Saturday, April 30, 2011
This jumpy house has a slide on it!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
School Pics
It's that time of year again!
Aren't they the most handsome boys you've ever seen?? ;-)
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| Logan's Class |
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| Callum's Class |
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| Logan: 3 yrs, 4 mths old |
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| Callum: 1 yr old |
Aren't they the most handsome boys you've ever seen?? ;-)
Loganism of the day
Logan: I'm going to push you monster!
Me: Where? I don't see a monster.
Logan: Mooooooom! I'm pretending!
Me: Oh.
Me: Where? I don't see a monster.
Logan: Mooooooom! I'm pretending!
Me: Oh.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Tinkerer
Monday, April 25, 2011
Got Milk?
Poor Callum has been teething like crazy. His bottom left front tooth finally broke through this weekend which was great. But, he's been slobbering non stop (the entire front of his shirt is sopping wet in this pic) and pretty grumpy which makes me think another one is also going to make an appearance soon.
Oh, and Jon left about 5am this morning to catch a flight to NYC for the week. *sigh*
Saturday, April 23, 2011
All ready!
Easter Weekend
This morning we all went to the annual Campbell Eggstravaganza where sadly, Logan and Luke were too overwhelmed by the crowds to get any eggs. We headed over to Hobee's for brunch where Callum has trouble sitting still these days, wanting to explore and walk all over the place.
Thus, he and I ended our brunch a bit early and decided to check out the patio while the others finished up. ;-)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
12 month checkup
I almost forgot to mention Callum's checkup, which we actually did on his birthday! Poor guy got THREE shots and a finger prick, which all made for a grumpy birthday boy. :(
He's doing great - ears look fantastic. Doc is pleased with his walking and balance and overall very strong and stout physique. He's still trending pretty tall, at 31" (90%). He weighs 22lbs, 8oz (50-60%) and his head is 47.25cm round (65%). His iron levels also checked out just fine. All in all, a beautiful, healthy, happy baby (who hates shots). No surprise there! ;-)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Nothing bundt cakes!
(I blame Julie completely for getting me hooked on this cake at Jessie's party on Sunday!)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My baby turns one
Yo Yo Yo! Listen up! Today is Callum's first birthday!!
If it's even possible, I think this last year went by faster than the first year with Logan. Is that possible?
At the start of my pregnancy with Callum, everyone talked about how Logan's labor was so intense, and fast, and amazing, that I'd probably have just as fast and intense of a labor with Callum. I have to admit, I even set my own self up for this expectation. Why wouldn't I, right?
We were worried that he'd also be breech, so we kept an eye on things to make sure he was head down toward the end of the pregnancy. But, after that, it was that edge.of.your.seat.endless.waiting that I experienced toward the end of the pregnancy where every little twinge or pain had me thinking, is this it?
Callum has done a phenomenol job at reminding us, day in and day out over the last year, how very different he is from his older brother. It's been eye opening and sometimes surprising, which is actually kind of silly. We really should have known, since his entrance into the world couldn't have been more completely different.
How so?
Let me recount my little baby's Labor Story and you tell me.
Monday, 19 April 2010, 1:30am
Jon checked on Logan who woke up in the middle of the night. He also let Grover out to pee. I felt a small "gush" of wetness. Did my waters just break? Too tired to really check or care.
2:30am
I got up to go to the bathroom and my pantiliner and underwear were wet all the way through (unusual). It didn't smell or look like pee, just a clear liquid. I also started feeling verrrrry small contractions. But, what did I know? This was not how things happened with Logan so I climbed back into bed to see how things would progress.
3:00am
I decided to start timing my contractions. They were not consistent at all. How strange, I thought.
Still, I started getting nervous and excited. Could this be it?
To add to my suspicions, I pooped and had diarrhea twice (ack!). I was very tired but I couldn't sleep... I was a bundle of nerves.
4:30am
I noticed some blood when I wiped after a visit to the toilet. I decided to wake Jon at this point, since I believed my waters had probably broken. We started getting stuff ready to head to the hospital and called my parents.
5:00am
I decide to take a shower to relax.
5:10am
I poop in the shower (ugh!), but hey that just means I'm not going to poop on the birthing table right?
5:12am
I wonder when the house cleaners will be by next, to make sure the shower is sanitized before we use it again.
5:30am
My parents arrived. We talk and I'm worried that I can still walk and talk through my contractions. They just aren't that serious or painful. Uncomfortable but nothing major. I'm still tracking them on my app too, and it's just not very consistent. Why exactly are we rushing to the hospital then??
6:37am
We finally leave but not without my mom snapping a few pics to commemorate the event first.
6:42am
I make Jon stop at Jamba Juice. This definitely feels slower than Logan's labor and I'm STARVING.
7:10am
We check into the hospital. They hook me up to everything. Contractions are coming in every 3-5 minutes (as I had been charting on my handy dandy app all morning long).
8:00am
A nurse finally comes in to check on my progress. I'm at 3cm - ONLY!! UGH.
This is looking like a VERY long labor ahead of us.
She also confirmed that my waters had NOT broken (which I had sworn they had). However, after briefing my OB, she asked me to stay and walk the hospital halls every 30 minutes to help speed up the labor. My doc told the nurse to check me again in 2 hours - thinking that the labor would probably pick up very soon (especially given my history with Logan).
So, I walked up and down that damn hall countless times.
One of the nurses (a guy, of course) told me that about 17.5 laps would equal 1 mile.
I have no idea how many laps I did do.
10:00am
The nurse comes in like clockwork to check my progress. I'm at an unbelievable...
4cm.
*sigh*
I do the math. At two hours for every centimeter.... that means I'm going to have a LOT longer to wait. I get irritated and frustrated and start thinking, well this is just plain stupid. It's going way too slow.
So, I'm going home.
Nurse: You're doing what?
Me: I'm going to check out and go home. I'll come back when things get more serious.
Nurse: You really shouldn't go home. 4cm is far enough along to stay here so we can continue to monitor you.
Me: Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I'll be more comfortable at home and I can see and spend more time with Logan.
Nurse: Well, it's up to you. But we really REALLY discourage it.
Me: I understand. Hey, can you untie this damn gown?
Nurse: PLEASE come back AS SOON as your contractions get ANY worse. PLEASE!!
Me: No problem. My husband will make sure of it.
So, we check out and head home.
And I am SO glad we did. I ate a little lunch, took Grover for a walk and then laid down for a glorious nap (I was really tired).
2:00pm
I woke up from the nap because my contractions were coming on a little stronger. I could still talk through them but they were definitely stronger and more uncomfortable than before. We were afraid if we waited any longer at home, it could start getting pretty late into the labor so we decide to head back to the hospital.
4:00pm
We check back in at the hospital (two hours later!). The staff is confused why there are already records for me in the system.
Yeaaaaaaah. We were here earlier in the morning but decided to go back home. And now we're back!
My contractions were still a bit irregular but not as much as before. We settle into our (same) room to continue the waiting.
4:30pm
Nurses came in to do an exam. I'm at a whopping 6cm.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!
So, back to the endless waiting and walking the hospital halls. How flippin' frustrating.
6:15pm
My parents stop by with Logan for a visit. It was so very wonderful. He was a little scared - unsure of things and didn't like seeing me in the hospital bed. He wouldn't even sit with me in the bed. He also didn't like seeing the IV in my hand (can't say I blame him!).
8:00pm
While the visit from my parents and Logan was really great, we decided they should probably head home to put him to bed. I walked out with everyone to say goodbye (which was really rough for me, let me tell you). Jon left with them so that he could grab some dinner (I had nibbled on the hospital food but he wasn't buying it). And, I continued walking up and down the hallway, waiting for him to get back.
On my way back to my room (my room was on the very end of a long hallway), I saw my doctor walking toward me.
Doc: How're you doing?
Me: Hanging in there. I'm doing ok, but really tired. It's been a long day.
Doc: Yes, it has. I think it's time to break your waters and help speed things along.
Me: Sounds good to me. How long will things take after you break them? Jon's out grabbing dinner and I want to make sure he's here.
Doc: How long until he gets back?
Me: He just went around the corner to grab a bite to eat. He should be back in about 20 minutes I guess.
Doc: It'll speed things up but not THAT fast. We should be good.
8:30pm
I am SO ready. I waddle back to my room and immediately text Jon to let him know. He says he's already on his way back to the hospital - which is a relief, I definitely don't want him missing a thing!
8:34pm
My doctor checks my progress. I'm only at 7 flippin' cm!! :( So, we go ahead and break my waters. It was really uncomfortable (she had to tilt the bed back and up to get a good "grip"), but once she did it I immediately felt the warm gush of liquid. It was ridiculously fast and then she was gone.
8:38pm
Jon arrives. The doctor already broke your waters? What the hell? You JUST texted me!!
I know.
So, we try walking again. This time, I barely make it down the hallway and I can feel the contractions intensify immediately. They've really taken hold!
We go back to my room and I lay down again.
The rest of my labor is a blur. I had extremely forceful contractions - they were very painful and uncomfortable. I felt sick and nauseous and could never get comfortable - they were hitting me in tremendous non-stop waves, and never letting up.
My entire body was shaking.
I was also going through these ridiculous hot and cold sweats. I'd be burning up hot one minute and then freezing the next. I had a hard time concentrating - all I could do was focus on Jon's face and squeeze his hand.
9:00pm
The nurse comes in to examine me. We're at 8 cm - yay!
~ 9:30pm
We're at 9 cm - thank GOD!!
~ 9:45pm
It's exhausting and excruciating. The pressure is unbelievable. I'm writhing and groaning in pain and starting to feel the pressure come so strong that I HAVE to push. I can't stand it, so Jon calls the nurses in. They check me and immediately run out to get my doctor. I can only assume he was starting to crown.
Me: Is he coming?! I HAVE TO PUSH.
Nurse: Try not to push.
Me: Yeah right! I HAVE to push!!
Meanwhile an army of nurses are setting everything up around me. A lot of commotion and hustle and bustle while I am trying with all my might NOT to push.
10:00pm
Everything is finally ready and I can't wait any longer. I am literally WAITING for the green light.
Doc: Okay Bree, get ready to push!
With one BIG long push, I manage to get Callum's head out. Searing, burning pain. Unbelievable pressure. Nurses are telling me to breathe and stop screaming.
Yeah right. Just shut the fuck up please.
Next push, one shoulder comes out. YES!! Now the other slides out. And the rest of Callum's body flops out without any time to lose.
I can't see him yet, but I can hear him. He's crying almost immediately. I look over at Jon - he's got tears in his eyes and on his cheeks.
And then suddenly I have this wet slimy slippery baby on my chest. A BIG boy! He's heavy, solid, and a squirmy little guy.
I can't believe it. We're done.
Callum Oliver made sure to take his time but he's finally here.
My doctor calls the time of birth at 10:14pm (Jon thinks it was actually earlier but hey, who's counting!). She then asks me to give a few more pushes to deliver my placenta.
I give a couple more pushes but can tell they are really weak and feeble. I have absolutely NO energy left in me to do a damn thing.
I tell my doctor I can't.
Doc: Yes you can.
Me: No really, I can't.
I had no strength left in me - I had just given everything I had, literally, to Callum.
She makes me try one more push while she helps to pull on the umbilical cord and POP! It detaches from the placenta.
Ummmm, pretty sure that's not good. :(
My doc orders a muscle relaxant to calm my uterus down (and likely calm me down too). I see the nurses pushing it into my IV and then feel the meds hit me instantly.
At the same time, another nurse has Callum positioned on my chest to begin nursing. He takes to the boob instantly like a champ.
A few minutes later and my doc delivers my placenta. It was VERY uncomfortable (she's pressing and pulling on me HARD) and it hurt like hell, but when she's finally done, a wave of relief washes over me.
I look over at Jon. I'm so full of love, and yet I have no words (or energy) to express it. He's just as emotional, eyes brimming with tears. We don't say anything but he kisses and squeezes my hand.
And we stare down at our little Callum Oliver, full of wonder, amazement and joy.
Happy birthday Callum - we love you with all of our hearts.
If it's even possible, I think this last year went by faster than the first year with Logan. Is that possible?
At the start of my pregnancy with Callum, everyone talked about how Logan's labor was so intense, and fast, and amazing, that I'd probably have just as fast and intense of a labor with Callum. I have to admit, I even set my own self up for this expectation. Why wouldn't I, right?
We were worried that he'd also be breech, so we kept an eye on things to make sure he was head down toward the end of the pregnancy. But, after that, it was that edge.of.your.seat.endless.waiting that I experienced toward the end of the pregnancy where every little twinge or pain had me thinking, is this it?
Callum has done a phenomenol job at reminding us, day in and day out over the last year, how very different he is from his older brother. It's been eye opening and sometimes surprising, which is actually kind of silly. We really should have known, since his entrance into the world couldn't have been more completely different.
How so?
Let me recount my little baby's Labor Story and you tell me.
Monday, 19 April 2010, 1:30am
Jon checked on Logan who woke up in the middle of the night. He also let Grover out to pee. I felt a small "gush" of wetness. Did my waters just break? Too tired to really check or care.
2:30am
I got up to go to the bathroom and my pantiliner and underwear were wet all the way through (unusual). It didn't smell or look like pee, just a clear liquid. I also started feeling verrrrry small contractions. But, what did I know? This was not how things happened with Logan so I climbed back into bed to see how things would progress.
3:00am
I decided to start timing my contractions. They were not consistent at all. How strange, I thought.
Still, I started getting nervous and excited. Could this be it?
To add to my suspicions, I pooped and had diarrhea twice (ack!). I was very tired but I couldn't sleep... I was a bundle of nerves.
4:30am
I noticed some blood when I wiped after a visit to the toilet. I decided to wake Jon at this point, since I believed my waters had probably broken. We started getting stuff ready to head to the hospital and called my parents.
5:00am
I decide to take a shower to relax.
5:10am
I poop in the shower (ugh!), but hey that just means I'm not going to poop on the birthing table right?
5:12am
I wonder when the house cleaners will be by next, to make sure the shower is sanitized before we use it again.
5:30am
My parents arrived. We talk and I'm worried that I can still walk and talk through my contractions. They just aren't that serious or painful. Uncomfortable but nothing major. I'm still tracking them on my app too, and it's just not very consistent. Why exactly are we rushing to the hospital then??
6:37am
We finally leave but not without my mom snapping a few pics to commemorate the event first.
6:42am
I make Jon stop at Jamba Juice. This definitely feels slower than Logan's labor and I'm STARVING.
7:10am
We check into the hospital. They hook me up to everything. Contractions are coming in every 3-5 minutes (as I had been charting on my handy dandy app all morning long).
8:00am
A nurse finally comes in to check on my progress. I'm at 3cm - ONLY!! UGH.
This is looking like a VERY long labor ahead of us.
She also confirmed that my waters had NOT broken (which I had sworn they had). However, after briefing my OB, she asked me to stay and walk the hospital halls every 30 minutes to help speed up the labor. My doc told the nurse to check me again in 2 hours - thinking that the labor would probably pick up very soon (especially given my history with Logan).
So, I walked up and down that damn hall countless times.
One of the nurses (a guy, of course) told me that about 17.5 laps would equal 1 mile.
I have no idea how many laps I did do.
10:00am
The nurse comes in like clockwork to check my progress. I'm at an unbelievable...
4cm.
*sigh*
I do the math. At two hours for every centimeter.... that means I'm going to have a LOT longer to wait. I get irritated and frustrated and start thinking, well this is just plain stupid. It's going way too slow.
So, I'm going home.
Nurse: You're doing what?
Me: I'm going to check out and go home. I'll come back when things get more serious.
Nurse: You really shouldn't go home. 4cm is far enough along to stay here so we can continue to monitor you.
Me: Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I'll be more comfortable at home and I can see and spend more time with Logan.
Nurse: Well, it's up to you. But we really REALLY discourage it.
Me: I understand. Hey, can you untie this damn gown?
Nurse: PLEASE come back AS SOON as your contractions get ANY worse. PLEASE!!
Me: No problem. My husband will make sure of it.
So, we check out and head home.
And I am SO glad we did. I ate a little lunch, took Grover for a walk and then laid down for a glorious nap (I was really tired).
2:00pm
I woke up from the nap because my contractions were coming on a little stronger. I could still talk through them but they were definitely stronger and more uncomfortable than before. We were afraid if we waited any longer at home, it could start getting pretty late into the labor so we decide to head back to the hospital.
4:00pm
We check back in at the hospital (two hours later!). The staff is confused why there are already records for me in the system.
Yeaaaaaaah. We were here earlier in the morning but decided to go back home. And now we're back!
My contractions were still a bit irregular but not as much as before. We settle into our (same) room to continue the waiting.
4:30pm
Nurses came in to do an exam. I'm at a whopping 6cm.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!
So, back to the endless waiting and walking the hospital halls. How flippin' frustrating.
6:15pm
My parents stop by with Logan for a visit. It was so very wonderful. He was a little scared - unsure of things and didn't like seeing me in the hospital bed. He wouldn't even sit with me in the bed. He also didn't like seeing the IV in my hand (can't say I blame him!).
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| Our last family shot before Callum is born! |
 |
| We tell Logan it's time for him to go home. :( |
 |
| Seeing Logan (and my parents) out |
8:00pm
While the visit from my parents and Logan was really great, we decided they should probably head home to put him to bed. I walked out with everyone to say goodbye (which was really rough for me, let me tell you). Jon left with them so that he could grab some dinner (I had nibbled on the hospital food but he wasn't buying it). And, I continued walking up and down the hallway, waiting for him to get back.
On my way back to my room (my room was on the very end of a long hallway), I saw my doctor walking toward me.
Doc: How're you doing?
Me: Hanging in there. I'm doing ok, but really tired. It's been a long day.
Doc: Yes, it has. I think it's time to break your waters and help speed things along.
Me: Sounds good to me. How long will things take after you break them? Jon's out grabbing dinner and I want to make sure he's here.
Doc: How long until he gets back?
Me: He just went around the corner to grab a bite to eat. He should be back in about 20 minutes I guess.
Doc: It'll speed things up but not THAT fast. We should be good.
8:30pm
I am SO ready. I waddle back to my room and immediately text Jon to let him know. He says he's already on his way back to the hospital - which is a relief, I definitely don't want him missing a thing!
8:34pm
My doctor checks my progress. I'm only at 7 flippin' cm!! :( So, we go ahead and break my waters. It was really uncomfortable (she had to tilt the bed back and up to get a good "grip"), but once she did it I immediately felt the warm gush of liquid. It was ridiculously fast and then she was gone.
8:38pm
Jon arrives. The doctor already broke your waters? What the hell? You JUST texted me!!
I know.
So, we try walking again. This time, I barely make it down the hallway and I can feel the contractions intensify immediately. They've really taken hold!
We go back to my room and I lay down again.
The rest of my labor is a blur. I had extremely forceful contractions - they were very painful and uncomfortable. I felt sick and nauseous and could never get comfortable - they were hitting me in tremendous non-stop waves, and never letting up.
My entire body was shaking.
I was also going through these ridiculous hot and cold sweats. I'd be burning up hot one minute and then freezing the next. I had a hard time concentrating - all I could do was focus on Jon's face and squeeze his hand.
9:00pm
The nurse comes in to examine me. We're at 8 cm - yay!
~ 9:30pm
We're at 9 cm - thank GOD!!
~ 9:45pm
It's exhausting and excruciating. The pressure is unbelievable. I'm writhing and groaning in pain and starting to feel the pressure come so strong that I HAVE to push. I can't stand it, so Jon calls the nurses in. They check me and immediately run out to get my doctor. I can only assume he was starting to crown.
Me: Is he coming?! I HAVE TO PUSH.
Nurse: Try not to push.
Me: Yeah right! I HAVE to push!!
Meanwhile an army of nurses are setting everything up around me. A lot of commotion and hustle and bustle while I am trying with all my might NOT to push.
10:00pm
Everything is finally ready and I can't wait any longer. I am literally WAITING for the green light.
Doc: Okay Bree, get ready to push!
With one BIG long push, I manage to get Callum's head out. Searing, burning pain. Unbelievable pressure. Nurses are telling me to breathe and stop screaming.
Yeah right. Just shut the fuck up please.
Next push, one shoulder comes out. YES!! Now the other slides out. And the rest of Callum's body flops out without any time to lose.
I can't see him yet, but I can hear him. He's crying almost immediately. I look over at Jon - he's got tears in his eyes and on his cheeks.
And then suddenly I have this wet slimy slippery baby on my chest. A BIG boy! He's heavy, solid, and a squirmy little guy.
I can't believe it. We're done.
Callum Oliver made sure to take his time but he's finally here.
My doctor calls the time of birth at 10:14pm (Jon thinks it was actually earlier but hey, who's counting!). She then asks me to give a few more pushes to deliver my placenta.
I give a couple more pushes but can tell they are really weak and feeble. I have absolutely NO energy left in me to do a damn thing.
I tell my doctor I can't.
Doc: Yes you can.
Me: No really, I can't.
I had no strength left in me - I had just given everything I had, literally, to Callum.
She makes me try one more push while she helps to pull on the umbilical cord and POP! It detaches from the placenta.
Ummmm, pretty sure that's not good. :(
My doc orders a muscle relaxant to calm my uterus down (and likely calm me down too). I see the nurses pushing it into my IV and then feel the meds hit me instantly.
At the same time, another nurse has Callum positioned on my chest to begin nursing. He takes to the boob instantly like a champ.
A few minutes later and my doc delivers my placenta. It was VERY uncomfortable (she's pressing and pulling on me HARD) and it hurt like hell, but when she's finally done, a wave of relief washes over me.
I look over at Jon. I'm so full of love, and yet I have no words (or energy) to express it. He's just as emotional, eyes brimming with tears. We don't say anything but he kisses and squeezes my hand.
And we stare down at our little Callum Oliver, full of wonder, amazement and joy.
Happy birthday Callum - we love you with all of our hearts.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Loganism of the day
While watching the opening sequence of Despicable Me, Logan points out "Mom! He's [the little boy running up the pyramid] not listening! Just like when I don't listen to you!"
Ahhh, so very very true.
Ahhh, so very very true.
Another silly face
Happy 3rd Birthday Jessie!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Goofy Loganito
Collection of videos
I've been using Socialcam (a new app created by Justin.tv!) for the last few weeks when taking quick-clip videos of the kids - posting them immediately to Facebook, but not going back to also link them here.
So, for those that haven't yet seen them on Facebook, thought I'd share a few here...
(From newest to oldest)
Callum Walking (4/11/11)
Logan Rocking Out (4/2/11)
Drunk baby learning to walk (3/28/11)
The baby side shuffle (3/24/11)
Logan entertaining Callum (3/23/11)
So, for those that haven't yet seen them on Facebook, thought I'd share a few here...
(From newest to oldest)
Callum Walking (4/11/11)
Logan Rocking Out (4/2/11)
Drunk baby learning to walk (3/28/11)
The baby side shuffle (3/24/11)
Logan entertaining Callum (3/23/11)
Friday, April 15, 2011
Unveiling the new artwork
Snow!
While it may have been about two months later than I had hoped for, we finally made it up to the mountains for a little snow play! (almost two months ago, yeah, I'm behind on my blogging again, what can I say)
Our friend Jenn decided this year she wanted to get all four families together up in Tahoe to celebrate her birthday. We all loved the idea and were looking forward to a long weekend together. :)
I did a little research and found a fantastic 4 bedroom HUGE cabin (still) available for the weekend, so after consulting with everyone, we decided to book it. The cabin was actually up in Truckee (North Lake Tahoe), which is a bit further than we're used to traveling (since we usually spend time with the Hicksons at their cabin in South Lake Tahoe). Still, I have very fond childhood memories of Truckee myself, and there was a kid's snow park that I had really been wanting to take Logan to, which was located up in the same area, so we were game!
Normally, from the Bay Area, you'd take Hwy 80 straight up north to Truckee and the surrounding towns. However, the Thursday night before we left, a huge storm had decided to come in, so as we were leaving our house and checking (continuously) the reports, we found 80 to be closed. We continued on, since there was no turning back anyway (the cabin was booked and paid for!) and we could always take another route if 80 was still closed when we got closer.
Sure enough, once we got to the intersection of Hwy 80 and 50 (where we need to make the call on which route to take to Tahoe), reports were still saying Hwy 80 was closed. This was a bummer since going through South Lake Tahoe would add time to the drive. But, overall, it still wouldn't be a terribly long drive - instead of 3.5 hours, it'd be more like ~5 hours...
We were caravaning with the Jodoins, so we all stopped for lunch near the intersection. Unfortunately, Grover had puked at some point before that stop, so poor Jon spent at least 30 minutes just cleaning up the back of our truck before we actually went inside for lunch.
The drive all the way up to Placerville was pleasant and easy going. But, once we reached Placerville, we were already noticing a bit of traffic. Once we started the climb up the summit, that's when the real crowds hit. There were two different chain check points and super slow going. Luckily, we didn't need to deal with chains, but we still had to navigate around those that DID need chains. The weather was actually quite clear and pretty - so we weren't exactly sure why there was such concern about the chain control - but once we started getting closer to the Summit, and the weather became much more stormy, with white-out conditions, we understood why. To add to the blustery conditions, one of our windshield wipers broke, during one of the quick stops we made so that Jon could knock the ice off the wipers and windshield that had been building up in the middle of the storm. It was quite comical as we trudged along, through snowy streets (we took some neighborhood back streets to a nearby auto parts store we knew about in South Lake Tahoe), with only one wiper working! :)
The Chouns had caught up to us somewhere along the climb through the mountains, so the three families stopped in South Lake Tahoe for dinner - MUCH later than we had hoped for - since there had been so much traffic on Hwy 50. But, the kids (and adults) needed to stretch their legs, get a bite to eat and rest a bit outside of the cars....
When we all climbed back in our cars, Jon and I took everyone up the shorter route to North Shore (around Emerald Bay), totally forgetting that the road is closed during the Winter. D'oh!! When we got to the road closure (it was so funny, since literally a few miles before the roadblock I was muttering to Jon that I had THOUGHT they closed the roads during winter conditions...) we all three turned around to head back down. Sadly, another car (who we let in front of our caravan so we could all talk) took a 10mph hairpin turn downhill at 15-20mph (in the snow and ice!) and immediately slid into the banks near a cliff (had the snow banks not been there, those two kids would have gone straight down the side of the mountain).
To make matters worse, these guys crashed in a spot that blocked the snow plow tractor coming UP the mountain - which meant we couldn't get around the snow plow to go back down the mountain - essentially trapping us all above them on the mountain. UGH!
These guys were pretty stupid. I immediately noticed the guy (driver) slipping and sliding all over the place in his fancy Italian leather loafers (in snow guys!), trying to dig his car out of the bank. A very bad sign. On top of that, once he realized he couldn't physically dig out the car, he (and his just as stupid girlfriend) stuck a block (or something) on their gas pedal, then proceeded to walk BEHIND their car while the wheels were spinning like crazy!
At that point, I told Jon to back up several feet up the mountain - I just didn't trust these kids and was afraid their car would suddenly come shooting backwards and into us.
They weren't getting anywhere at all, so we finally offered to try and pull them out. Sadly, we got stuck on a patch of ice ourselves when we did this, unable to get enough traction to pull them out. While our truck was sliding all over the place on the ice, the girl was standing literally about 1 foot from us. Again, further proof of their idiocy.
The snow plow guy offers to try pulling them out next since he's downhill and may have better luck - he takes our tow strap, loops it onto his plow and while he's yanking the car out, the guy (with the so non-snow appropriate footwear) is standing NEXT. TO. THE. TOW. STRAP.
Our tow strap is pretty tough but if it had snapped, that guy could have been seriously injured (if not killed). Dumbass.
Thankfully, the snow plow worked - once the kids were out of the bank, we all sat and waited for them to take off, as they literally slammed on the gas again, tearing down the road and mountain. Apparently late to their party. We made sure to keep a good healthy distance behind them after that. ;-)
Sadly, that little mistake, which should have only cost us 15-20 minutes was a good hour detour to our trip. :( But, we got back on the road, and 12 hours later (literally!), we finally made it to our beautiful cabin. What an adventure! (Thankfully, the kids and dogs were fantastic - I don't think we would have been in as good of a mood had they been screaming the entire time!)
Once we got to our cabin, the rest of the weekend was awesome. While it was extremely late when we arrived, we let the kids run around a bit in the "big house" (as Logan called it). They had been cramped for so long and just needed to burn some excess energy off. It was tough putting the kids to bed, Logan literally got up probably 10 times with various excuses before he FINALLY fell asleep and stayed in bed for good. At one point he insisted he had to poop - and then made the biggest effort possible to push out the TEENIEST TINIEST little stain of a poop. Once he did, he hopped off the toilet, looked down in the bowl, pointing and exclaimed "See Mom! I told you I had to poop!!"
The Hicksons had stayed at their cabin in South Lake the week prior, so they drove up on Saturday morning (in gorgeous sunny weather!) and met us at the cabin. Jenn, Julie and Jamie were already at the slopes - so once the Hicksons arrived, Nathan and I decided to head out and join them (Jon and my boarding gear had been stored at the Hicksons' cabin this whole time so they brought our equipment with them when they came up on Saturday morning). By the time Nathan and I got their, Julie and Jamie had headed home - so it was just Nathan, Jenn and I taking advantage of a day out on the slopes. And it was PHENOMENOL! It had been about 3-4 years since I had last boarding but getting back out there was like riding a bike - you just don't forget. :)
Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Logan had discovered the snow in the morning and didn't want to do anything but hang out in the snow (without a jacket!!) and play. He had found some outside toys (from the boys who normally lived at the house) to play with too. He was in HEAVEN. It was all I could do to tear him inside, take off his wet and frozen shirt, put a new one on and THIS TIME insist he wear a jacket before going back outside.
Sunday was more of the same, with the adults swapping and those that didn't go out to the slopes on Saturday (Jon, Jarrod and Jeff), getting a chance to board while the rest of us hung out at the house with the kids. On Saturday, several of the kids were more grouchy than usual, probably because of the long drive the night before and the restless night. But on Sunday, they were all back to their normal selves. We took them sledding out on the driveway in the front yard, stomped through the snow, broke off icicles for them to eat (or poke with), and then dumped them in the hot tub for awhile before naptime. :)
Originally, I had thought that whichever of us were home with the kids, could take them out to the kid's snow park while the other was on the slopes. That didn't quite work out as planned. Callum was just too young to be in the snow - he didn't like it and couldn't crawl or play in it very well, so he just wanted to be held up high away from the cold stuff. :) And, it was quite hard keeping a handle on Logan while carrying Callum the entire time... thankfully, there was plenty of snow and things to do around the cabin that it wasn't that big of a deal.
Still, I didn't want to leave without checking out Soda Springs (a mom of Logan's school friend had told me about it, that it was made for small kids and that it would be perfect for us) - so on Monday, after we had cleaned up the house, packed up and headed out, we hit up the snow park with the Chouns and Jodoins (the Hicksons had headed back to their cabin in South Lake).
The kids LOVED it. Logan immediately saw a couple of snow mobiles nearby and immediately asked to ride THOSE MOM. I want to get on one of THOSE!
We spent about an hour in the Planet Kids section, where there were little tube carousels for the kids to ride (I think Logan woudl have been fine riding one of those all day long) and a mini-tubing area for them to race down. Logan could have stayed all day, but Callum was getting exhausted, as it was past his morning nap time, and was having trouble trying to fall asleep on Jon or I, but kept getting woken up by the cold blasts of wind that would shoot by. So, we took off soon after that, buckled the kids in and hit the road. Since Callum was fast asleep in no time flat, we took advantage and just kept on driving. We stopped shortly for gas and a drive through for lunch, but otherwise kept on going. We got home in about 3.5 hours - that was more like it!
When we arrived home, Logan called our house the "small house" for awhile and kept asking when we'd be able to go back to the mountains, in the snow, and stay in the "big house". :) I was pleased as punch with how much he enjoyed the snow and wanted to play - especially since last year he wasn't as into it which really disappointed me.
Next year? Snowboarding lessons. ;-)
(For more pics from our trip, please visit the full album.)
Our friend Jenn decided this year she wanted to get all four families together up in Tahoe to celebrate her birthday. We all loved the idea and were looking forward to a long weekend together. :)
I did a little research and found a fantastic 4 bedroom HUGE cabin (still) available for the weekend, so after consulting with everyone, we decided to book it. The cabin was actually up in Truckee (North Lake Tahoe), which is a bit further than we're used to traveling (since we usually spend time with the Hicksons at their cabin in South Lake Tahoe). Still, I have very fond childhood memories of Truckee myself, and there was a kid's snow park that I had really been wanting to take Logan to, which was located up in the same area, so we were game!
Normally, from the Bay Area, you'd take Hwy 80 straight up north to Truckee and the surrounding towns. However, the Thursday night before we left, a huge storm had decided to come in, so as we were leaving our house and checking (continuously) the reports, we found 80 to be closed. We continued on, since there was no turning back anyway (the cabin was booked and paid for!) and we could always take another route if 80 was still closed when we got closer.
Sure enough, once we got to the intersection of Hwy 80 and 50 (where we need to make the call on which route to take to Tahoe), reports were still saying Hwy 80 was closed. This was a bummer since going through South Lake Tahoe would add time to the drive. But, overall, it still wouldn't be a terribly long drive - instead of 3.5 hours, it'd be more like ~5 hours...
We were caravaning with the Jodoins, so we all stopped for lunch near the intersection. Unfortunately, Grover had puked at some point before that stop, so poor Jon spent at least 30 minutes just cleaning up the back of our truck before we actually went inside for lunch.
The drive all the way up to Placerville was pleasant and easy going. But, once we reached Placerville, we were already noticing a bit of traffic. Once we started the climb up the summit, that's when the real crowds hit. There were two different chain check points and super slow going. Luckily, we didn't need to deal with chains, but we still had to navigate around those that DID need chains. The weather was actually quite clear and pretty - so we weren't exactly sure why there was such concern about the chain control - but once we started getting closer to the Summit, and the weather became much more stormy, with white-out conditions, we understood why. To add to the blustery conditions, one of our windshield wipers broke, during one of the quick stops we made so that Jon could knock the ice off the wipers and windshield that had been building up in the middle of the storm. It was quite comical as we trudged along, through snowy streets (we took some neighborhood back streets to a nearby auto parts store we knew about in South Lake Tahoe), with only one wiper working! :)
The Chouns had caught up to us somewhere along the climb through the mountains, so the three families stopped in South Lake Tahoe for dinner - MUCH later than we had hoped for - since there had been so much traffic on Hwy 50. But, the kids (and adults) needed to stretch their legs, get a bite to eat and rest a bit outside of the cars....
When we all climbed back in our cars, Jon and I took everyone up the shorter route to North Shore (around Emerald Bay), totally forgetting that the road is closed during the Winter. D'oh!! When we got to the road closure (it was so funny, since literally a few miles before the roadblock I was muttering to Jon that I had THOUGHT they closed the roads during winter conditions...) we all three turned around to head back down. Sadly, another car (who we let in front of our caravan so we could all talk) took a 10mph hairpin turn downhill at 15-20mph (in the snow and ice!) and immediately slid into the banks near a cliff (had the snow banks not been there, those two kids would have gone straight down the side of the mountain).
To make matters worse, these guys crashed in a spot that blocked the snow plow tractor coming UP the mountain - which meant we couldn't get around the snow plow to go back down the mountain - essentially trapping us all above them on the mountain. UGH!
These guys were pretty stupid. I immediately noticed the guy (driver) slipping and sliding all over the place in his fancy Italian leather loafers (in snow guys!), trying to dig his car out of the bank. A very bad sign. On top of that, once he realized he couldn't physically dig out the car, he (and his just as stupid girlfriend) stuck a block (or something) on their gas pedal, then proceeded to walk BEHIND their car while the wheels were spinning like crazy!
At that point, I told Jon to back up several feet up the mountain - I just didn't trust these kids and was afraid their car would suddenly come shooting backwards and into us.
They weren't getting anywhere at all, so we finally offered to try and pull them out. Sadly, we got stuck on a patch of ice ourselves when we did this, unable to get enough traction to pull them out. While our truck was sliding all over the place on the ice, the girl was standing literally about 1 foot from us. Again, further proof of their idiocy.
The snow plow guy offers to try pulling them out next since he's downhill and may have better luck - he takes our tow strap, loops it onto his plow and while he's yanking the car out, the guy (with the so non-snow appropriate footwear) is standing NEXT. TO. THE. TOW. STRAP.
Our tow strap is pretty tough but if it had snapped, that guy could have been seriously injured (if not killed). Dumbass.
Thankfully, the snow plow worked - once the kids were out of the bank, we all sat and waited for them to take off, as they literally slammed on the gas again, tearing down the road and mountain. Apparently late to their party. We made sure to keep a good healthy distance behind them after that. ;-)
Sadly, that little mistake, which should have only cost us 15-20 minutes was a good hour detour to our trip. :( But, we got back on the road, and 12 hours later (literally!), we finally made it to our beautiful cabin. What an adventure! (Thankfully, the kids and dogs were fantastic - I don't think we would have been in as good of a mood had they been screaming the entire time!)
Once we got to our cabin, the rest of the weekend was awesome. While it was extremely late when we arrived, we let the kids run around a bit in the "big house" (as Logan called it). They had been cramped for so long and just needed to burn some excess energy off. It was tough putting the kids to bed, Logan literally got up probably 10 times with various excuses before he FINALLY fell asleep and stayed in bed for good. At one point he insisted he had to poop - and then made the biggest effort possible to push out the TEENIEST TINIEST little stain of a poop. Once he did, he hopped off the toilet, looked down in the bowl, pointing and exclaimed "See Mom! I told you I had to poop!!"
The Hicksons had stayed at their cabin in South Lake the week prior, so they drove up on Saturday morning (in gorgeous sunny weather!) and met us at the cabin. Jenn, Julie and Jamie were already at the slopes - so once the Hicksons arrived, Nathan and I decided to head out and join them (Jon and my boarding gear had been stored at the Hicksons' cabin this whole time so they brought our equipment with them when they came up on Saturday morning). By the time Nathan and I got their, Julie and Jamie had headed home - so it was just Nathan, Jenn and I taking advantage of a day out on the slopes. And it was PHENOMENOL! It had been about 3-4 years since I had last boarding but getting back out there was like riding a bike - you just don't forget. :)
Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Logan had discovered the snow in the morning and didn't want to do anything but hang out in the snow (without a jacket!!) and play. He had found some outside toys (from the boys who normally lived at the house) to play with too. He was in HEAVEN. It was all I could do to tear him inside, take off his wet and frozen shirt, put a new one on and THIS TIME insist he wear a jacket before going back outside.
Sunday was more of the same, with the adults swapping and those that didn't go out to the slopes on Saturday (Jon, Jarrod and Jeff), getting a chance to board while the rest of us hung out at the house with the kids. On Saturday, several of the kids were more grouchy than usual, probably because of the long drive the night before and the restless night. But on Sunday, they were all back to their normal selves. We took them sledding out on the driveway in the front yard, stomped through the snow, broke off icicles for them to eat (or poke with), and then dumped them in the hot tub for awhile before naptime. :)
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| Jenn - the birthday girl! |
Originally, I had thought that whichever of us were home with the kids, could take them out to the kid's snow park while the other was on the slopes. That didn't quite work out as planned. Callum was just too young to be in the snow - he didn't like it and couldn't crawl or play in it very well, so he just wanted to be held up high away from the cold stuff. :) And, it was quite hard keeping a handle on Logan while carrying Callum the entire time... thankfully, there was plenty of snow and things to do around the cabin that it wasn't that big of a deal.
Still, I didn't want to leave without checking out Soda Springs (a mom of Logan's school friend had told me about it, that it was made for small kids and that it would be perfect for us) - so on Monday, after we had cleaned up the house, packed up and headed out, we hit up the snow park with the Chouns and Jodoins (the Hicksons had headed back to their cabin in South Lake).
The kids LOVED it. Logan immediately saw a couple of snow mobiles nearby and immediately asked to ride THOSE MOM. I want to get on one of THOSE!
We spent about an hour in the Planet Kids section, where there were little tube carousels for the kids to ride (I think Logan woudl have been fine riding one of those all day long) and a mini-tubing area for them to race down. Logan could have stayed all day, but Callum was getting exhausted, as it was past his morning nap time, and was having trouble trying to fall asleep on Jon or I, but kept getting woken up by the cold blasts of wind that would shoot by. So, we took off soon after that, buckled the kids in and hit the road. Since Callum was fast asleep in no time flat, we took advantage and just kept on driving. We stopped shortly for gas and a drive through for lunch, but otherwise kept on going. We got home in about 3.5 hours - that was more like it!
When we arrived home, Logan called our house the "small house" for awhile and kept asking when we'd be able to go back to the mountains, in the snow, and stay in the "big house". :) I was pleased as punch with how much he enjoyed the snow and wanted to play - especially since last year he wasn't as into it which really disappointed me.
Next year? Snowboarding lessons. ;-)
(For more pics from our trip, please visit the full album.)
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