Oops

I forgot to post a few videos from the second part of our lake vacation. Enjoy.

New Sleeping Arrangements

On Sunday, I put the kiddos down for their mid-day nap. They started talking to each other and laughing. After a few minutes, they settled down. Ahhh.

I got a large glass of iced tea, opened my computer, and put up my feet. Nice.

Then, I started hearing some noise. I heard knocking, tapping, and banging. But no talking. I listened. THUMP!

"Mooommmyyy!!"

I opened the door to see Gavin standing in the middle of the room, out of his crib, holding his Bunny. What. The. Hell. Interestingly, Vivi was still asleep in her crib.

I laid down on the "reading mattress" with Gavin until he fell asleep.

~~~~~

That night, I took apart Gavin's crib and brought in the second twin mattress (we bought it a few weeks ago because we figured that this day was coming). We made a big deal about it and told the twins that they were going to sleep in their big kid beds that night. Well, we didn't get to test out them going-to-sleep-on-their-own-in-their-big-kids-bed that night because we spent our bedtime routine in the ER.

But the next day (Monday) was a go. At nap time, I told G & V that they were going to sleep int heir big kid beds and they were super-pumped. I tucked each one into their respective beds and closed the door. 

They were up immediately--running around, yelling, laughing, talking, and jumping. But they weren't crying. So I let them stay in there.

Then I heard Vivi scream, "MOMMMYYY! ELLLLMMOO!"

I went inside to see ALL of their stuff (pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, sheets, etc.) thrown into Vivi's crib (which was still inside the room). And who do you think did this? Of course it was Mr. Gavin. I took it all out and told them that they could not do that again. I tucked them into their beds again while telling them about how they could fall asleep on their own. Then I left, and they fell asleep. Phew!

And when I checked on them 10 minutes later, Viv had made her way over to Gavin's bed and was snuggling on top of him. Precious.

~~~~~

The last two nights have been difficult for them. Wes and I have had to "sleep" with them for about 10 minutes until they nod off. And then someone has woken up scared in the middle of the night. But, it hasn't been so bad because now, we can just lay down on their twin mattresses (which are directly on the floor) with them instead of taking them out of their cribs and into our bed. We'll see how the next few weeks play out.

Lake Vacation ~ Part Two

Tuesday (continued)

Once the kiddos woke up from their mid-day nap on Tuesday, we took them out on the boat again for a few more hours (we rented the boat for the entire day). We spent most of our time driving around, looking at real estate, and dreaming about owning our own lake house one day...

Wednesday

The next morning (yes, the kids are wearing the same shirts), Gavin was caught sneaking peas from the fridge (I know, all the things that he could steal from the fridge and he chooses peas).

Then, we went outside for an early morning swim. Well, Gavin swam and we all watched.

After a nap, we made the 45 minute trek out to Walmart for some shopping. You see, there was NOTHING around us. Our lake house was really isolated. There was one little corner store about 5 minutes away and there was a Food Lion about 30 minutes away. And, there were NO fast food establishments anywhere (except all the way out by the Walmart). Not that we needed these things, but it was definitely a little weird.

When we returned, it was time for an afternoon swim. This time, we all participated.

Viv had to wear her necklaces and bracelets, and Gavin had to drag his alligator down to the water.

They were both caught off guard (and extremely excited) when they saw a duck in the yard.

Thursday

We started off our day by going back to the playground at the national park.

Then, we went on a little hike through the woods to get down to the water.

They absolutely LOVED running through the trees, picking up rocks, and jumping in the grass.

Then, we made it to the water. Viv wasn't interested, but Gavin was totally psyched. He jumped right in!

And then the socks and shoes came off.

Meanwhile, Vivian was fascinated by the trees. In particular, she was interested in the hardened sap that was dripping from them. She picked up a stick and started scrapping the hardened sap. She was really into this activity.

When we made it home, it was time for a nap. Then, we went swimming in our backyard while we waited for Auntie Bird and Joe to arrive.

I just can't get over those views!

Stay tuned for part three of our vacation...

Stitches (Again)

Well, last night was interesting. It started off with a roughhousing session before bed. Then, Gavin tripped and fell into the corner of the coffee table. We told him to "jump up," but then he turned around and we were horrified. He had blood gushing out of his face all over his shirt and hands. And he was screaming. SCREAMING!

We quickly decided that a trip to the ER was necessary. He calmed down on the ride over and while we were checking in. But, the actual procedure (which took FOR-EV-ER) was not a quiet or calm experience.   A lot of numbing cream, several shots (in his face to really numb the area), and FOUR stitches later, it was 9:30pm and we were ready to go. 

Another day, another injury in the Rosier house.

Four stitches and a black eye. What are we gonna do with this kid?

Lake Vacation ~ Part One

Last Saturday, we packed up the car and drove 2.5 hours southeast to Smith Mountain Lake.

It. Was. Incredible.

We are definitely going again next summer. We rented a 3 bedroom house with 240 feet of gorgeous shoreline, a dock, and a cute little beach right in our back yard (see pics below).

Wes' mom, dad, and brother met us there on Saturday and stayed until Tuesday around 1pm. Then, Wes, the kids, and I were on our own until Thursday afternoon, when my sister and her boyfriend came over until we all left the lake on Saturday morning. Let's start with the first Saturday.

Saturday

As you can see, the kids were super excited when we first got there.

It didn't take long before we had to go outside and test out the water.

Surprisingly, Vivi ended up walking right in. Not surprisingly, Gavin was right at home in the water. We waded in the water and "swam" for a good 40 minutes before heading back inside for dinner and bedtime.

Sunday

When G & V woke up really early the next morning, Wes and I decided to take them to the playground at Smith Mountain Lake National Park (which was only about a mile from our house). Vivian ruled this playground. She was ridiculously excited about everything there, but mostly the slides. She kept climbing the steps and going down the twisty slide over and over again. On the other hand, Gavin was a bit obsessed with this alligator thingy. We played for a while before walking over to the beach and checking out the scenery.

When we went back to the house, everyone went outside and swam for a few hours. Then, we went out to to dinner. The kiddos were okay. Some days they're great when we take them out to eat, and other times, they're less-than-great. Okay, sometimes they're outright terrible. Thank goodness this wasn't one of those times.

(Okay, maybe it was on the verge. I'm not sure why Viv felt the urge to stick her potatoes on her fingers.)

Near the end of dinner, we took the kids outside to shake out some of their sillies. Wes found a gated area; perfect!

Monday

Monday morning, we ate eggs, sausage, and toast. Then, Viv did the dishes.

Then, Wes and I took G & V outside to play at the beach. This is where my fav photo sequence of the entire week took place.

When we finally made it down to the water, it was time to collect "lakeshells," throw rocks into the water, and actually play in the water a little bit.

Of course when we told Gavin that he could get in the water a little bit, he walked right in. And, he kept walking in until the water was waist-high.

After a nap, the kids ate PB & J for lunch. Well, Viv decided that she was going to take her sandwich pieces apart and scoop out the good stuff. Where does she these ideas from? 

We went to Bridgewater Plaza after lunch and got to see all kinds of fun stuff; including a ton of carp (i.e. gross fish) swimming very close to the surface. The twins were intrigued.

We went out to eat again that night, but unfortunately, the twins were not on their best or even close-to-best behavior. Oh well.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning started off with the four of us going to the little general store down the street. Then, Wes, Gavin, Grandma, and Pop-pop drove over to the marina to pick up our boat for the day. Viv and I stayed behind to run some errands. We went to the post office, cleaned up a bit, ate some popsicles, and got in our suits for the boat ride.

Then, the boat arrived in our back yard!

The kiddos had a LOT of fun on the boat, especially when they got to "drive" with Daddy and watch someone ride the waves in the raft being pulled behind the boat.

First, Uncle Philip gave the raft a try:

Then, it was time for Daddy to try it out:

I was the last one to give it a whirl:

We took the boat back to our house, took the kiddos inside for a nap, and said goodbye to Grandma, Pop-pop, and Uncle Philip.

2011 Lake Vacation Part TWO
2011 Lake Vacation Part THREE