Camping with Kiddos

This was our first week back into a routine of sorts after lots of family time. I love having things to look forward to, and I love blocks of simple routines between all the fun plans.

Michael:

has fun people in his residency program. We ate dinner with another resident's family last Sunday and it was fun to get to know them more. Then a big group from his residency program went camping together this weekend on the edge of King's River above Pine Flat Lake. It was beautiful, and fun to spend time with all of them. He was on call Friday night so we couldn't head up until Saturday morning, but the best part of Friday night call is when Michael makes it home with Saturday morning donuts. Sometimes Westin pretends to go to work, and says, "Bye Mama, putting on my work clothes. I'll miss you -- I'll bring you donuts!" He's going to make some lucky lady very happy someday.

Maddie:

enjoyed getting my boys back on routine this week. They are different kids entirely when they are well rested. I know that's a thing with all kids, but it blows me away sometimes when I look at the stark difference between a Westin on naps and a Westin on exhaustion. That sounded like I was going to say a Westin on drugs, and honestly, the effects seem similar. I had the missionaries over this week for dinner and didn't even realize they were coming over on Cinco de Mayo. I'm so sad about the lost taco opportunity. Honestly after that realization I'm going to be craving tacos now until I get some, my mind is weird like that. Camping with kids this weekend pushed my increasingly lower limits, I'm trying to learn how to not get so anxious when my kids aren't asleep when they should be. It's just part of life, but for some reason I get super stressed about it. All of the other parts of camping made the long night worth it though, we had such a good time.

Westin:

is the true culprit of the long night described above... but he sure makes everything more fun, too. He loved s'mores, and watermelon, and throwing rocks in the stream, and playing in the sand (a dirt road) and just, loving life in the mountains. Kids outside are happy kids. That night we put Bennett in a pack n play and Westin by him, then Michael and I slept on the other side of our 4-man tent. Those first 75 minutes were so cozy and nice, sleeping by the sound of a river and being outside in a tent for the first time in so long. Then, Bennett cried. Nursed him. Westin cried. Brought him in my sleeping bag. Bennett cried. Nursed him. Westin couldn't sleep again, put him in Michael's sleeping bag. Bennett cried, brought him in with me. Westin woke up. Bennett woke up. Sleep again. Westin woke up at 4:30, no sleep again. Bennett finally went back to sleep around 6:00 for another hour and that was that. The morning was rainy but Westin was still so happy to be up there playing in the sand and by the river. I'm happy that we went up there this weekend and learned that even if sleep is about as good as you expect it's going to be in a tent together, it's still fun and a great memory.

My favorite things Westin says lately:

In the car: "What's this song talking to-bout?" (He always says to-bout instead of about, and the answer is almost always love, and then he says "I love love!")

At night: "Tell me about something!" which usually means talk to him about what we did that day, or what we're doing tomorrow.

Incorrect corrections: "There's a garbage truck!" (That's a moving truck, Westin.) "Actually, that's a garbage truck."

My least favorite thing he says lately:

"Don't touch that, Baby Bennett!!"

All day, every day, about anything. And Bennett just smiles because, attention.

Bennett:

was an angel on our camping trip. I think if Westin didn't wake him up he would have even slept pretty well in the tent by me. He didn't love the pack and play there, but it was fun to cuddle him again like he always wanted during his first two months of life. He was constantly happy when we were outside, and mesmerized by the fire. He is such a happy kid. He's liking food more, I'd say tonight was his most enthusiastic new food moment. We fed him black beans and he was loving it. He rolls but not tons, and no signs of crawling in the near future. He has two teeth and uses them when he shouldn't. Whenever I tell him not to bite me he immediately laughs. Every time. Stinker.

I am so amused at the way drones are a magnet to all males in a group. This moment was so funny to me.

This is blurry but these cute boys had so much fun playing in the sand together. Who knew a dirt road was so entertaining!

Rolly and our tent.

Westin woke up around 9pm one night and asked for daddy. I told him he was still at work and he said, "Let's check." So, we went through the house together and when we got to the kitchen Westin immediately acted chipper and wide awake and said, "I need some toast!" And he caught me in a good mood and we had a late night toast party. He was delighted.

We took a video of our toast party for daddy and he loved that, he kept talking to daddy on my phone long after the video was done.

This photo is to mark the health challenge I started with a friend this last week. I went on my longest streak without chocolate/desserts that I've ever done and it was not fun. I'm only going to be eating them once a week for the next couple months which is a big deal for me. Don't judge me, people with self control.

He put his own shoes on for the first time! Woohoo!

I love when Westin makes Bennett laugh so much. This particular day had Westin pretty into it too, and when Bennett would cry Westin would say, "Oh, he wants me. I'm coming back, baby Bennett!" The next day it was back to lots of "Don't touch that!" but we'll take the good times we can get.

Our friend sent us a Jimmy John's link to $1 sandwich day and we were so excited! Then, of course, Fresno wasn't participating in the promo. That has happened too many times! Parties need to come to Fresno. And once I get the idea I'm going to eat a certain thing I crave it until I eat it, so we had to make sandwiches for dinner. Random. Westin loved it. It was no Jimmy John's... sigh.

Possibly my most rite-of-passage mom moment to date. After I got both boys down for a nap at the same time I came out to fall on my couch and met... all the crayon marks. Walls. Couches. Cover of the iPad. I slowly opened the iPad and, yep, inside too. It was everywhere, the pictures don't do it justice.

Luckily microfiber and water cleaned crayon up just fine. But I left a little to have Westin see it when he woke up so he would know what I was talking to him about. I said, "Did you color where you shouldn't, Westin?" And he slowly walked around all the walls, looked at the couches, and then even went over and opened the iPad case haha. He remembered fully. It was kind of hilarious to me. His whole living room masterpiece was accomplished in less than 10 minutes while I was in the other room. Toddlers are cray cray.