Society Begins to Meddle with My Family

The other day Brian and I planned out our summer to ensure we would do some fun things this year. Last year was a total wash. We didn't do much of anything at all other than a trip home for a wedding. We didn't camp, picnic, go downtown to see the sight or go to the beach. That precipitated our last minute trip to Hershey, PA two weeks before Jacob was born because we felt guilty for neglecting our kiddos and not taking time to enjoy life and nurture family relationships. So, we wrote out all the cool stuff we want to do, made reservations for camping, bought tickets to the circus and to go up the Washington Monument (something Ben has been asking about for over a year) and wrote in all the free Home Depot Kid Class days, etc, etc. With all the planning I realized we will, for the first time, be enslaved to the public school calendar. Yuck. We've never had to care what everyone else was doing or had any fancy schedule or ruling power to be subject too. We came and went and always did what we wanted, when we wanted. No drop off or pick up time every single day, no school buses or book reports and homework. Finally, I resigned myself to the inevitable, printed out the school calendar and wrote it up on our family calendar. It was all color coded and Ben was mesmorized. He would touch the printed school calendar with such tenderness. It was magical to him. He is so excited. I am only just beginning to see ho society is bbeginnig to meddle in my business. Yucko.

Hurricane Camping from Me

From my email March 22, 2005: Shon pretty much summed up the camping trip perfectly. When we were leaving, Kristie said she would never come back to that beach again in her life. She was so scared it was funny. At 4 am she made Anthony drive off the beach onto the pavement by the bathrooms because she was afraid she would get stuck. Keep in mind that she didn't care if WE got stuck and the sand where you drive was hard as a rock. I laughed at her. Kristie also got something in her eye, probably sand. It cut the eyeball or something in the white part and she was hurting pretty bad. I told her I would get my sister, Nurse Kristie, to help her out. Nurses can fix anything. Ben loved the sand and hated the water. I don't blame him though. The water was pretty cold. Anthony and Emily are the only ones who actually got in that I remember.

Camping in a Hurricane from Shon

Spring Break is just around the corner. Which means it is almost the anniversary of our family camping trip in a hurricane in Corpus Christi, Texas. Ahhh...the memories. Anyway, I was searching email lately for something and ran across this email from my brother Shon after we tried out camping in a Texas hurricane. It brought back sooooo many funny memories, I just had to relive it again and thought my family would get a kick out of it too. From an email Shon sent to the family March 20, 2005: Well I am sure you will get different versions of the Robinson, Zufelt, Moeller camping trip but here is a little bit about our adventure. We went to a place called Mustang Island State Park which is on a barrier island just outside of Corpus Christi, Texas. It is about a 5 hour drive from our house there. My family got there about 5:30 on Friday night and we chose our campsite. The campground facilities consisted of a picnic table (not everyone had one but we did!!!!!), a garbage can, and a port-a-potty every 300 yards along the beach. We just drove straight onto the beach and we camped between the sand dune and ocean. There was about 50 yards between the water and dune. The wind was blowing pretty hard so we parked the van to break the wind and got the tent set up. By the time the tent was up it was dark and we all were totally full of sand from the crazy wind. Sarah and Abby were wrecks because the kids stayed in the van so they wouldn't get sand in every crevas and cry from the wind blowing it in their eyes. It was kind of frustrating to get there to the beach after a 5 hour car ride only to be foiled by the wind. Once the tent was up we put Abby and Sarah to bed. Juli and I ate "sand"wiches and looked at each other like we were idiots for not packing right back up and going home. The wind did die down after about 8:00 and it was actually a pleasant evening. Everyone else went to bed while Bryce and I went to get Angie and Kristie's families. They showed up at about 10:00 and set up their tents. Then we went to bed. Saturday started out as a very nice day. We spent the morning and early afternoon at the beach. The kids built sandcastles, flew kites, caught clams and crabs, played Frisbee, played in the sand etc. They had an absolute ball. Anthony even went boogie boarding. Abby loved the sand. She had a good time walking in it and digging and playing with it. She was a very dirty girl most of the time. Angie and Brian made a very nice breakfast of bacon and eggs and muffins. Then my family made hoagie sandwiches for lunch. After Ben and Abby had a nap we drove to the USS Lexington. It is a WWII aircraft carrier that is now a museum in Corpus Christi. We took a ferry across from the island to another island and then a bridge across to the mainland. It was pretty impressive to go through the Lexington. We went up to the "island" where the ship is controlled, all around on the flight deck where there were ~15 different airplanes and helicopters. We also went down in the ship to the engine room, the dentist office, the chapel, the post office, the barber shop, the hospital, the mission briefing room, the war room (command center), captains room, the emergency room (fire and hazmat stuff), the hanger, the cafeteria, the room where they filmed some of pearl harbor, etc, etc. It was pretty amazing to think that in 1944 they built that ship without computers and it was so technologically advanced. Anyway the kids enjoyed it and were tired after walking miles and miles. When we were done it looked like it might rain so we decided not to cook dinner in the rain and went to Outback Steakhouse. Boy did it ever rain while we were eating. There were tornado warnings on the TV's in the restaurant, hail and lightning etc not to mention the torrential downpour. After it cleared up we headed back to the beach. When we got there it wasn't raining too hard. K&A's tent was upside down and some of the poles had come out of ours but B&A's and ours for the most part were fine. K&A took down their tent and slept in their car. Brian and Angie slept the first part of the night in the tent. On the way home from the restaurant all the kids fell asleep so we didn't want to put them in the tent since we might wake them up. Also the bottom room was flooded (3 room tent) and there were only enough dry blankets and sleeping bags for 2-4 people to sleep in the tent. We all started out trying to sleep in the van and people moved around every hour or so when someone would wake up or cry or get eaten by mosquitoes. It is very interesting sleeping a family of 6 in a van! It can be done but I would not recommend it. At about midnight we finally got pretty well arranged and slept for a while. Juli, Emily, Sarah and Abby were sleeping in the tent (they were the comfortable ones) with me and Bryce cramped in the van. Have you ever slept on a 4 foot bench? At about 3 or so in the morning I woke up to tons of lightning but it wasn't raining. I noticed that Angie and Brian's tent was gone but their car and K&A's car were both still there. Everyone had moved into their cars. It was like it was constant lightning and the sky was just always bright. I also saw that the wind had picked up a lot. I ran in to the tent and told Juli we should probably move them all back into the van. By the time I got to the tent and grabbed Sarah it was pouring rain and the tent was getting pounded by the wind. I carried Sarah and then Emily back to the van and threw them in. Then we grabbed Abby and Juli came. Now, all 6 of us were wide awake inside the van watching the tent get pounded. Juli suggested we go put the poles down so at least the tent didn't break. I thought that since the tent had made it through that first storm alright while we were at dinner it would be fine, so I didn't go do it (I also didn't want to get any wetter). Then the wind really started blowing and I decided I probably should go let it down. Just about then I heard 2 loud pops and the tent poles broke. Oh well I guess I will listen better next time to what Juli says. Now we were in a really fun situation. Everyone was in their cars ready to go except our family. We had a broken 10 man tent with stuff in it (pack and play 4 air mattresses, duffel bags, etc.) sitting on the beach and there was no way to get that thing in the van too. It was also quite obvious that we were not going to get any more sleep with us all crammed like that in the van. The smart decision was going to be to just head home. How are you supposed to roll a loaded tent up, through it in the van and take off? We waited until the rain died down a little (not stopped raining just stopped sideways raining) and then Angie and I tore down the tent and put all of our gear in their car and our van. It probably took a good 20 minutes to get it all done. I invented the next reality show. Camping on a beach in a hurricane. CAN YOU DO IT? The best part was trying to take apart the pack and play, deflate the air mattresses and get the bags out of a tent that is laying down and being pounded by wind and rain. I did learn some things. If you are claustrophobic I definitely would not suggest crawling into a ten man tent in wind and rain and dark where a pack and play is the only support holding up the roof. It is pretty tough to move around when the ceiling sticks to you (because it is wet plastic) and the wind is roaring. After we got packed up we drove to the other side of the sand dunes where there was a shower and bathroom. Everyone went to the bathroom and I changed my clothes (somehow our clothes bag was not packed at the bottom of the van) and I found DRY clothes! There are little miracles. We then drove home leaving at ~5 in the morning arriving home in Houston to crash about 10AM. Our garage and back yard are like clothes lines. Emily is supposed to write in her journal about what she did for spring break. I bet nobody can beat her stories..... Jason keep up the hard work. Shon and fam

Hershey Chocolate Factory

On the afternoon of Black Friday we departed in the early afternoon for Hershey, Pennsylvania. The drive was uneventful and the kids both slept after a bit of movie watching in the back seat of the car. We checked into our hotel and had to make an important decision. Was this trip about (1) us, (2) the kids, or (3) both. We decided that the evening was all about us and that Saturday was for the kids. That decision being made, I distracted Ben, making him look out the side window of the car opposite the McDonalds as we searched for a good dinner restaurant. It took a little bit of driving and circling back to find the Texas Roadhouse we were looking for. We passed the same McDonalds three times. Luckily the McDonalds was across the street from Lowes, which we call "the Blue Home Depot" and he loves shopping there. Brian and I had a fantastic dinner and the kids loved throwing peanut shells on the ground. Maddie ate and ate and ate the peanuts. Then we discovered she wasn't talking anymore, just a mumble. Finally about 15 mintues later, she emptied her entire mouthful onto a plate. Peanut mush mountain. She wanted a drink of water. Then it was back to "eating" more peanuts. Lucky for us, the bread arrived. For a bit of after dinner entertainment, we drove to Hershey's Sweet Lights Display. It was a drive through display of millions of Christmas lights. It was about an hour of fun, slow driving. The kids LOVED it. Ben was old enough to start recognizing some nursery rhymes and other classic stories. Their favorite part was the fact that we let them out of their carseats and rolled down the windows. They loved the freedom to wander the car as we wound through the lights at a superfast two miles an hour. Bedtime proved interesting. We had two full beds in our hotel room. We're not so sure they were actually full sized beds though. Looked more like twin and a half. We opted to sleep one adult with one kid for comfort reasons. Then again, who are we to plan that stuff? The kids had other ideas and we played musical beds all night long. First both kids on one bed and we were together. Then Maddie had to sleep with Mom, so Dad moved with Ben. Then Maddie had to sleep with Dad, so I was alone, Brian with both kids. Maddie moves to the floor and falls asleep. Ben eventually decided the floor looked like more fun too, but he would only sleep in the exact spot Maddie was in. Finally, he settled in another floor spot. Everyone fell alseep. Through the night, Maddie screamed several times, woke and climbed in and out of bed with Dad several times. Brian had piled pillows up on the potential landing zone in case Maddie fell...and she did. He calmed her down and got her to just stay down. Eventually the sun rose and we all got up. Breakfast was a hit. Ben is a huge fan of buffet style eating. Ben kicked off his Chocolate day in style. He had a chocolate muffin and hot chocolate to drink. Heaven for a four year old. Maddie ate all the sausage Brian dished up everytime he refilled his plate for himself. After we finished our buffet feast we checked out and headed to the Hershey Chocolate Factory. First thing we did was watch a 3-D movie with "special effects" where they do bubbles in the air, wind, smells and rain from the ceiling. Maddie thought the rain was so funny. She'd wipe it off her arms with a smile, "It rained on me again, Mommy!" The last time it "rained" she wiped me all dry too. Ben didn't appreciate it quite as much. He liked the 3-D dancing candy part but did not like getting wet or the 3-D spider. Everyone was a fan of the free treats at the end of the show though. Unfortunately for Ben, it was sour candy so he was disappointed. Then it was off tohe the fake factory tour. Turns out you can't actually tour the Hershey Factory anymore. They have constructed an amusement park style indoor ride. You board a car and are driven through the process of chocolate and candy making. Lots of music and lights and moving pretend machinery, oh yeah, and singing cows. The kids loved the ride and we got a yummy chocolate treat at the end. Next it was off to the trolley tour. This I would skip next time. It was overpriced and really, they just drove you around the town to see what you can see on your own. We did get a visit from Santa at least. He boarded the trolley for a quick ride and gave the kids an ornament and the parents a kazoo. When we got back we did the factory experience where the kids packaged Hershey Kisses and got factory worker hats. Then we rode the factory tour ride again before we did a bit of shopping and headed out the door for lunch. Then we headed home. The kids napped the first part of the drive but woke up too soon. We had about an hour before we got home. Maddie wiggled and whined and said over and over "I want to get OUT!" Poor kids. They survived. They were so happy to be released from the prision called their carseats. Brian had them playing and giggling like wildmen in the house. It was fun to hear such beautiful pure laughter in our home. Ben loved the trip and wants to go back when the amusement park when it's open in the summer.

Chocolate Factory

I think parents should attempt to capitalize on the random interests their kids have in the moment, don't you? Ben is currently obsessed with chocolate and factories. We happen to live about two and a half hours from the Hershey Chocolate Factory. Since we didn't get ourselves to the beach or camping a single time this summer like we had planned to do we are feeling pretty bad about ourselves as parents. Brian has earned some hotel rewards points again for all the business travel he has done so last night he booked us a one night stay near Hershey and we're heading to the chocolate factory with the kids on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. I'm pretty excited too. I love big machinery, engineering and chocolate. This morning I told Ben what we were planning and he, being the pessimistic guy that he is, was full of negative questions like: Why can't we help them make the chocolates? I want them to give me a Reeses Peanut Butter Chocolate at the end, no other kinds. Can I help put the wrappers on the candy? That kid is such a glass half empty sort of guy. We swear he must be Uncle Anthony's kid, not ours. The whole world is just out to get him in his mind. Luckily, later in the day Ben had been thinking it through and become a lot more enthusiastic about the idea of a chocolate factory tour. He told me he is going to watch very carefully all the parts of the factory so when we get home he can make the same kind of chocolate in his chocolate factory in the boxes in the living room. For the last week or two he has been using his amazing imagination to create a chocolate factory in our living room. He currently has two huge boxes that are the factory building. He uses smaller boxes and laundry baskets as the cooking pots. The chocolate is made from crumpled up packing paper. I have a pile of mats we used for preschool last year that he lines up outside the building and uses them as stoves. There is a row of "buttons" on the couch he uses to turn the stoves on and off as he moves the boxes and baskets from one burner to another. Everything he does is methodical and deliberate. It is fascinating to watch the detailed thought he has put into his play. Everything goes well until Maddie or another playmate decides to use their own imagination and does something not in his plan. He freaks out. The chocolate gets burned or isn't cooked enough when Maddie moves the baskets or takes a piece of packing paper, excuse me, chocolate from the pot too early or late. There are tears and screaming and a lot of parental intervention. I love that he is so imaginative, just wish he was more open to other peoples ideas. He is terribly bossy and I'm not quite sure how to massage a nicer personality out of him. One of my favorite things he has done so far is make three signs. Brian spent a long time helping him spell out each one. They had to be on paper that he trimmed himself because the corners needed to be "not sharp". Then he glued each sign to a different side of the factory so he can turn the building to tell the customers what sign to look at each day. We had to glue the signs after Maddie was in bed so they could dry before she woke up and pulled them off. The signs say: Closed for Church Closed for Vacation Workers Only (meaning they are out of chocolate and the workers are cooking more, so no customers today) What a great imagination he's got.