, they are not pieces of the cabinet drawers/doors, but were carved separately and then pieced in the 'frame' cut into the wood. If you grasp the rectangle, you can move it back and forth ever so slightly.

2. See the key-hole in the photo above?

There is a key for each hole. And-- get this -- they are unique and go to specific key-holes. So cool!

Can you see the difference?

3. The drawers have this dovetailing

4. And these pulls:

If you look closely~ they don't look like they were factory-made, perhaps they were forged?

5. Another thing that really fascinates me is each hinge.

I've never seen a hinge that looks like that! And you can tell they were each made individually when you see them side by side.

6. On either end of the sideboard is a handle.

While the handle is strong enough to life the piece, it is still difficult to actually carry it with just the handle!

7. There aren't many nails in it, but there are wooden pegs (see them below?)

We do know that this piece was originally from Spain. But we don't know much else about it! Any guesses?


Here is Pat, moving the exceedingly complex system of wires from our old stand to the new sideboard. We are hoping to put a shelf on the wall for the dvd player etc and then eventually to mount the TV on the wall as well.

I am so so happy with this piece of furniture! It makes the room feel bigger, and looks so nice. I love the raw wooden look, especially paired with a soft new white rug that Pat bought me last weekend.

We have been scouring craigslist, stores--both in person and online--, and garage sales for a piece of furniture that would work here. It has been really tricky because of the railing behind. Basically we needed:

1. No shelves, ledges, or anything 'climbable'(so scary to think of little ones climbing and falling over that railing!!)

2. Somewhat presentable in the back so that guests are not affronted with ugliness as they walk up our stairs

3. Locking option so that items such as DVD's, remotes, and computers can be kept safe from little hands

While those three things may seem not too difficult to fulfill, let me assure you it is almost impossible! I really feel that it is a blessing and gift from God that we were able to find this piece, and for FREE, no less! Thanks be to God and all of his gifts~ how thoughtful of Him to provide the perfect thing~ and nicer looking then anything I could have come up with.

A happy half birthday to K-bear!

August 25th and Kateri is a year and a HALF! Today, as I was attempting to straighten up with a fussy two month old in my arms, I couldn't help but look at Kateri "helping me" and realize how much she has really grown up.

 

She is getting taller and slimmer and losing that baby face and chub that I love so much. She is still my little baby, but it is sometimes so hard to see her growing so fast. I have found myself doing something that I always swore I would never ever do.

 

I actually call her "baby" sometimes. Yes. I admit it.

 

As in, "Come on, Baby K! Time to heard down the stairs!"

 

~or~

 

"Ok, Baby~ time to climb up in your high-chair!"

 

~or~

 

"You can figure that out, baby, just keep trying."

 

I always and forever promised myself I would reserve that word for only those little ones a few months old and younger, and even then would never refer to them directly as 'baby', but only their name or nickname. Self imposed rule #37,456 that I have broken since becoming a mom!

 

But, I must say, I am really and truly glad that I call her this sometimes. After all, she is still so little! And, especially with another little munchkin who came when she was just 15 months, it is really important to remind myself that, while I ought to expect a lot out of her, it is just as important not to expect too much and to just let her be her age. This is a constant struggle for me. How to strike a balance between holding her to high standards and realizing and expecting her to act like she is 18 months.

 

For instance, how do I know she is being wilfully disobedient? Which battles are worth fighting? Is she at a stage where she should just be redirected? Is she old enough to understand timeout? What sorts of play should I encourage? Should I actively 'play' with her all the time and/or feel guilty when I don't?

 

Ugg! I could go on and on! I imagine most parents (especially moms) struggle with these questions (and lots more)~ especially the balance between mercy and justice and how they play out practically in the whole parenting sphere.

 

Today, Kateri really REALLY wanted to hold Sebastian.

 

This love of her brother has been a very very gradual development. While she often wants to shower him with kisses (which she reserved for ONLY him and would refuse to give any to Pat or me for the longest time, despite all our best efforts of coaxing one-- JUST ONE-- out of her), all other forms of love and attachment have been completely absent. Instead, she prefers affection of the body-slamming, pushing, poking ears and eyes, shoving off mommy's lap, patting- quickly turning into hitting variety.

 

So I was very (very very VERY) leery about this new extreme desire to hold her little brother. But she is a year and a half today! And she wanted to so desperately!

 

So, I very carefully placed him in her lap . . .

 

`

 

 

And she was beyond thrilled!

 

 



Sebastian doesn't even look petrified!

It was really really moving to me to see how happy and excited she was to hold her brother.

She didn't want to let him go either, and was very unhappy with me once I did eventually take him back after she pulled him over backwards, laughing all the way. But, after quickly redirecting her, she stopped her fussing and moved on to something else. So, for this case at least, the redirecting works!

Yet another one of Kateri's big wet kisses. Sebastian is like, "C'mon mom, why do you keep letting her do this?!" Trust me, kid, at this point in your life, you prefer kisses to body slamming and biting. That may change one day. But for now, just trust me on that one."

So, today is the feast of St Louis IX of France. His mother famously told him, "I would rather see you dead at my feet then commit a mortal sin."

!!!!!

Can you imagine saying that to your children? It seems so blunt, but when you think about mortal sin and what it does to the soul, you realize she is really right. Her small son Louis really took what she said to heart, and later wrote to his own son some beautiful words of advice.

This is a very small excerpt:

"Dear son, since I desire with all my heart that you be well instructed in all things, it is in my thought to give you some advice in writing. For I have heard you say, several times, that you remember my words better than those of any one else.

Therefore, dear son, the first thing I advise is that you fix your whole heart upon God, and love Him with all your strength, for without this no one can be saved or be of any worth.

You should, with all your strength, shun everything which you believe to be displeasing to Him. And you ought especially to be resolved not to commit mortal sin, no matter what may happen and should permit all your limbs to be hewn off, and suffer every manner of torment , rather than fall knowingly into mortal sin."

If you'd like to read more about this saint, Tom Cole has some great information and the rest of St Louis words of advice to his son on his blog. I recommend it :)

And, here is a cheers to napping time! And the pleasures of writing with just a two month old!

About 546 times easier then writing with a toddler around :)

School House Stables

Hello there! I hope you had a lovely weekend! Ours sure was~ complete with 4-H fairs and Mass (Sat AND Sunday-- we need to make this more of a habit!) and fun! It is so rare that we accomplish so much in a weekend, especially these days!

 

Sunday was absolutely beautiful! After Mass, we headed to the Redlegs football game. I dutifully checked the weather beforehand to see if it would be child-friendly and not too terribly hot.

 

Good news! Upper 70's and 95% chance of cloud cover. So that's what I planned for.

 

Well, we got there and the sun was out and it was HOT.

 

Thankfully Pat's parents brought umbrellas, otherwise I would have had to take Sebastian to the car, because the sun stayed out and shown down mercilessly the whole game.

 

It was so hot! We were all sweltering. But it was a ton of fun, especially because one of the refs brought a radio and so there was music the whole time, which was clandestinely switched from hip-hop to country, thanks to Mac (quite an improvement!).

 

Kateri wisely dumped a cup of water over her entire dress in order to stay cool. Smart kid!

 

The game was fun and we won! Afterwards, we were super lucky to go visit Katherine's horses in the picturesque horse-country north of Middleburg.

 

She has her horses at School House Stables.

 



 

Yes that is a gravel road!

Named for the old schoolhouse that is on the property.

Currently under renovation

We got to see a stallion, who is four years old.

All the horses love Katherine! Even the stallion, who was nippy, listened to her.

Pat and the stallion make their awkward introductions

Unfortunately, I only had my camera phone! Next time we will bring the big camera for sure.

This is Troy. He is the sweetest horse! Katherine was so sweet to bring him out for Kateri. He was very gentle, and Kateri couldn't believe how big she was!

Kateri is seriously not sure what to think

We know Kateri was slightly confused because she kept saying, "Moooooo!"

Katherine also showed us the baby horse.

So cute! But you have to laugh at Sebastian's face. . . "really not so sure about this, mom."

For the record, Pat showed Kateri some cows on the trip home to clear up any lingering confusion. But the cows were strangely silent, so we may just have to start playing 'Baby Einstein: Farm Animals' in these here parts.

Hair-itage

Over the past few years, my dad has been doing a lot of genealogical research.

 

Which has been very interesting!

 

He recently confirmed something that we all suspected for a long time . . .

 

No. NOT that we are related to Charlemagne.

 

But that we are somehow related to this iconic character:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It seems I carry this gene. . .

 

Further proof:

 

 

 

 

 

Just give her a few more years! And a pair of glasses! The resemblance is unmistakable.

 

 

 

Sebastian, on the other hand, doesn't seem to carry this gene.

 

 

 

 

Don't worry, Sebastian! You have time!

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

The newest hair-style we have tried on Kateri is a French braid. Gotta love some French braids on little girls!

 

The only way I could convince her to sit still enough was put Signing Times on, which always gains her undivided attention.

 

 

 

It came out pretty well, considering she is 17 months old!

 

 

But this makes her look so much older and more mature!

 

Too much older! I think I'll stick to pigtails for now :)