The Best Comfort Food

...is the kind your mom makes.

Or your grandma, as the case may be. 

Shepherd's pie is so good, but it's even better when your momma makes it for you. I ate at least a third of it over a period of two days.

I have also realized, without a doubt, that I love it when someone else cooks, and I will happily clean up their mess in return for the meal. Bonus that I get to hang out with Mom while she's cooking.

Where Yankees and the Deep South Get Along Just Fine

What happens when you spend several hours in a wonderland store with several women, children, and even a Grandpa?

You end up toting just a few bags home from the shop which boasts "America's Best Loved Candle." 

Whenever we visit Williamsburg, we visit Yankee Candle. It is a firmly established tradition now, and a trip to this area would not be complete without it. The kids actually really love the store, since it has goodies from Christmas tree ornaments to candy to toys to household decor to candles. There is something for just about anyone in this place. 

One thing I counted on them wanting to do this year was make wax molds of their hands. There is a station set up at which you can make a shape with your hand, and someone helps you dip your shaped hand into wax in order to make a fun...well, mold of your hand. Michaela did this last time, and this visit Christian wanted to do it first thing.

The gentleman who helped Christian also helped Michaela two years ago. He is so pleasant! He had Christian put his hand in a very cold, soapy solution which prepped his hand for the warmer wax, and I think also aided in the wax coming off his hand when it was time to take it off.

Cold solution, wax, and then back again, and repeat, and repeat.

Christian thought it felt really weird. (Awkward may have been the word he used.)

After making a small cut somewhere, the man gently slipped the mold off Christian's hand.

Then he dyed it for him.

Fun!

Michaela went next. 

She knew what to expect...a pro at it!

At first Eliana wanted to try it, but when she heard how cold the one solution was, and how warm (maybe even hot) the wax was, she changed her mind. She thought sticking a candle in wax was a much more appealing idea! She dipped two adorable sets of candles that we brought home. She could have dipped candles all day. 

Well, she could have dipped all day, until she found out about making her own jar candle. All three kids wanted to do this. 

They each had a jar; it was a good size too! They put their respective jars below a spout that would softly blow a scented powder in it. They could choose however many scents they wanted, and fill their jars up to the neck.

They were so funny to watch...so patient, waiting for each spout to finish, checking out the different scents.

They were also able to take sticks and make designs in the powder in their jars. 

Eliana loved this activity.

She thought this was so cool! She made her own candle! Mom and I thought it was funny that it looked so similar to her sweater!

They had to give their jars to the folks who work there so that they could warm them up and somehow make them candley. When that was done, they got their jars back, and they were ready to light!

I have since discovered that my children very much like to play with fire. (They have been heavily supervised.)

The kids spent some time watching the fountain, and having fun trying to balance pennies on the metal fountain spouts, so that the pennies would shoot up when the water turned on.

And while the kids were doing their creating, and the ladies did some shopping, Grandpa just hung with the group. He watched Christian, Eliana, and Michaela make their candles, and he watched them check out ornaments. He walked with them through the toy store, and he sat with them while they messed around next to the fountain. He made sure they only ate half of their candy while the moms/Grandmas sought out any good deals on candles. His hat says it all: GRAMPS  U DA MAN!

It was a fun morning! How could it not be: candles, lollipops, Christmas trees?! 

I mean, seriously...who wouldn't love such a cute lollipop?

Peace

Make a plan. Go ahead. Try.

But guess what? Life doesn't always go according to one's plans.

We had a very busy day today. It was a good day, a great day at times, and we were able to visit with some dear friends, do some shopping, create some cool things, and have a wonderful dinner together. I knew everyone was tired, especially the kids (who did not get enough sleep last night, or the night before that, either), and I was determined to get them to bed at a very reasonable time tonight in order to help tomorrow morning be less crazy than it might be. (We are going to church in the morning, back in Richmond.) 

It took a while, but all children were bathed and settled in their sleeping places by a little after 9pm. This was a win! 

I had come downstairs, my parents were flipping channels, we were thinking of playing Scrabble, and I was getting into the cookies. 

I heard footsteps on the stairs. I turned to see Michaela coming down with a distraught look on her face,"Christian is throwing up right now!"

No longer winning! Throw up should not happen on vacation. Did no one tell him that?

I hurried up the stairs, and poor thing, he was standing there on his way to the bathroom, but he just hadn't made it. It wasn't terrible, but it was on the carpet. I got him in the shower and went to the front office of the place we are staying and told them what had happened. They said they didn't really have anything to clean it up, but handed me some extra towels and laundry detergent.

Say what?! I thought for sure they would have some sort of method for taking care of pukey carpets! A steam cleaner? Something...

I took the stuff they gave me and came back to our unit; I did the best I could. Then I drove up to the Target that is five minutes away and got some odor remover (it's for pet stains and odors...I thought that might do the trick). I moved all the kids out of the room they were in, for the smell of the cleaner was strong. At least one of them is asleep now, but this is not the evening I had planned.

I can make plans. I can have the best intentions. But things don't always go my way. I am not in control, not one bit, really. Sometimes it seems like I am in control, and I believe it's good to make a plan (don't tell Mike I said that!) but we also need to be prepared for the curve balls.

I am not so good with the curve balls, y'all. I huff. I puff. I fuss. I whine. I growl. I stomp. I curse. I sigh. 

And tonight on the way back from Target, I cried. I prayed,"Thank you, God, for..." and then I burst into sporadic, weird tears, confused tears that didn't even really know why they were falling. I was thankful for a place to go when I needed emergency cleaning supplies. I was thankful that Christian was okay, and that his throwing up was not related to a contagious sickness, but a coughing issue. I was sad that this might be a new normal for him and for us. (This is likely me being dramatic. It happens sometimes.) (I found out just before we left (I took him to the doctor for this persistent cough) that he had developed a viral infection in his lungs, and the doctor prescribed an inhaler, but it seemed indefinite how long he was supposed to be on this inhaler.) I momentarily felt frightened, because of several what-if scenarios that suddenly played through my mind. 

But in the end, it's all out of my hands. I can try to be prepared. I can have the inhalers for Christian. I can clean up the messes as best as I can. But there is no way to know just what is going to happen. And some things I have to let go. There is more behind this post than only what I've posted, things about me that are deep-rooted control issues, parenting issues, personality issues. I know there are much bigger stresses people are dealing with in the world than a surprise puke before bedtime. And in addition to my prayers before, there is this one: that the Lord bless all those parents or caretakers who have a child or children with chronic issues, life-threatening issues, or who are looking at a terminal illness. I don't really have words to express my heartache at these things, and I hope that's where the Spirit steps in on my, and your, behalf..."The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

Peace.

Just 24 Hours

After a long day of travel, I shoved the kids in the shower as soon as we hit Grandma and Grandpa's house. I was thinking that it was finally their bedtime. This was a foolish assumption. 

Grandma always has goodies of some kind or another. The kids are no fools. Nothing escapes them. They know better.

Just look at them. They are up to something...can't you tell?

And Christian, who had been complaining of a headache and letting us know how tired he was since we got off the plane, was suddenly feeling quite chipper (even though he was still inclined to recline).

Grandma didn't even have to tell them where their packages were. I think they sniffed them out. 

They got settled on the couch, each with a present on his or her lap. 

They love having an audience with Grandpa. He's a good audience to have. Quite attentive.

The older kids were very sweet and let Eliana go first (which they often do...it is fun to watch them be kind to one another).

She opened up the paper...

and saw not only a blanket just for her, but...

a pink blanket just for her, covered with cupcakes!

Delighted is what she was.

Christian was next. 

He carefully untied the ribbon at either end of his package and peeked in.

He discovered a lovely plaid blanket. 

He immediately opened it up and threw it out over his legs.

At this point, Michaela was pretty sure what was in her paper. She ripped it off so quickly that I didn't have a chance to get a picture until she had it undone.

They were all so happy and cozy! As they should be at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Here's the thing: they weren't done!

Along with the wrapped packages were small bags. What could be in them?

It took Eliana a minute to figure out what it was. 

Then her little light bulb went off: cupcake jammies!

Christian pulled a robe out of his bag. He was very excited about it too, because not too long ago, he discovered that I had passed his old robe along (it was too small), and he was not happy about that. 

Leave it to Grandma to fill the robe-void in his life. 

Michaela finally got to see what was in her bag, and it was a cute nightgown.

And now since they all had cozy blankies (the jammies needed to be washed...remember me?), surely it was bedtime, right?!

Yes! They all went to bed. And no one woke up outrageously early, either.

On our first full day in town, we began the morning with an outing to the park in order to visit with a friend of mine from my middle and high school days. We hadn't seen each other in twenty years! But it was great fun to hang out, and it was even better than when we were teenagers because NONE OF THE ANGST. (Although, I'm pretty sure my skin was better back then. I still wouldn't go back. Now I have make-up.) My kids played with her kids, and she enjoyed the break from toting her littlest one around. Michaela had fun carrying him here and there, and then a leaf-moving tractor showed up and that was all anyone needed for a good fifteen minutes.

And we tried to catch up, and started at least 12 conversations that didn't get completed, but we'll have that many places to start the next time we see one another!

After I left the park, I headed back to Mom and Dad's and we ate lunch. Then we got serious about getting to Williamsburg. We left later than we had hoped, but arrived safely and got everything unpacked without a problem...what a blessing! We've had some crazy trips in the past. 

Once we got somewhat settled, we figured out a dinner plan and then sat down to eat together. Eliana was already done by the time everyone else started eating, so she galloped over to Grandpa to give him a hug.

It was just good to be together. 

Eliana especially likes to be stuck like glue on you-know-who...

Unwarranted Advice

Tips for traveling:

Make sure you begin packing at least 12 hours before your flight. 

Lose half of the fun snacks that you bought a week before your trip somewhere in your kitchen (even if it's not that big of a kitchen...you're talented, you'll figure out a way).

Forget to pack your son shirts. (Feel good that you got his underwear, toothbrush, and new medicine.)

Forget tissues, even though each member of your traveling party (and I don't mean balloons-and-hats-and-streamers-and-cake party) has some kind of sinus issue at this very moment. 

Consider packing chocolate cake. Cake on this trip sounds like a good idea.

Take a deep breath and do not take your frustration out on your sweet children when your flight is delayed an hour because of mechanical problems. Remember: it is better to wait for a plane that works properly than to plummet to the ground from any height in a giant metal tube, or to blow up in said tube.

And finally, and possibly most importantly, do NOT feed your five-year-old a chocolate milkshake after 8:00pm. 

(Really finally, say a prayer with your kiddos at the end of the day, thanking God for a safe trip and the blessing of being able to visit grandparents for a whole week!)

P.S. You're welcome for the advice...