Blue Lake

Blue Lakes…what can I say?  I can say it was an experience – both positive and educational.  For those who don’t know, Blue Lake is a Methodist church camp, and our church had their annual retreat there this past weekend.  I’ll admit I had a lot skepticism going into the weekend.  The dorm room set up (our family was in a room with 3 twin beds) and the community bathrooms (girls at one end of the hall and boy at the other) was worrisome for me.  I’m also not a big “summer camp” type person.  I know we weren’t really camping, but the community bathrooms and the the packing list I got form the church - bug spray, sunscreen, flashlights and extra blankets -  made me think of opening scenes from the movie Parent Trap. 

There were definitely times during the course of the weekend when I really wanted the comforts of home like when I was trying to bathe Coe in a shower the size of a port-a-potty.  But there were also times of pure joy like watching Coe dance during the praise and worship time and pretty much every time I saw Mac.  He was on a nonstop high the whole weekend! 

Instead of boring everyone with a summary of the whole weekend I will just list the positives and the not so positives of the weekend.

Positives

• Coe praised and worshipped all weekend (see lows)
• Beautiful weather 
• Ton of friends for Mac to play with
• Lots of quality time with the kids
• Lots of quality time with adult friends
• Good spiritual lessons
• Cable dish and extra large tv present so all football games were showing
• Phillips family brought Benadryl with them*
• Hayrides, pumpkin carving, water balloon toss
• Long hallways for playing chase
• Pajama parade
• Splitting an extra room with the Phillips so Mac and Jack P could have their own room.

Not so Positives

• Coe praised and worshipped (aka cried out to the Lord) from 12p-5a while clinging only to his mommy
• Beds – my twin bed had a broken foot board so every time I  rolled over the bottom half of the mattress crashed to the floor
• Long noisy hallways that just begged kids to run and play chase (which leads to the next low)
• Coe did not believe in/could not sleep at Blue Lake
• Communal bathrooms – at least they were clean!

*I don’t believe in drugging children to get them to sleep but Copeland was beyond exhausted by Saturday night but couldn’t relax and go to sleep.  He was miserable, I was miserable, and he desperately needed to sleep.  I gave him a very small dose of Benadryl on Sat night and he finally slept which made everyone much happier on Sunday morning!

These two had a lot to talk about over meals.  

Coe took off his hat and had to get a drink after all his running around.  You wouldn’t have known at this point he had only had 2 two hour sleep stints the night before!

 

The picture of me with the boys is not good but its the only pic of me from the whole weekend so I wanted to prove I was there!  This was the first of about 5 hayrides that Copeland went on.  He wouldn’t get off and rode with any adult (whether he knew them or not) that would ride with him.

 

Hallway running!

I guess I am in one other picture!  Time for the pajama parade.    

The highs definitely outweighed the lows for the weekend, and the whole family had a great time.  Even with Coe’s lack of sleep, he managed to rally on Saturday and keep up with all the other kids in between rests in mommy’s arms.  I know that next year will be even better.  Surely a 2.5 yr old will be easier to take to Blue Lake than an 18mo old, right?!?!

Beach House Family Plus

I’m still trying to catch up from two weeks ago so I can move on to all the pictures and stories I have from this past weekends trip to Blue Lake.  I’m almost there. 

Two weekends ago was beach house family “BHF” dinner.  There are four families in the group consisting of 8 adults and 9 children.  We all rent a beach house together one weekend a year for a weekend of total chaos and amazing fun.  Throughout the year we try to get together as often as everyone’s schedule permits for “BHF”  dinner.  Last weekend was one of those nights.  The Phillips were out of town, but Jack P was spending the night with us so he represented his family at the dinner.  The kids had a great time running while while Ansley and Eliza “supervised.” I always leave BHF dinners slightly frazzled from all the chaos, yet completely content and happy from talking to friends who are in the same spot in life that my family of 4 is in.  We all relate to one another, and we all know how to still have a good time when 9 kids are running through the house playing chase and signing songs at the top of their lungs.  May sound chaotic (and it is) but it is our life!

On the way home from dinner, Albi and I were telling Mac and Jack P. that it was late so there was only time for one story before bed.  We heard Mac say to Jack P, “Jack, since we can only read one book we are going to read the Bible.  Don’t worry you will like it.  Its really good and cool!”  This made my heart happy.  We have a children’s bible that we have never consistently read to Mac, but a few weeks ago we started reading the stories one by one.  He LOVES doing this at night and it is a (somewhat) quiet time that he and I enjoy together.

The next night we had dinner at another friends’ house.  Their kids are a little older than ours, so I was nervous about bringing the boys, but our friends were insistent.  It turned out to be great.  Mac really took to their son who patiently played animals with him, and their middle daughter was a perfect babysitter for Coe.

On Sunday night I found both the boys in picture perfect opportunities.  First Copeland had climbed into his rocking chair and was reading to himself which I found precious.

Next I found Mac in his bed playing animals.  In typical Mac fashion, he was an animal himself and had a hat to prove it.  Later that night I found him asleep with his toothbrush.  He had told me earlier he was going to sleep with it because it lit us and would protect him from bad guys.  

Last but not least a picture of the boys that mom took when they went with her to pick out our pumpkins.  I use the plural form of pumpkins because the boys did not come home with one or even two pumpkins but instead fourteen pumpkins in an array of sizes and colors.  That is what happens when your mom is a decorator!  I have to say my fall decorations look great (pictures of that to come in a future post!).  Thanks mom!

Pig Pen

Pig Pen - This is my new nickname for Copeland.  He is always dirty…really dirty doesn’t do it justice most of the time.  He is nasty.  He is filthy.  He is happy.  Whereas Mac can’t stand to have sticky on him, Copeland seems to be bothered when he is too clean.   

Wonder where he gets it from?  This is Albi around 18mo/2yr old.

I’m going to start a collection of “pig pen” photos, and then maybe I’ll pull them out when he gets older if he brings home a girl I want to scare off!

Wednesdays with Yaya

Ever since Mac was born, my mom has kept him one day a week.  Which helps me cut down on childcare expenses and also give Mac (and now Coe too) a fun day out of the house to look forward to every week.  I know first hand how energetic and physically draining Mac and Coe can be and there are plenty of times after keeping the boys all day that Yaya is worn out and probably wonders if she has taken on too much (especially the first year after Coe was born!).  Now that Copeland is a little older and Mac is in school half the day, they seem to have a pretty good routine. Since Forrest has been on maternity leave, she and Finley often join the boys for “Wednesdays with Yaya.”  Forrest sent me a few pictures last Wednesday.

This is the first picture we have gotten of Yaya with all three grandchildren!

Finley was trying out her bumbo for the first time and afterwards Coe thought he would take a turn.  The boys both LOVE their baby cousin.  When Finely was leaving Mac ran to the door to stop Aunt Forrest.  He leaned over Finley’s car seat, gave her a kiss and said “Finley you are the sweetest and prettiest little girl ever.”  Think he has heard us say that a few times?

This is where I often find Mac when I get to the house to pick him up.  He waits all day for Coste to come home so they can watch animal fights on the computer.  Mac names two animals (i.e. bear vs wildebeast) and Coste searches youtube for their choices.  Despite numerous requests from Mac, the rest of the family doesn’t know how to find these videos, so this is something only Coste gets to do with Mac :)  This is their special time together and helps to give Yaya a little break at the end of the day!    Coe is catching on that Coste’s chair is a pretty cool place to hang out even though he would much rather watch cars than animals!This week Mac was proud to show off the fences he had built to keep all his animals separated.  Of course the animals were each specifically placed in a particular cage.  Some had “food” in their cages while others were given “toys/tools” to play with.  Him imagination was on overload with this project and thankfully Copeland didn’t mess with Mac’s “order” too much.   Yaya wasn’t the only one worn out at the end of the day!

I actually took this picture on Wednesday morning before we left for Yaya’s.  Mac was carrying Duke around so of course Copeland had to have his dog too.  Mac wanted a picture with their dogs.

Mac even got to take Duke to school with his this week for show and tell day.  He was so excited to tell his class about his dog.  I wonder how much longer the stuffed dogs are going to be sufficient pets.  We keep telling Mac he can have a dog when he goes to college so every few weeks he asks me how much longer until he goes to college!

Last but not least, Coe’s new favorite riding toy.  He loves to sit back and have someone push him all around the house.  On this particular day he wanted to take all his animals with him on the ride. (Thanks Miss Katie for sending me this picture while I was at work.  It is always a fun treat to pick up my phone and see this smiling face!)