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Midweek Mommy Question - Best Places for Family Vacations?

Summer's around the corner.  I've already been busily calling about camps and fees, but as for trips, we're not planning any family vacations. Instead, Kevin and I we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary in AUgust, so we're going on a Montana hiking trip with another couple.  But this doesn't mean I don't think about trips and places I eventually want to go with the kids. 

So when I saw the article, 15 Places Kids Should See by Age 15, I was interested and then surprised by how few of the places on the list are on mine. 

Their 15 places on the list are:

1. *Grand Canyon in Arizona.  This is a maybe.  But where I really want to take the kids when they are all old enough to hike is Bryce and Arches in *Utah.  Of all the National Parks I've visited these two may be tied for my favorite.  I want to go back with the whole family.

2. *Redwoods National Park California.  Ok, yes this park is incredible and do I hope my kids get to go in their lifetime?  Yes.  Do I feel the need to go as a family? No.

3. Monticello, Virginia.  Um, no way.  We have already taken our kids to the state of Virginia though.  Do we get any points for that?

4. The Freedom Trail - Massachusetts Hadn't thought about it before probably because the only history/educational type trip I'd planned on was...

5. & 6. Washington D.C. and Williamsburg, VA. - Yes.  My first trip to D.C. Was when I was a third grader (I think.) and then again with my school in 6th grade.  The times I've gone back in my "grown-up" life were more about seeing friends then sights.  I'm ready to go back with kiddoes in tow!

7. *Niagra Falls.  Again, no way.  I've seen the falls.  I've ridden the Maid of the Mist.  Incredible. But it's a single day's worth of entertainment and not one I'm planning a family trip around.

8. Walt Disney World, FL. Hey!  One we've already done with all three boys! And may do at least on alternating years between now and infinity. (Or, for as long as we continue to live just two hours away.)

9.Independence Hall - Pennsylvania  I guess I'm just not a history buff.  If I take 'em to D.C. and Williamsburg and that still feels like enough.

10. Alcatraz Island - California This would be cool and I'm still annoyed that when Kevin and I were in *San Francisco the Island was full or something like that and we couldn't go so I've only seen it from a distance.  Even so, going back isn't a priority.

11. Ellis Island - New York I have no desire to take kids to "the city".  That's all.

12. *Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming, Montana and Idaho  Maybe. But only if we get our Bryce/Arches trip out of the way and the kids survive that and wanted to go on another hiking/camping trip.  

13. Fenway Park - Massachusetts. Not gonna happen.

14. Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve - Idaho I'd never heard of this place until this list.  Sounds awesome but I still can't imagine planning a trip to.. Idaho?

15. San Diego Zoo - California  We live two hours away from the Miami Metro Zoo.  Do we really need to go across the country to see this one? 

*Places Kevin and I went on a 6-week road trip in summer of 2000.

So here are the places that I want to take my kids:
1. Utah - the aforementioned Bryce/Arches hiking/camping trip 
2. D.C. and Williamsburg - something from their list makes mine! 
3. The Florida Keys. Technically Kaden has already been because we took a boat from Ft Myers for a one-day trip to Key West once with my Dad, but I really want to go and spend a good week mostly just soakin' in the sun at Bahia Honda State Park because that is one incredible beach.
4. Germany. Specifically to the Spreewald region where my Grandparents once lived and where many cousins still live and then on further south to the castles in Bavaria
5. Russia. A tour that included Moscow/Volgograd/St. Petersburg (for Kaden)
6. Maine. I've never been to Maine. I want to go, so we may as well all go, right?  (Funnily enough I don't feel the same way about Costa Rice.  I've never been. I want to go.  But I don't really want to go with the kids!)  

Other travel Miscellany:
*And maybe I'll someday want to deal with the choas of traveling to a city hosting the Olympic Games? 
*We've already been to Tennessee, Nashville area a bunch visiting family, but when they're older I'd like to play tourist and go to a show at the Country Music Hall of Fame as a family.
*There is a once-a-month kid's breakfast at the Dali museum in St. Pete.  We are absolutely doing this soon.
*A mission trip with the whole family 
*I always said that if I have a daughter I'd want to do a trip with her to Prince Edward Island (think Anne of Green Gables), but it's kinda looking like that won't happen.

Those are my family travel dreams. Where do you dream of someday traveling with your whole family? Or where have you already traveled that I should add to my list? 

We Have a Sandbox

And Blue and Toby got their first go at a dig this afternoon.  (Ignore the ugliness under the swing area. Originally we'd planned to do sand there too, but Kevin talked me into halving the sand part, and we're going to seed with grass under the other part.)

Where Toby got to help Blue dig for treasure:


And Blue made sand angels. 

And Toby ate sand.

Or mashed it into Gus.

And I maintain that this was a good idea.  

Now excuse me, I have more sweeping to do. 

Let's Celebrate!

Instead of a birthday party, Kaden chose to go to a Disney on Ice show.  There are variety of versions of this show.  We saw Let's Celebrate. It was our first time going to one of these big, kid extravaganzas. Show day finally came upon us yesterday and me, Kaden, Blue, a friend from church and her two boys, set out.  

We gave ourselves plenty of time (a little over two hours) because the drive is supposed to take an hour and a half and I've never been to the BankAtlantic before so I didn't know the parking situation or what else to expect, but we got there in plenty of time.

The scene: Swarms of people.  Lots of little girls in their princess dresses.  Lots of souveniers which all seemed to be starting price of $20.  (It seemed even more expensive then inside the theme parks.) A line to take (and be charged for) a picture of a Mickey and Minnie cut out. (No thank you.) And, ya know, a big ice stage, just ready to go:

Here are our boys before going in:

Taking a few pics before show time:


I ended up getting two bags of cotton candy (for $10 bucks a pop!) but they came with Mickey ears which the March birthday boys got to keep:

The two highlights of the day seemed to be taking the escalator going up to the doors of the center and playing like maniacs at the Chick Fil in A in West Palm where we stopped on the way home. After dropping our friends off, Kaden told me he'd rather have a party next year.  But I was appreciative for the new experience and overall, I know all the boys liked it.  

I posted all of my pics and a show play by play in a facebook album, but here's one more of the birthday boy:

The Pointer/Poker

Kaden's school had their book fair last week and I told him he was free to bring his wallet and buy what he wanted with his own money.  

And then I forgot all about it.  

Until one day Kaden came home with a new Magic Tree House book (good) and this poker (bad) which he maintains is a reading pointer. I said it was clearly a dog/brother poker.  Kaden tried to argue with me, so I handed it to Blue...

 I won the argument.

(And yes, the poker has been confiscated from Blue every day since it arrived in the house.)

Take Three

Blue has had to sit out two Children's Museum visits because of defiant peeing and the second time it was even while Avery was staying with us.  (Um, yes, defiant peeing is back, and no I don't really want to talk about it.)  But Blue finally earned a trip to the Children's museum this past Wednesday, and I got one photo for proof before my battery died:

Well, one picture of Blue anyway.  I also got two of Toby:

Hmmmm. Do I really want this cheese?

That'll be $82.95.  

I love watching Toby play like a big boy!  But I was mostly happy that Blue was finally allowed to play. 

We Have Sand

One of the first things we did at this house was put up a playset in the backyard.  And since that day last May when the playset went up Kevin and I have been having the exact same conversation:

Me: When are you going to order the sand for under the playset?

He: Are you sure you want sand?  I think we should get mulch.

Me: Kevin!  I want sand.  I'm not changing my mind. Order the (bleepin') sand.  (The ! and the bleepin' only came after months of this conversation.)

10 months go by...

He ordered the sand!

And on Saturday he plans to move it under the playset where it belongs.

How many betters out there think that by Sunday when I'm sweeping a mountain of sand the boys have tracked in, that I sweetly ask Kevin if it's too late to go ahead and get mulch?

RIP Knut

Here's a picture I took of Knut in July 2008 when we visited the Berlin Zoo with Kaden. We were sad to hear of this big guy's passing today.
 

Leprechaun Trap

Blue's classroom has had some trouble with a messy leprechaun so his teachers sent home a note asking if anyone could send in a leprechaun trap.  Kevin rose to the challenge.

You can't really tell in this picture because they blend with the mulch, but the lure into this trap is some gold painted rocks.  

If they catch their leprechaun we'll be sure to let you know.

Speaking of leprechauns...

This house is gonna need a bigger trap.

11 Birthdays In...

The first time I ever celebrated Kevin's birthday was in March 2000.  We'd been dating for 5 months.  If I remember correctly I got him the 2nd and 3rd books in the Harry Potter series.  I'd been given the first one back in January for my birthday and although I'd liked it, I didn't want to commit to some kid's series, but Kevin, after reading my copy, wanted the next two.  So really, it's his fault we ended up Potter nerds. 

I also made him a three layer cake with caramel icing, the recipe taken from a Southern Living magazine, and more complicated than I was used to as it required a candy thermometer while making the icing. Although a little crooked, it was quite the accomplishment, but then in walked Kevin's mom with a store-bought cake, a moment that symbolized to both of us, now that Kevin had two main women in his life, we should probably start consulting one another on such details.

11 years later and... Kevin just spent a good amount on new formal clothes so we're calling that his birthday present.  (We have a wedding coming up in October but I think the main reason he did it was because it's been ten years since he bought any dressy clothes, which he did then for our honeymoon.) We had dinner plans with my mom but she cancelled on us so I'm making spaghetti because that's what he asked for.  As for dessert... 11 years in I've learned that he doesn't give a flip about fancy desserts, store-bought or home-made and he's not crazy about caramel.  This year his mom already made him an eclair cake when we were in Tampa and I'll do brownies and ice cream, again because it was his request.  So, 11 years later and he's still getting two desserts!

And now for a birthday conversation

Me: It’s Daddy’s birthday tomorrow! How old is Daddy going to be?
Kaden: 34 (This is right.)
Blue: 16 (This is not.)
Toby: Ahhhhhhh.

Me: What dessert should I make?
Blue: Cake!  Pepperoni cake!
Kaden: Yuck! How about chocolate or vanilla?
Toby: Dadadadadada

Me: What’s the best thing about Daddy?
Kaden: He is cool. He works on airplanes. He flies the airplane to Haiti to help people.
Me: Anything else?
Kaden: And I love him.
Me: Blue, what’s great about Daddy?
Blue: That I love him and that he does cool things.
Me: Like what cool things?
Blue: That I jump and he catch me so I don’t fall.
Me: Anything else?
Kaden: He plays baseball with us.
Blue: He can make a leprechaun trap.  But I helped him.
Me: Toby, what do you like about Daddy?
Toby: Ah!
Me: No really, what you do you like about Daddy?
Toby: Dada.
Me: Yes, Dada.
Toby: Dada (This time with clapping.)

Me: If you could give Daddy anything for his birthday what would you give him? You can go into any store and spend any amount.
Kaden: A new lawnmower.
Blue: A saw.
Me: Toby?
Toby: Dada (And this time he followed it with blowing a raspberry.)
Blue: Oh! We need to buy a pool.
Me: Do you think Daddy would like a swimming pool?
Kaden in Blue in quick unison: Yes.
Kaden: Like Uncle Matt and Aunt Marissa have. It’s not fair. 

Me: Is there anything else to say to Daddy for his birthday?
Kaden: Happy Birthday, Daddy.  Hope you have a good birthday.
Blue: Toby is cute.
Me: What does that have to do with Daddy?
Blue: He loves Toby.
Me: Blue, what do YOU need to say to Daddy for his birthday?
Blue: That he needs to buy me a new bouncy ball because Shadow bit my bouncy ball.
Me: Toby?

Um, no need to wait for an answer from Toby.  He is actively ignoring me, hoping I don’t smell his poopy diaper.  And so this birthday conversation ends as so many conversations end in our house… off to take care of a kiddo.

Happy! Birthday! Kevin!

It Begins

We used Kaden's birthday money to get him a Nintendo DS and two games.  We don't have a game system in our house and we don't have plans to get one but Kaden's Leapster was dead and I'm not against video games, so this seemed like a good gift for a seven-year-old boy.  

Someone asked if Kaden asked for a DS and I laughed.  He didn't know they existed. But he's not disappointed.  Tuesday, on the way home from school, he asked if he could play his DS when we got home.  Again, I laughed.  Between homework and baseball there is no time for anything else during the week.  But it's Saturday now.  Guess what Kaden's doing?