THE KIDS

Double decker

A lot of people have asked us how the kids are going with all the travel so I thought I’d dedicate a whole post to it.  There are definitely pros and cons with travelling with the kids and Justin and I have found ourselves at some point or another saying to each other “if we didn’t have the kids, we’d do this or that….”  The types of things we are talking about is kayaking on the Mississippi or living on a houseboat for a week in the bayous etc.  But you know what?  We wouldn’t trade our experience as it is with anything.  It has been so brilliant to spend so much time with the kids and with each other, I mean we have NEVER spent this much time with each other!  Justin is loving watching the kids reach milestones and he is having an absolute blast with each of our babies.

We still have to do the same processing of the kids each day that normal parents do and we’ve tried to stick to a bit of a routine so they know where they stand etc.  Leo is a lot more flexible on this than Spencer of course.  Our day starts with breakfast together at the table and if it’s a travelling day we’ll get the kids dressed and  Justin will take them out to the playground or pool to tire them out while I pack up the inside of the camper and pack the day bag for the journey.  Then we will swap and Justin will come and put the camper down.  I come back with the kids around the time he needs some help, then get the kids ready and off in Louie we’ll go. 

Playing dress ups en route

Giggly Spencer

We generally leave at about 9-10am in the morning which is timed with Spencer’s morning sleep, so she dozes off and we tell stories to Leo.   He LOVES stories…I’m starting to hear “tell me a story mummy/daddy” in my sleep.  The stories always have to have Doc (his favourite car), 3 naughty cars and a bear or a wolf in it.  We have run the gauntlet of Doc and the 3 bears, Doc of the rings, Doc and Goliath and even thrown in a few educational stories about Lightning McQueen upset about not having the colour green so Doc shows him to mix blue and yellow….the list goes on.  Leo calls exhaust pipes “smogs” (quite appropriate really) so it’s all about putting the smogs on and scaring people.  When we have run out of stories Leo reads a book, looks out the window or watches the I-pad.  By the time Spencer wakes up it’s lunch time and we try to stop for at least 1.5 hours or more at a playground or beach/lake.  When the kids are tired again we hop in the car for the last leg and Leo has his sleep, joined by Spencer for her afternoon sleep a little later.  We tend to get into camp around 3.30 – 4pm and then go through the same process.  I’ll take them for swim or play while Justin starts getting set up and then we’ll swap and I’ll set up inside.  By that time it’s almost time for dinner and then bed time processing…..man, just writing this I’m getting tired.  We can only really travel a maximum of 4 hours a day to be fair to the kids but it’s getting us where we need to go at this point so no probs.

The kids themselves love the days we don’t travel (not surprising) and of course so do we, we chill out and basically do what the kids want unless we are headed to a city like Washington or Miami for example.  On these days the kids will nap in their pushchairs and we just need to make sure we stop somewhere for lunch and a long play/swim.

Colouring in time

Nap time

Leo and Spencer are now playing with each other which is nice.  Leo can be a bit rough sometimes but I’ve noticed Spencer giving as good as she gets when she gets the chance.   Leo knows how to make Spencer laugh (i.e. “shooting” her with his Buzz Lightyear undies) and she has such a delightful giggle.  They are spending more time together in a cramped space than most brothers and sisters who tend to get their own space during the day etc so I suppose we can’t complain.  It is lovely to watch them play though and Leo calls Spencer “Little Missy” which is hilarious, I don’t know where he got that from.  They love the camper although there have been a few bruises and falls because of the lack of space.  Spencer eats Leo’s crayons which drives him spare and Leo takes whatever Spencer picks up and starts playing with so she has taken to running away at the sight of him coming lately.

Leo’s toilet training was practically a done deal while we were in the UK but the USA toilet seats are shaped like horse shoes not ovals and the water comes 2/3rds up the toilet bowl so it’s near the brim.  This put Leo off a bit but we’ve started a sticker reward system which seems to be working at he is back on track.  His 3 jobs are to; 1.  Play gently with Spencer, 2. Do all number ones and twos in the loo and 3. Listen to mummy and daddy and do what they say (he hasn’t clicked that this is 2 in 1 yet).  When he gets a certain amount of stickers he gets a toy.  It hasn’t helped that he travels in a nappy because it’s impossible to stop on the freeway for him to go but lately he has been telling us he needs to go nappy or not whereas before he knew he was in a nappy so would just go.  Anyhow I think we are getting there.

Evening stroll fun

Spencer is learning to run!

 

Spencer got bitten on the bum by a red ant yesterday and I shouldn’t laugh but it was funny.  She jumped up like she was on fire and sprinted over (once they bite they keep biting).  I picked her up but couldn’t see anything because she was kicking.  I managed to hold her still so Justin could look and he found this tiny red ant with it’s fangs in her sensitive parts!  Poor little thing.    Leo had a locust about 10cms long land on his foot last week and the scream was bloodcurdling. They both don’t like bugs especially the ones that bite but dragonflies are a favourite and they come in very pretty colours from blue, pink, green, purple etc.  Leo calls them Fly Dragons.

A big thing for us is keeping the kids hydrated because it’s so hot.  They basically skull everything we give them they are so thirsty.  In fact one of Spencer’s first words has been a very clearly articulated “JUICE”.  They both love swimming and Spencer especially has no fear while Leo is a bit more circumspect but loves “diving” and paddling about.  It might be a second child thing but we literally throw Spencer around in the water, she loves it.  Going under is not a problem for her.

Leo misses home every now and again.  We talk about our house in the trees and told him we will be home for Christmas at Nana’s which he is holding us to.  He talks about his bed with the boats on it and his daycare friends, he also tells us that he misses his Granny and Grandpa “but we’ll see them again” and some days he wakes up asking where his cousin Kian is.  His excuse when he is misbehaving is often “I’m just a bit sad mummy, I miss my nana/granny/Kian/Ashlee/Charlie”….followed by a big sigh.  Give me strength. 

Their hair has grown so much.  Leo almost has a mullet and Spencer has some serious ringlets.  We won’t be cutting either for a while! 

So, we are all coping well with living in a wee camper and we all (bar Spencer) respect each others sleep.  Leo will creep past her cot in the morning to come in and cuddle and we tell stories until she wakes up and we get the day started. 

We are almost half way way through our trip through the USA now and doing well!