by the numbers

7 adults

5 kids

3 strollers

6 trips to Disneyland

12 rides on the tram

20 hours waiting in line

10 meltdowns

15 off-key renditions of Tale As Old as Time

100 miles walked in 80 degree heat with 1 million people all going in the same direction

Putting on your Belle gown at 8 pm to head over to the happiest place on earth to eat funnel cake, watch fireworks, ride roller coasters, and meet princesses, all with your favorite people in the whole world....priceless.

Camping

Last weekend (5 days after returning home :) ) we took the kids and went camping with our small group from church. I was VERY tempted to stay home but sick of feeling like I always say no to things because of Ava and Ian. So with a determined-to-have-a-good-time-and-not-let-3-AM-feedings-on-the-cold-hard-ground-bring-me-down spirit we packed up the car AND the car top carrier for one night at Detroit Lake. It was ridiculous how much stuff our family required to live outdoors for less than 24 hours, but there it is. We had the most amazing campsite, on the corner, just steps from the beach, with a breathtaking view. Ava loved every minute of it and cried when we left. We did a little hiking and a lot of eating and swimming. Ian survived the 90 degree heat and although he did let the entire campground know that he wanted to eat at 3 am, he also seemed to enjoy himself. I can't say we'll be doing it again anytime soon but it's always good to breathe in some fresh air and eat a few s'mores by the campfire.

And here is a series of Ben and mini Ben pics:

look at the way they're holding their hands...freaky!

Top 5 reasons why I love the Costco food court:

1. The obvious - the whole family can eat dinner for under $5, $6 if you include dessert.

2. There are napkin dispensers strategically placed every 6 inches around the perimeter of the food court, for when Ava spills her entire smoothie within 5 minutes of me placing it on the table.

3. No one gives me dirty looks for having my 3 year old babysit my 7 month old while I get food.

4. The sound of the cart guy drowns out Ava singing, "Ian is a dinosaur from our gimajibation!" (to the tune of Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination) at the top of her lungs, 1,000 times in a row.

5. No one looks at us like we're weird when Ava re-enacts the forest scene from Snow White with the pigeons trying to steal our food.

Someday I will be able to eat a meal without enduring sympathetic glances from the other people around me. Until then, I'll be the girl at the Costco food court with the dark sunglasses and a carton of baby wipes.

vacation or trip?

After 3 weeks of traveling we are finally home. All in all it was a good trip. A LOT of work but we got some good family time. My friend Amy told me that when you travel with children it is considered a trip instead of a vacation. So true. I think because on vacation you think about yourself but when you travel with your kids they are still the main priority. It actually makes things harder because they're off schedule and sleeping in new places. But the slower pace is beautiful and the stolen moments that you wouldn't get in a normal routine make it all worth it. At one point Ava and I took some floaties out into the lake and spent about an hour talking and laughing and swimming. I couldn't help but notice how time is slipping by and she's her own person now. It was like everything slowed down and I could just enjoy her without the distractions of life.

Other highlights included an impromptu Weezer concert that was literally a mile down the road at the local community college. We enjoyed a beautiful evening with a sunset overlooking the lake and one of the most fun shows I've ever been to. Ava loved the time with her tia Christy and I couldn't have survived without her help. We had some great food and made a few ice cream runs to our favorite custard shop Abbots. There were definitely some frustrating moments with 20 people sleeping in a 3 bedroom cottage and I'm pretty sure that this will be the last Lawson family summer. But I have some really good memories to take with me and I'm glad Ava got on the tail end of a great run of vacations...I mean trips. :)

Eating s'mores at the concert

The only place to go at 5am was the kitchen :(

A girl and her lake

It's good to take healthy snacks in case you lose an oar out on the water :)

Ariel enjoying a topless tea party

She woke up every morning, put on her swim suit, ate a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch, went in the water, ate lunch, took a nap, put on her swimsuit, swam, ate dinner, swam, and went to bed. For 10 straight days!

You've got to love that the first decision of the day is which cover-up to put over your swimsuit

Ian also loved the lake

Visiting the old cottage where we spent every summer since I was 3 years old

flight of the living dead...

Yes you read this correctly. Six hours and fourteen minutes from JFK to Portland. This picture was actually taken before they delayed our flight...twice. It went surprisingly well considering how bad it could have gone. The only problem was that I couldn't sleep because I made a bed for Ian at our feet and he kept hitting his head on the metal seat posts. I had to watch him the whole time. The nice thing about jet blue is that you get your own tv and can watch cable. I wish I had a picture of Ava and Ian sleeping all sprawled out but I couldn't get to my camera, or go to the bathroom, or move my butt from it's cozy position against the airplane window. Ahh motherhood. Traveling is a chore until you do it with babies. Then you realize that you never had anything to complain about.

postcards from Chicago