Fall Fun

My brother called from Utah yesterday and mentioned that they woke up to snow. We’re just now adjusting to the fact that it’s already fall; it’s hard to believe winter is just around the corner. The girls were excited to go outside yesterday and rake up the leaves around the yard.

Carly kept getting frustrated that Jason was running through the leaves and messing up her pile.

Jason enjoyed having the leaves thrown up in the air and on top of his head.

Justin mentioned that 80% of the pictures I take are of Jason. I guess that might be true, but he’s just so darn cute.

The Fletchers go to the Caribbean

Almost every year the entire Fletcher family leaves the cold and rain of the northwest and goes on vacation. This year we were off to cruise the Caribbean.

Our family in Grand Cayman (with our ship in the distance)

After a leisurely breakfast in the dining room we spent most of our day at sea in the pools. The girls loved the waterslide and the kiddie pool was perfect for Jason. A major advantage of traveling on Carnival is that they include two year olds in their childcare programs (on most other cruise lines kids have to be at least three and potty-trained). It was nice to have the option of eating dinner or going to a show kid free. And since there was always fun activities for the kids to enjoy so I didn’t feel too guilty.

Here are the four youngest proudly wearing the crowns they had made in Camp Carnival.

Costa Maya, Mexico

Since none of us had ever heard of Costa Maya we weren’t sure what to expect. I think it’s a port created by the cruise lines. Shortly after we arrived we located a swimming pool by the beach and settled in for several hours of swimming.

Because the ship was so close we headed back onboard for lunch. I stayed back to give the two youngest kids naps while the rest of the family ventured of to a nearby beach where Justin took the girls on their first wave running experience. Carly was seated in the very front which ended up not being the best idea because she hit her face against the front of the wave runner, but I don’t think it was traumatic enough to keep her from trying again sometime.

Belize

We've been really excited about going cave tubing in Belize. Our tour guide was awesome and the experience was amazing - we would totally recommend it to anyone traveling there. Apparently this was the last week that kids under 48" were allowed in the caves so Jason was lucky to have been able to go with us. I was a little worried about how well Jason would hold up throughout the 8 hour excursion, but he loved every minute of it. We had an hour drive to the caves which gave us the opportunity to see areas of Belize far from the touristy parts. It definitely made us realize how blessed we are.

It seemed to take hours to hike with our tubes to the place we would get in the water, but our guide kept us entertained by showing us a plant that curled up when we touched it and luring a tarantula out of its tunnel. We also saw several bats in the caves. We all floated down the river together by linking our feet under the arms of the person in front of us, the kids tubes were attached to our tubes with extra lifejackets.

We each had a headlamp to use to look around the caves. It was fun for the girls to use their imaginations to create images out of all the rock formations. I wish we would have been able to take our camera with us because it really was beautiful. Near the end Carly fell off her tube, but she seemed completely unfazed by it and waited for the guide to scoop her up and take her back to her tube.

After cave tubing we ate a traditional meal of chicken, beans, and rice before heading back to the cruise ship… yum, yum.

Jason was beat on the tender back to the ship and just wanted to sit with his Grandpa.

Cozumel, Mexico

While Grandma and Grandpa took a day trip to explore Tulum, the rest of us took a taxi to Paradise beach.

We were only there about 30 minutes when the thunder and dark clouds rolled in.

Everyone took cover in the bar/restaurant area waiting for clear skies.

Carly and Jason kept entertained playing in the sand and rain

When we realized the rain was not going to let up Justin and the kids headed back out for more fun. They didn’t seem to mind the rain at all, for me however it was a bit disappointing to not get to lay out and enjoy some sunshine.

Notice Justin and Jason taking cover under the waterslide

Grand Cayman

We woke the kids up early on Friday only to find out that due to rough seas our arrival into Grand Cayman would be delayed over an hour and a half. We were disappointed we missed out on the extra sleep, but it gave us a chance to relax and catch up on a little homework. When we finally got ashore we headed out to stingray city on a fun catamaran.

The sunshine availed us again and the water was really choppy, but the stingrays were aplenty.

Justin and I were the only ones in our group that had been to stingray city before. There is a sandbar smack dab in the middle of the ocean so we were standing in water only 3-4 feet deep. The clouds didn’t keep the crowds away - look at how many people other excursions cram onto their boats.

The only thing that made me nervous was that the waves would lift you up off the ground and I always worried I would end up stepping on top of a stingray as I came back down.

After swimming with the stingrays we stopped near a reef for snorkeling. Our guide recommended that due to the rough water only experienced snorklers get in. Abigail had really been looking forward to snorkeling so Justin braved the waves and took her out. She thought it was awesome and I’m glad she got the opportunity to go out.

Jason however was CRUSHED that he couldn’t get back in the water and threw what may be the worst tantrum in my nearly eight years of parenting, but goes to show this kid LOVES the water.

Back to Miami, Florida

Our last day at sea was rough, rough, rough. The waves were so high in the swimming pool that they had to close it down for safety reasons. Thank goodness I was feeling better or it would have been a miserable trip for me. Luckily none of us got sea sick although we felt like we were still on the ship for several days after the cruise was over.

After the cruise we stayed in Miami for a few days with Justin’s parents. Months ago I told Justin that he was in charge of planning what we were going to do post-cruise. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised or disappointed when we were driving around Miami wondering what to do and where to stay. In the end everything working out fine and we always had a place to sleep and eat (in the three days we were there we ate at Chick-fil-a twice, I’m certain it would have been daily had it not been closed on Sunday).

We explored the Everglade National Park. We saw lots of alligators, birds, snakes, turtles, and a gigantic grasshopper. We also took a fun air boat ride through the marshes and watched a brave ranger feed a bunch of alligators.

The concierge at the hotel advised us against taking the family to South Beach or Miami Beach (too much nudity) so we spent a day at a beach in Biscayne Bay (we did go to South Beach for dinner one evening just to check it out). The kids could have played in the water all day.

Abigail spent most of the day bodysurfing.

Jason would not get out of the water and it was impossible to get him to stop moving long enough to get a decent picture.

There was also a really neat lighthouse along the beach.

Wow, so I think that about covers our trip - Thank you Grandma & Grandpa Fletcher for another awesome vacation!

Soccer wrap-up

I can’t neglect to include a few pictures from soccer this year. With both girls playing it kept our family busy this fall. With Justin busy at work there were many times I wondered how in the world I will manage the activities of four kids. Abigail had practices twice a week, Carly practiced once a week (on a different day of course) and both girls had games on Saturdays. For the most part we had good weather although there were a few soggy games. Abigail played in a different league this year so she could be with some friends. Her coach was fantastic and we enjoyed having a smaller team (only 7 girls, compared with 11 on Carly’s team). Abigail has gotten very good (this was her third season playing) and scored at least one goal in every game. It was very different this year since the girls are older and are learning more about passing and working as a team. Even though Abigail is a great soccer player she still got nervous enough before each game that said she didn’t feel well. However, once the game got started she was always ready to go.

Going all the way!

Tonight was Abigail’s end of the season soccer party. Her coach gave each of the girls an award and highlighted some of their accomplishments. Abigail’s medal was engraved with “Fletch” on the back (there were two Abigail’s on her team so that was the nickname he used for her). Her coach recognized Abigail for her ability to play all positions and that she has great instincts on being in the right place at the right time.

Abigail’s team (less one)


This was Carly’s first year playing and she loved it. She ran around the field with a huge smile on her face throughout the whole game.

Scoring against 3 opponents

Carly also got to play with one of her closest friends (whose Dad we were lucky to have as the team coach). Carly also had a great season and scored in every game.

Carly and her friend Lydia

Catching up

Well, we’re back. It’s great to be home but there’s always so much to do when we return. I’ve cleaned out my email, unpacked all the suitcases, washed several loads of laundry, sorted through stacks of snail mail, and I’m in the process of updating our finances/bills in QuickBooks. Busy, busy. We had a great vacation and I will try to post some pictures over the weekend.

The kids are adjusting well to the time change. They were all in bed by 6:30 Wednesday night. Jason didn’t wake up til nearly 11am yesterday morning, and then proceeded to go down for a nap at a friends house an hour and a half later. When I came to pick him up he was still asleep… needless to say, I think our vacation wore him out.

Yesterday afternoon was my day to volunteer in the girl’s classrooms. As I was walking down the main hallway I noticed a bulletin board for the school reading program. Students in grades 2-5 read books and then take a test on them. Based on the difficulty of the book and the number of questions they get right they earn points. Each student has a goal they need to accomplish by year end. Abigail was listed as the #1 student in her grade for earning the most points and is tied for second for passing the most tests. I am so proud of Abigail’s accomplishments especially since this has been something she has done completely on her own. I know how lucky I am that she doesn’t need any outside motivation to always give everything her best effort. Way to go Abigail!

Happy Halloween

We're outta here!

NO Parking

It's been a long, exhausting day

all I want to do is relax on the couch

this is what I find

I tell you, the boy is obsessed

Pumpkin Patch

Well, we did it! We made it to a pumpkin patch this year. It was this time last year that I was feeling very unfestive. AND since we’re missing Halloween this year I’ve been quite bummed. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. When else can you rake in this much candy in under an hour?

Girls candy – Halloween 2008

With Jason old enough to participate this year can you imagine the loot we could have come home with?? I can. Of course, we are very excited for our vacation to the Caribbean, but who can blame me for wanting both the tropical destination and the piles of candy to delight my sugarloving taste buds?

We had a super tight schedule Saturday with just enough time in the afternoon (skipping Jason’s nap) to squeeze in a trip to Spooner Farms. This is our first time visiting this pumpkin patch, but we heard it had a great corn maze and lots of fun picture opportunities.



Justin and I have never done a corn maze and we were both shocked with how complex this maze was. I imagined straight pathways, clear right and left turns. This maze actually had a face carved into the corn (of course you wouldn’t know that unless you were looking down on the entire thing). Without a map I can’t imagine anyone figuring out where to go.

If you look closely Abigail is holding the map of the maze – crazy complicated!

To make it more interesting they had 6 mailboxes throughout the maze – if you find all six you get a prize at the end.

Here’s Abigail ready to punch her card at mailbox #4

When we found out the course was at least 2.1 miles (more if you get lost or take any wrong turns) we knew we needed to hustle. After a weeks worth of rain the paths were a muddy mess. Justin ended up carrying Jason through most of the maze.

Look at all that mud on Jason’s pants.



After the maze we picked out a pumpkin to take home. I asked Justin if we should get a few extras for the kids to carve and he immediately shot me down. He said he didn’t want them using knives, but I think he just didn’t want to fork out anymore money. I guess we’ll leave carving pumpkins for another year.

Jason thought he was strong enough to handle the wheelbarrow. He tried with all his might and was able to push it an inch or two.



The kids were each excited to pick out a mini-pumpkin to bring home.

We had a great time and could have easily spent another hour at the farm. While we were in the maze Abigail told us she wants to bring her kids here when she gets older. There was so much to do and see that we didn’t even know that we had missed out on seeing all the farm animals. Next year we’ll try and give ourselves a little more time to enjoy it.

Random

Perhaps we need a new favorite character…

Over the years I’ve really tried to limit the amount of TV my kids watch. Each of them from a very early age (like 6 months old) have been fascinated with the TV and would sit in front of the TV in a zombie-like state for hours if allowed. Sure that does have its advantages at times, but it’s something I try to avoid. However, with me not feeling very well over the past few months Jason has watched a show or two practically everyday. His favorite is by far Curious George “Ooh Ahh” as he calls it. As I was sitting on the couch with Jason the other day watching an episode of Curious George it dawned on me that George doesn’t speak at all. I can’t help but wonder if I’m doing my speech delayed son a disservice by encouraging his love of a character that can’t speak a lick of English and grunts and points when he wants something. Maybe we need to find a different show were Jason may pick up a word or two.

Future fashion divas?

My girls are easy, non-fluff girls. We don’t do hair bows, fancy braids, or gigantic Mormon headbands and floral hair décor. Not that they would be opposed to any of the above, but I’m just not one of those moms. Abigail’s hair style consists of a dollop of mouse, a little hair scrunching, and a simple brown clip. With Carly’s stick straight hair it’s not unusual for us to leave the house in the morning and neither of us have even thought of running a comb through it.

They wear whatever I purchase them (or gets handed down to them) and couldn’t care less about fit, color, or style. Makes shopping for them really easy and relatively inexpensive. Abigail has been wearing the same winter coat for the past three years so she was overdue for something larger. I finally got around to getting her a coat on Saturday and she immediately put it on and headed back outside with friends. Carly quickly scooped up Abigail’s old coat and with a huge grin on her face asked if it could be her coat now. Of course that was my intention, but I didn’t imagine she would be quite as thrilled as she was to wear a coat that has half a dozen huge safety pins holding on the hood and is definitely well worn.

Sure I wonder if I should be more concerned about how put together my girls appear, but there’s definitely lots of advantages to keeping it this way too. I hope they will always have the confidence to look past all the exterior stuff and just be happy with who they are.

(Abigail obviously wasn't very excited to pose for a picture)

Sweet Treat

Justin’s idea of a yummy treat

honey, sweet honey

Jason at 2

As I was putting Jason down for a nap this afternoon I kept thinking about how quickly he is changing. Everyday I find myself taken back by just how great he is, seriously – everyday. No he is not our easiest child, but we just love him to bits anyhow. Since I’m so incredibly behind in my scrapbooking (how the heck will I ever catch up with #4 on the way???) I decided I need to jot down a little bit about Jason at age 2 and share a few pictures from the last month or so.

• Jason really does run the house. He who hollers the loudest get what he wants and Jason can holler.
• Has decided he doesn’t want to miss a thing in the morning so he is the first one up at 7 am (well, the first one besides Daddy).
• Has decided he was missing far too much of the action by taking 4 hour naps each day so he now tries to keep it under 3 hours.
• Is picking up new words every week. He tries so hard with his speech therapist and is really improving. We’ve even gotten a few words together – like “more please”.

• LOVES books. We’ve finally reached an understanding that we will only read 2 books before nap or bedtime. He selects them before we sit down and he can choose which one is first and which book is the LAST book before I lay him down. I’m so grateful we are able to communicate better.
• Although so much about Jason is “all boy” he doesn’t like messes. Sure a messy playroom – no big deal. But if he drips a little yogurt on the table he wants it cleaned up right away. When he knows he has a little food on his face he picks up a napkin and wipes it away.
• Jason is sensitive. If he ever hears his sisters crying he’ll be there first one there trying to give them a hug. He hates getting into trouble and if we really get after him for something it breaks his little heart, then of course he looks so darn cute that he’s forgiven on the spot.

• Thinks that being in the car is endless snack time – and does not like being told “no” or “wait til we get home”.
• Gives the sweetest kisses. I think the girl’s kisses at this age were wet and slobbery, but Jason gives us the real deal. My favorite is when he gives me a kiss on the cheek then wants to give me a kiss on the other cheek as well.
• LOVES taking Carly to the bus stop. He started blowing kisses to her as she watches from the window – seriously just tugs at my heart. Then he yells “BYE” as loud as he can. The bus driver thinks he’s just the cutest thing ever.
• Jason is hilarious – he cracks us up every day with the silly things he does.
  

• LOVES going to school twice a week. Even though it’s a huge time sacrifice for me I also enjoy it. He gets to paint and make all sorts of messes all under the watchful care of three amazing teachers. Occasionally I even take the opportunity to run to the grocery store during class – shopping without Jason is quite the luxury.
• He sure can get wild. One of his nursery teachers at church told me that for the most part he is very quiet and calm, but occasionally he gets this “look” on his face and totally breaks loose. He loves to tackle his sisters and they enjoy it when he acts like a monster and chases them around the house growling.

• Jason is still obsessed with cars and trains. They are definitely his toy of choice.
• When we are in the car Jason points out each and every fire engine, police car, construction equipment, big truck, and train. Then every adult in our car needs to acknowledge his findings.
• Jason is currently going through a Mommy phase. Although he’s thrilled when Justin gets home from work. Jason wants me to change his diapers, brush his teeth, and put him to bed. This phase needs to change here quickly.
• Jason is a non-crust guy. I don’t remember cutting crusts off sandwiches for my girls, but again Jason does tend to get his way.