Road Trip!

When Carol told me she had to transport some puppies down to south Georgia on Saturday, of course, I jumped at the chance to go! I am always ready for an ordeal , I mean adventure. Of course, we brought the kids along. So we had five dogs, five kids, two frazzled adults and 5,000 snacks crammed in my Suburban. Party time!!!

We left early in the morning, so we had plenty of time, unless anything went wrong. As we soon discovered, something always goes wrong when you travel with kids. Certain small people needed to pee every thirty minutes, (except for Catherine, who doesn't use public toilets because she is afraid she will get flushed away).

Soon we were a tad behind schedule, but we did get to meet many interesting people at all the rest stops along the way.

The poor rescuer had to wait quite a while for us to arrive, but he was a good sport about it.

 Then we got a surprise, but not the good kind. When we tried to start the car, it was totally dead. So, here we are, in Ludowici, GA, which is not a huge metropolis, stuck. That was ok though, because this was an adventure! Before I could even start to cry, a very nice man came from the meat store and jump started my battery.

Francesca didn't seem to be very concerned, after all, she had french fries. 

 Some of us were better passengers than others. Catherine was furious because "Isabella was taking her air".  She still wouldn't use the bathroom. We chose to ignore the little siren and began singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" at increasing decibels. We were kind of in a battle of wills. Catherine's screams vs. Christmas carols. I am proud to say we finally won. Catherine fell asleep for 15 whole minutes! My voice is still a little hoarse and I may be going deaf.

Victoria found creative ways to amuse herself. Her favorite game was "balance the apple on my nose". Carol took this picture because I was in another bathroom at the time. I remember this bathroom didn't have any lights or flushing ability. Ahh, memories!

After the puppies left, we decided to go to the beach! We were a little afraid of turning the car off, but hey, sometimes you have to take risks. Our excitement was building as we saw signs that we were getting closer! We were hopeful that we might even get to see the ocean before it got dark!

Lovely moss hung from the trees as we made our way to St. Simon's island. What a beautiful place!  I plan to move there as soon as I win the lottery.

At long last, we finally made it to the beach. Guess who loved the ocean and guess who did not?

Doesn't she just look so sweet and quiet here?  Pictures can be very deceiving!

I had kind of hoped that I would have been able to move around a little more, but this was not to be. They clung to me like kuzu clings to a tree.

Of course, Victoria loved it! She loved the sand and she didn't mind at all if a wave washed over her.

"EEEEEEEEE! Don't let the water touch me! Don't let the sand touch me! Don't let the slimy plants touch me!  Get me out of here!"

This picture depicts how each of the little ones viewed the experience. Catherine immediately wanted to leave as soon as we got there.

Isabella and Anastasia could have stayed forever, except there wasn't a bathroom nearby.

Victoria really loved throwing the sand around. Carol had a new sand hair-do by the time we left.

This would have been a sweet picture, but I think my butt looks rather large here.

Totally worth it! Plus, I got a magnet!

We finally decided to head home at around 8 pm. We knew it was going to be a long drive home, but we thought for sure the kids would be so tired they would sleep the whole way since no one had a nap. I think we under-estimated them. Let the screaming begin!

After a brief detour into South Carolina at 2 am (they really should make the signs with neon lights), we finally made it home at four in the morning. We were sandy, sticky and exhausted, but everyone had a wonderful time!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Unencumbered

Guess who's going to be with no bandages on tonight!!! Very exciting!

Look at how close Victoria's legs are coming together in the water! Pretty amazing! 

Happy Friday everyone! 

The Best Therapy

Forget the speech flash cards and the painful stretches, I have found the way to Victoria's heart - swimming!!! It is such a delight to see how much she enjoys the water. She is more animated in the water than anywhere else.

She laughs out loud and babbles up a storm. Today she said "E, I, E, I, O"! I have been working on that for weeks!

She caught on really quickly about blowing bubbles in the water. She is a natural little fish. 

She has no pain in her hips or legs in the water, though interestingly, they still seem "stuck" in the wide position even without the brace. I put her foot down on a step and she didn't seem to mind the pressure.

Even Francesca, who at first had a meltdown about dipping a toe in the water, has begun to enjoy herself.

Plus, no one ever argues or gets grumpy at the pool. Sharing is caring!

Since Victoria's legs are still so wide, I had to improvise on the swimsuit. To get a swim diaper on her, I have to open up the sides and then duct tape them back together.

The swimming pool is salt water which has been really good for Francesca's toes and fingers. The little toe on the right foot is having some problems. The nail fell off, which has been pretty painful for her.

Looking good! There is still alot of swelling, but she is starting to use her hands more.

Domino's pizza delivers right to the pool! We might just move in and sleep on the lounge chairs!

Out of Order

I'm back! Did anyone miss me? Our internet has been down for four days! I felt like I was living in a cave.

Let me tell you, there have been some really exiting things going on around here. I know you all have been spending many sleepless nights holding your breath, so I won't delay any longer.

I bought a new toothbrush.

I have spent considerable time hiding in the bathroom, but the kids keep finding me.

Last night, when I was awake, frantically searching for a Pedisure for Victoria, I got so tired, I had to sit down on the kitchen floor and take a rest.

We had a very sweet puppy visit us. She lost her eye, but it doesn't slow her down. She chewed my computer charger in 5 seconds!

Victoria is still having a tough time. Some nights she sleeps well, but sometimes she is up all night. I have been working hard on speech stuff with her. My latest goal is to get her to "show me her teeth" because she seems to lack the muscles to do this so far. She finally did it yesterday and we got so excited, she got shy and covered her ears.

I am hoping by the end of the week to be done with Francesca's dressings. She is constantly chatting, but still not in any recognizable language.

Victoria finds ways to pass the time.

The most exciting event was that Victoria got to take a bath after 9 weeks!

How many more kids can we fit in the tub?

I haven't seen her this happy in a long time!

It's great to have a sister to give you some support when you get tired.

Oh no, not water!!!!! Why do they keep putting me in this stuff!!!

It's tricky to get Victoria out of the bath without hurting her. Any little bump makes her cry in pain.

My poor,old dog Isaac had to have some teeth removed. He was so worn out he had to close his eyes for a little while. I know how you feel big guy!

Thank you Robin for sending us some great surprises! We have had so much fun with the card game, "Sleeping Queens". Even Elliot liked it!

Victoria had lots of fun with the balls! Thank you! 

Thank you Jane for the fabulous tablecloth! This is actually little Catherine's happy face. Sigh.

I finally found some shoes to fit Francesca's feet - Crocs! She loves them! Doesn't she look so grown up here!

We found ways to party without the internet for entertainment, but boy, am I glad it's back!