My Brain, A Van, The Zoo, A Catholic Mass, and Fuzzy Popcicle Bunnies

On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again

Isn't it funny how the words to that song can keep coming up in your mind when you're on a trip? But what's even funnier is when you can wait (to get on the road again) but the song keeps playing over in your brain. That's my brain, anyway. Be thankful we don't have to share. There's barely enough to go around as it is.

Last weekend, my brain and me, and my husband and kids, and my mother, and my two little sisters all took a trip up to North Carolina to visit my older sister. The trip was a bit of an offshoot of the fact that I have reached a new stage in life. I am now a minivan mom. This was difficult for me to agree to at first because I had taken a strong oath in my mind that I would never drive one. (Similar to my youthful oaths against planting azaleas and eating yellow squash.) But at the urgings of my husband and kids, I caved. We are now van people. It is big, and red, and roomy, and has a DVD player to lull my children into semi-consciousness.

So why does this lead directly to a trip to North Carolina? Because we are now van people! Van people can go on trips and bring more people with them, thereby splitting the gas costs and learning innovative ways to break up fights in the backseat from a distance.

It had been over a year since my last visit to my sister's house. Seth, my hard-working husband, had never been before. My older sister, Tiana, had never met my new, younger sister, Tobianna. I missed my two nephews. And all six of the kids were excited to spend the weekend together.

We made it to NC with little incident. Tobi, even though the threat loomed, managed to make it the entire way without throwing up. (Thank you, Jesus, that I did not have to clean vomit out of the upholstery in my new van. Amen.)

On Saturday, we went to the North Carolina Zoo. It is a huge place--five miles to walk from one end to the other--filled with plants and animals in near-natural habitats. One side of the zoo focuses on Africa, and the other side, North America. We definitely got our exercise for the day.


My brother-in-law Joe, leading our pack of stroller-pushers.

Some of my favorites from North America were the polar bears and the bison.




We also found a kids activity area that included a maze, a butterfly garden, chalk drawing and water painting. The kiddos probably got the biggest kick out of using the spray bottles full of water and the big paint brushes to make art on the "chalkboard" wall.

Noodle, Nicholas and Hopers






"With the Giraffe Network, you'll have more bars in more places."









The next day was Easter Sunday. My sister and her husband and his parents all attend a Catholic church, and they asked us to come with them. Now, I am all for worshiping God wherever I am, but wrangling six small children during an hour and a half long Catholic mass, was not exactly the closest I have ever felt to the Lord. My children and my younger sisters are used to worshiping and learning with other children on their level in another room, while I am used to being able to hear and pray and sit quietly on my level. This was quite the adjustment. Bringing paper and crayons for the kids only helped a little. They still squirmed and bickered and tried to crawl on the floor. As the mass was nearing a close, the priest stood up and said, "Let us pray."

Noodle bowed her head and prayed in a voice that echoed across the room, "OH Lord, please let this end SOON!"




Back at my sister's house, it was Easter Portrait time. The kids were still fairly presentable, as the day was still young, so we gathered them and one by one snapped pictures of them. I was eager to use my new camera, though the kids were slightly less enthusiastic. Still, they did well.

Tobi was the best. I've decided that child should be a model. She will ignore your every wish or pleading until you tell her you want to take a picture of her in a pretty dress. Suddenly she's a perfectly poised angel.



The other children required various acrobatics from Seth behind me in order to evoke a smile. But it was worth it. I have some seriously cute nephews, sisters, and daughters.


My sister, Tabitha.



My nephew, Nathan.



My other nephew, Nicholas.



My Hopers.


After torturing the children with sitting still all morning, it was time for some fun. Here they are running down the back steps to begin the egg hunt.



Then we had fun with crafts and games in the basement.




We made fuzzy rabbits and teddy bears on popsicle sticks. We crafted necklaces out of foam flowers and plastic noodle beads. Bet you wish you had been there.

The basketball game was my favorite. You know the kind found at Chuck-E-Cheese or someplace similarly obnoxious where you throw the basketballs to see how many you can get through the hoop in a certain amount of time. Well there were two hoops. Seth and I played several games against each other. I. JUST. COULDNT. WIN. It was driving me crazy. I kept wandering back over there to practice throwing just a few more balls. By the end of the day, my forearms were sore and I wasn't any better. My brain thought I could make it happen, but my body wasn't cooperating.

On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again

Did you hear that?

I'm not done, brain. One more thing.

We ended our day with watching Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Yeah, the one we had all worked on and participated in. Did you watch it? Good, huh? Very very sad. I cried the entire time. Out of all of my family members that might have shown up in episode, my Dad was the one we saw, holding Tobianna, near the beginning of the show. Did you miss it? Well, watch it online. He's the one looking like a mountain man holding a small Asian child.

It was a great day. A fun visit. We went to bed tired. We woke up Monday morning

On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again

Okay, now I'm done. Sing your song brain.