Sunday, July 12, 2009

Road Trip!

Well, I did it. I took the twins on their first ever road trip, by myself... kind of. I know, I know, they're almost two and they've never been on a long road trip... however... again, twins... 'nough said. Friday was one of my DWOP (days without pay) days and I decided it was time to venture out of Columbus. After we had breakfast with Amy and Al, all four kids and I met Grandma Dee and Aunt Krissy in Mansfield for lunch and blueberry picking.

Starting out on our first road trip... yes, we had portable DVD players hooked up. The first time ever for the twins (having a DVD player in the van), they liked it... liked it a lot! And more importantly, mommy didn't have crying or whining the entire trip. Woo hoo!
Already zoning into the DVD...

We went to the Mansfield carousel downtown. Oliver loved it and kept looking all around.

Collin was okay at first and then wanted the heck off... quite tricky since it wasn't even half done at that point and I was not allowed to move while on this... so I found out the hard way by the ride operator.

Ethan was iffy, as before, but rode with Lauren and did fine (but wouldn't look at me or smile).
We then went onto lunch, which also went pretty well. When I gave the twins a cookie, Collin shoved it into his mouth (as if afraid someone would take it). Yes, I said it ... cookie... and no not a veggie cookie. The twins had oatmeal raisin and Ethan and Lauren had M&M.


The cookie shoving... uh... shoveling...
Oliver was more interested in hamming it up than cookies... he was posing and laughing for the cameras.
Oh goodness... look at this boy...
While we were watching Collin shoving the cookie into his mouth and Oliver's hilarious posing, I looked down and saw Ethan's cookie looked bigger... he took advantage of our diverted attention and helped himself to another. Turkey!
The twins on the loose at the restaurant (again, why I never go anywhere by myself!)...
In the center of town there is a small old play area which we took the boys to in order to burn off some energy. It went something like this: "I have Oliver, Aunt Krissy you get Collin and Grandma Dee you have Ethan... Lauren you are back up for all of us." Oh yes, that is how outings with them go (especially when surrounded by cars and roads).


Ethan doing a super hero pose...



Then onto the blueberry picking. I should have taken a photo of the blueberry patch, but didn't think to... it was up on hill... a high kind of steep and very uneven and bumpy hill. It was very hard to get a stroller of almost two year olds up it! Needless to say, we didn't let the twins out because chasing them on flat ground is hard enough... but chasing them on a steep BUMPY hill is a recipe for disaster both for the young and old of the family.


The token touristy thing... the blueberry basket photo...

Looking very "let's do this, it's hot" like...
Ethan blowing a giant puffy thing (I'm old, what is it called??).
Grandma Dee keeping the boys occupied... the twins looking like "seriously, this is it... it's hot, what's taking so long, let us out!"
Ethan very seriously picking berries. He was one of the best berry pickers we had... never one with green, never a mushy one, never a leaf... he picked perfect blueberries! Despite his face, he loved picking berries and didn't want to leave.
While picking with Aunt Krissy, Ethan made up a little tune that went: "Nanny nanny boo boo. We're picking blueberries!"
The twins right before we left... Collin looking deliriously happy, from the heat I assume, and Oliver just looked like "I'm over this already." Look at his hair!
Let me tell you, blueberry picking takes FOREVER... and it was so HOT. Fun, but geez... Thank you, thank you Grandma Dee for occupying the twins while we picked blueberries!

In the car ready for the ride back, all getting hydrated and zoning back into the DVD player.
All in all it went really well considering they only took a very short nap and we got home at dinnertime. They slept from downtown Mansfield to the blueberry patch and then were awake the rest of the time (so about a half hour nap). The portable DVD players were a trip saver.

With that under our belts, we are all ready to venture north again for apple and peach picking in a month or so!

Oh yea, I so made my "special" popsicles with some the blueberries already!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

You go girl! That was quite an adventure and glad they loved the cookies. Are you sure they weren't zucchini cookies with m&m's on top?

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