Our Thanksgiving Trek

My two Thanksgiving
turkeys.

Thanksgiving! It's been a big year, to say the least. Watching Elise grow into a toddler and Kalina into a surprisingly vibrant preschooler,  moving half a country away for an exciting job opportunity for Matt and seeing my book (albeit not my name!) in print have been some very real highlights. For these, and many, many other things, we are very grateful.

And we're also thankful for the family we now live within driving distance of. Or, as I was thinking last Monday evening, "driving distance." 

I'd spent the previous week preparing for the nine-hour trek north, plus the ensuing return trip, which would span two days and include a hotel stay. By the time I'd carefully secured everything from cold treatments for the whole family (including our humidifier!) to umpteen car ride distractions and snacks, I was unclear whether we were venturing to Minnesota or Mars: either way, we were prepared. I later learned I'd forgotten only one thing: swimsuits for Matt and I, but it didn't matter as the hotel's luggage rack ended up being entertainment enough for all of us. More about that later.

An indoor park in Minnesota.
Look, no coat!

Both girls entered the trip giddy with excitement, emitting cute-to-shrill screams every time I mentioned we were going to go visit Grandma and Grandpa. Clearly, we were making the right decision in taking this trip. For her part, Kalina carefully planned all of Lamby and Costume Cow's care for their stay at the Grandparents' house, even contacting Grandma once or twice to make inquiries about their accommodations. All conversations at home centered around, "Let's talk about what Lamby needs at Grandma and Grandpa's house!" To which I'd reply, "Alright, well, she'll need ____ (food, water, toys, pasture, snuggles, etc.)," and to which Kalina would return with a well thought out, albeit long-winded and not always rational, solution.

Out of the car and into a
tunnel!

We left promptly at 7:00 a.m.--and would've been out the door at 6:00 except Elise had been sleeping in the previous five days and we wanted to take full advantage of that. Although the little one was a bit grumpy at being stuffed into a cold car first thing in the morning, Kalina was all smiles, gripping Lamby and chattering happily about the nap Lamby was taking on her lap. 

By the end of the first hour or so, though, the bigger girl had realized that when we said it'd be a big trip to Minnesota, we meant it'd be a lot farther than the grocery store and even the zoo. Her smile faltered. I whipped out the first big car surprise--special markers that only color on special pictures of Hello Kitty. Eight minutes later, we'd tested all the colors and were looking for something else to do. How do I break it to a three-year-old that that was the something else? This became a common theme of the trip; I'm pretty sure she expected me to hand back a live kitten or its equivalent.

A brave girl and a brave lamb.

My biggest worry, however, had been entertaining Elise. How do you keep a child, whose main entertainment nowadays usually comes in the form of carrying handheld toys from one place to another, content for 9+ hours at a time while confined in a carseat? I counted on lots of napping, plus lots of snacks.

As it turned out, Elise surprised me on two counts: 1.) After the occasional "Am I really still in my carseat, and will a few high-pitched protestations change the situation?" the girl would calm down and quite contentedly fiddle with a book or toy for longer than I would've guessed possible. Her favorite activity was reading books upside-down and in fact, over the course of the trip she probably spent a good four hours with an upended board book in her hands. Another favorite? Spotting semi trucks on the road. "Tuh, tuh!" She'd tell us every time she noticed one. 2.) Over the three long legs of our trip, ranging in duration from nine hours to four hours, some of which was at night and each of which encompassed a naptime, Elise slept a grand total of about two and a half hours. This overlapped with Kalina, who slept about an hour and a half, by about 15 minutes total. And yet, we survived.

The best seat in the house.

But really, the drive went great, and about every hour someone commented on how glad we were that we weren't in an airplane, and how lovely the barren Iowa fields looked (we're truly midwesterners at heart). We zoomed through cornfield after cornfield, Matt driving and evaluating both crops and deer movements (or, more commonly, lack thereof) and me spending most of my time turned halfway around in my seat digging through toy/snack/book and CD/DVD bags and solving minor disagreements. After only two 15-minute stops, we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house in record time.

And yes, the drive was well worth it! Kalina was over the moon with "her" room at Grandma and Grandpa's, which included a real big girl bed, a bed for her animals and even the litter box she'd requested before her arrival (for the kittens, of course). Elise was simply happy to be out of the car and allowed to toddle around at will. She soon claimed a pint-sized blue chair and four squishy balls as her own, as well as several teddy bears that she and Kalina both negotiated for the entire trip.

Thanksgiving dinner!

In addition to playing at Grandma and Grandpa's, we also explored the woods, which Kalina was not only happy to hike through, but also to lead me and Grandma through very gently, pointing out sites like a mouse hole and fallen logs, making sure we never stumbled and occasionally asking if our legs were tired. How sweet! 

And we explored the area library, which connected to an amazing indoor park, complete with a giant slide playground. Kalina set foot in a bounce house for the first time ever, and ventured down some fairly impressive (for her) slides, while Elise climbed on rocks, navigated an obstacle course of hanging bumpers, sailed in a pretend boat and pointed with frantic excitement at nearly everything.

One last story before taking off.

We also hosted Thanksgiving dinner for lots of Odegaard relatives. Kalina helped Grandma make placecards and get the dishes ready (or did Grandma help her?). Elise ran up and down the hallway, enjoying the sounds her feet made. When the guests arrived, Kalina greeted them with, "Happy Thanksgiving," at which point both girls would gleefully "gobble, gobble, gobble." What a duo.

As far as the meal was concerned, Kalina and Elise thoroughly enjoyed the rolls. Kalina ate the marshmallows out of a salad and then stuffed herself with turkey while Elise turned her scrunched up nose up at both without so much as a curious nibble. *Sigh.* Maybe next year my youngest will eat protein. The littler one did, however, manage a few bites of sweet potato and fruit before ending her meal, a feat rarely achieved by her big sister. (Everything was absolutely delicious, by the way!)

Helping Grandpa clean up
the blocks he was playing with.

The next day, after some sad goodbyes, we headed back down to Iowa for a whirlwind visit with several family members and friends. A four-hour drive seemed easy, and mostly was, and we soon landed at Uncle David and Aunt Debbie's house, where Grandpa Hanks, Uncle Tom and Angela were waiting. The kids played with toys and/or, in Elise's case, sat tiredly on Daddy's lap watching football. Old pros by now at sitting, they happily navigated not one, but two restaurants (one for supper and one for brunch the next morning) with some entertaining/wrangling help from Daddy. 

In addition to catching up, we also convinced Uncle David to perform his famous elephant noise for the girls, who happily joined in. And to think I used to be afraid of it!

Look! Kalina's not sitting by either
parent! What a big girl!

At the hotel, two sleepy girls found a second (or third, or fourth, or eighteenth) wind as they enthusiastically raided the hotel room for anything of entertainment value. Kalina got a lesson in using the "old-fashioned" phones, the likes of which she'd never seen; Elise tested her pack and play (with help from Kalina); Elise colored on herself and me with the pen I was using to write down some directions; and Elise "filled and spilled" the free toiletries into and out of the ice bucket, etc. I had to laugh at my good-natured little tornadoes. The pre-bedtime crazies culminated in a ride up and down the hallway on the luggage rack, after which both girls settled down remarkably well and slept just fine.

Elise tries out her bed,
with lots of toys from Kalina.

The next big event, after Mommy sneaked out for some early Christmas shopping with Aunt Debbie, was brunch with Uncle Alan and Aunt Diane. Kalina cheerfully re-introduced Lamby, and Elise graced them with some of her, "I'm bright and happy as long as I'm in Mommy's arms" smiles. The little one did consent to be held by both for a total of about 30 seconds. 

And then we once again hit the road, making one final quick stop at a friend's house in Pella. We saw Curtis, Jess, Isaac and Lily before heading home.

As expected, the homeward trip was the most long difficult, as no more naps were to be expected in the 5 1/2 hour trek and the road was rainy and dreary. Actually, the mood was pleasant until about 4:30 p.m., when the sun all but gave up its somewhat weak attempts to illuminate a mid-winter world below dense cloud cover. Poor thing, I think we almost burned it out. I used its last rays to eek out a few more stories, until Kalina had to squint at the illustrations and I could no longer make out the words. 

Kalina and Lamby practice sleeping.

We raised our spirits with some kids music before resorting to bottomless snacks/supper and Veggie Tales to carry us through the rest of the drive. Kalina and Lamby peacefully passed out around 7:30, even amid Little Sister's 45 minutes of wailing/screeching. By 7:45, both kids were asleep, and we arrived home 15 minutes later. Matt had the car unloaded by the time I put all the sleepytime articles in place. Neither child was happy to be awakened to be put to bed, but survived the transition well enough.

To add festivity to festivity, Grandpa Hanks followed us home to stay a couple days. He and the girls played endless games of "Hide the Thimble" and "Fall back and stand me up" before his trip, too, was over. 

Ready for a ride (except
Matt).

Our Thanksgiving trek passed by in a bit of a blur, but it was a happy blur, and we promised everyone we visited to stay a bit longer next time. The promise holds true: we fully intend to see a lot more Iowa cornfields and midwestern friends and relatives--and for this possibility, we are truly thankful.

Last day of Preschool

A "chair ride."

I know what you're thinking: "Wait, Kalina's not really the preschool type. We thought you were going to wait until she was, oh, say, eight to send her."

And you wouldn't be wrong. While Kalina loves all the typical preschool activities, with the exception of following along during fingerplays and action rhymes, she's still fairly adverse to other kids and being anywhere that Mommy (or Daddy) isn't.

But when a "gentle separation" preschool at the local amazing kids' museum, for ages 2 1/2 to 3 1/2, for an hour weekly, that I could attend with her for at least the first 6 sessions of 9, for a reasonable fee, came into my notice, you can see why I couldn't refuse to sign my girl up. After all, eventually we're going to have to make the break. And besides, Kalina really could use some work on her action rhymes. Here's the rundown:

Behind the scenes: I cautiously began talking up preschool a few weeks before it began. We visited the kids' museum and played, so Kalina would know it'd be a fun place to be. We discussed the fact that she'd have a teacher to help take care of her (Kalina's really into being taken care of), and she'd get to do cool stuff. Even as cool as painting and crafts. I let her know I'd be attending with her, but that her animals would need to ride in the stroller. However, she'd be able to bring her Pinkies along. All of this was acceptable to Kalina, and we set out with a happy attitude.

Preschool Day 1: We left Elise in Grandpa's capable hands to go play in the rest of the museum, while Kalina and I, with probably equal levels excitement (a lot!), headed off to find her classroom. As we waited to go in, we eyed the other kids (Kalina with suspicion, me with high hopes for a future bestie for my girl), made name tags and scribbled with colored chalk. Soon enough, the door opened and Ms. Dorie's sugary sweet preschool-teacher voice invited everyone inside, and the kids to each sit on a colored shape in a circle.

And off we went. Kalina, being one of the oldest, was also one of the more proficient, and she stunned her mommy by participating a little. After a short "circle time," with a book and a song and such, the kids were invited to play.

What a playground! The teachers, obviously braver than I, had set up easels with paint, a play-dough table, a craft table, a "sensory" table with gelatin to poke and squeeze, plus lots of little games and such. As they're paid to clean up after my child, I suppose they didn't mind it quite so much.

Kalina sat down at the play-dough table, and probably would've stayed there the rest of the class had I not prodded her toward painting and other activities. I did feel a bit guilty for directing her play in such a stimulating environment, especially when I'm trying to teach her to be more independent. However, that feeling was overridden by the fact that we could get painting out of Kalina's system without me having to deal with the mess. And we have plenty of play-dough at home. Besides, I wanted to play with some of the other stuff, too.

Fortunately, Kalina didn't seem to mind being gently nudged toward the easels (she practically took off running, in fact), and neither did the teachers who had to clean up her splatters after she filled two large sheets of papers--and a decent portion of the plastic-covered floor--with brushfulls of paint. And then we played in the sand table, and then it was time for everyone to help pick up before more circle time to conclude the class. I wished it could've lasted all day.

The topic for the day, by the way, was colors. Kalina has had a good handle on her colors for almost two years now, but she never minds a review. And she was extremely excited to receive a laminated yellow color square, in addition to a backpack, to bring home to practice with.

I was probably more relieved than I should've been to see that Kalina was not the shiest child in the room. One boy was afraid of songs and stories, and had to be taken out for a while. Others cowered in their moms laps (which, admittedly, Kalina probably would've done a year ago). It was nice to see how far we've come: very.

Preschool Day 2: The next week, we learned about apples. Which meant, in part, that Kalina picked all the clothespin apples off of a pretend tree, and then played with play-dough while I put them all back.

In fact, as I remember, all the kids surged toward the play-dough table, it being the only thing they really recognized, and brightly colored, at that. I began to wonder if Kalina would remember that there's more to preschool than play-dough, which happens to be my "I'm desperate to cook dinner" activity at home. I hoped she'd move on, and eventually she did. She was overjoyed to receive a red color square, running it to me for my protection as soon as it was in her hand (even though class wasn't quite over yet).

During this class, I chatted with the teacher about strategies for "gentle separation." She suggested I step out a few times to visit the bathroom, etc., so Kalina could get used to it. Seeing that Kalina was already doing just fine, I welcomed the opportunity.

Preschool Day 3: Next, we talked about Fall. Out came the parachute at circle time, and the kids poofed  fake leaves into the air. Kalina had more fun watching than participating, but at least she was having fun. The girl didn't even blink when I told her I had to leave the room for a few minutes to check Elise's diaper, nor did she blink when I came back. I later asked her if it'd be okay if I left for longer, and she responded with suspicion. Could Mommy have an ulterior motive for this class?

Preschool Day 4: Prior to class, we talked about how eventually Kalina would head to preschool alone, with just the teachers. "And the teachers will help me reach high things and wash my hands," commented Kalina. "Yes!" I exclaimed. "They would be happy to help you do those things!" And we practiced asking for help from teachers. "And if Mommy is gone forever, I will just play with the teachers," decided Kalina. I assured her I'd be back, something I'm not sure she entirely believed.

While we were waiting for class to start, Kalina played with blocks with a classmate. Yup, that's right! She played with another child. They built bridges together.

Preschool was all about farm, and Kalina was in her element--she's pretty much an expert on animals and their noises. I stayed out of the room for about 15 minutes, and Elise reaped the benefits--we got some good-quality goof-off time together.

During circle time at the end of class, the teacher allowed each child to choose a farm animal puppet to play with. Kalina decided on a tiny donkey (a baby donkey, I'm sure). The teacher then led the kids in a rousing game of put the animals to sleep, and then wake them up with lots of farm animal noises. Kalina participated for the first round, but thereafter refused to wake her donkey up. I guess it needed its rest.

Preschool Day 5: On this day, about Pumpkins, Elise and I actually explored another part of the museum for a while. Kalina again loved class, and especially painting a pumpkin with purple sparkly paint at the beginning.

Preschool Day 6: Halloween was the theme this week, and Kalina was proud to tell everyone she was planning to be a duck. By this time, I was able to leave the room for most of the playtime, staying only for circle times. And when I returned, I could tell Kalina had had a great time by the paint splatters covering her clothes, shoes and hands (which I could tell had been washed all by herself). Kalina was given a pipe cleaner spider to bring home, and chanced to find another left in the lobby. What a day!

Preschool Day 7: The next week, Kalina was sick, but was up to attending a class later in the week instead. This class was full, and the teacher seemed a bit stressed rather than cheery (couldn't blame her). I stuck around as much as I could with Kalina, but Elise made it a challenge to stay in, as her stroller was quite in the way this time. So I popped in and out, and solicited the help of one of the teachers to try to keep an extra special eye on my oldest. I think Kalina enjoyed the train theme, and tolerated the strangeness of the kids and different teachers, but it was probably not her favorite class. Still, a good experience.

Preschool Day 8: After circle time on this food-themed day, I got to watch Kalina dive into a baby pool of pretend "spaghetti and meatballs" with several other girls. And at the end, one teacher mentioned that Kalina acted goofy during class. Could it be that my girl was actually comfortable enough to be herself?

Preschool Day 9: On this last day of class, we talked about turkeys. Kalina had practiced her "gobble gobble" ahead of time, a skill that she was not the least bit hesitant to show off throughout class. She all but snuggled up right next to Ms. Dorie for circle time, forgetting the formality of carpet squares altogether, and once circle time was over, played next to the same troupe of girls she had the previous time (with the teacher's help, of course. Kalina also managed to find at least a few of the turkeys "hidden" around the room (she found at least two during the five minutes I watched, anyway), firmly and confidently stuck feathers into a nylon-covered styrofoam ball to create a turkey, and she appeared to be an expert at navigating the different activities. At the end, the girl even proudly taught me how to play turkey bowling.

This blog with be incomplete without special thank-you to Elise, who weathered her confinement to the stroller for these classes remarkably well, considering the veritable playground that surrounded her each time. She hardly shrieked like a wild monkey at all. In fact, at first the littler girl simply enjoyed watching the teacher and the other kids. As she aged developmentally, however, and grew increasingly bored of acting the part of the patient observer, she did begin to demand more. By this time I was able to take her out of the room to entertain her, and once I handed her off to Aunt Nancy. And I occasionally let her hug a giant Elmo in the classroom (Elise, not Aunt Nancy).

Also, I did pack for Elise like I was packing for a week's stay in a bomb shelter, with her favorite snacks, toys and books to distract her. In fact, I packed it all in a separate bag, which meant that every trip to preschool we brought two bags, any rain gear we needed to carry, plus Kalina's artwork and handouts. It barely all fit in my broken-down stroller, and usually by the end was trailing on the ground through the museum, garnering raised eyebrows and sympathetic looks.

What a perfect first preschool experience for Kalina! And would you believe I completely forgot to get pictures? Never mind: she's enrolled in next semester's "big kid" class, where she'll attend for a whole 1 1/2 hours instead of 1, and enjoy a snack. And don't tell her this quite yet, but parents aren't supposed to attend this class, so Kalina will weather it on her own. Won't she do just great?

Going out to play

A wagon ride! Girls in matching,
adorable outfits!

It's that time of year again. The brilliant leaf colors pointed out by me and ignored by both kids every car ride (someday they'll appreciate them!), the frantic searching for outerwear that fits and isn't stained, and the forced trips to the park to "store up" outdoor fun before winter's chill hits for real. Ah, fall.

One of many benefits of being a stay-at-home mom is that on glorious days, whatever the season, I generally get to go outside. In daylight, and to play in grass, or leaves, or snow, or whatever's out there. Depending on the rest of the day's activities, and the general mood of the children, this may mean we don't actually make it past the doorstep until 5:00 p.m., and must return into the house 15 minutes later for diaper changes, forgotten stuffed animals, dinner prep, and whatnot, but it's more than many people get, and I'm grateful for it.

Aunt Nancy and Kalina
showing off their animal
face hats.

I have a rule that as long as everyone's healthy (and often even if not), and it's not absolutely sopping wet or below freezing cold, or meltingly hot (and usually even then, if only so we appreciate the inside of our four walls that much more), we will be spending a portion of our day outdoors. Matt, being outdoorsy himself and no doubt hoping his girls won't turn out as "soft" as I am when it comes to bugs, dirt, and whatnot, seems to fully support this. So out we go.

Sometimes we call it "getting the mail," or at other times, in accordance with a strange old family saying handed down through my dad's family, "getting the stink off." Either way, we're outside. [Side note: the other day Kalina insisted that her kittens had already licked the stink off of her. Nice try, Sweetie, but you're still going outside! Now, march.]

While Elise enthusiastically pounds on the door at the mere mention of "outside," Kalina often has to be prodded through it. Sometimes I bribe her with the promise of a wagon ride, or wax paper on the slide (thanks, Grandma and Grandpa! :) ) or a "snack picnic." Sometimes these don't work and, well, I simply have to prod.

Aunt Nancy and Elise goofing around
with a giraffe.

On the best days, we head to a park. Being in a new locale, we keep discovering new ones. Ranging from fabulous to somewhat sketchy, they at least ignite the inner explorer in each one of us. But that brings up new challenges, mostly to the tune of, "How do you keep two small children from becoming dangers to themselves and each other six or more feet in the air, especially when the oldest insists on clenching several stuffed animals under her arm and occasionally on you acting out scenarios using them." How?

When Elise was still tiny, it was easy. She'd sit happily in her stroller, or submit to being carried in my mei tai, or even hang out on a blanket, while I kept a careful eye on Kalina. Of course, during this phase Kalina mostly disliked parks of all kinds and often vied Elise for the stroller. At which point I'd let the baby dangle from a swing (during this time she liked swings, as long as they weren't swinging) and let Kalina sit in the stroller, and there we were, at the park. Whee!

Our first trip to the zoo here,
and the hippos decided to
spar. Elise and I were both
entranced.

As Elise grew, she began to want to crawl around, too. And eat the mulch. My strategy was to barricade her on some playground platform so she didn't get too dirty/munchy and hope Kalina didn't do anything too scary, or ask me to perform too many kitten puppet shows. This would generally work in 30-second increments.

Next, Elise wasn't content to merely crawl around parks, she desperately wanted to walk and climb stairs. Problem being that she couldn't walk--not alone, at least, or effectively tell a 3-inch drop from an 8-foot one. She also developed more of an opinion in the direction she wanted to head. Kalina, meanwhile, decided she liked parks again, as long as I was playing with her. During this mercifully short-lived phase, I attempted to steer a somewhat unwilling Elise in safe directions, usually toward Kalina, while cajoling the bigger girl's requests to, "Make the kittens not know who will catch them at the bottom of the side," with lots of, "I'd love to, Hon, just a minute!" I'm not sure any of us really had any fun at the park during these outings.

Our current park phase has both girls exploring happily on their own. Elise, who still hasn't developed a healthy appreciate for heights, scales anything she possibly can and crawls through the narrowest tunnels, nearly oblivious to the fact that I'm often in hot pursuit right behind her because otherwise I won't make it to the nearest dropoff before she does. Kalina, on the other hand, now slides, climbs and ventures away from the playground with only Lamby for company. Which is just wonderful, I think, even as I chase her down while holding Elise so that the little one doesn't get herself into a sticky situation without me around to rescue her. Sometimes this little dance we do has me getting more exercise than both of the girls combined, a fact I probably don't appreciate as I should. Occasionally, though, if Elise takes an interest in gathering sweetgum seeds or Kalina takes Lamby to try out the swings, I get to focus on just one child, or simply keep an eye on both of them. How peaceful!

We're all warily intrigued by a colder, snowier winter than we've been used to, and unanimously voted to purchase a bright pink plastic sled at Target the other day to try on our backyard hill at the first falling of snow. Kalina is already making big plans to bring her kittens and Peep, the penguin, outside, while I'm mentally stuffing each of them into a nice, dry Ziploc baggie for the adventure. Elise has already practiced walking around in Kalina's rainboots, which I'm sure will prepare her perfectly for wielding her own size of snowboots around the yard.

And so our outdoor adventures will continue. Rain or snow or shine, like them or not. Fortunately, we usually do.