Day 5

I can't believe this is the last day of my staycation with the kids! Not that the fun has to stop here...but I really do need to get back to a more realistic schedule. I actually took a picture of my filthy kitchen floor yesterday, intending to post it as proof that I haven't done a stitch of housework this week. For some reason the bazillion crumbs that can't be missed in real life are totally invisible in the photos, so I decided not to bother.

Anyway, we ended our week with a bang. After a brief jaunt through Annabell's imaginary world of stuffed animals, we jumped into the van and headed to the grocery store to buy ingredients for The World's Biggest Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich. Liam requested this treat weeks ago when I first told him about our staycation. There are few things that will pull him away from his precious trains, but butter, sugar, and chocolate are three of them.

Liam is one of those kids who will always say "Louder!" when the volume is already maxed, and "Faster!" when you're already speeding. I did my best to make a huge cookie, and was informed that my attempt was "big, but not huge." Ah, well...I tried.

Since the weather today didn't lend itself to eating outside, we mixed things up a bit by having a bedroom picnic. I had swung by Redbox when we were out earlier and picked up Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which we watched while munching on turkey sandwiches, fruit, and popcorn. No quiet time today, but lots of snuggling on Mommy's bed. What a great way to spend a rainy afternoon!

After the movie we finished assembling the cookie sandwich, put it in the basement freezer to harden, and built yet another train track with building block enhancements. I think we're onto something with this one.

Mommy got a little grouchy tonight...still feeling under the weather and beginning to stress about the messy house. Thankfully I was able to shake off the mope for Bible time, when Liam chose the story, "Adam and Even Fall Into Sin." With such a wealth of insight into God's character, it was hard to boil this one down to three broad statements. We finally settled on the fact that God:

• gives people choices.
• still loves us even when we do bad things.
• doesn't ignore our sin - there are consequences.

So...I guess this is the end of Mommy, Annabell, and Liam's Staycation. Part of me is saying TGIF, and the other part of me is a little disappointed that the week is already over. These daily blog posts have been more time consuming than I expected, but I think I'm going to miss them! They've been a great source of accountability, and there's something therapeutic about reflecting on the ups and downs of the day. I'm inspired to get back into the habit of journaling, even if I don't have time to capture our daily lives on camera.

Thanks for joining us this week! And if you'd like to keep up to date on our McLennan moments, we have plenty of room for more followers on the blog! I KNOW there has to be more than one person out there reading this...

Have a great holiday weekend!

Read More

Day 4

I cheated today, so I'm not sure I can really count this as the official Day 4. Between grocery shopping this morning, a women's Bible study luncheon, and an afternoon visit from the Cooper clan (who brought us dinner, BTW...how sweet is that?!), the kids and I didn't really have much focused time together.

We started with a trip to Hoover's, a small produce market not far from our house. This drive always leads to a game of "Who can spot the covered bridge first?" which in turn makes me reminisce about those childhood summer trips to Maine and our quest to find "The Big Bridge." No matter how frequently we go to Hoover's, the sighting of the covered bridge never fails to inspire squeals of delight. I played the tourist today and actually snapped a picture for the sake of this blog...

The goodies we picked up at Hoover's made for a delicious fruit salad at our luncheon, which thankfully included several other young kiddos. I felt a bit guilty chatting it up with the ladies while Annabell and Liam played and dined in a different room, and the situation didn't improve when we came home and I herded them into bed for quiet time. I don't usually eat a big lunch, so between the full stomach and the intense heat of the day, I needed a nap. Not sure what's up with me this week...3 naps in 4 days? I'm starting to think the "crash" from last Friday's adoption fundraiser was on a bit of a time delay.

I awoke to the sweet sounds of the kids playing nicely with their train set. Once I fought my way out of the food-induced coma, we headed outside with the intention of playing together in the sandbox. Unfortunately, the discovery of a dead bird halted our progress. I ran back inside for a minute, warning the kids, "DO NOT touch it." As I returned a minute later, Annabell was nowhere to be seen, but Liam was hunched over the carcass with his back to me, furtively glancing left, then right, then down. I yelled to him and marched on over.

"Did you touch it?"

"Um...no."

"Tell me the truth, Liam. Did you touch it?"

"No." A pause, and then he holds up a sand scoop. "I didn't touch it. But my cup did."

Boys are fun.

Wondering if it was really necessary to disinfectant an outdoor sand toy, I disposed of the bird and got back to helping Liam uncover the sandbox. In doing so I was struck (literally and figuratively) by the overgrown branches of our apple tree. Being the child-focused mother that I am, I left Liam to play by himself while I fetched the clippers from the shed and gave the tree a trim.

That's when my friend Marty arrived, bringing a much-appreciated meal and playmates for the kids. While Annabell, Liam, Mina, and Jed screamed and splashed in the pools, Marty and I had a nice grown-up conversation in the shade. I didn't feel quite as guilty that time, considering how delighted my kids were to have some of their best friends over.

After a delicious, cooked-by-someone-else dinner, I threw Liam in the tub and helped Annabell build a new block/train creation: Sir Topham Hatt's Lookout Tower. Then we devised a scenario in which the New Lorry was driving on the tracks instead of the road, and the big man had to come down out of his tower and enforce some Sodor rules. The New Lorry proceeded to hide in some of the skillfully constructed tunnels Annabell had built earlier in the day, but to no avail. Sir Topham Hatt always gets his man. Or, in this case, his lorry.

Bible time came at bedtime today, and we studied the story of Paul and Silas in Prison. Through this abbreviated version we were able to see that God:

• is always with us.
• is in control of all things.
• changes people when they believe in Him.

We ended the day by reciting our memory verses - Psalm 19:1, John 3:16, Romans 8:28, and Philippians 4:4, which inevitably led to a stirring rendition of "Rejoice in the Lord Always."

Highlights of the day:

• Playing hide-and-seek with Liam this morning...he runs to hide in the closet, then proceeds to yell, "Don't look for me in the closet, Mommy! I'm not hiding in the closet!"
• During Bible time this evening...realizing that Annabell knows far more about the story than I've ever told her. Thankful for a great church and preschool curriculum for the kiddos.
• Watching Liam race around the yard in a wet bathing suit for the second day in a row, once again sporting his plumber's crack for the world to see.
• Annabell double-fisting the blueberries we picked up at Hoover's this morning, and proceeding to make funny faces when she realizes I'm watching.

Read More

Day 3

After a blissful nine hours of sleep, I woke up much improved this morning, ready to tackle another day of storytelling, pretend play, and silly songs. The kids were eager for me to be up and about, as they knew we were going to be visiting one of their favorite people in the McLennan universe: Jenny Strayer. And her fabulous playroom, of course, complete with chalkboard wall, race track carpet, and its very own TV and DVD player.

It was nice to chat with another adult for a bit while the kids enjoyed the playroom. The Strayers also have a beautiful back patio where we were able to share lunch before a trip to Rita's for the world's best Italian ice. Annabell and Liam opted for frozen custard, probably because it was the only option that came with sprinkles.

After Rita's we said goodbye to Jenny and came home for our Bible time. Liam picked the story today: "Joseph's Beautiful Coat." The children's Bible version didn't give us much to work with, but we were able to think about the fact that God:

• loves us.
• wants families to love each other.
• does big things through little people. (That one required a little commentary from Mommy.)

We tried naps again today, but I knew from the start I was fighting a losing battle. I didn't care that much if the kids slept, but I was craving a short rest and knew I'd never be able to sleep if they were up. The Mommy radar is just too strong.

When it became clear that Liam wasn't going to stay quiet in his bed long enough for Annabell to drift off, I moved him into my room, thinking he'd settle down with me next to him. The plan seemed to be working at first. I had just about drifted off before I heard him shifting around beneath the sheets. I was almost out again a few minutes later when there was more movement and I suddenly felt a small, warm hand on my cheek. We lay there for a while, Liam pressing his forehead against mine and stroking my face, me soaking up every moment, until he grew restless and started tossing and turning again. Soon Annabell showed up, claiming she had taken a nap even though we'd only left her room about 15 minutes earlier. That's about when I gave up and let them play quietly while Mommy cat-napped. I don't think I really feel asleep, but I did regain enough energy to don a bathing suit a little while later and head outside to scrub the kiddie pool, which did some time earlier this spring as an unintentional birdbath.

With the 90+ degree heat, we had a blast splashing around in the pool. While Annabell practiced her technique with the spray nozzle and Liam ran around the backyard in a wet bathing suit showing off his perpetual plumber's crack, I inflated our smaller, secondary pool so we could fill one with warm water and one with cold. Then we invented a new game: Water Golf. It involves swinging Liam's plastic golf club through the cold water pool in the direction of the warm water pool, thereby spraying everyone in the warm pool with frigid droplets and inducing fits of screams and laughter. Fun game, as long as you're the one with the golf club.

We ended the day by eating hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner while sitting on the back deck in wet bathing suits. Good stuff.

Read More

Day 2

Today started off a bit rough, with Liam vomiting before breakfast and me waking up feeling like I'd swallowed a double dose of Nyquil. The groggy feeling held on through most of the day, long after Liam recovered and got back to eating everything in sight.

Thankfully, we were all able to enjoy one another in spite of my less than ideal physical state. We started out slow, fulfilling Liam's request to watch a tornado chase a train on YouTube. Yes, there actually is such a video. We also watched a couple of shuttle launches and a brief documentary on wild horses until everyone had thoroughly woken up.

Next we moved on to Annabell Land, building a pretend playground and house for her Beanie Babies. I think Annabell and Liam got more use out of the animals' "bed" than they did, but I can't blame the kids...it looked pretty comfy.

For lunch we packed a picnic and headed to Lititz Springs Park, just over a mile from our house. What is it about eating outside that heightens the appetite? As soon as everyone had inhaled lunch, we fed the ducks and spent a few minutes visiting the playground and (of course) the caboose before heading home.

Since we forgot to bring the Bible along to the park, our storytime came just before quiet time. Annabell chose the New Testament account of Jesus healing the 10 lepers. I asked the kids what we can learn about Jesus from the story, and we figured out that Jesus:

• cares about sick people.
• has the power to heal.
• wants people to believe in him.

And then - miracles never cease - BOTH of them took naps! Liam once again slept for over 2 hours. I'm still shaking my head...what is happening to my son?! I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to have a quiet house in the afternoon. I probably should have taken advantage of it and gotten another nap myself instead of folding laundry.

The rest of the day was a hodge-podge of disjointed activities. I didn't feel like I did the best job staying child-focused, but at least we ended on the right note, with baths for the kids and a good book before bed. Unfortunately, they're both still awake thanks to that nice long nap earlier, but I'm not complaining. They've been so sweet and obedient the last couple of days, and tonight Liam was a chatterbox. I have to think all this Mommy time has something to do with it.

Now, if I can just get some good rest and wake up with a little more energy, perhaps tomorrow we'll be able to cross a few more things off that list.

Read More

Day 1

It's amazing how love works. I expected to be utterly exhausted tonight, ready to pawn the kids off on Tim for the bedtime routine after our day of play. Instead, I enjoyed tucking them in, and even doubled our typical book time for a few extra minutes together. Don't get me wrong...I am exhausted, but I'm also saturated in love for my precious kiddos. They're such a gift, and seeing how they soaked up my attention today reminded me of what an awesome responsibility I have in caring for them every day.

We started off our week by sitting down to make a wish list. I asked them to take turns telling me what they want to do this week (making it clear that it wouldn't all get done), and these are some of their responses:

Annabell: "I want to do Webkinz and watch movies on the computer."

Liam: "I want to eat, and I might need to play, and I want to eat cake, 'cause I love cake."

Annabell: "I want to pretend the green things outside are vegetables and the brown things are chocolate, and put them in big buckets and pretend to sell them at our store."

Liam: "I want to watch a tornado chasing a train on the computer."

Annabell: "I want to learn how to draw stuff and draw words."

Liam: "I want to learn how to draw tornadoes."

The list filled a page, but it didn't really shape much of our day. We started out combining our Thomas train set with Tim's homemade building blocks and had a blast making caves and tunnels for the trains. It got pretty tense when the McDonald's Happy Meal dragons showed up and caused confusion and delay, but Sir Topham Hat and Mr. Percival soon set things aright.

At lunchtime I bypassed our typical routine (the kids eating at the island while I check email in the recliner) and set us up to eat together at the dining room table. While we ate, I read a couple of pages out of Annabell's children's Bible, and asked the kids to think about what the story told us about God. This was a spur-of-the-moment idea, sparked from yesterday's sermon, in which we were challenged to spend more time gazing at the character of God. We're going to do this each day this week, and keep a list. Today, through the story of Noah's Ark, we discovered that God...

• doesn't like sin - it makes Him sad.
• cares about animals.
• does what He says He's going to do.
• takes care of His people.

The afternoon was blissful. I'm still in shock that Liam not only asked for a nap, but actually slept for almost 3 hours! This from a child who hasn't napped since September. And even more amazing - I took a nap, too! And a bath. What luxury!

We had time for a brief walk before dinner, but between the thunderclouds closing in and Annabell's bike being pathetically small for her suddenly long legs, it didn't last long. I did enjoy strolling hand-in-hand with my son, though.

Back at the house, we watched a few clips of Scrat the Prehistoric Squirrel pursuing the elusive acorn in the Ice Age movies. I thought Annabell was going to pee her pants, she laughed so hard. I'd forgotten how good it feels to laugh hysterically out of pure enjoyment over watching someone else's hysterical laughter.

Before bed we read Stellaluna, Awesome Animals, Catch Me Catch Me, and The Berenstain Bears Moving Day. Now my babies are tucked in, happy and relatively healthy, apart from a little sniffle. And Tim and I are getting ready to watch the series finale of LOST on Hulu.

It was a good day.

Read More

Mommy, Annabell, & Liam's Staycation Week

About three weeks ago Annabell walked up to me and asked in a quiet, sad voice, "Mommy, why don't you have time to play with me anymore?" Obviously, I wanted to cry. I've known for months that I wasn't giving my kids the attention they crave. Life has been so incredibly busy - preschool shuttling, Bible study responsibilities, increased office work due to business transitions, and hours upon hours of planning for our adoption fundraiser.

In response to my daughter's honest question, I set down my laptop, took her hand, and walked over to our gigantic refrigerator calendar. Then I drew a big, red line through May 24-28. "That's our week, sweetie," I told her. "As soon as this fundraiser is over, I'm spending a whole week with you and Liam."

It might not sound like much, but to us, it is. This will be the first week since last August that we aren't pulled away (either physically, mentally, or emotionally) by all the things I just mentioned. My personality is such that, with the fundraiser finally behind us, I want to dive into another project - cleaning the basement, painting the shutters, picking out kindergarten curriculum, etc. I'm not one to take a week off just because. But my kids need it. And deep down I know I need it, too.

We're not planning anything spectacular...in fact I haven't made any plans at all. That's the point: we're going to rest and enjoy each other, and take each day as it comes. It'll be an adventure!

And since I'm not the best at following through with doing nothing in particular, I've decided to document the week and post a report each day. The added accountability can't hurt, right? So, please join us for Mommy, Annabell, & Liam's Staycation Week. See you tomorrow!

Read More