Tiring out the kiddos.

Both girls have had trouble sleeping through the night lately, often waking up anytime between 11:30pm and 4am and, of course, coming into our room for comfort/distraction/change of scene. Dan and I opted to try a new tactic: tire out the kids so they are sooo exhausted we don't see them until 8am the next morning.


So we started on Saturday with a hike on the Indian Ladder Trail, which is gorgeous. After much initial resistance from Miss Michaela, who insisted she would be practically eaten to death by bugs on the trail, we all piled into the family truckster and headed out. Dan actually walked the trail with them and I, in my ridiculous non-hiking state, went about halfway and then had them come back to me at the end.

Jenna and Michaela at the start of the trail

Michaela hits the trail and gets nary a bugbite

Oooohhh... who got Photoshop software for her birthday???

Photographic evidence that I was there

Michaela checks out the view

Despite her concerns, no bugs were even found on the trail (at one point, Dan says to me, "Whew, I don't know, Mommy... if I get any more bug bites I'm going to have to quit!!" with lots of drama and Michaela actually smiled AND rolled her eyes at the same time) and we agreed it was a beautiful hike and lots of fun. After the hike we headed to the pool for a swim.

Yesterday we went to church in the morning and then headed downstate to celebrate Uncle Michael's 30th birthday. We had a great time, ate lots of yummy food, and even swam at their complex's pool. (Aunt Jaime, Uncle Michael and Uncle Jimmy sure are troopers!) The girls had a blast playing with cousin Olivia and Aunt Jaime and Uncle Michael's dog Quincy. (I'm not sure Quincy will ever be the same after all that "playing", but he looked like he was having fun until he pretty much collapsed on the dining room floor with exhaustion.)

Jenna and Olivia poolside

Aunt Jaime and Jenna

Uncle Jimmy and Olivia


Uncle Michael with his nieces

So this morning we enjoyed a visit from Mrs. Glaser and Mrs. Greenman, Jenna's preschool teachers, and Jenna made her cubby tags, played some games, and we set the schedule for a re-orientation back to school and for her first half day back. Which is exactly seven days before I am supposed to give birth. So you can see what's going to happen, right? I'm going to go into labor early and poor Dan will have to juggle getting Michaela ready in the mornings, Jenna's re-orientation schedule pick ups and drop offs, as well as me being in the hospital and visiting and bonding with our new baby. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking. Because 1) I'd love to have this baby early, and 2) it will give Dan a good glimpse of what my life will be like for the next year.

Now we are fed and planning what is going to happen here for the afternoon. I am proposing going to the Town Park pool (gotta tire out the kids!) but don't seem to have any takers...