Da Region

Lottie, Dallas, and I just spent a week in Valparaiso, IN, with my family.  The kidlets were so excited to spend time with everyone!  We flew up in a private plane last Saturday - thanks, Dad! - and arrived in a little under an hour and a half.  MUCH nicer than a six-hour drive that always turns out longer when potty stops have to happen every hour or so.

While we were there, we kept pretty busy.  We visited the Porter County Fair one day, and the kids were all about the rides.  Last year, I injured my shoulder on a fair ride, so I was given explicit instructions to stay off all rides this year.  Luckily, my sister-in-law and my niece accompanied us, so I didn't even have to ride the Ferris Wheel with Lottie.

Lottie, the more adventure-seeking of my two kids, even did a bungee jumping activity.  It was hilarious to watch her bounce up and down or at least try to.  The workers had to pull her down a couple of times to give her enough oomph to do it on her own.

While we were in Da Region, which refers to northwest Indiana for those of you unfamiliar with the lingo, we saw two movies: Winnie the Pooh and Cars 2.  Both movies were really cute, but the kids got pretty restless during Cars 2.  It was quite a bit longer than Winnie the Pooh, and I don't think the kids were quite ready for the James Bond-esque adventures that Lightning McQueen, Mater, and crew were having.  Dallas laughed so long and loud during Winnie the Pooh that I had minor concerns we would be kicked out of the theater.

We also visited a few parks to let the kids run wild.  When Dallas was trying to climb the outside window sills of my parents' house, I thought maybe it was time to get him someplace where it was appropriate to climb.

We also spent a lot of time at my brother and sister-in-law's house at their pool.  Lottie is a total fish and would swim all day long if I would allow it; Dallas deigned to sit on the highest pool step once or twice, but as we well know, water is not his thing.

And yes, he's nude in the pool.  Apparently swimsuits are not his thing, either.  I chose a picture with no naughty bits, though, so his future political career remains intact.

We also got to see my aunt and some of my cousins.  Sharin and her kids, Carolyn and Tommy, were visiting from Colorado, and Ted, his wife Shu-ting, and their son, Theo, were visiting from Taiwan.  My kids were not in particularly good moods on the day we saw Sharin and her crew, so instead of taking pictures, I was ministering to them.  The second time we saw Ted and his family, Dallas stayed home with my parents due to his bad mood.  Luckily, Lottie was fine and had fun playing with Theo.

Lottie was dressed as an Native-American...complete with tomahawk and Batman utility belt.

Overall, it was a great trip.  I love spending time with my family and watching my kids interact with everyone.  I was really lonely for Trevor, though; I miss my best friend when I'm away from him.  And I know that having the kids around 24/7 is exhausting for my parents.  When my mom and dad are visiting us in Lexington, they have their own condo to stay in and escape to.  No such luck when we're in Valpo. But I'm grateful that they at least pretend that it's okay when Lottie and Dallas insist on bubble baths in their whirlpool tub or follow the dogs around and dress them in costumes and jewelry.

I'll have to keep these memories close to my heart this week as we begin (dum dum DUUUUUM) potty training.  Today is day one, and I have cried three times.  It's gotta get better, right?  RIGHT??????