Happy Labor Day to you!

Today is Labor Day here in good ole America and that means kids in school, people that have government jobs, bankers and some other lucky office workers have the day off. Mostly, it signifies the 'end of summer', except if you live in Florida, where we will continue to have summer weather for at least 6 more weeks... usually.

My kids asked me yesterday why there was no school, then why we celebrate Labor Day, and... funny... I really had no idea. Lucky for me, I get all my news from Twitter and someone tweeted this Time For Kids article explaining why we have Labor Day and so we learned together this morning.

I am so thankful for those people that fought over a century ago so that our children aren't forced to work in factories. My Roxy thought it was absolutely ludicrous that kids had to work in factories at some point in our history (and it is!), but then I reminded her that some kids in other countries still do. We both agreed that those people in those countries should do something about that.

Now to commemorate the 'End of Summer' (as is customary), I am sharing my 'Summer Adventure' photo book I just created yesterday (for FREE thanks to Fat Mum Slim). It details our summer through Instagram filters (because the FREE book was an Instagram book).

Summer Adventure 2012 by Tabi | Make Your Own Book

May you have a relaxing and enjoyable day today, enjoy your family, enjoy the weather, enjoy all the things that matter... wherever you are. xo

<3, Tabi :D

Summer Adventure: Cramming in a Little Education

Token group tourist photo in front of the Washington Monument.

This summer I embarked on a 3-1/2 week adventure with 4 kids in tow. Our adventure took us to MD, VA, DC and finally the Outer Banks of NC. I am attempting to journal our adventures in hindsight after learning that living out of a minivan with 4 kids was a wee bit more than I anticipated.

Sometimes finding happiness means stepping outside of your normal comfort zones. Sometimes it means feeding your curiosity and seeking out information. And sometimes happiness shows up when you experience things that are simply different and not routine.

And sometimes it means finding a new friend.

The second Wednesday of our Summer Adventure, my clan plus my Mom and little sister met up with my middle sister and her mini clan and my friend Lissa and her Lily to Metro into DC and visit a Smithsonian or two.

Growing up in the DC metropolitan area, these were the museums I was used to: big, fancy, chock full of great and ever evolving exhibits and FREE!
(Later in life, I was absolutely shocked at some of the museums that you actually had to pay exorbitant prices to get into were not half as amazing.)

On this day, we visited the Natural History Museum and then the American History Museum. But first... the METRO!

The metro in itself was an adventure. It was a first for all my kiddos. It was fast, it had tunnels, there were NO SEATBELTS!! Living on the edge, we were.

It was a good day! We saw dinosaur bones, Titanoboa (ew), Kermit the Frog, some really cool butterflies, a cave man that my Mom thought resembled Christopher, lots of other things I can't recall (because I spent a good portion of the day doing head counts) and a few of the DC sights.

The boys were happy, the babies were happy and my Roxy found a new friend in my good friend Lissa's girl, Lily.

After leaving the city, we stopped at Red Robin for dinner and I had an amazing Veggie Burger with Swiss Cheese and Guacamole. Mmmm. I should've taken a picture. Damn.

Educational Leg of Summer Adventure: Check.

<3, Tabi :D

Wanna read more about our Summer Adventure? Click Here.

BFF's

Isn't it funny how we only ever remember to snap pictures of our kids...
even when visiting a far away friend?

This post is about friendship. Those true friends with whom you form a bond so strong, it doesn't matter how far away you move, how long it goes between conversations, how heated the fights get... well, this seems to sum it up:

"True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life for awhile. Even after years apart, you pick up with them right where you left off."

- the Internet (Seriously, I have no clue... do you?)

I have 3 friends up north, who I am talking about in particular. These are the chicks I had on my Must See list when "planning" our Summer Adventure. 

I first met and bonded with all three of these girls in my high school years. Since then, over a decade has passed. All of us have experienced falling in love, heartache, pregnancy and childbirth, and many many other rites of passage into adulthood. Yet when we get together, we are the same people we were back then.

People don't change, I know this. Who you are inside was decided in your genetic code, long before birth... it's in your soul. This part of people never changes. Only the superficial stuff changes.

What's super fun about meeting up these days is (among other things) seeing our children play together. It's a huge reminder and beautiful portrayal of the whole circle of life.

It also reminds me how mean it is that we all live so far apart. Luckily, we have Facebook and texting and those few, precious times when we happen to be in the same state and are able to rearrange our hectic schedules to meet up to physically check in with those pieces of our heart.

In direct contrast with yesterday's post... all the craziness of traveling around was definitely worth it and I feel like one lucky lady I was able to pull it off.

<3, Tabi :D

For posterity: other pictures of BFF playdates here and here.

The Day We Visited the National Zoo

(1) The Deneweth kids + cousin Logan posing on the Bear statue. (2) My caged wild animals.
(3) ZoBo behind bars, "I'm innocent, I swear. Look at my innocent blue eyes!"
(4) A bee trap was the winner of Zoie's attention. (5) Cute tortoise column to the reptile house. (6) The Zoie and the Frog.
(7) Panda Bear! (8) The kids playing prairie dogs. (9) The elusive giant pizza at the zoo.

The day we visited the National Zoo it was H-O-T. And that means a lot coming from a Florida girl.

The day we visited the National Zoo, we were 1 week plus 1 day into our Summer Adventure. We had traveled from our house in Brandon, FL to a friend's place in Charleston, SC to my parents' in LaPlata, MD to my sister's house in Fredericksburg, VA to my dear friend Butha's in Winchester, VA and then down to our nations capital to visit the zoo. All while living out of a minivan and suitcases and all while 4 children being under the supervision of one (ahem) adult (me).

If that sounds overwhelming, well... you are right. And the stress of it all seemed to culminate on that scorcher of a day at the zoo amongst the caged animals.

The five of us traveled down the mountains of VA to the zoo and met up with my parents, my sister and Sunshine. Also, my other sister and her two boys and my friend Tabitha with her four kids. I'll do the math for you: that makes 17 of us.

It started out well enough (except we were about an hour late meeting my folks... but that's almost a given with me) until I almost peed my pants, so I rushed my clan in as soon as we found our parking spot and made a beeline to the nearest bathroom. After I emptied my bladder, I thought, "The worst is over, the rest of the day is fun fun fun."

Ha! Until 20 minutes later when at least 2 kids were complaining about the heat and how thirsty they were and then how stinky the mammal house was and then there was the meltdown over the lemonade machine not working and water just would not do!

Luckily, we did have a few happy and memorable moments. And I got some cute shots of the kids and one measly shot of the star of the National Zoo, the Panda Bear.

We did leave the zoo with souvenirs and Roxy's little stuffed Panda is her favorite friend at the moment. She loves her Pandy. :)

That day, I decided I was actually crazy thinking I could pull this trip off. I decided for the rest of my DC Metropolitan area tour I would camp out at my Mom's place and not move my suitcases until it was time to head down to OBX. <-- That was the best decision I could've made. I probably would be writing posts from the insane asylum if I didn't make that decision.
I'm so happy my Mom didn't mind ( Thanks, Mom! <3 ).

This was also the same day we learned that Dylan should not have red jello. 

<3, Tabi :D

Disappearing off the face of the Blogosphere

Holy wow! I had a blast these past 4 weeks, took lots of pictures and experienced lots of new experiences.

But (!) it turns out I can't be Super-Mom and Blogger-Mom at the same time. Also, it turns out that traveling around a bunch and living out of a minivan with 4 children and a husband 5 states away is a lot harder than it (initially) sounded. Am I crazy? Or brave? I flip flopped on the answer to that question many times and still don't have a solid answer.

The bad news: I had a major lapse in my blogging.

The good news: I have lots of material to post and I will do my best to scrapbook our Summer Adventure of 2012 on here so you can fully appreciate what an experience we had.  

I digress...

Did you know today was the first day of school?!? My Roxy started 1st Grade, and my Bear started his first day of VPK! By the end of this school year, I will be a certified Mom/Taxi Driver, for sure!

Here are some pics... because what fun is the First Day of School without pictures?

Roxy left the nest first. Her school starts at 8:00 am (very scary for a non morning person like me)! Daddy drove her this morning (well... he always does) and walked her to her classroom. First graders are upstairs, don't you know? Her teacher is Mrs. Bird and Roxy is excited that 11 out of the 16 kids in her class are girls.

 My Bear was so excited for his first day,
he finished his entire checklist one whole hour before we had to leave the house!!

Speaking of the Bear...

 

I was a bit nervous with this guy. He started his first day of VPK and said he was excited, but showed a little apprehension. When we went yesterday to meet his teacher (before the first day), he had a death grip on my hand the entire time. But, he had a blast and is so happy his friend, Logan is in his class with him. He also told me that his teachers are super nice, but he can't remember their names yet (we'll work on it, sorry Ms. Harwood and Ms. Navarro if you read this). He is excited to go back tomorrow. Phew!

How did Zoie do with all this, you ask?

This baby didn't have a first day today, but she did fight me as she was trying to leave with Daddy and Roxy (she even waved and gave me kisses). 

Then, as we attempted to drop off the Bear and leave, as soon as she realized I was trying to leave the building without her brother, she got so mad!!  How dare I leave him there?? Luckily, after a few minutes, she calmed down and had a great time playing in the play center at the Y, then spending a little quality time alone with her Momma.

So that's it! I will now attempt to make dinner, bathe 3 children and have them all in bed by 8 pm. All before Christopher even gets off work. Damn those crazy insurance claims hours!

<3, Tabi :D

... phew! It feels good to be blogging again! :)

....... and be sure to stay tuned for some Summer Adventure posts!

The LaPlata Tornado of 2002

While at home in LaPlata, MD we got around to looking through some old pictures. I came across this sweet poem written by my then 10 year old sister. I thought it was too sweet to not share.

A little backstory... 10 years ago, in 2002 there was a tornado that ripped through this little town that effected many people and many many homes and businesses were damaged. I lived in Florida at that time, but came home soon after and saw the aftermath of this horrible natural disaster. My family and their home were one of the lucky ones, but unfortunately many of their neighbors' were not. One of the casualties of that storm happened to be the family vehicle, a 1996 dark green Jeep Cherokee. This poem is about that Jeep.

The Green Jeep

It was old and not working.

It seemed like it was hurting
so we had to let it go.

I know it might seem silly but I love that Jeep.

It saved me from many things like weather and hail
But one thing I will always remember is
It saved me from the tornado.

It was a nice day and I was sitting in the Jeep with my older sister Tiffany. Then all of a sudden a tornado came and damaged many things in it's path.

When the tornado was gone, I looked around.
The only car left standing was the Jeep. The Jeep had saved my life.

I love that Jeep
and will always cherish it.

Now that the 96 Jeep is gone
I will miss it because it saved me and I have many fond memories in it.

Good Bye beloved Jeep.

I <3 you and I will forever miss you.

... The Jeep

- poem by Trisha Kohansby, aged 10

 <3, Tabi :D

Snapshots from Winchester, VA

When our Summer Adventure took us to Winchester VA, I expected to spend some time catching up and reconnecting with good friends. What I didn't expect was how beautiful it was!

<3, Tabi :D

Summer Adventure Bits + Pieces

(note: pictures are out of order... silly iPhone app)

1. My ZoBo is LOVIN' all the extra attention and cuddles. 

2. Riley and another upside down kindred spirit. 

3. We caught a bite to eat at Red Robin (gooood Veggie Burgers!) and Zoie needed her picture taken with this Lady Liberty. 

4. All 8 kids at Butha's dinner table. It's a good table! 

5. The coaster at FunLand. 

6. Zoie headed to the park. 

7. At the tippy tippy top of the climbing apparatus. 

8. This stuff (Riesling) tastes exactly like flat Ginger Ale. That is my highly educated wine tasting opinion. 

9. Two frozen kids at Red Robin. 

10. The rolling hills of northern Virginia. I will need to stop and take a proper picture before leaving these mountains. Sooo pretty. 

<3, Tabi :D

 

Summer Adventure: Day 3

Today we: 

Learned how to walk on our heads...

Played at a beach in Prince Frederick, MD...

Went to a party where a tractor served duel purpose as a beer cooler...

Hung out with cousins, this is the first kid I've ever met that runs from me :( ...

Went out on paddle boats, Mimi's boat was the winner...

... had a whale of a time!

<3, Tabi :D

Summer Adventure: Day #2

Today, my kids climbed a mountain.

Okay, so maybe it was just a hill. But to my Florida children, it's something new and different and amazing. You see, Florida is a very flat state, so to them... a hill is a mountain just like to me (someone who hasn't experienced the Great Lakes) a pond is a lake...

After 16 + hours in a minivan with 4 children, we finally arrived at our destination! Wooohooo!!! And I must say that my worries about driving 16+ hours in a minivan with 4 children were totally unwarranted. These kids were on their very best behavior and I couldn't have asked for a better behaved bunch.

Yesterday, I failed as a memory keeper and ended up not snapping 1 photo. But we did get to have a relaxing night with some good friends I haven't seen in 10+ years (!!!) and were received with such warm welcome, I know we won't soon forget.

I plan on posting every day or so (or every few days) with a picture and a little update. We are so excited about our plans and all the new things to see and all the friends to visit with.

Can you believe my kids have never caught fireflies before?

<3, Tabi :D

It's Time for an Adventure.

While we keep ourselves plenty busy over here with trips to the YMCA, play time in the pool, reading, drawing, creating, blah blah blah... this is stuff that we can and actually do pretty much all year round. Roxy will be starting 1st grade soon (which is like real school now) and Riley will be just beginning his school journey with Pre-K. I really want this summer to be memorable for my kids, and not just a break from the hectic school year.

It's time for an adventure.

Creating adventures is definitely a much harder thing to accomplish when funds are lacking, but I am sure going to give it my best.

You may or may not know this, but every year us Deneweth's make a long trek up to the Outer Banks, NC all squished in our silver minivan (it's a 14 hour drive NOT including potty breaks, stretch your legs breaks, gas stops and stopping for grub) to spend a week long vacation with my parents, my sisters, my brother in law, my nephews and Sunshine. This is usually the conclusion to our summer as school starts immediately after we return.

This year, I'm going to put a little boogie in it and be a brave Mama. My plan is to drive up (without the help of my better half) with 4 children (still squished in the silver minivan) two weeks early to my old stomping grounds... good ole Southern Maryland. I need to spend some time with people I don't usually get to see, I need to show my children a land that isn't Florida, a place that wasn't created for tourists and hopefully squeeze in some big adventure days in DC museums, the zoo and such.

After the 2 weeks, I'll drive down to the OBX for our annual family vacay and reunite with my better half while he makes his trek up via Greyhound. We are both in for a little adventure.

I moved to Florida 13 years ago. I haven't been home in forever, it seems and I am feeling the urge to reconnect. I have so many family members who don't know my children (except for the pictures I post on Facebook), I have best friends who I rarely ever get to see (and best friend's kids who are my kids' ages that I've never met). But most of all, in a strange way, I kind of want my kids to experience the place where Mommy grew up. They always ask about Maryland, like it's some exotic place where lucky children who live there get to play with snow in the winter. While there obviously won't be any snow on our trip, I hope they get a chance to experience this exotic place called Maryland and file it away in their brains as this summer's adventure.

So... I've got 2 and a half weeks to prepare myself mentally, to pack and to plan out how to squeeze the whole experience I've envisioned in two short weeks.

Am I crazy? I guess we will find out in T minus 17 days.

<3, Tabi :D