how to vacation with 5 kids under 7

We just went on an adventure.. a suprise vacation for the family!!

Who says you need to be super organized and planned with five kids under 7?? When I think back to the days of just one or two children, and all of the stuff we would take, and the time it would take to pack and get organized to go on a trip with the kids, I am amazed at what we just accmoplished yesterday.

Sean and I have been wanting to learn the Creighton model of NFP for some time now, and it happened to work out that we could meet with a teacher yesterday. The only problem: she was in a different city 3 hours north of us, and we found out the day before.

No problem!! We are used to excitment and spontaneity around here (since the twins were born)... we booked a hotel for the night, piled the kids in the car first thing the next morning and drove up to meet with her.

Here's our trip in a nutshell:

4 hours driving each way
5 car seats
5 opportunities to grow in our charity towards others
1 suitcase to hold 7 people's things
1 big stroller to push around the 3 littles
1 loaded diaper bag
1 BIG bag of wipes
1 hotel room with
1 king size bed in it's own room, and
1 queen pull out couch in the living room
2 playpens
2 trips to the biggest mall on earth!!
301 comments about the stroller, the number of kids we have, and the twins
5 happy faces
2 tired, but happy faces
1 messy van
5 sleeping angels (after all that excitement)

I am convinced that the key to enjoying life with children, is to CHANGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS about how you think things should go.

If I had all the money in the world...

... I would likely spend most of it on BOOKS!!

The Summer 2007 Edition of the Catholic Homeschool Resources newsletter by Michelle Grunkemeyer is out, and there are many things I would love to add to our growing collection.

This newsletter, btw, is a great resource for catholic homeschoolers.. it's published through a yahoo group a few times a year, and always has interesting products and ideas. I highly reccomend signing up for it.

Here are the highlights that I am excited about:

1. A new series of Saint books by Arcadius Press for kids in graphic novel style. (never heard of this 'style' but it looks really cool!)

2. A wonderful new Catholic coloring book suitable for all ages. I just bought this and LOVE it. The kids have been coloing the beautiful pictures all day. What's nice about this is that it has the publisher's permission to photocopy the pages for your children's use instead of having to buy another book each time. It's called A Coloring Companion for Catholic Mosaic by Sean Fitzpatrick

3. The Little Woman Hospitality Program. Oh fun!! A program that teaches the lost art of hospitality... how to set and clear a table, correspondance, sewing, cooking, preparing a room for a guest... I need this one for myself LOL.

That reminds me of another homemaking curriculum I wanted to buy by The Pearables.

Of course, we all know that what I really need isn't a fancy curriculum to teach us how to be good housekeepers... I REALLY need a maid!!!

Lately...

We've been pretty busy.


Here's what we've been learning:

the twins:
-how to climb up on anything and everything.
-how to climb INTO everything
-how to eat a variety solid food
-how to sit up in high chairs

Snapdragon:
-how to draw on paper (NOT on walls, or the floor, or her self)
-how to glue things
-how to say just about anything she wants
-how to roll snakes out of playdough

Z:
-how to build really good train track layouts
-how to stay out of trouble by not hitting your brother or biting your sister when they wreck your really good train layouts
-what sounds the letters in the alphabet make (courtesy of that great leap video)

E:
-how to backstitch and embroider
-how to handsew
-how to spell
-how to add things that equal 9 and 10
-how to add her 1s and 2s.

Mommy:
-How to deal with the laundry mountain that 5 children produce
-how to embroider (made a pillow for my grandma, and one for my friend's newborn)
-how to get by on very little sleep and stay happy.

We've also been to the Science Centre, Heritage Park, gone for a few walks, braved the crowded farmer's market with our big stroller, and almost made it on time to church a few times.

Mostly though, we just can't WAIT to move to our new house.

Prizes!! Who can resist?

Danielle Bean, the senior editor of Faith and Family Magazine (a beautiful magazine by the way... one I would love to have a gift subscription for, Wink Wink!!) is hosting an Online raffle this week.

It's in support of a very worthy cause: St. Gianna's Maternity Home in Warsaw, North Dakota. A 9,000 square foot home that welcomes women in crisis pregnancies (regardless of faith), provides them with a safe, secure environment in which to live, and gives them access to the medical, educational, and professional services they need to choose life for their babies.

You might not win a dream home or a new car, but the tickets are cheap at $5 each, and there are lots of fun prizes on the list. Especially if you are a Catholic homeschooler like me ;-)

We're not the only ones

...to get a new house. My sister and her husband just moved into their brand new house last month and we had the privilege of breaking it in for them on the first day of possession :-)

Without lots of furniture to clutter things up, the kids had a great time running around.

preschool drawing lessons...

... by E the first grader.

"I'm going to teach you how to draw, Z".

"You see this?... This is Mr. Star. He is sad because he doesn't have any friend stars. Can YOU draw him a friend star?"

What a thrill!

Thomas the Tank Engine came to our historical park this spring and we got to go for a ride!! What a thrill for our little boy. Both sets of grandparents came with us, and we had fun all morning in the warm sunshine. The kids went on rides, got their faces painted, rode the train and had ice cream and candy.