the tradition continues: trip to the coast year 2

10.14
We left Nyssa much later than we'd planned-about noon-but weren't in a huge hurry for any reason, either, so we took our time traveling.  {We switched cameras with Wendy since we have the same one & that was lovely to capture the memories of this trip}. The boys did remarkably well & we had lots of laughs and good conversing.  No one slept except Beckham {for one short hour} and the bag of surprises helped a lot again this time.  {Sidenote: we are noticing a definite entitlement issue with Gray & it's all our fault.  He is generally very thankful for anything he's given, but at one point yesterday he said, "I don't want this one-I want the other kind!" and Zac and I looked at each other and decided we'd better change a few things around our house sooner than later.}  With that said, he is a great kid & he's young. (:

Our first stop was a rest stop outside LaGrande.  Next we stopped at Boardman for lunch at the cafe Zac loves.  The boys loved their milkshakes and barely touched their food.  Note to self: food before shakes, next time!

After another couple hours driving, we stopped at Multnomah Falls to stretch our legs.  That was a good choice because the boys LOVED it.  It was so fun to see their excitement and try to keep up with them.  Beckham doesn't care what he's doing as long as he's outside and he was hilarious.  He had us both cracking up.  We hiked to the first bridge and got some pics.  Grayson wanted to go all the way to the top, but we told him we'd do that when we didn't have to carry the 30 pound tank up with us or worry about him {Bex} running off the side of the cliff.  He's definitely not light. (:  And, Grayson insists on always zipping his coat/jackets/sweaters up to the very top & wearing his hood at all times.  It drives me crazy because I think he looks so goofy, but Zac reminds me to let him be little.

We got back on the road and headed for the final destination.  Becca called to chat for a while which was nice & we sent her some pics of us from the Falls.  We hit Portland right at rush hour, but it was only really bad for about 20 minutes.  I would not want to deal with that commute every day, though.  20 minutes to go 2 miles is TOO long.  We had our portable DVD player and pulled it out for the first time at this point and thankfully Ella had left one of her Elmo DVD's inside so the boys had a new to them movie to watch.  It was dark and I thought Beckham would fall asleep for sure, but he kept laughing at Elmo, so they were good.  We got into Seaside around 8, checked into the Resort, grabbed me a salad at Subway, ordered the guys a pizza & settled in.  Got in our jammies, ate dinner, and put the boys to bed.  They did so well going to sleep despite the crazy long traveling day.  I laid by Grayson as he was falling asleep and he cuddled right up by me and whispered, "I'm glad we made it at the Coast, Mom.  I love you."  He was out within seconds-following his brother.  I joined Zac in bed and had a not-so-great night of sleep, but everyone else slept great.

PS: Happy birthday to our sweet Jaeger boy who turned two today!  We love that kid and have such a fond spot in our hearts for him.  Gray was pretty bummed about missing his party and we had a crazy week before we left trying to get our ducks in a row, so I told him we'd have cupcakes with Jaeger and give him his gift when we get home.

10.15
This morning was lovely.  Zac got up with the boys and let me sleep in a bit.  I went downstairs and got a workout in on the elliptical while Zac chilled with the boys.  I got back and showered & Zac went down to get some muffins for breakfast for him and the littles.  We enjoyed breakfast, got dressed warmly, and took the stairs {6 flights} down to the beach-which happens to be right outside our back door.  It was a beautiful day and not too cold.  Grayson went right to work building a sand castle and Beckham was in Heaven running around on the beach.  He was seriously giddy.  They were loving it.  We all got sufficiently sandy, took a walk over to the statue of Lewis & Clark showcasing that this was the end of the Oregon Trail, and headed down the boardwalk.  The boys had ice cream & Z got hot cocoa.  We walked to the Carousel Mall and told Grayson we were all riding the carousel.  He was nervous-last year he wouldn't do it-but we told him he didn't have a choice and sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do so you can find out how fun they are {a lesson I learned from my parents time & time again...ski lessons, TVCC choir, college, etc.}.  He finally resigned himself to the fact that he had to go and picked a reindeer to ride.  Zac rode with Beckham on a horse & I rode the deer next to Grayson.  He LOVED it, of course, and I'm glad Zac pushed him to do it.  Beckham, on the other hand, was much more scared this time-funny!  He is also scared of the elevator and every time we get in, he panics.  Poor guy. (:

 

We got caught by the balloon lady after our ride and she made Beckham a fish on a pole and Grayson an octopus, that he hasn't put down.  We came home at that point & got Bex down for a nap.  Zac hung out trying to catch the BSU game.  Grayson and I went to the grocery store to get supplies for the week.  He was a seriously great shopping partner.  He was patient, funny, and excited about being at the Coast-a fact he reiterated about 17 times.  Love it.  We got lots of groceries {hard to figure out what you need for a week when you don't have anything-even condiments, etc.  Next time I'll be better prepared & bring a cooler of that stuff} and headed back.  The rest of the afternoon & early evening were spent chilling, resting, playing hide & seek, and watching a movie about polar bears.  We were all missing everyone and skyped both sets of parents & T&T which made me think we better not move too far from family anytime soon {or ever}.  (:  It was cute watching the boys get excited about each person and hearing Grayson recap his highlights each time.

We got the boys in bed & cuddled on the couch watching War of the World and chatting before we turned in for the evening.  A great first day on the Coast.

10.16
Sunday was a good day.  We just lazed around the house, then got ready, and played together inside for a while.  We spent some time with the scriptures, watching a movie, and laughing-especially at Zac each time he'd put in a new set of teeth he'd gotten & scare us.  I finally joined in, too.  (:  Late afternoon we got outside & took a walk down the boardwalk.  The boys loved it and adore everything about the Coast.  I adore everything about all three of my boys.

 

10.17
Monday was a work day, unfortunately.  But, business must go on, even when we're not around.  We worked on payroll, finished & sent it to our bookkeeper who was kindly doing the delivery for us and Zac put out fires for several hours while the boys & I played and watched cartoons.  Then we took walks down the hall, spent an hour reading/playing on the balcony {which the boys adore & so do I} and enjoyed leaving the door to the balcony open all day since it was 68 degrees & sunny.  When we were done working, we took another trip to the beach and wanted to fly a kite.  Beckham ended up throwing a major fit-very uncharacteristic for him-and was basically unconsolable.  He just wanted to push the stroller around and we weren't letting him because he was trying to take it into the road and he just wouldn't have it.  Plus, he has a cold and is just more irritable than usual.  So, I left Zac and Gray outside to play in the sand & enjoy their time while Bex and I trekked back to the condo.  I got him undressed, cleaned up, warm & fed, and he cuddled on the couch with me till the boys got home.  I love cuddling time, so I wasn't heart broken about leaving early.  He was cracking me up because I gave him a cup with lucky charms in it and he was digging around picking out & eating the marshmallows while leaving the brown parts on the couch or putting them in my hand.  How do they figure that out so early?  We spent a bit of time all together when Z&G got back and got the boys in bed so we could watch movies.

10.18
We've loved not having an agenda or schedule while here, but today was nice to have a plan & get it done.  We headed out about 11 to Tillamook.  Beckham slept and Grayson was really quiet the entire 45 minute ride.  Zac and I were thinking too, so it was a pretty peaceful & quiet ride up the beautiful coastal highway.  Love this place on the earth.  There is something about the ocean that brings instant peace.  It's calming and lovely and smells amazing.  We wandered around the cheese factory and Grayson totally remembered it & loved it.  We got lunch which was delicious and Zac got ice cream.

We left from there and drove another couple hours to Newport.  Both boys slept this time and we ended up at the Aquarium in Newport.  I think I went when I was a kid when our family took a trip to the coast, but I didn't remember it, so it was new to me and the boys.  Zac hadn't been in over 15 years, so it was basically new to him, too.  Gray was grumpy going in because we'd waken him up to go in.  Once we got inside, he was totally excited.  He LOVED it.  Beckham was a total psycho running around everywhere, but also appropriately oohed & awwed over most things.  I gotta say it was pretty cool-especially the shark exhibit where the water went all around you and under you.  You walked on windows that showed you the water which both boys thought was pretty awesome.  It was a neat experience and took about an hour.  At the end, the boys played in this simple kids place for about ten minutes and got about as much joy from that as anything.  Ha!

We turned around and made the 3 hour trek back to Seaside after that.  We rocked out to Star Wars music, Michael Buble' and lots of Daddy's old favorites.  The boys did great and Beckham slept a bit more.  We ate dinner when we got back, did bathtime & bedtime, and Zac and I watched the Republican Presidential debate which had us laughing a few times.  (:  Ended the night watching the new X-Men movie.  Good times.


10.19
Wednesday was another LONG work day.  Lots of issues for Zac to figure out from far away=lots of stress.  The boys and I spent the day playing, touring the resort, and trying to stay out of daddy's way.  Poor Zac!  Needless to say, we were all ready for a break that evening, and got out to try the famous pizza place on the Boardwalk.  The boys loved it & it was worth it.  Beckham had fallen twice earlier that day hitting the same spot on the same cheek both times.  {once out of the windowsill he's climbing/sitting on & once on the coffee table leg in the living room} It was red at this point but soon turned into quite the bruise.  He is such a tank!

10.20
We all slept in a bit today and then I cuddled on the couch with Grayson and cartoons until Beckham woke up.  Love those sweet one on one times.

We took a walk out to the beach and wanted to try flying the kite again.  It ended up being the only day with NO wind! (:  And, it was rainy and cold, but Gray was still a trooper and wanted to build as many castles as he could.  We lasted about half an hour till we had to go for another walk.  Zac took the boys to the carousel again and for ice cream and I took a luxurious bath which was wonderful!  Grayson accompanied me to the grocery store to pick a movie & get a couple things and then to the workout room while I exercised.  He was so good and even called Grami for a bit while I was finishing up.  After the boys were in bed, I called a couple clients, Becca called to chat for a bit, and then Zac and I watched Thor.  So good!

10.21
Friday was checkout day.  We were sad to leave the beach, but ready for another adventure.  We got all packed & loaded up and left by 11.

We drove to Portland and our first stop was the Children's Museum.  TOTALLY worth it.  Wow!  That place is like Heaven for kids.  I loved it, too.  The boys adored everything and could go anywhere.  Everything is so well thought out-just right for kids sizes-and just so much fun.  They especially loved the Lego exhibit, the dress up portion, the kitchen/store area, the building & construction site, and the dig pit.  That was my favorite, too.  We had lunch there and played some more.  Such a great place!  We will definitely be going again.

After a few hours at the museum, we headed out to Camas.  We ate an early dinner at Five Guys and drove to Larry & Laurie's house.  We hung out, helped her make food, called clients & dealt with work stuff, and the boys were doted on like crazy by their sweet cousins.  It was a great night.

 10.22
Today we drove home.  We had breakfast with L&L and kids, packed up, and headed out.  We drove six hours straight, stopped once for a potty break/gas fill up/snacks from the gas station, and that was it.  The boys were fabulous.  Perfect, really.  The last half hour before home they both started getting a bit whiny, so we just pulled out the thing that makes them both calm & happy: the star wars soundtrack.  Totally cracks us up, but kept them giggling and singing till we got home.  We unpacked & Grandpa Alan and Uncle Bruce showed up to say hi.  Not wanting Grami to feel left out, we ran over to see her.  They were going to dinner & invited us, but I sent Zac-not wanting to push the boys time in the car good luck-and I fed them dinner and put them to bed.  We relaxed the rest of the night.  It was another great family trip, but it felt so great to be home!

 Random Vacation stuff I want to remember:

-Before we left, I told Zac I'd really like to come home having lost weight.  I have a pretty intense goal and timeline to meet it, and didn't want to gain weight while we were gone, so I asked him to help me and support me.  He was awesome the whole week {as usual} in this respect and never hesitated to entertain the kids so I could get a workout in, make sure we had great options for my lean & green meal, and do whatever else he could to make it easier on me.  It's not about him not enjoying stuff that I'm not eating because I like seeing him and the kids eat good stuff & junk food-it's enjoyable and it's vacation, so they should enjoy it.  It's just nice to have so much support from him in every way.  When I got home & weighed, I'd only lost half a pound.  I felt pretty discouraged because I'd eaten well every day, had skipped ice cream/candy/cinnamon rolls/pizza, etc., while the guys were eating, and stayed on plan.  I had exercised 6 days that we were gone.  However, I realized that if I let that small loss discourage me and totally take me off track, I wasn't doing it for the right reasons anyway.  So I tried not to let it get me down.  It's such a hard journey.  One I won't be done with anytime soon.  I am addressing some deep rooted food issues in my head and it's not fun.  Sometimes I just want to stop worrying about it.  I can't though-because it's obviously something I am feeling led to overcome.  It's just so hard.  I spent lots of time on vacation reading through four great books & I'll be journaling about them soon-those helped a lot.  More to come on this subject.

- Shop for groceries daily instead of one big trip at the beginning.  I way overbought groceries & we left quite a bit in the fridge when we left-unopened.

-Take a cooler from home.  Take toys from home.

-Unfortunately, they were doing construction on the building the entire time we were there {minus Sunday} and I swear they were focusing only on the rooms right around our suite.  They seemed to sense when I'd put Beckham down for a nap and pull out their loudest equipment at those times.  Miraculously, we turned his fan on like we do at home and he still slept at least 2-3 hours each day.

-Beckham saying, "mom, mom, mommmmm, mama, mom" everywhere and whenever he wanted anything

-Hearing the ocean upon waking every morning.  There are few things better, I am convinced.

-We kinda thought our condo was haunted at the beginning.  The first night I turned the light on the microwave on when we went to bed and the boys lights off.  In the middle of the night I woke up suddenly and went to check on the boys.  The microwave light was off and the boys bedroom light {that is only turned on by a switch on the fan plate that they can't reach} was ON.  Totally freaky.  Their room was bright as day at 3 in the morning and they were fast asleep.  I flipped the switch to off and went to bed, but felt unsettled all night.  Upon waking and telling Zac, I realized both lights were probably on a sensor, but it's still weird.  The third night both Zac and I bolted up in the middle of the night when we heard a super loud thumping noise.  We both got up to investigate, but everything was as it had been and both boys were sleeping soundly.  Hmm... (:

-Holding hands with Zac in the front seat driving on the way home.  Talking and laughing and truly enjoying the drive.  Me staying awake the entire time both ways. 

-Hearing Beckham randomly start singing the main Star Wars theme from the backseat.  Then having Grayson join in.

-Beckham's absolutely adorable {and loud} expression of joy & sigh of contentment when he realized we were pulling into our driveway.  He was so happy to be home!