Day 5...we packed up from our hotel in Jyvaskyla, and headed north. Arto, Rauno, and Marika decided to brave the trip with us. On the way we stopped in Viitasaari at this gas station/rest stop that had a collection of church bells. Some of the bells were large enough to stand in. Aili and Alex loved ringing the bells, but Aden thought they were too scary and loud. He wouldn't even ring a little one. :(
Then we continued north, stopped for lunch, and drove to...Sweden! The boarder is open between Finland and Sweden, so we didn't get a stamp in our passports, but we were there. We even stopped to visit and have a snack at the local IKEA! Real IKEA in actual Sweden. Sorry, for us Americans that is kinda cool. It was actually my first time ever in an IKEA. Aili redesigned her entire bedroom while we were there.
Then we continued to Rovaniemi, and checked into our cabin. It's very nice, three bedrooms, living, dining, kitchen, two bathrooms, and a sauna. By this time it was after 10:00, but we are so far north on the globe, that the sun doesn't go down this time of year. I had to keep reminding myself how late it was. It was 11:00 before we went to find dinner, but in Finland everything is closed after 9:00 pm, so we finally found an open gas station, and brought back sandwiches, milk, and yogurt for dinner.
It was after midnight...still light out...when we finally got everyone to bed.
Day 6...we had breakfast in the cabin, and then headed to Santa's Village and Office. We got to meet Santa and his Reindeer and a very nice elf. :) Then we did some shopping, and because it was raining, decided to drive around the area to see some of the sights. We tried to find some reindeer at The Reindeer Station (we followed the signs), but there weren't any reindeer. We did find a beautiful lake, and the boys threw some rocks, while the rest of us tried to swat away all the mosquitoes. Then we returned to Santa's Village, and had lunch. Springfield people will appreciate that I had what looked like a Finnish Horseshoe, minus the bread. It was a pile of reindeer meat, fries, and a spicy, cheesy sauce. It was really good. Then we went to find Santa's Reindeer. The kids were able to pet and feed them, and there was a new baby reindeer that someday hopes to join Santa's Team. :) Next, we saw Santa again, this time in his office. We then went to the post office and mailed a couple post cards, and ended our visit at the "North Pole". Mind you, we spent the day walking back and forth across the Arctic Circle, so I figure its close enough to be the North Pole.
Then we drove a little bit to a German War Memorial from WWII. During the war the Germans were helping Finland fight against Russia. However, during 1943-44, Finland and Russia made a treaty that required all German troops leave Finland. The German troops didn't want to leave and fought to stay. Over 12,000 Germans died in the immediate area that we are visiting today. Approximately 2,500 of them were buried at the memorial we visited. While there, we found another beautiful lake, the boys again threw rocks, and we took a picture or two.
We then came back to our cabin and decided to try a rope climbing confidence course that is on the property. Aili, Alex, Marika and I all decided to try it. It was very fun, and I'm sure my body is going to be very sore in the morning. There were 6 different courses you could try. Aili is the only person who completed all 6. Alex would totally have done it, but he wasn't tall enough (poor Alex!!). I was too exhausted to climb the wooden rope ladder to the top of the 5th course, so Alex and I went back to do course number 4 again. Poor Aden wasn't tall enough even for the little kid course, so he made Grandma chase him around the paved part of the lot on a pedal car. It kind of looked like a small person dune buggy, but you pedaled it.
Then we picked up McDonald's for dinner, and headed back to the cabin. I think we will all sleep very well tonight!
P.S. I was going to upload a bunch of photos, but the internet connection is just too slow. :( I will attempt to add them in the comment section of Facebook.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Finland Day 4
Day 4...began with breakfast in the hotel. Then Rauno came to meet us and we drove about 50 minutes north to Konginkangas. We drove to my Great Grandmother's church, and met up with Kaarina and her daughter Paivi. Paivi is a little bit younger than me, and speaks some English, enough that we were able to communicate pretty well. Kaarina doesn't speak any English, but she was able to keep up with Rauno and Paivi translating for her. Anyway, we arrived about an hour before church services began, and wandered this lovely little cemetery and visited relatives that had passed. Aili walked around looking for headstones that said "Aili" on them. Slightly morbid, but she doesn't see her name very often back home. (On a side note, earlier when we were at a gas station they had these little flags with names on them, and she was upset to find "Alex" but not "Aili".) We then went inside the church and enjoyed the service. It was all in Finnish, but we were able to follow along with the hymnal, and recognize the Lord's Prayer and Apostle's Creed. We then went to a buffet lunch at this cute little cafe, where Aden proceeded to eat only watermelon. Kaarina and Paivi had prepared a beautiful strawberry cake for us that was really delicious.
After lunch we went back to Kaarina's house and visited for several hours. The adults sat inside and looked through antique photos to see if they could identify any of the people in them. Other than a baby picture of Rauno, they were not able to identify any of the photos my mom brought, but my mom helped them with a couple of their photos. Out in the yard there is a fabulous play house that Paivi's father built for her when she was younger. The kids spent the hours playing soccer, baseball, and hiding in the playhouse from the rain. We then ate fresh strawberries from the garden, and said our goodbyes. Before we left Rauno taught Alex how they play Finnish Baseball or Pesapallo. The pitcher stands on the other side of the plate from the batter and throws the ball straight up in the air. When the batter hits it, he runs the bases. 1st is where 3rd base should be, 2nd is where 1st usually is, and 3rd is sort of in left field. So basically they zig zag across the playing field. I watched a short YouTube video, and it was very interesting. Alex, of course, has decided he could totally rock at Pesapallo. It took a few pitches from Rauno, but then he hit one all the way across Kaarina's yard (with a nerf ball). We then drove back to Jyvaskyla, and have been hanging in the hotel.
Tomorrow we'll pick up Marikka, and head 8 hours north to Rovaniemi where we'll do some sightseeing and visit Santa and his Reindeer!! Tonight was the first night Aden asked to go home. When I reminded him we haven't visited Santa yet, he decided we could stay longer. :)
After lunch we went back to Kaarina's house and visited for several hours. The adults sat inside and looked through antique photos to see if they could identify any of the people in them. Other than a baby picture of Rauno, they were not able to identify any of the photos my mom brought, but my mom helped them with a couple of their photos. Out in the yard there is a fabulous play house that Paivi's father built for her when she was younger. The kids spent the hours playing soccer, baseball, and hiding in the playhouse from the rain. We then ate fresh strawberries from the garden, and said our goodbyes. Before we left Rauno taught Alex how they play Finnish Baseball or Pesapallo. The pitcher stands on the other side of the plate from the batter and throws the ball straight up in the air. When the batter hits it, he runs the bases. 1st is where 3rd base should be, 2nd is where 1st usually is, and 3rd is sort of in left field. So basically they zig zag across the playing field. I watched a short YouTube video, and it was very interesting. Alex, of course, has decided he could totally rock at Pesapallo. It took a few pitches from Rauno, but then he hit one all the way across Kaarina's yard (with a nerf ball). We then drove back to Jyvaskyla, and have been hanging in the hotel.
Tomorrow we'll pick up Marikka, and head 8 hours north to Rovaniemi where we'll do some sightseeing and visit Santa and his Reindeer!! Tonight was the first night Aden asked to go home. When I reminded him we haven't visited Santa yet, he decided we could stay longer. :)
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| Church in Konginkangas |
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| Inside of Church |
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| My mom, Kaarina & Paivi sorting through old photos |
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| Paivi's Playhouse |
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| Inside the Playhouse |
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Finland Day 3
Day 3...started out with breakfast at the hotel, and then we picked up a car seat for Aden. Second fail for the travel agent as she forgot to reserve one with the rental car. We were told that children three and older didn't need a seat, but better safe than sorry. Rauno found a place that rents them, and for only 15 euros, we have one for the entire trip. We also picked up a map and a couple Cokes, and we headed off to Jyvaskyla.
Arto and Rauno live in Jyvaskyla, so we were following them, but about 10 minutes into the 3 hour drive, we lost them. Lucky for us Arto had programmed their address into the van's navigation system, so we eventually made it. During the drive we stopped at a rest area had had some lunch. Burgers and fries for us, and a chicken salad for Grandma. We are very lucky most people we've bumped into speak English, and pretty well too. Much better than our Finnish, although my mom keeps surprising us with an entire conversation from time to time. Aden has learned to say Maitoa (MY-toe-ah) which means Milk, and Aili and Alex are picking up a few words here and there.
Arto and Rauno are brothers, and they live together in a small apartment. We spent a few hours there just hanging out and talking. They showed us photo books from their two trips to the United States. The first was in 1977, and the second was in 1995. It was fun to show the kids pictures of me, my parents, and several cousins, aunts and uncles in the books. Helped them realize that we really are family, and they're not just weird people we're hanging out with while we're here. My Aunt Mimi hosted Arto, Rauno and their mother when they were in the states, and there are pictures of downtown Chicago, Aunt Mimi's apartment, Aunt Aili's house, Aunt Mimi's church, and the two houses I lived in while growing up. There were even pictures of them visiting Great America (Chicago's Six Flags) in 1977! Boy have times changed. What hasn't changed is Lincoln's New Salem from 1995. I just looked a lot younger and thinner in the pictures!! :)
Aden was pretty good, but he started getting restless, so we decided it was time to check into the hotel. We were going to meet Rauno and Arto for pizza, but it looked like a big storm was coming, so we decided to stay in and order room service instead. Aili had a chicken cesar salad, Grandma had some kind of chicken, and Alex had salmon and shrimp pasta. I only ordered a salad, because I knew I'd be eating what Alex didn't. :) The food was really good. The kids are happy to realize that most of the food here isn't much different than what we eat at home. I encourage them to try new things, but am happy that they find something to eat in general.
After dinner Aili, Aden and I walked down the block to the Shell Station/Burger King to pick up some Maitoa for Aden. I figured he needed to run off some of that bottled up energy. It had rained, so Aden found some good puddles to jump in, and we had fun waiting for the crossing lights to turn green. By the way...all you people that are suffering from extreme heat...the temperature reached a high of around 71 today!! Ha, ha, ha!! Both hotels we have stayed in have had playrooms for the kids, so Aili went back upstairs, and Aden and I spent some time in the playroom to further wind him down. Must have worked, because about 3 minutes after I put him to bed he was out cold!
Tomorrow, we head to Koningkangas to visit my Great Grandmother's church, and spend some time with a few cousins that we haven't seen yet.
More updates to come!
Arto and Rauno live in Jyvaskyla, so we were following them, but about 10 minutes into the 3 hour drive, we lost them. Lucky for us Arto had programmed their address into the van's navigation system, so we eventually made it. During the drive we stopped at a rest area had had some lunch. Burgers and fries for us, and a chicken salad for Grandma. We are very lucky most people we've bumped into speak English, and pretty well too. Much better than our Finnish, although my mom keeps surprising us with an entire conversation from time to time. Aden has learned to say Maitoa (MY-toe-ah) which means Milk, and Aili and Alex are picking up a few words here and there.
Arto and Rauno are brothers, and they live together in a small apartment. We spent a few hours there just hanging out and talking. They showed us photo books from their two trips to the United States. The first was in 1977, and the second was in 1995. It was fun to show the kids pictures of me, my parents, and several cousins, aunts and uncles in the books. Helped them realize that we really are family, and they're not just weird people we're hanging out with while we're here. My Aunt Mimi hosted Arto, Rauno and their mother when they were in the states, and there are pictures of downtown Chicago, Aunt Mimi's apartment, Aunt Aili's house, Aunt Mimi's church, and the two houses I lived in while growing up. There were even pictures of them visiting Great America (Chicago's Six Flags) in 1977! Boy have times changed. What hasn't changed is Lincoln's New Salem from 1995. I just looked a lot younger and thinner in the pictures!! :)
Aden was pretty good, but he started getting restless, so we decided it was time to check into the hotel. We were going to meet Rauno and Arto for pizza, but it looked like a big storm was coming, so we decided to stay in and order room service instead. Aili had a chicken cesar salad, Grandma had some kind of chicken, and Alex had salmon and shrimp pasta. I only ordered a salad, because I knew I'd be eating what Alex didn't. :) The food was really good. The kids are happy to realize that most of the food here isn't much different than what we eat at home. I encourage them to try new things, but am happy that they find something to eat in general.
After dinner Aili, Aden and I walked down the block to the Shell Station/Burger King to pick up some Maitoa for Aden. I figured he needed to run off some of that bottled up energy. It had rained, so Aden found some good puddles to jump in, and we had fun waiting for the crossing lights to turn green. By the way...all you people that are suffering from extreme heat...the temperature reached a high of around 71 today!! Ha, ha, ha!! Both hotels we have stayed in have had playrooms for the kids, so Aili went back upstairs, and Aden and I spent some time in the playroom to further wind him down. Must have worked, because about 3 minutes after I put him to bed he was out cold!
Tomorrow, we head to Koningkangas to visit my Great Grandmother's church, and spend some time with a few cousins that we haven't seen yet.
More updates to come!
Friday, July 17, 2015
Finland Day 2
Day 2...Began on the overnight flight from Chicago to Helsinki. We attempted to sleep. We probably each got a couple hours out of the 8 1/2 hour flight, but it wasn't good sleep. They fed us breakfast on the plane, which was nice...never expected two meals, and they actually tasted pretty good. We arrived in Finland about an hour late, at 3:30 pm local time (7:30 am back home). We were told we could pick up our stroller at the baggage claim, so we took turns directing and corralling Aden through the terminal. Once we got down there, the luggage carts were free...so we grabbed all of our bags and headed to the car rental counter.
On our way to pick up our car, we bumped into some of my cousins that had come to meet us at the airport. Rauno, Arto, and Tero I had met previously when they came to visit the U.S. Matti and Marikka I had not met before. They were super helpful and took our luggage out to their own cars so we didn't have to push the carts the rest of the way. We picked up our car (a Ford Galaxy minivan) and headed to the hotel. We have two adjoining rooms, and Rauno and Arto are staying here as well, so that's nice.
After some quick freshening up, we headed to Matti's house for dinner. Matti and his wife, Leena, have a very pretty house. It is super simple, not cluttered, with the center piece around this enormous TV. We watched the British Open, ate some traditional Finnish food, and had a very nice visit. We ate these little rye and barley pies with egg butter on top, reindeer meat (tastes like a really good salami), meatballs and mashed potatoes. I might add that today was my birthday. Leena had a fabulous strawberry cake for dessert that tasted amazing. They even sang Happy Birthday and had me blow out the candles. :) We also had goat cheese and fresh fruit. It was a really nice evening.
Since we lost what feels like a day during the flight, we came back to the hotel around 10:30 pm local time, and are heading to bed.
First impressions...Finland looks a lot like Michigan's Upper Penninsula...I can see why a huge population of Finnish immigrants settled up there. It even feels and smells like the UP. Cool 60 degree weather, slightly damp, tons of trees, but without all the mosquitoes!
Tomorrow we start our long trek north, so we'll see what turns our adventure takes us on!
On our way to pick up our car, we bumped into some of my cousins that had come to meet us at the airport. Rauno, Arto, and Tero I had met previously when they came to visit the U.S. Matti and Marikka I had not met before. They were super helpful and took our luggage out to their own cars so we didn't have to push the carts the rest of the way. We picked up our car (a Ford Galaxy minivan) and headed to the hotel. We have two adjoining rooms, and Rauno and Arto are staying here as well, so that's nice.
After some quick freshening up, we headed to Matti's house for dinner. Matti and his wife, Leena, have a very pretty house. It is super simple, not cluttered, with the center piece around this enormous TV. We watched the British Open, ate some traditional Finnish food, and had a very nice visit. We ate these little rye and barley pies with egg butter on top, reindeer meat (tastes like a really good salami), meatballs and mashed potatoes. I might add that today was my birthday. Leena had a fabulous strawberry cake for dessert that tasted amazing. They even sang Happy Birthday and had me blow out the candles. :) We also had goat cheese and fresh fruit. It was a really nice evening.
Since we lost what feels like a day during the flight, we came back to the hotel around 10:30 pm local time, and are heading to bed.
First impressions...Finland looks a lot like Michigan's Upper Penninsula...I can see why a huge population of Finnish immigrants settled up there. It even feels and smells like the UP. Cool 60 degree weather, slightly damp, tons of trees, but without all the mosquitoes!
Tomorrow we start our long trek north, so we'll see what turns our adventure takes us on!
Finland Trip Day 1
So, to get everyone caught up...my mom invited the kids and me on a trip to Finland. My mom's grandmother was born in Finland, and we still have family in Finland (some of whom I've actually met), so my mom wanted to make the trip. Not sure she originally wanted me to come along, she really just wanted her grandchildren to see Finland, but when she mentioned that she had to take Aden (the 3 year old) along as well, I told her there was no way she was taking all three kids without me. I have to also add that I am not a world traveler at heart. Going overseas to a country that speaks another language that I do not speak really does not appeal to me. However, sending my children to a foreign country alone appeals less, so I decided we would go. So here we are, embarking on what I hope will be a fun, educational, and enlightening journey for us. (Here's keeping our fingers crossed!!)
Day 1...began by Tim driving the kids and me an hour to the Decatur airport. We decided to fly from Decatur to O'hare because the tickets were only $39 each!! So in Decatur we get on this tiny 8 passenger plane. Aili and I even rode sitting backwards. The kids did great, and besides some rain around Chicago, the flight was excellent.
So, now we land in Chicago, it's raining, and because we're in this teeny, tiny plane, we have to climb down the stairs and walk into the terminal. Next, we head to baggage claim and pick up our luggage, then board the train to the international terminal, and finally find Grandma! Now, we have booked a direct flight from Chicago to Helsinki, however, Finnair has decided that we don't need to sit together. Well, tell that to whatever poor person ends up sitting next to an unaccompanied three year old!! After being told that there is nothing they can do, and holding up the line for at least 30 minutes, they were able to put us together...3 in one row and 2 in another. So Grandma and Alex sat together, and Aili, Aden and I sat in the other row. We boarded early, and the in-seat-back movies were free, they fed us dinner...I really have no complaints.
End Day 1!
Day 1...began by Tim driving the kids and me an hour to the Decatur airport. We decided to fly from Decatur to O'hare because the tickets were only $39 each!! So in Decatur we get on this tiny 8 passenger plane. Aili and I even rode sitting backwards. The kids did great, and besides some rain around Chicago, the flight was excellent.
So, now we land in Chicago, it's raining, and because we're in this teeny, tiny plane, we have to climb down the stairs and walk into the terminal. Next, we head to baggage claim and pick up our luggage, then board the train to the international terminal, and finally find Grandma! Now, we have booked a direct flight from Chicago to Helsinki, however, Finnair has decided that we don't need to sit together. Well, tell that to whatever poor person ends up sitting next to an unaccompanied three year old!! After being told that there is nothing they can do, and holding up the line for at least 30 minutes, they were able to put us together...3 in one row and 2 in another. So Grandma and Alex sat together, and Aili, Aden and I sat in the other row. We boarded early, and the in-seat-back movies were free, they fed us dinner...I really have no complaints.
End Day 1!
The short hour long flight to Chicago was the only nap Aden had on Day 1.
Alex had downloaded new games to his iPad in preparation for not having access to wi-fi.
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| Aili was good, and only used her phone in Airplane Mode! |
Monday, May 25, 2015
Why I don't like to get in the pool.
With this weekend, it's officially summer season. With the beginning of summer, comes the endless days of swimming in the pool. We have an in-ground pool in our backyard. Its not large, only 12' x 24', and 3-5 feet deep, but the kids and our friends have plenty of room for fun. I, however, don't get in very often. It's not that I don't like to swim, really I do, I was on the swim team in high school, coached one of our local swim teams after college, and taught swim lessons and did life guarding in my life before children. But I don't like to get in the pool with my kids.
Mostly, it's that while my children are in the pool, especially when it comes to our three year old, inevitably someone needs something that requires me to get out. Someone needs to go potty, or needs a drink, or needs a new towel, or forgot their goggles, or the waterproof football ended up in the bushes. I just don't find the time enjoyable.
Now really, I love to sit out there and watch them. I like to keep the big kids, including my husband, from drowning each other with their horseplay. I like to watch the 3 year old hit wiffle balls into the water with his plastic bat. I like to get some sun while I watch them enjoy the water. And occasionally, when I get too warm in the sun, I will take a quick dip to cool off. But then the phone will ring, or someone will want a sandwich, and I will climb out and continue to watch from the sidelines.
Right now, as I'm writing this, my husband and big kids are in the pool. My three year old is inside with me, playing with his Thomas trains, and my husband has just come to the door asking if I can come check the skimmer and turn on the pool light. It's always something! :)
Mostly, it's that while my children are in the pool, especially when it comes to our three year old, inevitably someone needs something that requires me to get out. Someone needs to go potty, or needs a drink, or needs a new towel, or forgot their goggles, or the waterproof football ended up in the bushes. I just don't find the time enjoyable.
Now really, I love to sit out there and watch them. I like to keep the big kids, including my husband, from drowning each other with their horseplay. I like to watch the 3 year old hit wiffle balls into the water with his plastic bat. I like to get some sun while I watch them enjoy the water. And occasionally, when I get too warm in the sun, I will take a quick dip to cool off. But then the phone will ring, or someone will want a sandwich, and I will climb out and continue to watch from the sidelines.
Right now, as I'm writing this, my husband and big kids are in the pool. My three year old is inside with me, playing with his Thomas trains, and my husband has just come to the door asking if I can come check the skimmer and turn on the pool light. It's always something! :)
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thanksgiving
So here we are...about 250 miles into our 500 mile trip home from visiting my parents for Thanksgiving. Tim is driving, which in itself is surprising, and the kids are playing who knows what on their DS's in the backseat. My parents live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, just about 500 miles directly north of our home in Springfield, Illinois. The population of their town is about 1,800, with people definitely being out numbered by the deer (opinion, not fact, although it might be a fact...).
My mom likes to have big Thanksgiving celebrations, although she complains about it from beginning to end. This year, it was the 4 of us, the 2 of them, my uncles Gary and Sam, my brother David, and James and John, two people my mom knew that had no place else to go for dinner. She had also invited at least 3 other people that normally do not have family to spend the holiday with, but this year 2 of them received invites from family members, and the other felt too ill to go out. Its nice of my mom to want to invite people who have no place else to go, and it makes them feel good to be invited. My mom is an excellent cook. Other than visiting with family, which in itself is important, that is one of the main reasons I like to drive the 9 hours to visit them, the food is sooo good! We have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, sweet potatoes, asparagus, cranberries, crescent rolls, and 3 kinds of pie. This year, it took her two days to make the meal, and it took us about 30 minutes to eat it. Something she was sure to point out. Meal preparation also includes setting a fancy table and tons of hors d'oeuvres. I completely enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner, as always, and every year my picky children eat more and more.
It would be nice if my parents lived closer. They miss out on so many things being far away from the grandkids. But I think it makes the kids appreciate the time they spend together more. It is also nice for the kids to experience what it is like to live somewhere else. Somewhere where life is slower and simpler. Tim has a harder time with the slow and simple life. Sometimes his ADHD kicks in and he drives me crazy. But this trip he did really well. Maybe he needed a little slow down in his life right now. Whatever it was, it helped me enjoy our little vacation even more.
Another thing about visiting my mom is that it is nice to have someone else help take care of my children. Someone to feed them, entertain them, put them to bed when I fall asleep on the couch. Granted, the kids are getting big, and the need to "care" for them is getting to be less and less, but I still appreciate not having to worry about it. Gives my "mom-brain" a little extra vacation.
All in all, despite the very long drive, and the lack of snow this year, I think we had a really nice time. The kids got to be spoiled for a few days, and I guess so did I. Now that we are home, we'll spend tomorrow putting up the Christmas tree, and getting ready for the next holiday. My parents will come down here in two weeks to visit for Aili's birthday, and for the first two of our long line of Christmas celebrations. Let the parties begin!
My mom likes to have big Thanksgiving celebrations, although she complains about it from beginning to end. This year, it was the 4 of us, the 2 of them, my uncles Gary and Sam, my brother David, and James and John, two people my mom knew that had no place else to go for dinner. She had also invited at least 3 other people that normally do not have family to spend the holiday with, but this year 2 of them received invites from family members, and the other felt too ill to go out. Its nice of my mom to want to invite people who have no place else to go, and it makes them feel good to be invited. My mom is an excellent cook. Other than visiting with family, which in itself is important, that is one of the main reasons I like to drive the 9 hours to visit them, the food is sooo good! We have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, sweet potatoes, asparagus, cranberries, crescent rolls, and 3 kinds of pie. This year, it took her two days to make the meal, and it took us about 30 minutes to eat it. Something she was sure to point out. Meal preparation also includes setting a fancy table and tons of hors d'oeuvres. I completely enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner, as always, and every year my picky children eat more and more.
It would be nice if my parents lived closer. They miss out on so many things being far away from the grandkids. But I think it makes the kids appreciate the time they spend together more. It is also nice for the kids to experience what it is like to live somewhere else. Somewhere where life is slower and simpler. Tim has a harder time with the slow and simple life. Sometimes his ADHD kicks in and he drives me crazy. But this trip he did really well. Maybe he needed a little slow down in his life right now. Whatever it was, it helped me enjoy our little vacation even more.
Another thing about visiting my mom is that it is nice to have someone else help take care of my children. Someone to feed them, entertain them, put them to bed when I fall asleep on the couch. Granted, the kids are getting big, and the need to "care" for them is getting to be less and less, but I still appreciate not having to worry about it. Gives my "mom-brain" a little extra vacation.
All in all, despite the very long drive, and the lack of snow this year, I think we had a really nice time. The kids got to be spoiled for a few days, and I guess so did I. Now that we are home, we'll spend tomorrow putting up the Christmas tree, and getting ready for the next holiday. My parents will come down here in two weeks to visit for Aili's birthday, and for the first two of our long line of Christmas celebrations. Let the parties begin!
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