Columbia Wind-Down

I struggled with a name for this post because so much is happening before we make our way out of Columbia.  “Easter!” and “Spring!” and “Would you look at that, it’s almost MAY!” just didn’t seem appropriate.  As much as I’ve tried to keep living life per usual, my brain is going a million miles a minute and I am completely consumed with all things house-related and moving.  I speak to my dad and/or the builder no less than five times every day about a whole host of things, so between choosing cabinet depths and couch colors, I am fried.  We go to Lowe’s about as much as we do Aldi at this point, and amongst all of that, we still manage to have a little fun and family time in between. 

Shall we begin?  The beginning of March was awesome!  Nathan’s senior retreat was held in Asheville and while Granna & Pa kept Tyler and Caroline, the two of us got to spend some with his coworkers at the Grand Bohemian in Biltmore Park.  Believe it or not, this was my first time ever away from my kids for more than 24 hours.  I was sad at first, but it didn’t take long to relax and know that they were in good hands.







After the Asheville trip, it was time to start celebrating Easter (which seemed so early this year).  It was unseasonably cold in Columbia, but it didn’t stop us from hiding eggs in the back yard for about two weeks straight.  Tyler and Caroline were completely obsessed with doing this, and we would take turns hiding them.  I think they enjoyed hiding the eggs for Nathan and me more than anything, and the excitement on their faces when we praised their hiding spots was the cutest thing ever.  (Seriously though, some were impressive – ha!)









We also tried to visit the Easter bunny at the mall, which started out so nicely…



But unfortunately, up close and personal with him went over like a lead balloon.



Good thing they’re so cute, I didn’t even mind the 40 minute round-trip and all that waiting in line for nothing.  To thank me, they happily posed with our porch bunny once we got home. :)



Now that the kids are three, we knew that they would understand the Easter story and really taught them about Jesus’s resurrection this year. Although I know that the total concept is over their heads, it will all make sense one day.  For now, the important thing is that they get that Easter is not about the bunny - but about Jesus - and are enjoying the “fun” of Easter because of Him. 

Connor could hardly wait!  (Last year he ate half their candy while we were at church.  I was smarter and put it far away from his reach this time).

Traditional pre-church Easter shot, courtesy of the trash can & a self-timer.

My dolls and their bunnies.  :)

After church, we had a family-style lunch with our best friends and played all day long.  We were the last to arrive and didn’t have time to change clothes, but that didn’t hinder my little sportsy girl at all.  She was out there running, kicking balls and playing just like the boys… ruffled socks and all.

Best buddies.

Since Easter, we’ve done a lot of “Lager” fighting outside (their made-up word for imaginary monsters, or something) and swinging.  I’m happy to report that Caroline has completely mastered pumping and can swing herself… but I’m still working on Tyler.







We’ve (NATHAN) also built fires in a freshly dug hole, in our back yard.  I can’t accurately describe the hilarity I found in this.  {Insert “you might be a redneck if” statement… here}



Tyler decided to put the fire out the old-fashioned way, unprompted…  Boys will be boys.

Other snippets of life, courtesy of my Instagram feed -

^{Pontoon Hat & Thomas the Train = Tyler’s Heaven}

St. Patty’s Day Night-Grilling

Taking Minnie to school.

Dinosaurs Alive Preview at Carowinds!

This one is going to be an athlete, just you wait and see.

Finally warm enough for the sprinkler.  FINALLY.

Tyler tethered all this together to make his train, cars & caboose.  So smart.

Fro-Yo date with their mama!

My beautiful girl.

Fun at the zoo, while apparently looking 12 years old.

First visit to the dentist!  We love Dr. Andrews.

Now, to catch you up to speed on the new house…
The new drywall is going up today as well as the floors for the bathrooms, so things are moving right along.  Next on my agenda is determining paint colors for every surface (who knew there was more than WHITE for the ceiling?), grout colors, cabinet colors, cabinet knobs/handles, and light fixtures for every room.  I’ve already ordered a few things here and there (like a new jute rug for the living room, which I’m super excited about), but we still have to order new furniture for that room so… yeah.  Lots to be done! 

Before & After of great room/kitchen:




I visited a fabric store yesterday while the kids were in school and landed upon this pallet, which I’m pretty obsessed with.  Now just to determine which one to use where… ?  Decisions, decisions, decisions. 



Believe it or not, we only have eight weeks (if that) left before we move back to the upstate.  It’s bittersweet but so exciting!  Nathan won’t start his new position until August 1, so we have the month of July to enjoy our new home (and new boat – WOOOHOOOOO!)  I can’t wait till all my pictures involve floaties, coolers, pretty green water and mountain views.  Till then. :) 

Let’s talk about two three-year-olds.

Three.  Three and a half.  Whatever.

Point is, whoever coined the phrase “terrible two’s” was TRIPPIN.  Two’s were amazing, but the three’s?  Those are a force.  I’m typing this at exactly 11:09 pm because I’m awake, solely due to the fact that Tyler and Caroline exercised (by way of gymnastics from their beds) until approximately ten minutes ago.  Nathan is moonlighting at a nearby hospital for three days and I’m here to deal with any and all “bad behavior,” let’s call it. 

I’ll preface this by saying:  My kids are AWESOME 80% of the time.  They are angels.  They listen.  They behave well in public.  Other moms wish their kids were as awesome.  The other 20%?  O.M.G.  They are possessed by attitude-filled-12-year-olds.  They don’t want that blue bowl, they want the ORANGE ONE.  They didn’t want the blue shorts, they wanted the DARK BLUE ones.  Duh.  Everything is a battle.  Sometimes I fight it, sometimes I don’t.  I guess that’s what is hard… what are the important battles to fight?  When am I doing them a disservice by letting things go? 

Here is a typical day, because it’s fresh on the mind…

7am:  Woken up by Caroline.  LET’S WATCH TEAM UMIZOOMI AND GET ME SOME MILK!

7:30am:  Tyler stumbles down.  I WANT SOME EGGS.  AND A WAFFLE.  AND BACON.  AND MILK.  AND AN OMELETTE WITH HAM.  AND CEREAL.  Where’s my Thomas steam engine? 

7:45am:  I ask what everyone wants for breakfast, can we just agree?  Eggs and a blueberry waffle perhaps?  Now Caroline wants cheese toast… ok then.

8:00am:  Eggs with cottage cheese cooked (just as Tyler likes them), two pieces of cheese toast plated, and a few grapes and blueberries for good measure.  BUT I DIDN’T WANT THE BLUE PLATE!  I WANTED THE MICKEY ONE!  AND I DIDN’T WANT THE HELLO KITTY PLATE!  I WANTED THE DORA ONE!!!!  ok then…

… fast forward to mid-day, because lunch was more of that, obviously …

1:00pm:  Headed to the zoo, because the deal was whoever cleaned up the entire living room got to choose the day’s activity.  Caroline picked up better than Mary Poppins, so the zoo she chose. 

1:30pm:  Detour to Palmetto Thrift and Boutique.  I hear they have awesome bows for $2.50 each.

1:35pm:  After coercing each child out of the car, we settled on Caroline bringing a stuffed Mickey and Tyler bringing his remote-controlled Thomas steam engine (huge contraption) into the store.  Whatever. 

1:40pm:  I’m looking at bows, they are telling me how much they don’t want to look at bows.

1:45pm:  Caroline is totally ticked that I won’t hold stuffed Mickey and proceeds to throw a fit; Tyler realizes I’m upset with her and tries to talk her down. “Sissy!  Be a good girl!  Mommy won’t take us to the zoo!”  So sensible, that one.

1:50pm:  Tyler pees on my car tire in public, in broad daylight.  I couldn’t care less.  Time for the zoo!

1:55pm:  Park at Riverbanks, having discussed Caroline’s attitude adjustment.  She is on board and is a brand new girl!  Wonderful.

1:56pm:  Walk around to get Tyler out of the car, and pry Thomas (the remote controlled one)  out of his hands and place back into the car.  He is told that Thomas and his huge self cannot go to the zoo, but he will be in the car waiting for us when we return.  Crocodile tears and full-on meltdown ensue.

2:56pm:  After crying for a solid hour and professing “I wanna go hooommmmmeee” (even during the carousel ride which Caroline was having the time of her life), Tyler finally gives in and succumbs to some soft serve chocolate ice cream.  Crisis averted… let’s have fun.

… fast forward to leaving the zoo…

5:00pm:  Everyone falls asleep in the car.  Not good.  This means war at bedtime.

5:30pm:  We must have milk so a grocery store visit is imperative.  I try to keep everyone relaxed by getting the double umbrella out and reclining the seats, then moving each sleeping child to a seat.  It works.  Awesome.

5:32pm:  Tyler is awake but happy.  Caroline is out cold.  He spies Goldfish and asks for some, I agree we need a bag.  He’s responsible for holding them.

5:45pm:  Bathroom break at the grocery store.  One kid pees on my hand, the other wakes up ill as a hornet. 

5:46pm:  Goldfish spotted by child who isn’t holding them.  Fight ensues.  I try to avert crisis by offering to let Caroline pick out our ice cream flavor.  Doesn’t work.

6:00pm:  Caroline is pacified by holding “mini-bananas.”  I realize that they are probably some freak-GMO fruit but I’m buying them anyway, because they are keeping the peace.  Holy mini-bananas, I’m exhausted.

6:30pm:  At home, unload groceries and children.  Fix dinner of cereal, bagels, cheese sticks and goldfish…  And I’m ok with that. 

7:00pm:  Bath time!  Referee the constant bickering over BUDDY IS PUTTING WATER ON MY HEAD!  SISSY IS TAKING MY GIRAFFE!  ETC ETC ETC.

7:30pm:  Time for lotion and teeth-brushing, always a fight.  They want to do it themselves, as well as run around like crazy.  I’m tired so I sit in the recliner and decide how to deal.

8:00pm:  They say their prayers, things look promising.  Everyone agrees to stay in their beds and close their eyes.

8:01-10:45pm:  NO ONE IS ASLEEP.  PARTY TIME IN TYLER & CAROLINE’S ROOM!!!!  Every time I go up, they lose a privilege.  First time – no night light.  Second time – no turtle stars.  Third time – door closed.  This went on and on and on.  I pour a glass of wine and sit at the top of the stairs.  When is my husband getting home?!

At this point, I can’t wait till they have their own rooms and will probably move someone’s bed tomorrow to the guest room.  Having one three year old is hard, I KNOW, but having two of them?  Y’all.  They can work someone over in no time.  I love these kids more than life itself and once again, they are usually amazing.  Other mothers are often jealous of my kids’ behavior, seriously.  But!… THREE IS HANDING IT TO ME. 

I’m sure there are kids out there that never go through this “independent” phase, but I wanted to write this down for my own records.  I’m making books out of this blog and by golly, they need to know.  One day I hope Tyler and Caroline look back on my memories and know that oftentimes, they had me by the you-know-whats.  Sometimes they even tell their Granna that “mama is mean sometimes,” which is funny on so many levels.

Why yes, yes she is.

Lord help me till Nathan works 130 hours a month.  10 weeks and counting! 

(I am going to post a house update soon, as well as all the awesome things Tyler and Caroline are doing.  But there’s a need for these kinds of posts occasionally).  :)

Managing my Duggar Hair.

Long time no see!  I'm trying to sort through the last month of life enough to post an update, but in the mean time, you know what else has been long time no see?  MY HAIRDRESSER.

Check out the situation...

I legit have not even had a trim since September.  I have overgrown layers and dry ends, but nevertheless, I can't seem to make time to do anything about it.  Between overhauling a house and raising twins, my hair is taking a backseat...  Thank goodness it's almost top-knot-season!  Anyway, I wanted to share with you a video I found regarding a new look for spring.  With my hair despair, this is a look I can pull off because it takes those overgrown front layers and does something with them.  While looking chic.  Amen.

 Sweeps Rules: 

http://www.blogher.com/hair-sweepstakes-official-rules-week-4 

Prizes & Promotions page on  Blogher.com: 

https://www.blogher.com/blogher-tv-weekly-hair-style-sweepstakes  

Disney World 2013

{Brace yourselves for the longest picture post in the history of this blog... you’ve been warned!}

Last week, the Sims took off to sunny Florida to the happiest place on earth!  Much like Hawaii, I pre-planned myself to death and by the time we were ready to load up, Caroline and Tyler were more pumped about getting in the motor home and finding their “surprises from Mickey and Minnie” than where we were actually heading.  Everything is so much fun when you’re three, you know. :)

Connor wasn’t sure about any of this business.

Their reactions were priceless when they saw their goody baskets from Mickey and Minnie!  They were filled with everything Disney I could find:  coloring books, crayons, cookie sheets with alphabet and number magnets, “scenes and stickers” sheets, glittery bracelets (Caroline), sticky hands (Tyler), snack cups that said “My First Trip to Disney World," dry erase boards/markers and puzzles.  Not saying that it was totally because of these, but they were EXCELLENT travelers for the next eight hours!

I volunteered to drive since Nathan had pulled an all-nighter at the hospital, thinking he could sleep in the back bedroom all the way to Florida.  I was a bit nervous about commandeering a 32-foot vehicle down the open road, but after a few minutes I was all “I GOT THIS!”  (From the nods I got from more than a few truckers, I do believe they agreed).

After a rest stop or two, we finally arrived at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort!  This was our first time hooking up a motorhome to a campsite and figuring out all the bells and whistles, but luckily I have a smart husband.  We were grilling burgers and watching the Lion King in no time (had to set the tone!).

The next morning we took our time getting up, made a huge pancake and sausage breakfast, and got ready for the Magic Kingdom.  It was pretty cold for Florida, so Tyler and Caroline wore their only turtleneck shirts.  They couldn’t wait to take Minnie and “Mickey Junior” to see Cinderella’s castle!   One of the neatest things about staying at Fort Wilderness was that all we had to do was walk about 1/4 mile to the marina and catch a ferry over to the Magic Kingdom.  I requested our site to be near that area (The Fort is HUGE – like 700 acres) and they definitely delivered.  To get to other theme parks, we just caught the bus across the street from our loop back to the outpost, then caught the bus to that particular park.  So easy!

Let me just say that we were shocked upon entering the Magic Kingdom…  It was PACKED to the gills.  You could barely move and I have never been more thankful for fighting for the jogging stroller to come along!  (Nathan finds it a bit cumbersome, but it sure was helpful with navigating the shoulder-to-shoulder traffic).  As luck would have it, “It’s a Small World” had the shortest line so that was our first ride.  Quintessential Disney – so fitting!

Another ride without a two hour wait:  The RAILROAD.  Little man was in heaven.

“People Mover” in Tomorrowland proved to be another favorite of the trip. The line moved quickly and you could see a lot of the park as you went through, so we ended up riding it several times while we waited on Fast Pass times to come around.

Our first family pic in front of the castle!  The kids were so into it! 

(Don’t think I didn’t make this happen a few more times… which Nathan was so into – HA!)

As we walked from one “land” to another, we caught the character show in front of the castle.  This made Tyler and Caroline stop in their tracks, as it was the first time they’d seen the REAL Mickey and Minnie!! 

After a few hours at MK, we decided to catch the ferry back to the Fort and grill out.  I know a lot of people like the dining plans at Disney (and we did eat a few meals there), but we really enjoyed cooking our own food.  I went to Sam’s before we left and stocked up on steaks, chicken, burgers and hot dogs and then Nathan fired up the charcoal grill each night.   We had SO much food for so much less money… not to mention it was more delicious than any of our meals elsewhere!   After dinner, we braved the chilly winds and headed back over for more fun.  The crowds were much thinner and we could just walk onto everything – including Dumbo and Mad Tea Party – which Caroline and Tyler were obsessed with!

We also caught the Electrical Parade on Main Street, which was awesome.

As much as we thought we’d turn in early that night, it didn’t happen.  We didn’t want to give up all those quick rides and the kids were having a blast!  Everyone was tired enough to fall asleep quickly, which was good, because the next morning was my birthday and our character meal at Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom!  All the kids could talk about for an entire week was meeting Mickey & Minnie in person, so it was a big day for us all.

While in line for our meet & greet with Donald Duck, Caroline put on a little show.  This girl CRACKS ME UP.

Our time had come!  The kids were deathly afraid! 

Once we got inside, though, Tyler came around.  Caroline… not so much.

She hid between this chair and the wall every time one of the characters got near our table.  The funniest thing was that she was so excited about them, pointing and smiling and SO HAPPY that they were in the room with us.  Then in the heat of the moment she wigged out and wouldn’t even be in their vicinity – unless “mommy goes too!”.  I’m just glad I fixed my hair this time.

Tyler, on the other hand, was a rock star.  He was loving every minute.

Things turned around for our little sissy once we hit “Camp Minnie and Mickey,” though.  She mustered up the courage and pledged that she REALLY wanted to meet Minnie (who wasn’t part of the breakfast – only Mickey, Donald, Daisy and Goofy).  She was so proud of herself and looked at that autograph no less than one hundred times over the next few days.

After Minnie, we trekked toward “Africa” and found a zoo-like trail.  At the first exhibit, I could barely see the animal we were supposed to be looking at but Tyler turned around and immediately informed us “it’s a kapi because it has stripes.”  I had NO IDEA what he was talking about, nor did Nathan, and Caroline kept saying it was either a giraffe or a zebra (which we could tell even from a distance that it was not).  They carried on back and forth between “IT’S A KAPI!” and “NO IT’S A ZEBRA!” for about five minutes, and Nathan then looked at me and said, “How do you spell that?  COPY?  I’m going to look it up.  He seems to be pretty sure of himself.”  Being the scholars we are, I concurred with COPY…  Consult Google, stat.

“IT’S A KAPI!”   …   “NO, IT’S A GIRAFFE!  OR A ZEBRA!”

As Nathan was Googling, we continued our path and came to the end of the exhibit, wherein lied:

I LITERALLY ALMOST DIED FROM A HEART ATTACK.  My kids often impress me, but this took the cake.  You, kid, are some kind of smart. 

As we made our way around the rest of the trail, we caught a better glimpse of the “okapi,” which I obviously had to document!  (For the record, we believe he learned this from Go Diego Go.  He never told us, but we can’t think of anywhere else it would have come from. It just surprising that he would recognize the LIVE animal so easily if that was the case.)

Somewhere in Africa, we caught a sweet safari.  It was our favorite “ride” in the Animal Kingdom for sure.

Time for a cat nap!

Posing in front of the Tree of Life was my birthday present.  I said all I wanted was both of them to smile in a picture. :)

Aside from character interaction, this girl is always willing to bring it-

On Sunday, we decided to try a slower pace.  Our campsite backed straight up to a great playground as well as a dog park and pond, so between short visits to the Magic Kingdom again, we hung out there. 

Our mid-afternoon trip to MK was mostly important because we finally got to ride the Buzz Lightyear ride (thank you Fast Pass!).  Oh, and the People Mover yet again.

On Monday we decided to give Epcot a go.  I assumed Caroline and Tyler would be bored with a lot of it, but they were pulling such crazy hours on this trip that I figured they could nap easily in the stroller if they felt like it (plenty of nights we’d stay at the parks till 9 because of the crowd being so much better at that time, making dinner at 9:30 and bed at 11!).  As we waited for the bus, a plane began writing this message in the sky and I knew it would be a good day regardless.  :)

Often, I catch these moments totally unprompted, which I LOVE…

(Bus ride to Epcot)

Another highlight of our entire trip (in both Animal Kingdom and Epcot) was the Finding Nemo attractions.  The show at AK was absolutely fantastic (as well as Lion King) and the ride was pretty cute at Epcot.  Taking pictures in Bruce’s mouth after it was a must-do.

As I had done each day we weren’t at the campsite for lunch, I packed food and brought it with us.  After we ate our sandwiches, the kids were more interested in delving in the snack bag and strolling than waiting in lines for more rides.  Nathan and I decided that it was a perfect time to cruise around the world, with the first stop being Canada.  We happened upon a random shop in the back of the plaza, and out of all places, Winnie the Poo and Tigger were standing in the back of it WITHOUT A LINE!!!  They had apparently just arrived and were starting the session, so we couldn’t believe our luck.  Caroline was still gun-shy about the whole hugging them thing, but she would stand there for a picture at least.  Tyler, again, was all over it!

Moments later, while clutching their sacred autographs, this happened right on cue.

So he and I did some quiet, adult-like exploration.  It was awesome.

Once through the world, the kids started to wake up and we found ourselves at one of the “Character Spots.”  Part of the reason I booked the meal at Tusker House was so we wouldn’t feel the need to do these, but the line was only 10 minutes and Tyler was PUMPED to see Mickey (again) and Pluto.  Caroline was equally stoked about her girl, Minnie.  What else were we to do?

Knock us over with a feather!  She HUGGED MINNIE!

With both kids awake and in good moods, we decided to cruise through the world showcase again.  We just knew they would love the mini-train village in Germany, and boy did they ever.

And then it was our last day… {SAD}

 

It was a warm, 70 degree day and finally felt like Florida, so of course it was time to go!  I felt like taking pictures of every moment, especially since both Tyler and Caroline were really into the whole experience at this point.  They’d finally gotten the hang of Disney World and all of its magic!

Near the end of the morning, Tyler was ready to “go back to the motorhome and play trains.”  Caroline wasn’t quite through with Dumbo, though, so Nathan stayed back with him and manned the camera.

Once we got back to Fort Wilderness, we had a picnic lunch outside and let the kids run wild for a little bit.  Tyler had a little too much fun with the sand, as you can see.  100% BOY.

(Tyler was so filthy we had to recycle one of his outfits… oh well).

After a few hours of down time, we headed back to the marina to catch the ferry.  Whether it was the weather or the finality of our trip, I made sure to soak this ride in.  The gorgeous sunset.  The beautiful little girl with a side pony tail blowing in the wind, anxiously awaiting glimpses of the castle as we approached.  The little boy lounging in my lap.  It was quite perfect.

Once we departed the ferry, we could hardly believe our eyes.  NOT A SOUL was in front of the entrance, as if the angels had personally opened the glorious gates just for us!  (After the previous few days, we felt we deserved it :)

Caroline had taken a nap during our mid-afternoon break, Tyler had not.  A few minutes after entering the MK, this was the state of affairs:

We did a few things he could sleep through (like Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor), and once he woke up, we exhausted every ride we enjoyed. They loved Pirates of the Caribbean so much that we walked out with two shiny swords, and they even got to visit Caroline’s current favorite read:  Beauty and the Beast.  “Enchanted Tales with Belle” had over a 90 minute wait every other day, but we put in 15 minutes on this particular night.  By the time we made it to the library and met the real Belle up close and personal, they were gun shy.  They wouldn’t go up without me and this picture just says it all!  LOL!

We stayed later than planned that night, ate sweet kettle corn and rode a million rides.  We bought our Christmas ornament (tradition from every vacation).  We watched our last Electrical Parade and took our final ferry back to Fort Wilderness.  It had been a crazy adventure, but an unforgettable first trip for the kids.  As most families probably determine, they had just about as much fun at the “place to stay” as the “place to play.”  Disney definitely knows how to do it!

Loaded up and ready to go with their newest prized possessions:  a remote-controlled Mickey & Friends train, pirate swords, and Dumbo!

We did have a wonderful time, but there’s a few things we won’t do again -like plan our trip during my birthday/President’s weekend! I think the ideal time to go would be September, so we may try that next time.  Most kids are in school, and it would be early enough in the year that most aren’t taking vacation yet.  Also, we wouldn’t have such leisurely mornings and saunter into the parks just before lunch.  Rookie mistake!!  The last day was our best one, and it was largely due to our timing.  We got there around 9, stayed until lunch, then went back late afternoon-evening.  It gave all of us a breather, which is much-needed in a place like Disney World.  I would also skip Tusker House since we ended up seeing a lot of the characters without a lot of effort.  $130 for breakfast is just a bit steep… but maybe I’m cheap.  Not worth it unless you’re on the dining plan, I’d say! 

As for the things I did right…

I planned surprises for each morning that Mickey and Minnie had “sent” over.  They were nothing special – character juices, glow sticks/bracelets/wands, giant swirly suckers (like the ones they sell at the parks) – but they were enough to keep Tyler and Caroline asking for anything.  We told them they could each pick one big prize before we left, and that’s where the Mickey train and Dumbo came in.  We also ate our own food at “home,” and when we were at the parks, I packed peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, granola bars, raisins, squeeze apple sauce, waters, etc.  We NEVER went hungry, and the only snack we bought was the kettle corn on the last night because it smelled amazing.  Disney doesn’t care at all how much food you bring in so I loaded that big ol’ stroller up!  Also a big hit were the glow sticks/necklaces, since once evening hits there are vendors selling every light-up toy you can imagine.  As we were walking one night, one vendor said in passing “smart idea bringing your own!”  Seeing as I found them all at the Dollar Tree, it was a great return on investment.  :)