Massanutten Resort Vacation: Off Site

Massanutten Resort is conveniently situated in the Shenandoah Valley.  Skyline Drive is within an hour as well as caverns and vineyards.  Since Jason and I have driven parts of Skyline Drive when we went camping before kids, we opted to try out some of the other picturesque places.

Luray Caverns

My only recollection of cavern viewing was in youth group.  I recall being scared while riding a boat over bottomless water through a chilly, dark cave.  I am pretty sure it wasn't a dream... or maybe it was?  Anyhoo, I was happy there were no boats, no water deeper than 2 inches, and well lit solid paths to walk on.  Since the weather was eh, there were a lot of people there.  Instead of walking at our own pace, we had a group tour which lasted 1 hour.  That's a bit long for 3 kids... and 5 adults chasing after them/taking them in and out of strollers/carrying them/trying to keep them quiet/making sure they didn't destroy 200 year old stalagmite.

Definitely the coolest part of the cavern.  The top part is real.
The bottom is a perfect reflection in 2 inches of absolutely still water

Same place.  It looked like there was a deep cavern, but it was the
reflection of the top.  Serious eye games.

The "easy" one is started to lose it :)

Crosskeys Vineyard

Back in the day, we spent many tipsy afternoons tasting wine at various vineyards throughout the area with Dave and Jill.  I think working in a tasting room must be the best job out there- who isn't happy tasting wine?!  (well, if you don't like wine, then don't go... you ruin the peaceful atmosphere for the rest of us)  A glass of wine, a beautiful view, Brie, and time with just Jason was exactly what this mama needed!

White Oak Lavendar Farm

On our way to and from Crosskeys, I noticed this farm.  I instantly thought back to our trip with Aubrey to the lavender fields in the Cotswolds.  The petting zoo at the resort looked dirty and for $4 cheaper, why not check out this one that also had lavender fields?

Best $3/person spent on vacation

Luke and Evie (Braylen stayed back at the condo and napped) had a blast.  AND Evie wasn't scared of the animals here.  Go figure.

We could get in the "rabbitat".  This bunny looks like it has
a tumor on its neck.  White rabbits with red eyes are creepy!

A petting zoo is a huge risk for a thumb sucker.
I told Evie to put her hands in her pockets to
save her from "swine flu".  It worked.  

Goats and sheep.

Are you laughing yet at her hands in her pockets?
The roosters were very chatty

I never got the full story on the "National Turkey"

Luke chased the ducks, Evie laughed

"horsies"

The poor ducks had green stained beaks from the highly
tinted water.

Following orders :)

The ground were beautifully maintained.  The lavender fields weren't very vibrant.  I think we were a little late for the main bloom.  A few tidbits on lavender- as an essential oil, it can calm nerves and anxiety, soothe headaches, aid in restful sleep, relax muscles, and heal burnt skin.  You bet I bought a bottle.  Maybe I should try inhaling lavender instead of eating dark chocolate all day to calm my nerves.

Stop and smell the lavender

Look how calm she is- must be working.  

Children's Museum in Harrisonburg.  

I normally take Evie to these types of places, so I encouraged Daddy and MeMa to take her there without me.  It sounded like she had a blast

She milked that cow, but nothing came out

The ice cream was magnetized and so was the scoop.  A
preview of her first job in 14 years

The real life ambulance was her favorite.  

\

This girl can change a tire better than me!

Step aside Jerry, we have a new mechanic

Give us the news, Evie

Lots of fun excursions over our 5 days of vacation

Massanutten Resort Vacation: On Site

I like the way our vacations are working out: one week at the beach with my family and a long weekend with Jason's family using a timeshare somewhere on the East Coast, preferably halfway between Raleigh and Baltimore.  Two vacations a year with built in babysitters... yes, please!

We chose to use my parent's timeshare at Massanutten Resort near Harrisonburg, VA this year.  We had a really great place with two, two-bedroom condos on top of each other, with a stairwell connecting them.  The playground in our backyard was a bonus.  The water park, adventure parks (zip lines, etc), and go karts were obviously not toddler friendly.  There is definitely a lot to do there for older kids.  Nevertheless, we found enough activities for the toddlers to keep them busy both on and off the resort.  Here's a glimpse at our time spent at the resort.

The pillow from the bed provided easy entertainment
before and after meals

I felt like we were watching American Gladiators

Uncle J took a beating from the kids.  Don't worry, Braylen
was not injured during the match

We tried to see the animals at the Petting Farm, but due to the rainy conditions, the animals and stalls were too muddy for visitors.  Evie and Luke got to see the "horsies" though.  As we were walking to the car, a horse came up to the fence to greet us.  Evie burst into tears and came running to me afraid.  Maybe it was a blessing the place was closed and we didn't spend the money to traumatize our daughter.

When we told Evie she had to hold Mommy or Daddy's hand
in the parking lot, she demanded Uncle Matt's hand.  Last year
she ran to MeMa crying every time Uncle Matt came near her.
She told me his name when we looked at their family picture months prior
to vacation.  I had a feeling her heart was softening up to him :)

Nice shot of the horses' rears

Evie and Luke had fun on the playgrounds- no pictures taken though.  The indoor and outdoor pool brought out giggles and smiles from Evie.  Braylen enjoyed cruising around the pool in his float equip with a sun shade.

We got a lot of compliments on our rafts.  So glad we brought them-
way less stress when you know your kids won't drown in the baby pool!

Kicked out of the pool for adult swim

Love these towels!  

The big cousin on the Hollencamp side.
We are pretty sure Braylen will be the biggest
cousin next summer.

A beautiful day with these cuties

One of the highlights for me was MeMa's willingness to stay at the condo with my napping or sleeping children so I could get out with just adults.  Jason, Jen, Matt, and I hit up trivia night at the Water Park one night.  I didn't know many answers, but it felt good to talk about something other than kiddie things.  Jason and I played a round of miniature golf; Jason won, of course.  In addition to "dates", we also could give Evie our undivided attention on some morning excursions while Braylen stayed at the condo.  I actually felt like I was on vacation!

MeMa took good care of Braylen for us

MeMa also saved the day by bringing bubbles and paintbrushes.  

Making bubbles for her brother

Peacefully painting together

Luke wiping off his brow sweat while Evie refills his water.

For only seeing Aunt Jen, Uncle Matt, and cousin Luke a few times a year, Evie warmed up very quickly to them.  For the most part, Luke and her played nicely together.  They are both pint size (~ 6 months age difference) and blond, making them a cute pair.  They made us smile with their sweet little voices and silly antics.  Braylen was trying really hard to crawl on vacation.  Next year he will be in the mix with Luke and Evie and Luke's little brother or sister will be taking the morning naps.  It's so much fun to see our family grow each year.  

Eight Months

Another month has passed in Braylen's life!

My sweet Braylen Thomas is 8 months old.  No stats for you, just giraffe shots.

For those like me that want to see how much he grew
from the last month. 

As I packed up some of cousin Luke's 9 month clothes, I stumbled across PJ's with the same design as the ones he wore on his homecoming.

3 days old.  Newborn size PJs

8 months old.  9 month size PJs

Every month brings new challenges and joys.  This month, my joy was having a stationary baby.  It was easy to plop Braylen on the floor with a bunch of toys and know he was content for a while just sitting there.  In the last week Braylen is showing some signs of wanting to do more than sit, roll, and dive.  Suddenly I wish I had done more story times, signed the kids up for professional pictures, and soaked up these precious minutes even more than I have.  This boy will be on the move soon for the rest of his life soon.  I have a feeling my joy this month will be my challenge next month.

My challenge this month was naps.  Braylen has turned into a great sleeper.  I skip all the hullabaloo that I do with Evie before nap/bed and just put him awake in his crib.  He's my "easy one" with sleeping now!  He will sleep in the car, but he will not transfer or even stay asleep once I put the car in park.  The two naps have really put a damper on Evie's playtime.  I know everyone has their opinion about routines and strict naptimes, trust me, I totally judged my sister for being so strict about naps.  I get it now.  My kids are SO much better when they can nap at home, normal time.  The same goes for bed.  Braylen naps from 9am-10:30/11 and Evie starts melting down about 11:15 am.  It makes it really difficult to do anything!  I feel trapped in my house again.  My sister reminds me it is only 1 year of my life.  It stinks right now, but we will get through it.

Braylen and Evie are interacting more and more.  Evie strangles hugs Braylen a lot, which of course is adorable... if she wasn't choking him.  I like that she requested Braylen join her in the "boat".  The two of them giggling at each other is music to my ears.

"Row, Row"

It's all fun and games until someone gets her hair pulled

There are subtle changes each month like Braylen is making more sounds and his fine motor skills are improving.  I was about to write this post with no major milestones, but low and behold, Braylen went from laying to sitting in the last two days.

I have a feeling a lot will change in the next month.

I most certainly do!

The ZOO

Evie and Braylen get enough hand-me-downs from various families, so in lieu of more crap in my house toys and clothes, I am encouraging "experience gifts" from grandparents for birthdays and holidays.  There are quite a few great children museums and activities in the area that can be pricey to do.  A family membership is a great way to experience these places with my kids and it's ok if we are only there for one hour.

Pops and Paula got the ball rolling by giving us a membership to the Maryland Zoo for Evie's birthday.  I've gone twice with the kids this summer.  

Outing #1- June with Hettinger cousins (and Auntie L)

Look how tall Evie is!  That mop of hair is Cole :)

The zoo is pretty much a zoo.  The part I remember most is the kids playing musical stroller seats.  Braylen was the only one who nicely stayed in his assigned seat the entire trip.  The rest were fighting over who sat where.  Auntie Laura ended up with 3 kids on her double stroller... and about 6 water bottles on board.

This is a picture for the ages

Outing #2 August with Lisa and Emily

This time I ditched the heavy stroller and used my more-storage-friendly side-by-side stroller.  We anticipated musical stroller seats again.  We didn't factor in Emily getting upset when Braylen rode in her single stroller... So sometimes we pushed around our bags in the strollers and carried kids.  You know how it is.

The polar bears are worth a membership.  This polar bear planted
himself right by the cool air. 

The ostriches were in the water

Evie watched the elephants for a long time

The crew for this outing

Get ready for Evie and Emily cuteness!

Running to see the lion

Emily was scared on the tram ride, so Evie held her hand.

Another end of the zoo picture :)

Next time, we are taking Daddy.  I felt like I ran a marathon when I got home.  9 more months of zoo adventures.  Let me know if you want to join us on our next trip.

Thanks Pops and Paula for a fun, free event!  My guest are enjoying the discount they receive too!

Best Purchase EVER

Or it's at least the best purchase made recently

I am thrilled with my new-to-me double umbrella stroller.  Moms have varying opinions (shocking, right?!) on strollers.  I have a heavy, expensive double jogging stroller which I felt I needed after rave reviews from moms.  Eh, it handles well, but it's so bulky and heavy that I break a sweat dragging it in and out of my garage car trunk.  Honestly, I have buyer's remorse about it.  We walk the neighborhood so much that I wanted something light, easy to assemble, and with enough pockets to hold my phone, keys, and a bottle or two of water.  

I stuck to my guns this time and didn't let any mom talk me into the double stroller they had and therefore I should have too.  I wanted this one.

It's perfect.  Evie and Braylen love sitting next to each other.  Evie, Braylen, and Emily play musical seats when we walk the neighborhood.  (How is it that I bought a double stroller and still end up carrying one of my kids??)  And its compact fold leaves room for a trunk full of groceries.  

I am so HAPPY with my new stroller.  I am excited to take the kids out now.  No more swearing under my breath while I try to fold up my huge stroller as someone waits impatiently for my parking spot (as both my kids scream from the backseat, my blood sugar is low, and half of my life needs to be emptied out of my trunk so I can fit the stroller.  Been there too?).  

Little People

50% of Evie and Braylen's "play dates" are really time for me to hang out with other moms.  Evie and Braylen aren't old enough to really play with their mommy selected friends, but I like to think they are getting some socialization while I have about 10 minutes worth of conversation spread out over 1-2 hours.  Most of our dates are with mommies and kiddos I've met at church.  I am curious if Evie recognizes her "friends" in the nursery on Sunday mornings.  I don't work in it so what happens in nursery, stays in nursery.

Evie and Braylen didn't realize they met some of their lifelong friends over the past few weeks.  I plan to stay in touch with my college roommates for forever, so that means E and B will be forced to be friends with their kids.  This didn't work so well for Parker and his to-be dog friends... let's hope the kids don't growl and snap at each other and ruin the fun for everyone :)

Erica and RJ came to Catonsville for a play date.

RJ is one week older than Braylen.  ~7 months

Evie at school + two stationary babies = actual meaningful mommy conversation!

Jackie, Alex, and Logan met the kids and me in Springfield.  This reunion was way overdue!

Checking out each other...or each other's chew toys

Braylen ~ 7 months.  Logan ~ 9 months

Logan gave my family a little reality check of what it will be like when Braylen crawls.  I thought I heard a lot of  "NO Braylen"s now!

Alex ~ 30 months.  Evie ~ 26 months

The crew

The other 50% of our play dates are with Emily.  We see Emily almost every day for a walk around the 'hood.  Evie and Emily demand to see each other as well as take off running to her buddy's house.  There is no forced friendship here.

Don't be fooled by Emily's lack of emotion... she loves her Ev

The humidity broke and we had a chance to play outside at Emily's house

I haven't seen Evie smile this much for the camera
since the amusement rides in OC!

Proud of dirty hands

30 seconds later, she needed to have every drop of paint off of her

Note to G- Emily needs a cute smock like Evie's :)

I hope some day these pictures will resurface on a collage at a high school graduation party or a wedding.  The giggles, smiles, hand holding, and unprompted "I'm sorry"s tug at my heart.  I adore our little people!