It's week 3 of summer vacation and all I have heard today is, "I'm bored." Never mind that we took the kids to lunch and a movie yesterday... never mind that the 10 year old spend the entire night and morning at her friends' house... never mind that they have plans to go swimming and have dinner with Grandma today. No... they are just crazy bored. Seems that the TV is the only thing that can make them "not bored". But wait... even the TV gets boring after about 10 straight hours of watching it.
There are lots of things to do...
Read books (boring!), clean rooms (boring!), be creative (boring!). 5 more weeks of boring to go! How boring!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Traveling... with Kids.
It's always the same question. Where do we go for summer vacation? What always trips us up (no pun intended) is the fact the trip has to include three children. With three girls 10 and under, we are kind of limited. Never mind the expense factor ( 5 airline tickets are almost always out of the question), and let's not forget that cruises don't cater to the 5-in-a-room philosophy, but deciding on a place that will entertain two adults and 3 kids is a guessing game at best.
Once again we opted for a drive and stay vacation. Last year we did the Grand Canyon and Phoenix... this summer we chose Tucson. Not too far away, nice resorts, lots of pool time. Good choice huh?
Sure... assuming your children behave. Ours don't.
It's quite the whirlwind, never knowing if they will get along (insist on sitting next to each other because they absolutely HAVE to play Barbie Dolls together) or if they will despise each other (putting their feet up, pulling hair, sticking the tongue out and generally doing everything they can to annoy). Usually it's the latter. Sigh!
I keep thinking that each year it will be better. They are older, have learned how to get along better, right? Wrong. They haven't learned a thing. And after a week of ups and downs, it is so, so good to finally be home. Where we can actually send them to their rooms!
Once again we opted for a drive and stay vacation. Last year we did the Grand Canyon and Phoenix... this summer we chose Tucson. Not too far away, nice resorts, lots of pool time. Good choice huh?
Sure... assuming your children behave. Ours don't.
It's quite the whirlwind, never knowing if they will get along (insist on sitting next to each other because they absolutely HAVE to play Barbie Dolls together) or if they will despise each other (putting their feet up, pulling hair, sticking the tongue out and generally doing everything they can to annoy). Usually it's the latter. Sigh!
I keep thinking that each year it will be better. They are older, have learned how to get along better, right? Wrong. They haven't learned a thing. And after a week of ups and downs, it is so, so good to finally be home. Where we can actually send them to their rooms!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Love the Dives
If you are ever in Tucson I highly recommend eating breakfast at Frank's on Pima Blvd. This place is the biggest little dive, but the food is awesome. The Food Goddess (aka Candy) is a gruff looking and talking waitress that at one time was the Manager before she was fired and then came back after several years and is now waitressing. I had the spanish omelette, hubby had the huevos rancheros, kids had a sausage omelette, egg sandwich and egg plate that they all enjoyed. Coffee was perfect and hot!
Somehow we have a knack for finding these places. Best meal in Tucson.
On to Tombstone...
Somehow we have a knack for finding these places. Best meal in Tucson.
On to Tombstone...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Biodome 2
Just spent the morning visiting and touring Biodome 2 in Arizona. Wow... what an incredible place. It was such a great learning experience and I highly recommend going at least once. It is among the top 50 places in the world to visit. If you aren't very scientific (like me) and donMt know what Biodome 1 is, let me educate... it's Earth! Biodome 2 simulates all the earth's climate conditions.
It is incredible that scientists can recreate the conditions in different parts of the world and really study them in depth. The one important fact I came away with? Don't mess with the earth!
It is incredible that scientists can recreate the conditions in different parts of the world and really study them in depth. The one important fact I came away with? Don't mess with the earth!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Here in the Desert
Woke up to an amazing view of the mountains... after the kids flung open the drapes to let all the sunlight stream in and wake me up. Once again... all four girls in the room dressed and ready and sole male still walking around in a towel.
We were pretty lucky getting here yesterday in about 7 hours with one bathroom break and a stop for lunch. Yes, the girls whined and complained the entire way. Lauryn asked about a dozen times if we were almost there... and she decided just as we entered Tucson that she wanted to go home.
But we're here... of course I forgot to bring my makeup bag... guess that just means I get to go buy all new stuff. Fun for me!
Ooooo... just saw a little bunny hop across the gravel near our porch. There are rabbits everywhere here. Also saw a family of quail yesterday.
We were pretty lucky getting here yesterday in about 7 hours with one bathroom break and a stop for lunch. Yes, the girls whined and complained the entire way. Lauryn asked about a dozen times if we were almost there... and she decided just as we entered Tucson that she wanted to go home.
But we're here... of course I forgot to bring my makeup bag... guess that just means I get to go buy all new stuff. Fun for me!
Ooooo... just saw a little bunny hop across the gravel near our porch. There are rabbits everywhere here. Also saw a family of quail yesterday.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Family Trip
Here we are once again... just last summer about this time I started this blog to write about our road trip down Route 66 from California to Arizona. One short year later, we are getting back in the car and back on the road to travel to Arizona once again. This time we'll be heading to Southern Arizona and planting ourselves in Tucson for the entire week. Pool, horseback riding, Tombstone and lots of Mexican food.
Spent the last several hours packing up... doing laundry, taking out trash, cleaning house. I think I am over-tired... you know, when you are way too tired to even lie down and sleep. I think I have a million things running through my mind, not the least of which is the fact that I feel totally unprepared for this trip. Other than our hotel (excuse me... RESORT), this is the least planned out trip we've ever taken. Of course, Arizona was like 6th on our list of summer vacations.
1. Cruise (too expensive)
2. Hawaii (too expensive)
3. Bahamas (too expensive)
4. North Carolina (too expensive considering we also wanted to add South Carolina and Georgia)
5. Oregon/Washington (couldn't stomach the thought of all that time riding in a car with three girls)
6. Arizona
Anyone want to place a bet as to our estimated time of departure tomorrow? I really wish I could say we'd be on the road by 9am... but anyone who knows my husband will probably guess the time to be closer to 11am. You know... gotta stop at the bank, gotta stop at the tire shop, gotta stop at the gas station... you get the picture.
Spent the last several hours packing up... doing laundry, taking out trash, cleaning house. I think I am over-tired... you know, when you are way too tired to even lie down and sleep. I think I have a million things running through my mind, not the least of which is the fact that I feel totally unprepared for this trip. Other than our hotel (excuse me... RESORT), this is the least planned out trip we've ever taken. Of course, Arizona was like 6th on our list of summer vacations.
1. Cruise (too expensive)
2. Hawaii (too expensive)
3. Bahamas (too expensive)
4. North Carolina (too expensive considering we also wanted to add South Carolina and Georgia)
5. Oregon/Washington (couldn't stomach the thought of all that time riding in a car with three girls)
6. Arizona
Anyone want to place a bet as to our estimated time of departure tomorrow? I really wish I could say we'd be on the road by 9am... but anyone who knows my husband will probably guess the time to be closer to 11am. You know... gotta stop at the bank, gotta stop at the tire shop, gotta stop at the gas station... you get the picture.
Friday, June 11, 2010
School's Out
My kids are official in 5th grade, 3rd grade and ..... ummmm.... kindergarten. Again? Yes, again! It was a tough decision but I know it's the right one. We are going to keep our youngest in kindergarten for another year. I'm actually quite excited about it. I know it's giving her a second chance to be a great student. It was just one of those really tough decisions a parent has to make. If it was up to the school principal, she'd be going to 1st grade which would have turned out to be a disaster for her and for me.
So summer time is here. Quiet house while the youngest is napping (hard to believe, I know) and the older two are at a neighbor's house playing with water balloons. So I took the opportunity to throw out the old backpacks and sort through the endless amounts of art projects and schoolwork they brought home. I think after 5 years I've got it down to a science. I only keep the projects that I know they would be interested in seeing when they are older. And of course, I keep a handful of those reports they got an "A" on. Just so I can pull them out when I'm really angry at them and tell myself that they are doing well in school so I must be doing something right.
And I've made my summer project list. No, not for them. For me. Ha ha ha... I wonder if I'll actually get through any of them. But it's only Day 1 of 8 weeks with the kids, so I'm still feeling pretty energized. Tomorrow, Day 2, I may feel completely different.
One more week and we'll be off to Arizona. A little sun, swimming and horseback riding. And when we get back, hubby and I will be planning a weekend away just to recover from a road trip vacation with 3 kids.
Let the summer begin...
So summer time is here. Quiet house while the youngest is napping (hard to believe, I know) and the older two are at a neighbor's house playing with water balloons. So I took the opportunity to throw out the old backpacks and sort through the endless amounts of art projects and schoolwork they brought home. I think after 5 years I've got it down to a science. I only keep the projects that I know they would be interested in seeing when they are older. And of course, I keep a handful of those reports they got an "A" on. Just so I can pull them out when I'm really angry at them and tell myself that they are doing well in school so I must be doing something right.
And I've made my summer project list. No, not for them. For me. Ha ha ha... I wonder if I'll actually get through any of them. But it's only Day 1 of 8 weeks with the kids, so I'm still feeling pretty energized. Tomorrow, Day 2, I may feel completely different.
One more week and we'll be off to Arizona. A little sun, swimming and horseback riding. And when we get back, hubby and I will be planning a weekend away just to recover from a road trip vacation with 3 kids.
Let the summer begin...
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