Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
ATLANTA!!! July 2013
About six weeks ago our GiGi's Playhouse- Nashville board decided it would be a good idea to visit the GiGi's Playhouse in Atlanta and meet with their (out-going) Site Coordinator. Most of our group loves the IDEA of a GiGi's Playhouse, but they've never seen one in person (I went to the Atlanta Playhouse last Spring while visiting Lori & Co.). So, we found a Saturday that would work for the group and we planned the visit. Of course, I sent Lori a message as soon as we nailed down the dates to see if they would be up for some visitors and the "Day-Trip-To-GiGi's-Atlanta" turned into "A-Weekend-Trip-To-Visit-Friends-And-Oh-Yeah-Let's-Check-Out-The-GiGi's-Playhouse-While-We'-Are-There"
I know I've talked about my relationship with Lori in previous blog posts, but I will recap for you forgetful ones. ;)
Lori and I met in an online forum when I was pregnant with Etta and she was pregnant with her second child, Alyssa. We were both due in June 2008 (Which is what that board was all about- preggies who were due in June 2008). Her first daughter, Natalie, has Down syndrome. She was my first point of contact in the Ds community when Etta was born. Many late-night chats online with Lori solidified our relationship. She was already living the world of Down syndrome and was there for me when I was still learning to navigate it. We also found we had more in common than just Ds and it was during that time when she jokingly became my "lova". Haha. She was my late-night, online mistress. We met in person for the first time when Etta and Alyssa were five months old.
I was headed to Panama and had a layover in Atlanta for about five hours and she brought her kids up to the airport and hung out with me for a couple of hours. Since then, she has come to stay with us two or three times and we have gone to stay with her three or four times. Oh, and another fun fact, both of our boys are also the same age! Lori got pregnant the month after I got pregnant with Daniel! It was exciting that we would share another pregnancy. Then, Bennett arrived a month early. So, both of our boys are October 2011 babies!
Alrighty! Back to the program:
We left on Friday evening after Keith got home from work. The drive to Atlanta, without kids, SHOULD take about four hours. It took us five-and-a-half. We had to stop about an hour and a half into the trip to feed Alice... and everyone else. We stopped at a McDonald's and let the kids play/get some energy out while I fed Pixie. Then, everyone went potty/had a diaper change and we loaded back into the car. We went through the drive-through and I sat in the back feeding the big kids while Keith got us back on the road. That whole stop probably took us about 45 minutes or so.
We stopped one more time about an hour and a half away to potty again. The kids passed out after that stop. It was a nice, quiet drive for about an hour until Daniel woke up all disoriented and crying, which woke everyone else up. The whole car was a crying mess for the last 30 minutes of the trip. We were SO ready to get out of the car when we finally arrived around 11:30 (their time)!
Cliff helped me unload the car while Keith handled clingy Daniel and Lori fed Alice and Etta made herself at home with all of the toys! I got Etta's tent set up and Alice's co-sleeper set up and tossed Daniel's blanket and wubbanubs in Bennett's crib and we called it a night!
The kids were still pretty wound up, though. It took Daniel the longest to get to sleep, but I think he finally passed out around 1:45 (which was really 12:45 our time). Guess he was good to go after that nap in the car! I didn't sleep well with Keith snoring in my ear and Daniel stirring most of the night and the kids were Up And At 'Em around 6:00 (Which was really 5:00 our time. HOLY SMOKES!!) Keith and Alice slept in a little and I took Daniel and Etta downstairs to play and have breakfast and play some more. I walked around like a zombie.
Keith got up around 9:00 and I got back in bed for about 30 minutes until Alice (finally) woke up. That girl slept in until almost 10:00 that morning! Then we got ready and left a little after 11:00 so we could meet the rest of the group at GiGi's by noon. For one reason or another, a couple of our board members who were planning to come couldn't make it. So, there were four of us that day to meet with Stephanie and tour the Playhouse. I think it was really a great chance to meet with their Site Coordinator to see what was working for them and what wasn't. I definitely think it was worth the trip. While I was meeting, Keith had Etta and Daniel and I had Alice (Until Lori came and swooped her away. lol). I could tell around 2:30 that Keith was done because the kids were DONE (super tired = cranky kids). The meeting was wrapping up anyway so we just sort of made our exit.
During the ride home, Lori and I made plans for Keith and Cliff to go on a "Man Date" because it seemed like they might like to get out of the house. So, we spent the afternoon playing at the house and the boys went out after we fed the kids dinner and Lori went to Zaxby's to get food after we got the five big kids in bed. We spent the rest of the night hanging out, watching stuff on Netflix.
(VIDEO)
The kids slept MUCH better the second night! They were up around 7:00 or so. Keith got up with them and I slept a little. We took it pretty easy that morning and got on the road around 10:30. It was a whirlwind of a visit and my little tornadoes left a mess in their wake, but we had a really great time together, reconnecting! Next time, we'll add at least one more night so it doesn't feel so whirlwindy (spell check is losing it's mind right now!). ;)
I miss you, Lova! See you next time!
I know I've talked about my relationship with Lori in previous blog posts, but I will recap for you forgetful ones. ;)
Alrighty! Back to the program:
We left on Friday evening after Keith got home from work. The drive to Atlanta, without kids, SHOULD take about four hours. It took us five-and-a-half. We had to stop about an hour and a half into the trip to feed Alice... and everyone else. We stopped at a McDonald's and let the kids play/get some energy out while I fed Pixie. Then, everyone went potty/had a diaper change and we loaded back into the car. We went through the drive-through and I sat in the back feeding the big kids while Keith got us back on the road. That whole stop probably took us about 45 minutes or so.
Daniel wasn't brave enough to go any higher than that step. Maybe next time..
Now here come a bunch of blurry shots that I took in the car at dusk and refused to use a flash for... Hope you don't get too dizzy.
Cliff helped me unload the car while Keith handled clingy Daniel and Lori fed Alice and Etta made herself at home with all of the toys! I got Etta's tent set up and Alice's co-sleeper set up and tossed Daniel's blanket and wubbanubs in Bennett's crib and we called it a night!
Gary, you WILL be my friend!
The look Natalie is giving me keeps cracking me up!
Keith got up around 9:00 and I got back in bed for about 30 minutes until Alice (finally) woke up. That girl slept in until almost 10:00 that morning! Then we got ready and left a little after 11:00 so we could meet the rest of the group at GiGi's by noon. For one reason or another, a couple of our board members who were planning to come couldn't make it. So, there were four of us that day to meet with Stephanie and tour the Playhouse. I think it was really a great chance to meet with their Site Coordinator to see what was working for them and what wasn't. I definitely think it was worth the trip. While I was meeting, Keith had Etta and Daniel and I had Alice (Until Lori came and swooped her away. lol). I could tell around 2:30 that Keith was done because the kids were DONE (super tired = cranky kids). The meeting was wrapping up anyway so we just sort of made our exit.
This place was humming with activity from the minute we walked in.
Our favorite moment came after we were done meeting with their Site Coordinator. We were sitting around in the back of the Playhouse discussing a few things when the MOST adorable little girl came out of one of the literacy rooms, ran over to us, and excitedly shared with us what she had just learned. She went on and on about ants and the parts of their body and how they use their antenna to feel things. She was SO proud and we were all so happy for her. Of course, I teared up. It was just such a sweet reminder of WHY we want this so badly for our community. Thank you, Zoe for inspiring us to keep plugging away at this thing!
Our favorite moment came after we were done meeting with their Site Coordinator. We were sitting around in the back of the Playhouse discussing a few things when the MOST adorable little girl came out of one of the literacy rooms, ran over to us, and excitedly shared with us what she had just learned. She went on and on about ants and the parts of their body and how they use their antenna to feel things. She was SO proud and we were all so happy for her. Of course, I teared up. It was just such a sweet reminder of WHY we want this so badly for our community. Thank you, Zoe for inspiring us to keep plugging away at this thing!
(VIDEO)
(photo credit:: Lori Free)
The boys last March at 5 months old:
...and now at 21 months :)
(photo credit: Lori)
He carried at least one wubbanub around with him the entire time we were there! (They are usually not allowed out of his crib. He struggled a little with being in a different place and not getting as much rest. Guess he needed those as security "lovies")
(photo credit: Lori)
Etta's making sure she gets pictures for her blog.
Alyssa is the "baby whisperer". She can totally put a crying baby in a laughing mood with very little effort. (She did this when Daniel was a baby too)
(VIDEO)
I miss you, Lova! See you next time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)