Naptime Blog

Last weekend, we took the kids to the New Jersey shore for two days followed by Sesame Place for two days. We had a wonderful time! My cousin came along with us to help us with the kids, and we really enjoyed our long weekend!

We spent Friday and Saturday in Atlantic City. The Showboat resort had a dinosaur exhibition called “Dinoshore”, and since my kids love dinosaurs, we had to take them. The exhibition is running through September. While they had some moments of fear (the baby kept getting upset whenever the life sized dinosaur roared), they enjoyed drawing dinosaurs and excavating for bones in the sand. Friday night, we took the kids to the Steel Pier for rides… naturally, they had a blast!

Saturday morning, we spent on the beach and in the pool.  My little guy hadn’t been on the beach since last summer, when he was still and infant, so seeing him interact with his brothers and sister was so much fun!  And that night, we went to the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ.  I think that is the MOST family-friendly boardwalk around!  Rides, ice cream, games, prizes…  my kids had so much fun!

As Sesame Place season pass holders, we couldn’t go away for a weekend without visiting the park!  We drove from the shore to Sesame Place on Sunday morning, only about an hour drive, and met my parents, my sister and her boyfriend, and friends of ours.  What was great was that our friends have kids that are our kids ages, and their oldest daughter is one of my daughter’s best friends.  What a great time!

If you have followed my blog any, you know that my family loves a good road trip. With the downturn of the economy, we also love a good staycation too 

A family member recently told us to check out Massanutten Resort. I had NEVER heard of it, but she went on to share how great it was for families. It’s located outside of Richmond off of Hwy 81 in Harrisonburg, VA. They have a little bit of everything, for the more adventurous families to the families who just want to relax and chill.

Because we have never visited, they (the resort) invited us down to tour and learn more about the property, we basically visited for FREE! Now that’s what I call a vacation

I’m going to share with you the SHORT list of things we did while we were there:

Swimming

Bungee Dome

Go-Karts

Basketball

Volleyball

Good Eating

Indoor Water park

Petting Zoo

There was so much more to see, but our 4 day trip was not long enough. Check out there website, see for your self. www.massanutten.com

Also, check out the pictures of my boys having the time of their lives!!

My husband and I are timeshare owners with Wyndham and EVERY Wyndham resort we have traveled to so far has been more beautiful than the next. We have been so happy with every resort, from Las Vegas, Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, Daytona, the Poconos, Atlantic City… We have never been to a Wyndham resort out of the states and have been seriously considering a romantic trip in the winter for our fifth anniversary.

So could you imagine my reaction when I saw this deal was coming up? Running on Plum District for purchase between Tuesday and Thursday is Wyndham Vacations: Pay $100 for a $995 trip! Plus, use the promo code inwithnew for an additional 20% off, knocking this deal down to $80!

I highly recommend traveling to a Wyndham property. This deal was so great I couldn’t help but nudge my husband and it looks like we are going to Mexico for our anniversary!  Since many moms (and dads!) with little ones are in just as much need for a vacation as we are, I thought I would share this along!

Don’t forget, this deal is only live between Tuesday and Thursday of this week! CHECK IT OUT NOW!

What do you do to keep your kiddo’s busy on a long road trip? My family loves to hit the road, but its has gotten a little more challenging with the new baby. I tend to crawl across the seat and get on mommy duty about an hour into our trip. I still look forward to roadtrips.

Here are a few “Saving-Grace” roadtrip ideas that may help you & your family to pack it up and jump on the road.

1. Make music. No roadtrip is complete without the perfect soundtrack! Consider the purchase of a new children’s CD that you’ll also like listening to.

2. Play games. We play rounds and rounds (and rounds…!) of the Alphabet Game, and I Spy is a favorite.

3. Enjoy rest stops.  One of the keys to road trip success with small children is to avoid being in a hurry.  Rest stops are necessary for everyone, even me! Toss a ball in the car and play a quick game of family soccer.  Make sure you’ve brought quarters, and treat your kids to the novelty of a vending machine.  Feed them, wear them out, and they just might take a longer nap when you hit the road again!

4. Tell stories.  Kids LOVE good stories, and an engaging tale can make the time pass so quickly.

5. Surprise them!  It takes a little planning and effort, but try to work in some surprises during the trip. Take a trip to the dollar store and wrap up some little gifts to open along the way.

Now gas it up & ride out!

Shanta

We have really enjoyed our 2-year pass from Busch Gardens! Our passes will be up the end of this summer and I am debating if we will renew. I definitely feel that we have been getting our moneys worth. On the weekends when we don’t have anything planned, we just pack up a bag and go. We don’t live very far from Williamsburg. 

Our middle son (Jayce), who is now 2, is just really beginning to enjoy the park. They have an area called Sesame Place that’s just perfect for little guys like him. There are all types of attractions and rides just for that age! 

I am leaning towards renewing the passes because of all the additional savings they offer to season pass holders. You should check out the site if you have a larger family and want to save on family fun. 

Here are a few pictures from our most recent trip, enjoy! 

As you can see my little man is not even scared of Elmo! 

Shanta

If you have been following along for a while, last year I posted about our family’s experience in Disneyworld.  My husband and I had decided last minute to take all four kids (by car, from NYC to Florida) to Orlando for a vacation.  While we had a great week, we only made it to a Disney park one day.  After our day at the Magic Kingdom, we had had enough for quite a while.  We found it so difficult to wait on the lines with two toddlers, a baby and our daughter, and we realized the little guys were too young to fully enjoy the experience. 

I had wondered if we were true gluttons for punishment when we decided to return to Orlando this spring.  We decided to fly (yes, with all the kids) and try it again.  This time, my mother-in-law would be joining us for half the week, my two aunts would be driving and meeting us down there, and my husband’s cousins would also be there that week vacationing with their family.  Paul has another cousin who recently moved to Orlando to work, and her mother was visiting that week as well.  If nothing else, we would have plenty of help around us!  Although I didn’t sleep at all the night before we flew, I was determined to try our best and enjoy our trip.

The biggest complaint I could have possibly had from the week (and since it was late April in Florida I certainly expected it!) was the heat.  Pushing strollers or chasing after little guys can really be tiring in 95 degree temperatures. 

The flight down was amazing.  The boys all fell asleep within moments of taking off.  I guess they were exhausted from being up so early that once they saw us up in the air, the novelty wore off and they decided to nap.  Waking up with only forty-five minutes left in the flight, watching Toy Story 3 and having some snacks was all they needed to enjoy their flight (and OURS!)

We colored Easter eggs that evening in our condo, then enjoyed Easter Sunday dinner at my uncle’s house, about a forty-five minute drive away.  Earlier that morning, we took the kids into one of the resort pools, and they had a blast.  They had absolutely no idea how that was only the beginning.  We headed to The Magic Kingdom on Monday.  This time, there were eight adults and six children.  It was wonderful to have so many hands to help out.  The kids loved all the rides.  My daughter got to ride on Space Mountain (and so did I!), and she was so excited.  Louis’ favorite was the Buzz Lightyear ride.  Anthony’s favorite was the Snow White ride (minus the “bad witch part”), and Joseph had the absolute best time dancing it up in the Country Bear Jamboree.  We saw both the afternoon and the electrical parade (although two of my four kids fell asleep by then!) and everyone truly enjoyed themselves.

We headed to Hollywood Studios the next day.  I really love that park.  My husband, daughter and I went on the Aerosmith roller coaster and it was WILD!  The boys had the best time in Toy Story Mania (and the set up was adorable!) and they loved the Disney Junior show.

Wednesday and Friday we stayed at our resort and took the kids to the on-site waterpark.  What a truly awesome place!  Thursday we went to Epcot, and it was spectacular as always.  Unfortunately, due to the intense heat and everyone’s exhaustion, we were unable to visit all the countries, but the kids loved the ride inside the sphere and the Finding Nemo ride.  I loved going through the Mexico boat ride, how beautiful and relaxing!

Heading back home on Saturday, we visited Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk Resort before heading to the airport.  While I expected the kids to nap again on the plane, they had other plans.  We were sad to leave, but in all honesty, I was beat and happy to be going home.

Not quite sure when we are going to plan our next Disney trip, but we intend to start saving for it very soon.  My husband wants to go back late next year, but we will see.  We really did have a magical week!

As a public school teacher, I have a secret confession: I live for Spring Break! We work hard during the school year with lesson plans, meetings, trainings, workdays & more meetings! I look at spring break as a small reward for all the hard work.
My family loves to travel and we are very spontaneous. But being a larger family now, planning is REQUIRED. We have wanted to visit Great Wolf Lodge for some time now. The reviews on their website are awesome and our family & friends that we know who have visited all say positive things as well.
It is pretty pricey for a 1-night stay, but that stay does include pretty much everything you would need except for your meals. I would certainly be ok with packing a picnic basket to save on the expenses.
I have been cruising the website for specials/promotions.
Check it out for yourself; it looks cool! Have you visited?

www.greatwolf.com

~Shanta

I am getting so excited about our Disneyworld trip in two and a half short weeks!  We are spending a week in Orlando and I cannot wait!  The kids are really super psyched as well!

Last February, we decided last minute to drive down to Daytona and we drove over to the Magic Kingdom for a day.  We have timeshare with Wyndham so we stayed in our resort and enjoyed it.  The problem was, my boys were so young and my husband and I were alone with the four kids, so it was difficult to do much at all.  I wouldn’t recommend going to Disney with multiples at a young age unless you had enough adults to match little ones.

This year, my mother-in-law is coming and my two aunts are driving down to meet us as well.  My husband’s cousins will be down there that week as well, and they have little children.  The kids will have a blast.  We will be in Disney for Easter.  I have been showing the little ones all different Disney movies in the last few weeks to introduce them to various characters, which will make the trip that much more fun when they recognize the characters in the parades and walking through the parks. 

The kids can’t wait to see Buzz and Woody, and of course Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy.  They are looking forward to meeting Snow White and Prince Charming, but they keep telling me that they do NOT want to meet the wicked witch!  I DVR’d Monsters, Inc and Ice Age this weekend, and my husband bought Beauty and the Beast on Blu-Ray (my daughter’s favorite).  Of course since we LOVE Disney Jr, they already know and love Handy Manny and all those morning show characters. 

My daughter has been to Disneyworld a few times already, and of course she is thrilled to be going back.  I am sure the boys will have a ball this year.  I just can’t wait!  I may actually be more excited than they are!

Let’s face it: MOST moms will agree that our sex lives change dramatically after kids!  Time is limited, energy levels are depleted, privacy can be an issue, and sometimes just getting an opportunity to connect may not be very easy!  For me, sometimes it is “all of the above”!

My husband and I have been setting aside two weekends a year to devote to each other.  This past weekend was my birthday.  We went to Paradise Stream in the Pocono Mountains (without the kids of course!).  Our heart shaped pool, champagne glass tub and a completely romantic ambience set the stage for our amazing weekend.  We cannot wait until November when we go back.

While we have two extremely romantic “adult-time” weekends a year, that is certainly not enough time for us to devote to each other.  It’s nice to spice things up throughout the year, and although we can’t go to the Poconos every weekend, we can certainly spice things up in other ways. 

Depending on what you are into (or would like to try!!!) EdenFantasys has lotions, candles, sexy lingerie, videos, massage kits, bedside kits, and of course toys and other sexual paraphernalia.

Here’s a suggestion: with your husband/partner, take a look at the EdenFantasys online catalog (be sure you have your big girl panties on, as some of the products are for mature audiences only!), and pick up something new for your bedroom!  ENJOY!!!

When you have little children, it becomes an absolute necessity to have a daily routine…  and when that routine gets interrupted, it can be a nightmare.

How do you handle when the daily routine is interrupted?

With four children, three babies, we have a daily routine.  The kids get up at seven, the boys each get their milk.  I take my shower and get dressed while Paul takes care of them.  He leaves for work at 7:30.  Then the kids play a bit, and have breakfast at about ten.  The boys take their naps (usually) at about 10:30, and during the summer months Juliana plays or reads, or gets a chance to watch her shows while they nap.  I get my work done in these morning hours.

When the kids get up, we take baths and get dressed.  They watch a little TV and play a bit while I finish my work.  I like to wait until about 2pm, when the sun is gone from the yard, and we go outside.  The kids play in the kiddie pool or their slide, or they play trucks.  Juliana loves to play with her brothers, and she runs around and enjoys herself with the boys.

By about 4:30pm, we go back inside, and my mother comes to help me with the kids while I prepare dinner and finish up any laundry or cleaning I need to get finished.  Paul gets home at 5:30, we have dinner about 6, then the kids play a bit while we clean up dinner and finish up any chores we need to do.  At 8ish, we begin the night routine, get the kids ready for bed, give them their milk, and the boys are in their cribs at about 8:30.  Juliana gets to stay up until 10 on non-school nights (9 on school nights).  Paul goes to get our Dunkin Donuts iced coffees, and we sit in the living room and get some time for each other.  He usually checks his email while I do some more work, then we try to watch a little TV together for a bit before we go to bed. 

And then it starts all over again the next day.  But it is our routine, it works for us, and we enjoy it.  Weekends are different, as we have plans and parties and other things going on.  It all works for us.

We are spending the week on vacation with my family.  Seventeen of us in a huge beach house…  And of course because everyone has their own routines, my kids routines are disrupted…  My kids want to go with everyone else, they want to play, they want to be with the adults…  and it gets chaotic.  So we need to adjust to the change and deal with the different personalities and routines…  But it isn’t easy.  I just have to keep reminding myself that we are all on vacation to enjoy the beach and each other, and the week will fly by… We really are enjoying each other.