I’m not sure what these two were talking about, but they sure were having a good time!

Over the course of our home remodel, we were frequently in a position where we couldn’t be at home.  Thankfully, we were able to spend nearly all that time at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  Not only was it a familiar and consistent place to go—rather than trying to fill that time with day trips and activities—but, the kids were also able to spend that with two of their favorite people in the world.  We were all so weary by the end, I can’t imagine how we would have felt had we not had their help.  We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family.  Here are a few our pictures.

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The final stages of our flooring project required that we leave our house for a couple of days.  We decided to spend the last night at Edgefield.  We were definitely looking forward to it, but with the next morning being Easter, I wanted to find a way to do something special for the kids even though we wouldn’t be at home.  After the kids went to bed, I scattered our room with eggs so when they woke up, that would be what they saw.  I knew they would have lots of Easter candy, so the eggs were filled with fun non-edibles, like stickers, toys, hair clips, and play-doh.  Delaney was the first one awake, and she was very intrigued, crawling around and shaking all the eggs that she could reach.  It was fun to set up for them, and also a lot fun for them to wake up to.  I was happiest, however, that we didn’t let being away from home prevent us from making it a memorable day.  After our room hunt, we enjoyed breakfast at the Black Rabbit Restaurant.  The kids then attended another egg hunt on the lawn by the Little Red Shed, while this weary mom retreated to Ruby’s Spa for a much-needed deep tissue massage.  It was not how we usually celebrate Easter, but it was still a special time for us together as a family.

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Last week, the kids and their playgroup rode the Portland Aerial Tram. The Tram cabins travel 3,300 linear feet between the South Waterfront and OHSU's main campus. Traveling at 22 miles per hour, the Tram cabins rise 500 feet for the three-minute trip over I-5, the Lair Hill neighborhood and the Southwest Terwilliger Parkway.  It was the one day all week that we enjoyed the break from the rain, and we took advantage of it, walking from the Old Spaghetti Factory to the Tram, and then, back for lunch.  It is a short ride, but both Franny and Cole really enjoyed it, and I loved the spectacular views of beautiful Portland, Oregon.  And, of course, the best part was spending time with special friends.  Fun times!

Today was Cole’s first day of preschool.  He was very excited.  Although he was already very familiar with the school, we visited several days so he would be familiar with the structure and the teachers.  From the first day, he was very involved with all the activities, talked to the teachers, and played with other kids, so I really thought his first day would be easy for him.  I was still slightly nervous, however, how my leaving him would go.  I showed him his cubby and we put away his things; he insisted on hanging up his hat on the hook, as well.  I did a puzzle with him, and then told him it was time for me to go.  His response: I’ll get the door for you!.  My apprehension was obviously unwarranted.  He had a great day.  When I picked him up he was laughing and playing with two other boys in the sensory table.  When I asked him if he was ready to go, he said  I want to play!    I was so thrilled that he had such a great day.  I will miss him during his school days, but I am very excited for him and the experiences he is going to have. 

Last week, Franny had her fifth birthday.  She had a very small celebration with pizza and cake; she will have her birthday party with her friends this weekend.   It’s hard to believe five years has past since Franny came to be a part of our family.  She is a wonderful little girl—an incredibly sweet daughter, sister, and friend.  This will be a significant year for Franny—she will formally begin full-time kindergarten, and although she is very excited, it will also reshape the way we spend our time together during the week.  While I feel a tinge of sadness because of this, I am also excited for her.  It is such a privilege to be able to be home with her and watch her grow up.  I am so proud to have her as a daughter, and I feel tremendously blessed to have her in my life.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRANNY!

The Trio blog has been on hiatus for the last week.  With the final stages of our flooring project forcing us to spend nearly the entire week out of our home, in addition to my hard drive losing it’s will to live, made blogging virtually impossible.  But, we are finally home and the new hard drive is installed, so the Trio blog can now be resumed.  In short, our lost week was a long one, and everyone is weary, but we are now just days away from really living in our home, again.  We had some big and special moments, as well as some difficult moments, but still some great adventures and a lot of fun.  I must say, Franny, Cole, and Delaney are exceptionally strong and very, very special kids.  I definitely appreciate all they have put up with this past month.  Welcome home, Trio!