It's Time for a Little Pixie Dust!

School is back in full swing. So is soccer practice, dance lessons, and Boy Scouts. That means it's time for our next trip to the happiest place on earth! Next week at this time I will be staking out a spot to watch Fantasmic!

This time the trip will be a little different. Normally we enjoy doing everything together, but only some of us will be going. Earlier this year my husband and 8-year-old went to Disneyland by themselves for a special birthday trip. I will now be going with the 10 and 12-year-olds. Also we are excited that my mom is joining us. Back in May when Disney announced a special package with the free dining plan, we decided that it was our turn. The meals at WDW are some of our favorite things there, so it was the perfect deal.

The one thing I am worried about is leaving the 16-month-old at home. He is still nursing, and I have never left him before. I have no doubt that my husband will take wonderful care of him, but he is very attached to both of us, so I'm anxious to see how he does. On the other hand this means not only a trip to my absolute favorite vacation destination, but a few days to have a break from high demands of having a toddler around. We also know that he would not enjoy waiting in line for rides, and he is not quite old enough to really get the magic of seeing all of the characters. Sure he likes to see Mickey Mouse in books or pictures or on TV, but I think he would be scared of them in person. The next time we go he will be just the right age to appreciate all of the magic and be a little more up for the excitement of it all.

We have a couple more days of school before it's time to pack. It is hard for all of us to concentrate when the boys ask randomly throughout the day things like "What is your favorite thing in all of Disney World?" or "What are we going to ride first at Hollywood Studios?" or "What is your favorite show?". Needless to say, this trip has been or main topic of conversation, and we can't wait to get there!

School Is Back in Session (Sort of...)

I decided to try starting school a little differently than I have in the past. I like to start in late July or early August because it is too hot to do anything outside, and then we finish in early May. Since Zack and Michael have 2 weeks of theater camp, I decided to start with Nick by himself. That gives me a chance to get him started on his own and give him some extra attention. Many times he feels like he has to wait around on my to work with his younger brothers before he can get some time with me to go over his school work, so this is nice for both of us. It also gives me a chance to finish getting my school room organized before I get going with all of them. It is hard for me to believe Nicholas is starting 7th grade (and taller than me)! It feels like just last year we were working on Kindergarten.

Other upcoming events for our house - Zack and Michael will be in a play about pirates at the end of their camp. It will be fun to see what they have learned. Soccer season is coming up, so we will start practicing soon. In September I'm heading to Disney World with Nick, Zack, and my mom. We can't wait!

Our Ozark Adventure

We just returned from a 5 day trip to Branson, MO in the Ozark Mountains. We drove our new travel trailer there and stayed at America's Best Campground. It was a great campground in a convenient location - close to everything but not right in the middle of the noise and busyness of town. This was our first time there, and we the vacation was fabulous. We had some thrilling rides, saw some music shows, and visited a couple of museums.

We spent a day at Table Rock Lake with Corey's family. Corey got to ski, and we all tubed behind the boat. Luke even cooperated, kept his lifejacket on, and didn't jump off the boat. The boys saw some advertisements for the Track Family Fun Parks, so we rode go-carts on a wooden track that had many levels, twists, and turns. They also played mini-golf and laser tag. For most of us our favorite activity was ziplining. Two guides helped us ride 7 different zip lines and 3 rope bridges. Nick and Michael were a little scared at first, but quickly decided it was fun.

Even though the temperatures were in the 90's (while back at home they were well over 100) it was still hot, so we also needed some indoor, air conditioned activities. The Titanic museum was full of stories and artifacts from the ship. It came with an audio tour that helped explained everything. The Dinosaur museum had some really neat exhibits. Michael and Luke especially liked it there. We went to Mass on Sunday at Our Lady of the Lake, and Zack spotted a family there from our own parish!

Branson is known as the music capital of the world, so we had to see some shows. Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede kept the whole family entertained. We had a delicious 4 course meal that was choreographed into the show. There were lots of horses, buffalo, and pigs, and the waiters and waitresses were dressed as Civil War soldiers. We also went to the Eagles Tribute and the John Denver Tribute. Michael and Luke both fell asleep during the Eagles, even with the loud music! We had front row seats for John Denver, and the kids got to get up on stage and get bags of candy. Finally we saw Noah the Musical at the Sight and Sounds theater. We enjoyed the many animals on the ark that were live.

Branson is a wonderful place for families. It is easy to get around, and there is something for everyone. There were more activities we would like to have done, but we ran out of time and reached our budget. I would love to take another vacation there someday!

Cry It Out?

I thought I would have more time to post regularly in the summer, but clearly that has not been the case. We have been busy with summer camps, the water park, and going out of town for a funeral. And I've been trying to get the house in order (as much as possible with 4 kids under the roof).
Anyway, earlier this week I read a post on Facebook about whether or not a mom should let her little boy (2 years old) cry himself to sleep in his own bed so he would stop sleeping in his parents' bed. Many well meaning friends commented encouraging her to "stay strong" and not to "give in". There are many books that explain how to get your kids to sleep by themselves, most of which involve letting them cry it out. The reality is that the U.S. is one of the few countries where babies sleeping in their parents' bed is looked down on and discouraged. And so there are also many books and doctors that encourage co-sleeping and explain the benefits.
We have always had our babies in our bed. Our oldest was a horrible sleeper and we were exhausted. Once we put him in our bed at night, we were all sleeping better. I found it easier to nurse in the middle of the night since I didn't have to get out of the bed. In general I am against the cry it out approach. We managed with one of ours to get him to sleep in his own bed all night, and he only cried a few minutes. That was no big deal, and it did make our lives easier to have a good sleeper. What I don't like is when parents are convinced that the cry it out approach is the only way to go just because their friends and family have convinced them that the baby does not belong in their bed. Babies are all different with their own personalities, and some naturally need more contact (some need constant contact) with their parents. Some don't have any trouble sleeping in their own beds and seem to "sleep throught the night" from the beginning. When babies cry alone in their cribs for 30 minutes or an hour or longer it is heart wrenching for the parents, and to me it is not worth it.
Of course when babies turn into toddlers many parents just want their bed back to themselves, and I understand that. All of ours just simply moved out to their own beds when they were ready. Now that we have a toddler again (who starts out in his pack and play and moves to our bed when he wakes up) and looking back on that time with our older ones I wouldn't have changed a thing. We had some precious times snuggling with our babies, and in the blink of an eye they are too big and don't want to snuggle anymore.
The bottom line is that parents need to do what is best for their family. And this might be something different for each child in a family. I don't think there is any one right answer or method for everyone. Parenting is such a tremendous job that no one should be judged for how they choose sleep in their home. I like to say that as long as everyone is sleeping, and no one wakes me up, I don't care where everyone sleeps.