We're finishing our second week of taking a break from school work. In spite of that I am still trying to maintain somewhat of a routine to help Samuel have a sense of normalcy. My children have had the luxury of sleeping in LATE, and I have had the luxury of a little more quiet time in the morning before they are up and running (more like they are up and I am running!)
The schedule has been something along the lines of : WAKE UP- BRUSH (Wilbarger Protocol Brushing) - TOILET- WASH HANDS-CHOOSE CLOTHES-GET DRESSED-DIRTY CLOTHES TO THE HAMPER-COMB HAIR-MAKE BED-CLEAN UP TOYS-BREAKFAST-BRUSH TEETH-RACING(My oldest son leads all four children in some relay races outside, with the assistance of one of Samuel's helpers on the days they are scheduled to work here in the morning-ACTIVITY AT THE TABLE (During the school break this has been checking his calendar, writing in his journal, and filling in his "All About Me" book) - YOUR CHOICE. This schedule varies a little bit on the days I have Samuel's helpers here.
I had visions of having all kinds of free time for myself during our break from school, but that hasn't happened yet! I'm still working on Christmas cards, which I still do the old-fashioned way, for the most part. I write out addresses on the envelopes, sign our cards, type out a letter, print a few family photos on it, and then get everything together. I cannot bring myself to abbreviate the process to one of those photo greeting cards, but it sure is tempting when it often takes me until mid-January to get my cards out! I consider Christmas to be until January 6, the feast of the Epiphany, so as far as I'm concerned my cards aren't late yet! Still, I'd rather have them arrive at the beginning of Christmas rather than at the end, or later.
Our vacation from school finishes up at the end of this weekend. Then we hit the books! Samuel's 10th birthday will be here not long after that!
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Friday, January 2, 2009
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Travel Challenges
I would not be painting the entire picture of our recent trip to Maine if I did not share some of the challenges we had with Samuel and our other children. Travelling with children, any children, takes some planning, preparation, and spontaneous creativity. That's all part of our travels and it's nice to know we have the ability to take our children on certain trips without too much difficulty. That doesn't mean, however, that I am willing to travel any time the opportunity comes up. I have yet to take my three younger children to go see my oldest son race his go-karts. I know that my husband will be busy with my oldest son and I cannot take care of the other three children on my own in a racing environment right now. Even though there might be other people who could help, I know that the conditions would be too difficult for Samuel to manage right now. I don't think my 2 year old daughter would be very tolerant either. I'm pretty confident that within a few years, however, we'll all be able to go together.
As far as our recent trip, we had a few challenges while riding in the car. Periodically Samuel would get bored and want to stop or have a snack (which would then turn into repeated requests for snacks). If he did not get his way immediately he would sometimes scream, unbuckle his seatbelt, or try to kick and hit his siblings. I attempted to deal with this by scheduling snacks. I would pick a time and tell the boys that there would be no snack until that time and I would remind them that it would be only ONE snack at that designated time. This helped Samuel to accept the restrictions a little better. To reduce boredom, I asked Samuel to pick a few things that HE WANTED to bring, and I asked my oldest son to pick a few things he had seen as recent favorites. Oldest son kept the bag of toys (which included toys for the other 2 younger children as well) in the middle row of seats and he would hand them out when necessary.
While in other people's homes it could be challenging to keep Samuel out of trouble. In our close friend's house, he kept trying to get into flour and oatmeal canisters in their kitchen. We also had to hide sweets because he would "raid" them if left unchecked.
At another house we visited, Samuel couldn't keep his hands off their television and DVD player. We thought he might have broken the DVD player, but it ended up being okay. These friends were so nice and understanding, but my husband and I really should have taken more effort to set some limits with Samuel and follow through. We got too caught up in interesting conversation while Samuel was in a basement playroom. Their children were playing with our other three children while Samuel was by himself with the television.
While at home in town, I try to have one of Samuel's "personal attendants" accompany us when we visit others. That is so helpful! My husband and I can socialize and Samuel is encouraged to play with other children and can be kept away from the computer, VCR etc.. Samuel got a portable DVD player for his birthday. We will be teaching him how to use it and will try to take it along when we go somewhere so that he won't be so tempted to get into other's property.
As far as our recent trip, we had a few challenges while riding in the car. Periodically Samuel would get bored and want to stop or have a snack (which would then turn into repeated requests for snacks). If he did not get his way immediately he would sometimes scream, unbuckle his seatbelt, or try to kick and hit his siblings. I attempted to deal with this by scheduling snacks. I would pick a time and tell the boys that there would be no snack until that time and I would remind them that it would be only ONE snack at that designated time. This helped Samuel to accept the restrictions a little better. To reduce boredom, I asked Samuel to pick a few things that HE WANTED to bring, and I asked my oldest son to pick a few things he had seen as recent favorites. Oldest son kept the bag of toys (which included toys for the other 2 younger children as well) in the middle row of seats and he would hand them out when necessary.
While in other people's homes it could be challenging to keep Samuel out of trouble. In our close friend's house, he kept trying to get into flour and oatmeal canisters in their kitchen. We also had to hide sweets because he would "raid" them if left unchecked.
At another house we visited, Samuel couldn't keep his hands off their television and DVD player. We thought he might have broken the DVD player, but it ended up being okay. These friends were so nice and understanding, but my husband and I really should have taken more effort to set some limits with Samuel and follow through. We got too caught up in interesting conversation while Samuel was in a basement playroom. Their children were playing with our other three children while Samuel was by himself with the television.
While at home in town, I try to have one of Samuel's "personal attendants" accompany us when we visit others. That is so helpful! My husband and I can socialize and Samuel is encouraged to play with other children and can be kept away from the computer, VCR etc.. Samuel got a portable DVD player for his birthday. We will be teaching him how to use it and will try to take it along when we go somewhere so that he won't be so tempted to get into other's property.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Maine Vacation - Midcoast Region
The third day after leaving home we arrived at the cottage we would be renting for a week. It is in New Harbor, Maine, and we rented it from L. Dewey Chase Real Estate. We stayed in a cottage called "4 Stars." You can look it up at this website: rentals.ldchase.com/rental.list.php We used this same real estate company four years ago to rent a different house and were happy with them. The house we rented then would be too small for us now. This time we were a closer distance to Pemaquid 
Beach, a place we have come to enjoy over the years. 
We could walk to this beach by crossing a path in an empty lot across the street from us. We had to walk over some big rocks to get there. I had a hard time with that since I had to carry the baby. I was amazed how easily Samuel was able to walk over them!
We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to take a family ride on
the water. Our good friends who live in the area have a son who works at a marina near Falmouth, Maine. We were able to take a catamaran ride thanks to him and his friend who owns it. I was a little apprehensive about all of us being on the water, but felt better once I saw the kids would have life jackets to wear. I thought Samuel might enjoy wearing it, thinking it might be like a weighted vest, but he wanted nothing to do with it. We kept a harness on him instead. My oldest son got to stear the catamaran, which he greatly enjoyed!
Other information about 
the area we visited.. locals and tourists enjoy a local treat, The Lobster Roll (pronounced "lobstah"!!!). It can vary a little, but it is basically a hot dog roll with lobster meat (I've had it where the meat is mixed up with mayo, like tuna salad). The going rate for one on this trip was about $17! We did not partake this time. One of the towns we passed through in Maine as we headed north, Wiscasset, had people lining up for them!
Beach, a place we have come to enjoy over the years. 
We could walk to this beach by crossing a path in an empty lot across the street from us. We had to walk over some big rocks to get there. I had a hard time with that since I had to carry the baby. I was amazed how easily Samuel was able to walk over them!Samuel absolutely loved the beach. I think he was in sensory heaven! He liked playing in the sand and walking in the COLD water. It was a bit too cold to wade, but there were a few hardy souls that were doing so, and swimming! We spent lots of time at Pemaquid Beach. Each time we went Samuel explored a 
little more. One time he and I walked to the opposite end of the beach and explored some rocks. He liked wading and sitting in the sun-warmed pools left behind at low tide. By the end of our week there, Samuel was picking up the seaweed and checking it out!
little more. One time he and I walked to the opposite end of the beach and explored some rocks. He liked wading and sitting in the sun-warmed pools left behind at low tide. By the end of our week there, Samuel was picking up the seaweed and checking it out!Here are some more highlights of our week. One cloudy day we went over to Boothbay Harbor, about a 30 minute drive 
from where we stayed. It is a charming town that has a lot of quaint boutiques and antique shops. This time we only had lunch there, no browsing in shops like we did on our honeymoon! On our way home we stopped at a miniature golf course and my husband took all three boys. Baby girl and I wandered around the rest of the property and browsed through a sea shell museum. The owner of the golf course runs the course during the summer and then lives in Florida for the winter.
from where we stayed. It is a charming town that has a lot of quaint boutiques and antique shops. This time we only had lunch there, no browsing in shops like we did on our honeymoon! On our way home we stopped at a miniature golf course and my husband took all three boys. Baby girl and I wandered around the rest of the property and browsed through a sea shell museum. The owner of the golf course runs the course during the summer and then lives in Florida for the winter.We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to take a family ride on
the water. Our good friends who live in the area have a son who works at a marina near Falmouth, Maine. We were able to take a catamaran ride thanks to him and his friend who owns it. I was a little apprehensive about all of us being on the water, but felt better once I saw the kids would have life jackets to wear. I thought Samuel might enjoy wearing it, thinking it might be like a weighted vest, but he wanted nothing to do with it. We kept a harness on him instead. My oldest son got to stear the catamaran, which he greatly enjoyed!On our last day of vacation we went to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, down at one of the southernmost points of the peninsula we stayed on. We honeymooned at an Inn that was within walking distance of this. On another visit (the one where Samuel kept wakin
g up at daybreak - 4am!!!!) we had dinner in the house right next to the lighthouse. Some people we knew at the time were renting an apartment on the second floor. They had been living there for 15 years (would you ever give up an apartment like that?)! There are some amazing rock formations and cliffs in the surrounding area. My husband and oldest son walked on them while the rest of us explored the park area.
g up at daybreak - 4am!!!!) we had dinner in the house right next to the lighthouse. Some people we knew at the time were renting an apartment on the second floor. They had been living there for 15 years (would you ever give up an apartment like that?)! There are some amazing rock formations and cliffs in the surrounding area. My husband and oldest son walked on them while the rest of us explored the park area. The godparents of our two youngest children live in this area. We saw them every day that we were there. We used to see more of their sons, but they are all grown up now and have moved away. Our last evening they had a pot-luck dinner for us at their house and invited other people we have met over the years. It was great fun, though (as often happens) I did get a little overwhelmed as the evening went on with whiny demanding kids, mosquitoes, and a husband caught up in conversation with other adults!
Other information about 
the area we visited.. locals and tourists enjoy a local treat, The Lobster Roll (pronounced "lobstah"!!!). It can vary a little, but it is basically a hot dog roll with lobster meat (I've had it where the meat is mixed up with mayo, like tuna salad). The going rate for one on this trip was about $17! We did not partake this time. One of the towns we passed through in Maine as we headed north, Wiscasset, had people lining up for them! One of the northernmost 
towns on the peninsula we stay on is called Damariscotta. It is quite picturesque. During our stay we experienced its main street, including the sidwalk, being repaved. It made traffic through the town heavy, but fortunately there were ways to get around it. The paving was completed our last day 
there, just in time for the area's tourist season, which always gets under way the week of the 4th of July.
towns on the peninsula we stay on is called Damariscotta. It is quite picturesque. During our stay we experienced its main street, including the sidwalk, being repaved. It made traffic through the town heavy, but fortunately there were ways to get around it. The paving was completed our last day 
there, just in time for the area's tourist season, which always gets under way the week of the 4th of July. We were very sad to leave our cottage as well as our friends and the area. We hope to be able to return next year. My trips to Maine have always been enjoyable no matter what stage of baby and toddler I have to deal with, but I sure do look forward to the day when I can experience these things with children that are a bit more independent!
All photos are from Flickr.com. Pemaquid Beach pictures taken by MaineMama. First picture is of the NW (I think!) end of the beach and second photo is of the SE end of the beach, if I have my directions correct. We walked on a path through the area with the trees in the second photo to get to the beach. Picture of the seaweed was taken by Thallium. Boothbay Harbor picture taken by Harry390. Picture on the water taken by denjes3, near Falmouth, Maine. We sailed on the catamaran near here. Pemaquid Point Lighthouse picture taken by eva8. Red's Eats picture taken by Madame Pocklock. Lobster Roll picture taken by wendalicious (this is a lobster roll from Red's Eats). Damariscotta scene picture taken by GTOfan. Downtown Damariscotta picture taken by Wildhorses.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Maine Vacation, The First Few Days
We left for our vacation early on a Thursday evening. We drove for about 5 hours up Interstate 81 through Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and then we stayed overnight in Port Jervis, just over the border into New York. We didn't stop until we got there! We were able to do this thanks to bringing along sandwiches to eat for dinner, a box full of little toys to keep the kids entertained, and the availability of oldies music on the radio, which my kids love. I think the time of day we were travelling helped as well; I suspect this long of a drive would not have worked had we tried it first thing in the morning.
The only source of frustration for Samuel on this leg of the trip was that he had great difficulty in trying to see the sun set. We were driving through mountains so by the time he thought of looking at it, it was below the horizon of the mountain tops. When we left the mountainous area we had tall trees to contend with. The setting sun was a gorgeous orange ball that evening, but you could only see it when a quick opening came up between the trees. Samuel started crying and said "I want to leave tree land!"
We stayed that evening at a Comfort Inn right along the interstate. Samuel was quite happy, he loves staying at these
kinds of places. He talked about it the rest of our trip. I asked him today what his favorite part of our vacation was and he answered "Staying at the Comfront (how he pronounces it!) Inn."
The next morning our family of six invaded the breakfast room at the motel and then got on the road for a roughly six hour drive to Freeport, Maine. We traditionally stop at the roadside liquor store in the narrow stretch of New Hampshire that we drive through (New Hampshire either has a low sales tax, or maybe even no sales tax, on liquor). While we were here Samuel said hello to several people that we saw. He did this quite frequently on our trip and would then ask "Where are you from?"
On this occasion the woman he spoke to told him she was from Cambodia! People are surprised to get a "Hi" from him, but everyone he talked t
o was very friendly.
We ate a late lunch/early dinner at The Jameson Tavern, a place we have frequent
ed just about every trip to Freeport. Samuel got a case of "the sillies" while we were here. This was to be another frequent occurance on our vacation. He started laughing and giggling very loudly. I'm sure this was just a reaction to being cooped up in the car all day. Each time he did this I took him outside for a few minutes (or somehow removed him from what was going on at the time). This time I took him out to the parking lot and had him jump around. I also gave him some "big squeeze" hugs and I had him hold my hands and spun him around a little. We got a few funny looks from passers by, but I'm sure I'd take a look if I saw something like that too.
We stayed that evening at The Harraseeket Inn, a family tradition. My husband and I stayed there on our honeymoon and we have stayed there three other times now. It's quite an ad
venture each time we go with more children, but it is a very family-friendly place. Samuel remembers his stays here and always look
s forward to going back.
While at The Harraseeket we went on a walk along Freeport's main street that has lots of outlet stores. We always stop at the L.L. Bean outlet store. We browsed there a bit and my husband returned solo the next morning to do some clothes shopping. We went in the pool at
the Inn several times. Samuel has been afraid of the water on past trips but this time he loved it. It was our baby girl's first experience in the water and she loved it as well.
I neglected to take any pictures while I was on my trip but still want to share some of the images from our trip. I am able to do so thanks to Flickr.com and the following photographers: First two photos: Port Jervis, NY , from Click Click Photography;New Hampshire Liquor Store photos: Red Building from The Cod 72, Road Sign from autumnsan ;Jameson Tavern from kara.brown ;L.L. Bean outlet store from kmf164;Harraseeket Inn photos from marcomazzei and j_dian
The only source of frustration for Samuel on this leg of the trip was that he had great difficulty in trying to see the sun set. We were driving through mountains so by the time he thought of looking at it, it was below the horizon of the mountain tops. When we left the mountainous area we had tall trees to contend with. The setting sun was a gorgeous orange ball that evening, but you could only see it when a quick opening came up between the trees. Samuel started crying and said "I want to leave tree land!"
We stayed that evening at a Comfort Inn right along the interstate. Samuel was quite happy, he loves staying at these
kinds of places. He talked about it the rest of our trip. I asked him today what his favorite part of our vacation was and he answered "Staying at the Comfront (how he pronounces it!) Inn."The next morning our family of six invaded the breakfast room at the motel and then got on the road for a roughly six hour drive to Freeport, Maine. We traditionally stop at the roadside liquor store in the narrow stretch of New Hampshire that we drive through (New Hampshire either has a low sales tax, or maybe even no sales tax, on liquor). While we were here Samuel said hello to several people that we saw. He did this quite frequently on our trip and would then ask "Where are you from?"
On this occasion the woman he spoke to told him she was from Cambodia! People are surprised to get a "Hi" from him, but everyone he talked t
o was very friendly.We ate a late lunch/early dinner at The Jameson Tavern, a place we have frequent
ed just about every trip to Freeport. Samuel got a case of "the sillies" while we were here. This was to be another frequent occurance on our vacation. He started laughing and giggling very loudly. I'm sure this was just a reaction to being cooped up in the car all day. Each time he did this I took him outside for a few minutes (or somehow removed him from what was going on at the time). This time I took him out to the parking lot and had him jump around. I also gave him some "big squeeze" hugs and I had him hold my hands and spun him around a little. We got a few funny looks from passers by, but I'm sure I'd take a look if I saw something like that too.We stayed that evening at The Harraseeket Inn, a family tradition. My husband and I stayed there on our honeymoon and we have stayed there three other times now. It's quite an ad
venture each time we go with more children, but it is a very family-friendly place. Samuel remembers his stays here and always look
s forward to going back.While at The Harraseeket we went on a walk along Freeport's main street that has lots of outlet stores. We always stop at the L.L. Bean outlet store. We browsed there a bit and my husband returned solo the next morning to do some clothes shopping. We went in the pool at
the Inn several times. Samuel has been afraid of the water on past trips but this time he loved it. It was our baby girl's first experience in the water and she loved it as well.I neglected to take any pictures while I was on my trip but still want to share some of the images from our trip. I am able to do so thanks to Flickr.com and the following photographers: First two photos: Port Jervis, NY , from Click Click Photography;New Hampshire Liquor Store photos: Red Building from The Cod 72, Road Sign from autumnsan ;Jameson Tavern from kara.brown ;L.L. Bean outlet store from kmf164;Harraseeket Inn photos from marcomazzei and j_dian
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