From the Mouths of Babes

S is facing surgery later this week, and, in preparation, Timo was reading a story about going to the hospital for an operation. At one point, he asked S, "Are you going to see a doctor with his operating clothes?"

S's response? "That's not a great idea."

Family Retreat

We went on a family retreat last weekend up in the mountains of beautiful Colorado. The drive up there was gorgeous, and it was refreshing to spend some time surrounded by the peace and quiet of nature. We didn't even have cell phone coverage or Internet access.

Driving up

Our mornings were spent in sessions, learning how to grow in our Christian faith and apply it to our lives in marriage, parenting, and reaching out to others. Our afternoons were free, allowing the kids to go out on boats on the lake or to catch minnows and crawdads along the shore. Timo also took the opportunity to practice fly fishing, while I seized the opportunity to nap one afternoon.

K on a paddle boat with a friend

Timo with the boys on a paddle boat

The lake

One of the mornings, we ate breakfast by the river. It was rather chilly, but A slept snugly in my Boba. As for the other kids, it is always nice when you don't have to worry about spilling on the floor.

The smiling picture

The silly picture

H sharing his blueberries with S

H by the river

Our morning view by the river

More of our morning view

The last full afternoon, we packed lunches for a picnic at a destination of our choosing. We opted for lunch by a waterfall about a half hour away. It was a short hike after the drive, but it was easy enough for all but the youngest of our group to manage. In all fairness, she isn't doing any hiking these days.

The waterfall. It was about 70 feet high.

Our attempt at a family photo

Another family photo. A wasn't very happy at this point.

After we left the waterfall, we stopped at a reservoir for another photo op.

The kids

Wait! We have five kids, not four.

Another family photo

The weekend was great. I came away from it with a lot of good information, and I think the kids enjoyed themselves and learned a lot, too. I hope to make it up there again sometime.

Arriving in Boston

My first view of the Boston skyline

We visited Boston for a couple of days last week. I have been wanting to tour this historic city ever since we moved to New England, but it just never happened for one reason or another. My wonderful hubby took a couple of days off of work last week to fulfill my dream before leaving the area.

Not on our list of sites to see while in Boston

Our trip started roughly. We left our house later than planned, and, when we arrived in Boston, we encountered many closed roads as we were trying to find the apartment we had rented. A was screaming in the back, and, when we were forced to turn around at a closed bridge, I seized the opportunity to nurse her and hold her a bit. Meanwhile, Timo took H to relieve his bladder. They stepped over a construction fence, and, on the way back, Timo's foot caught on something, and the two of them crashed into a pallet. I was oblivious to all this until I see Timo carrying a crying H. Then he said, "I'm sorry, Jennifer. We have to go to the hospital."

H waiting for his turn to see the ER doctor

Thankfully, we could look for hospitals on the GPS, and the first one we encountered was at MIT. They refused to see H because he was too young. They claimed that they aren't allowed to see anyone under 18. Frustrated, we moved on to Massachusetts General Hospital. They were great. They put us in a family room to wait, and we were out of there in about an hour and a half. They also brought us crayons and coloring pages, bubbles, toys, and stickers. It made waiting with five overtired kids so much easier. H had his chin glued in two places, and we were finally able to complete our journey to the apartment.

H Turns Five

Yesterday, we celebrated H's fifth birthday. Life has been crazy, and I was a little worried that he would not feel special and celebrated. The morning after arriving home from Boston, I baked a cake for his party. H had requested a castle cake, which I had never attempted before. Honestly, I was a little intimidated by the whole thing. When I was done, though, I was satisfied with the results, and, more importantly, so was he.

When I had asked H what he wanted to do to celebrate his birthday, he mentioned some neighbor boys he wanted to invite over to swim. I therefore planned on a relaxed swimming party where the time would be filled in the pool. Unfortunately, H could not swim because of his chin. The glue was supposed to remain dry for another week. This left me mentally scrambling to figure out how to entertain the kids. Fortunately, H is a good sport, and, after a couple of races and a water balloon fight, he said that they could still swim. He came inside with me, and I let him watch some Animaniacs. Then, he went back outside and got in the pool. He was good and stayed on the steps to keep his chin dry, though it did get splashed a couple of times.

After the kids got out of the pool, we got out a veggie tray to snack on and the cake. The party was about over, so after cake and ice cream, H opened the present from his friends, and we said goodbye. When they were gone, he opened his presents from us, and the kids played superheroes for the rest of the day (he received four superhero costumes).

I think he had a good time. He told me today that he likes birthdays. I take that as a sign that all went well in his eyes. I love my sweet H, and I am glad he feels like we took time to make him happy.

Mayflower II

K and AJ in front of the Mayflower II

During our trip to Plymouth last summer, the Mayflower II was out of commission. Some of the
wood had rotted, and the ship was in need of repair. I was disappointed, but I still held hope that could get out there to see it before we left New England.

When Timo took H and S on a trip recently, my opportunity to visit the replica of the famous vessel arose. Working around my kids' activities, we planned a day trip out to see the ship and to show my mother (who was visiting) parts of Plymouth.

I was somewhat apprehensive about the trip since I was not sure how A would handle that much time in the car, but she did beautifully. We made it out to Plymouth by about lunch time, and we headed to the Mayflower II after eating.

The ship is unbelievably small for having to hold 102 passengers. I could see maybe eight families fitting in there and still getting in each other's way. I cannot imagine how they handled the 66-day voyage and the three months afterwards while waiting for all of the houses to be completed. It gave me a new appreciation for the sacrifices the pilgrims made for a cause in which they so deeply believed.

The shallop they had brought over had been recreated as well, and it was floating next to the Mayflower II to give us an idea of what that would have looked like. I learned they had dismantled it and stored it below deck with the 102 passengers and animals. In fact, some people slept in the pieces, making use of every space they had down there.

I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to visit this fabulous piece of history and share it with my mom,  K, and AJ. (A slept through the whole thing, but I figured that she would not remember it, anyway.) Seeing the historical places in New England really helps bring to life the people and places I would otherwise only know through books.

Baby Number Five

Just born

Easter morning, I awoke after another uncomfortable night's sleep. I was three days overdue in my pregnancy, and I was more than ready to have my baby. I got up, got to church with the family, and came home afterwards for lunch.




Around 1:30pm, I started feeling contractions. Since I had experienced a lot of false labor during the latter half of my pregnancy, I didn't say anything about it. I wanted to make sure this was the real deal. Around 2pm, I mentioned it to Timo. The contractions were coming regularly and definitely getting stronger. We left the house at about 2:30pm, but after we started driving, the contractions stopped. I waited, and I finally had another one. Whew!

When we arrived, we walked up to the Labor and Delivery wing, and we checked in. It is a good thing I went earlier rather than later since they were dealing with a new computer system, and I was still at a point when I could handle the delays and questions. Timo and I walked around the L&D wing until I was too uncomfortable. Then, I asked for a labor ball, shortly followed by a request for an epidural. (I am a wimp.) The anesthesiologist arrived rather quickly, and I was happy when the pain subsided.

First snuggles with Mommy

When I was at about a 9, they broke my water, and it was not long afterwards that I was pushing. After a couple of small pushes to get her to turn her head the right way, a change of scrubs for the doctor (amniotic fluid), and pushing through two more contractions, she was out. I was so thrilled to have another baby girl that I cried with joy. I had not allowed myself to admit I wanted a girl after three boys, but, once she was born, I could freely say it.

A was born at 7:33pm, weighing a solid 8 lbs. 6 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches. She is a wonderful baby, and a perfect addition to our family.

Grandma and K holding baby girl

Daddy and H with A

Maple Days

Yesterday, we took the kids to Old Sturbridge Village to experience their Maple Days events. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and it was too cold for the sap to flow. However, we did still learn a little about the sugaring process and how maple products were used in the 1830s.

The first stop once we arrived was a small house where a man showed us how they would boil down the sap and pour it into a mold for the sugar and liquid syrup to separate. While there, we got to taste some maple sugar candy. K really enjoyed it, but AJ refused a piece.

Next, we walked over to the sugaring camp, where they were boiling melted snow over an open fire since the sap was not running. The man working there had put a wooden spile into a nearby maple tree, but nothing was coming out. He explained that the tree keeps the water down in the roots when the temperature dips below freezing. Once it warms up a bit, the tree sends the water up to the crown of the tree. This is what makes the sap flow perfectly for maple syrup. Once the weather warms up, the tree doesn't need to send the water back down to the roots at night anymore. Then the sap available turns bitter and useless to anyone but the tree.

Once we left the camp, we walked to the farm where they were demonstrating how the people in the 1830s used maple sugar in their baking. Saturday is "Bake Day" so they don't have to bake on the sabbath. Maple sugar can be used with a one-to-one ratio, and it doesn't leave a maple aftertaste. The ladies in the kitchen explained how to tell if the oven is the right temperature for the various baked goods. They stick their arms in the hot oven and start to count. When the temperature gets too hot to bear, they stop counting. That is what they call their "pie count".  Everyone has his/her own pie count, and the best way to learn is by someone testing the oven right before you. Then you stick your arm in and start to count. Whatever number you stop at is your own pie count, and you know that is what to aim for when baking without a thermometer in the oven. I found that fascinating.

After leaving the warm kitchen, we headed out to the barn, where we were privileged to see two calves. One was a little more than a week old, but the other had been born the night before. Both of them were so cute, and their fur looked wonderfully silky.

People were starting to get hungry, so we ambled over to the tavern for a meal, pausing at the carding mill, grist mill, and saw mill on the way. After lunch, K wanted to make a craft. She had saved her money to pay for it herself, so she made a punch tin ornament, and Timo took the boys to the indoor kids place to play. H had been looking forward to playing there since we left the house, so I know he enjoyed himself.

K hammering a pattern in her tin ornament

Once K was finished with her ornament, she wanted to design her own decoration on a tin tray. Then, we joined the boys. I heard that they would be milking one of the cows, and I wanted to witness that. I learned a lot about cattle and milking during this event, and I have already had a chance to share some of the knowledge with others.

K's pattern

Watching the milking of the cow

After the milking, it was time to go. S had fallen asleep in Timo's arms, and we needed to get home.

Although I did not really get to witness a true sugar camp, I did learn a lot, and I hope the kids did, too. I will miss the educational opportunities of OSV after we move.