Relaxing in the Mountains

We just got back yesterday from our first "mountain" camping trip with the boys...I love making memories like these!  It was kind of a dismal week weather-wise, but it still ended up being such a wonderful vacation.  I wasn't too sure when we arrived at our campground...the beginning was a little rough.  The first thing that we saw was a grizzly bear hanging out (holding up traffic) going into the campground.  At this point we didn't care about no bear...we just wanted to get to our campsite and get the screaming kids out of the van...but no...it's like people have never seen a bear before!  Finally we got to the water station to fill up the camper and right in front of the van runs a grizzly bear!  Not a good start for me as I am usually more that a little paranoid and frightened of bears!  I told Brad we were going to turn around and go home because this was too dangerous!  We didn't...thanks to my ever-calm husband.  And from then on, never saw a bear again...other than a black bear that ran by our camper while we were sleeping in the camper one afternoon...gladly we just heard about it from our camping neighbors.

The "neighbors" ended up being Benjamin's new buddies.  They had 2 boys around ages 5 and 7, and a little girl around age 3.  The boys took Ben under their wings and played with him whenever we were both at the campsite at the same time.  And the little girl and Benjamin had a thing going on...I looked over and there they were walking away from the campsites hand in hand...oh so sweet!  It was great that Benjamin had playmates...he's so used to having Levi to play with now it was a little lonely for him as we had to keep Levi more contained than usual.  The moment we would put Levi on the ground he was immediately pick up a rock to eat...so he was cooped up in the playpen...not fun for him.

Our bundled up boys.  Levi was the attraction for the tourists...they would say "oh...now we can say we saw a little brown bear!"

We took one day to go up the mountain in the tram...it was not really a nice ride.  No seats...so we had to hold both boys the entire way up and they crammed as many people as possible in it...and it did not smell too nice!  Not exactly a nice ride up the mountain...rather I was wishing it was done.  It was completely foggy at the top...you couldn't see a thing...it was a little disappointing.  But we got some food and the moment we sat down it was like God gave us a little gift and the fog suddenly disappeared and you could see everything.  It was great!

The boys in front of a glacier

Benjamin loved the puddles much more than the waterfalls!

The next two days we did some "hiking" and touristy sites.  The first days hike was very frustrating!  Brad asked which hike would be stroller-friendly.  And there was one trail that had a small amount of roots that you could easily go over and other than that a great trail...NOT!  I think every root from every tree around that path went through the path.  We tried for a short while to push the stroller but ended up lifting it up most of the time to get over the roots.  Finally we ended up carrying the stroller and the boys.  Thankfully we had great friends along to help us out!  We each had something to carry so it made the hike even more of a work-out!  The second hike we took up to a glacier was much more stroller friendly.  We even saw an avalanche from way up in the mountain...thankfully not close to us.

We loved every moment we spent with out boys...but the evenings were always the most "relaxing".  Sitting around the fire with great friends...enjoying great camping food...chatting.  A feeling of being refreshed.  I just love camping.  By the time yesterday came we wished we would have stayed longer...but all good things have to come to an end I guess.  Here's to next year!

Life post...

It’s been a typical morning, everyone has pooped, pee’d, been changed, fed, clothed and washed and instructed (which for the most part seems pointless). Levi is back down for the first nap of the day, and Ben is currently playing with his toys after about half an hour of cuddles with dad while dad has been whiling his time away on the computer trying to fix mistakes made the day before. Mom is working, someone has to work, and dad is on paternity leave, so dad is at home. This is the way of the modern world.

To update from last post, Levi seems to be coming around. He didn’t vomit yesterday, and has yet to vomit today. Still an occasional throaty wet cough that has dad on edge and worried that everything he fought to get down Levi’s throat is going to come back up, all over the floor (really appreciating wood floors right now), but otherwise Levi seems in better spirits all around and is back to his normal self, pulling himself around on his little butt with one arm and two legs. In the morning the first thing to do with Levi is crack open the Tupperware drawer because that is where he’s going to head, where he starts pulling and spreading Tupperware all over the kitchen…which is allowable, simply because dad gets to enjoy his coffee, read his devotional, or as stated earlier, while away his time on the computer, and happily listen to Levi grunt and gurgle in fascination of lids and tight fitting dishes.

Benjamin on the other hand sleeps till close to nine am, which is certainly a happy circumstance for all in the family. He also poops his pants. When asked if he pooped his pants this morning (prompted by a rank odor filling the room), he simply and affirmatively states “yes”. When asked why he didn’t poop in the potty, he tilts his head, looks at dad and seems to question “oop in da otty??”, as if such a notion is new and completely foreign to him. Dad then goes on to explain that it’s more comfortable, less messy, and ultimately quicker to poop in the potty. “OK” says Ben, “oop in da otty.” Good times.

Levi is still sleeping, Dad is looking forward to checking the mail and mowing the front lawn, and Ben is watching Sid the science kid. The big summer camping trip is fast approaching, Jasper here we come…woowhoo.

My poor boy Levi

We've had a rough go with Levi lately...and I'm hoping it's attached to teething.  I'm hoping someone has some advice for us, or at least a similar story.  When he starts teething he get so congested in his throat...he gurgles.  It doesn't seem to bother him at all.  But it does seem to really irritate his gag reflex.  At times when he tries to swallow, it's almost like the saliva in the back of his throat gets in the way and he projectile vomits everywhere...it's so gross...and terrifying for Levi.  You know you love your child when you sit and let them vomit all over you and it doesn't seem to matter.  All I can do is cry watching him vomit and vomit.  It happens once or twice a day for a few days and then the teething symptoms pass and he's okay again.  This has repeated itself a few times already...and he still only 2 teeth!  I feel so bad for my little man!!  I'm hoping it passes soon!  Thankfully he has a lot of chubby reserves to get him through:)

Vacation??

I don't think the word "vacation" really exists when you are traveling with little kids!!  It's not "respite" as Websters dictionary defines it as!  I find it almost more stressful that our normal life here at home. 

We took a trip to Manitoba a few weeks back...and what a disaster the trip was!  I had always said I would never use a DVD player to keep my kids content on a long trip...but I definitely changed my mind after this trip!  You parents that have kids that fall asleep the instant the vehicle starts moving...you are extremely blessed.  Both our kids are not sleepers, which makes traveling painful and slow.  On an 8 hour trip we are lucky if Benjamin sleeps 15 minutes...Levi maybe an hour.  Which means that there is a lot of screaming coming from the back of the van.  So...I gave in and we bought a DVD player for our trip back from Manitoba...and what a sanity saver it has been!!

We just got back from a trip to Calgary, primarily to take Benjamin to the zoo...he's been very intrigued with animals lately...so we thought a little vacation would be nice...haha...vacation.  The DVD player did help, but Benjamin did not sleep a wink the entire trip...and by the time we got there, all he wanted to do was run around...all we wanted to do was sit down for a nice relaxing supper.  "Relaxing" just isn't a word that goes with eating in restaurants these days.  Benjamin doesn't want to sit, let alone eat...and Levi's at the grabby stage so nothing on the table stays on the table and he too just doesn't want to sit.  So our nice relaxing meal, turned into taking the food to go and eating in the hotel room.  Thankfully we got a suite hotel room...I don't know if there is any other way.  There is no way we would be able to keep our boys asleep if we were in the same room...I think we'd have to hang out in the bathroom until we were ready to sleep! 

The only thing is that the moment Levi wakes up in the morning...which as clockwork is a few minutes after 6am...Ben wakes up too.  And Ben is not a graceful waker-upper...and when he's woken up 2 hours earlier than normal, the whining is 10-fold it seems.  But we survived, and made it out the door plenty early to get to the zoo.

And it made it worth the trip...I think.  Ben loved the animals, but if they didn't move he wouldn't notice them.  We'd point and point and he just wouldn't follow what we were trying to get him to see.  Half the time he was more enthralled with the fences and gates and all the people around him.  But it was so great to see him enjoying himself.  And Levi just took it in, and had a little nap.

We all attempted to have a nap in the afternoon...but as usual Levi's late morning nap wrecked our chance to nap in the afternoon and he kept Ben from napping properly.  I've determined that sleep and vacation are just not words that go together!  In the evening Ben got to hang out with his second-cousin  and we had a nice visit with my cousin and her husband.

By bedtime we were wasted and so incredible happy to put the boys to bed!  And as usual were awakened by our 6am alarm...Levi.  And started another day of glorious traveling.  By the last hour of driving both boys were so tired, they were both screaming in the back, preventing the other from sleeping.  And Brad and I were blaring the radio from the front trying to drown them out.  We made it home and the boys were happy as could be...free to roam free.

And today we reminisce with fond memories.  Even though road trips are definitely not what they used to be...they bring so many memories that we will cherish forever.