January 3, 2012

• 1,533 Miles Later…

  

  That wide-eyed smiley face deserved it’s very own paragraph, it did.  Because that’s a lot of miles with the passel o’ chillun’s we had on board.  

  Memories of Christmas of 2011:

  *Going to a Live Nativity the weekend before Christmas, in Lewes, DE.

  

  We stood in line outside for a loooonnngg time.  It was cold.  But afterwards we got to have hot chocolate and cookies.  My boys are related to their mama, because they were asking excitedly about the hot chocolate before we even got there.    Me and mine offspring just loooooves us some celebratory finger foods.  

  *The measuring cups/spoons, whisk, baster, set of serving spoons, and tongs that all three boys received in their stockings this year.  Now they have their very own kitchen/sandbox/bathroom sink/garden dirt utensils, and Mommy has her very own kitchen utensils that can stay. where. they. belong.  Amen.

  

  

  *How Israel burst into tears when Gabe got a video camera and he got a electronic letter writer thingie (that was actually really cool and was later busily in use).  Sigh.  We were trying to give them each something electronic to avoid mega jealousy over the letter thingie…that worked well.  

  *How all three boys joyfully rolled and played and tumbled and tusselled around their Grandma’s house, playing tricycles up in the bonus room.

  

   

  

  Zion zonked out on our Christmas day there.  Hard work, opening all those presents!!!  

  *How Layla did NOT sleep very well at all, unlike a month ago in the same crib where she slept awesomely.  She is working on her top two teeth and she had a cold.

  *Spending time with my extended family at my Grandma Lou’s house, where we always have great food and a great time.

  

  

  

   

  *How I had 2 1/2 hours of sleep between Zion and Layla before we left for IN on Christmas Day at 4:30 AM.  

  

  Zion enjoying his blankie and a goodie from the Grandma Bag his Grandma tucked into his seat with him early in the morning.  

  The trip actually went really well, and we got to IN around 2:30 PM.

  

  

   

  Two of Layla’s favorite toys in IN – the kitchen timer and a coaster set.

  *How the boys all enjoyed fondue (marinated steak and chicken, a swiss cheese fondue for bread pieces, chocolate fondue for fruit and marshmallows) at Grandpa Norm’s house.  

  

  

  Zion particularly enjoyed the marshmallow/chocolate combo.  

  We also enjoyed Great-Grandma Polly’s company, and I enjoyed getting to know her a little better. 

  

  *Seeing how much Tyler and Aubrey had grown in a year’s time.  

  *Missing Nana Carol, who was in Thailand with Lynette and Rusty, for…

  *The birth of Henry Miles Polinder in Bangkok, Thailand.  8 lbs 10 oz, 20 1/2 inches long.  Born in approximately 40 minutes after the doctor broke Lynette’s water.

  

  Soooooooooo glad my newest nephew is here safe and sound.  We missed you too, Lynette and Rusty!!!!

  *Watching everybody play outside in the snow while Layla and I were snug and warm inside.  

  

  They also hooked sleds up to the Gator to slide around and had a marvelous time.  

  

  Again, during this part I was also snug and warm and content inside.  I’m getting very boring in my old age.  

  *Time with Carol’s extended family.  

  

  

  

  Layla doing her Layla-Lean.

  *Hearing Tyler, Gabe, and Israel giggle and talk long into the night.  

  *Skyping with far away family.

  

  *How Layla did NOT sleep very well at all in IN, either.  The night before we were to leave for DE at 4 AM, she stayed up until around 12 AM, then was up from 2 AM-4 AM screeching her head off in exhausted discomfort.  I think her stomach hurt her, but I don’t know why.  Or maybe it was her teeth.  I don’t know, but she screamed and screamed.  I felt really bad for her, but when I finally tried to give her Tylenol, she did what she does and puked all over everything.  I can’t give the child Tylenol since they changed the formulation and you have to give them so much more.  She’s a gaggy girl.  Gabe was always that way too.  So then we had to do an entire outfit change and bath at 3 AM, and change the sheets on the guest bed where I was holding her.  Needless to say, we scrapped the 4 AM plans.  Layla was up again from about 5-5:30 AM.   (This particular smiley face seems to have shown up a lot in this post.) We left around 12:30 PM instead.  

  *Our trip home was truthfully somewhat more painful than the trip there.  But we made it.  We got home to DE around 1:30 AM.  The nice thing was that all the kids were asleep and they stayed asleep when we laid them in their little beddie-byes.  

  *I thought of my nephew, Oliver, a lot, who was 5 1/2 hours south of us in Bloomington.  I am sure he had a splendid Christmas too, and one of these times his Aunt Carrie can give him a biiiiiiggg hug again.  

  *I also thought of my niece Olive a lot, as her brother Henry was born.  We miss her too, and love her very much.  And will always.

  Thanks soooooooooooooooo much to all of our family, for their generosity and for the great times we had at our homes!!  We love you all!!!

  • 11:25 pm
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