The comings and goings of the fab four

Weeee’re back! We got to go to Springmaid Mountain this year for Labor Day festivities. It was the first time back after missing the 2 previous years. I was thrilled to the gills to not only get to go, but as an added bonus, escape the FL heat for cool, fresh mountain air. It was an 8 hour trip, so we left around 6:15 on Friday morning. The kids did pretty well on the ride up, and we didn’t have to stop that many times, just to fuel up and eat. We arrived right around 2:15, and I cannot tell you how absolutely gleeful I felt to ride through the mountains and arrive at Springmaid. Super! We were so glad to see everyone, and pretty much everyone came this year, so that was an added bonus (there was one couple that didn’t make it, and for the record, I am mad at both of you . There were tons of horses on the property, so we visited them, hiked around the trails and climbed the swinging bridge when we got there. Mom took the day off, so she and Dad were able to get there soon after we arrived.

On Saturday we hiked back to the waterfalls at the back of the property. Lydia started off pitching a fit about how she hated waterfalls, but by the end of it, her tune had changed, and she “loves waterfalls” now. If she would just listen to her mother, there would be so much less angst in her life. Lydia enjoyed hiking, and she and mom and Robert climbed up into a cave, they were quite adventurous, and I was sure that they were all going to slip on the rocks and fall down either into the mud, or all the way into the Tow River, and I would have to fetch them out, but luckily, everyone survived completely intact. We had a baby shower for Kim & Todd, Jess & Lee & Marcia & Scott on Saturday afternoon. They were the lucky recipients of uber stylish hard hats to wear during the baby shower. For some reason this group thinks it imperative that hats be worn for any type of shower. It started with shower caps for my and Robert’s wedding shower. So anyway, at least we didn’t ALL have to wear hard hats this year. Usually that’s not the case. I should find some pictures from the cowboy shower, the cooking shower, or the original shower cap shower. Anyway, it was a nice shower and the happy families seemed to rack up some goodies. We also got to have ice cream which made my dear daughter VERY happy.

On Sunday we hiked to Linville Falls. Lucky for us, we got there early, it was absolutely mobbed as we were leaving, but it was pretty quiet when we first got there. We had fun hiking with the Bakers and the Lyles. Miles rode in a fancy backpack that my friend Shea lent me, which is fabulous. She said she got it for $350, so it’s a nice step up from my $5 yard sale version. After we returned and ate lunch, I somehow managed to conk out on one of the couches downstairs in the midst of all of the chaos and madness. Miles barely slept the entire weekend so I was whipped. I don’t know what was going on, because he had been an absolute angel for the 2 days after they put his tubes in (last Wed). I don’t think he liked the pack n play. Who can blame him. Our beds weren’t comfortable, we kept saying how the bunkhouse is merely a step up from camping.

We did all of the usual fun stuff – puzzles, campfire, eating great food, hiking, rocking on the front porch… it was fabulous. What a funny group, and they really are family to us. Jim Sproat heard Miles doing his grunting (eh, eh, eh, eh, eh), and he asked if he was speaking in morse code. Touche! His son-in-law, Lee (who is a genius) said that his mom said he only grunted and pointed until he turned 3. So there’s my additional reassurance. Although I can’t imagine how much more fierce Miles’ tantrums can get if he continues to not be able to verbalize his desires for another year+. He had two great days after he got the tubes, I think the pressure must have been really bad in his ears before and he was enjoying the initial relase – and then he turned back into a grouch. I think now that either it’s his teeth, or he is pissed off because he can’t tell us what he wants. I have been kicking the signing up a notch, but he just looks at me like I’m stupid (he really does, ask someone who has been around him a lot and they will tell you that he does give me looks!). He continues to know exactly what I am offering him, though, so it turns into me asking him what he wants to try to *encourage* him to talk, and then him getting pissed off and starting his little screaming tirade, then I start asking him if he wants one of the 100 things in the kitchen, until I get it right, and he gives me a calm “eh”.

So anyway, that’s about it. I am headed down to Miami this weekend with Rebecca for a little R & R. It will be the first time Robert has the kids by themselves (!!!). I am forever thankful that he’s given me his blessings. So needless to say I am in full list writing frenzy. We didn’t think we’d be able to get a trip in before she skips out on me to go back to her homeland (Seattle), but we are squeezing it in. Last week was NC, this week Miami, next week the beach w/ my family, then the next weekend is Emily Ferg’s wedding. But it will be fun and it will bring us that much closer to being able to start looking at houses and thinking about OUR big move!

Still haven’t figured out the Picasa predicament, but hopefully in the next few days.