Are we in Florida yet?

Alternate title: The first part of our trip.

We got home a week ago from our spring vacation. Our drive consisted of six hours (each way) in the car with the kids - in other words twelve hours of Scooby Doo and Max and Ruby's Easter Egg Hunt over and over again. On our way to our first destination we stopped about two hours in our driving time to switch drivers (because I was too scared to drive in Chicago traffic) and to grab a bite to eat. As we got within an hour or so of our destination the kids were dealing with a lot of excitement, over tiredness and possibly a Mickey or two that had been slipped into their kiddie meals. The sounds we heard from the back made Trent and I look at each other in utter entertainment and confusion.

I am trying to make cookie dough with my ice cream. - Evan

Are we in Florida yet? - Hailey

You know how dogs are colorblind? - Spencer

I can't see if it's cookie dough yet. Where is the light? - Evan

Be REALLY careful when you open this cooler. - Spencer

Are we in FLORIDA yet? - Hailey

I have to go to the bathroom REALLY bad. -Evan

Where is Mirabel's house? -Hailey

My eyes are very full. That means they are tired. - Evan

Soon enough the strings of nonsense ended and we had arrived at our destination. Mirabel and Lainey's house (sorry Day and Mark, once you have kids, no one is really coming to see you anymore. Ha!).

Hailey wasted no time getting to know and love on her new little cousin. She has been looking forward to holding Lainey since she found out that she was out of Aunt DayDay's tummy.

Trent and I took our kids and Mirabel to the zoo on Friday. We both got an arm workout since the zoo was totally crowded and we were nervous to set the little girls down for fear of them disappearing in the crowd. There was a fenced in area at the zoo that was empty and Evan asked me why there were no animals in there. I told him that I thought that was where the flamingos used to be but maybe they didn't have flamingos anymore or maybe it was too cold for them. A bit later we saw the flamingos over near the children's zoo area. Evan told me, "Mom! There are the flamingos! I know what must have happened. The flamingos got a new habitat!" Habitat. My boy is a genius. That or he watches a lot of Go! Diego Go!

On Friday afternoon, we continued our Good Friday tradition of coloring Easter eggs. I told my sister we would need to boil at least two dozen eggs because the kids really got into the whole egg decorating. I laughed later when she told me that when Mark had called and asked how long we would be doing the eggs she told him "a couple hours". Those kids had all twenty four eggs colored in about fifteen minutes. They are not ones for the deep dark colored eggs. It is pretty much dip, take out, get a new egg. Pastel eggs are apparently all the rage.

This picture makes me laugh. All I can say is "hairdo". Oh darlin' baby girl! What are we gonna do with that hair of yours?

My sweet Evan. Please remind your Momma to trim your nails. Evan is usually the one who has the most staying power when it comes to egg decorating. He was distracted this year though. Lured by the power of the Star Wars Wii.

Mirabel got to have her first egg dyeing experience with her big cousins. She did great and didn't even crack an egg!

On Saturday we drove a bit out of town and went to The Cave of the Mounds. A real, big ol' cave that you can walk through.

It was really cool. I only thought once about the fact that it could totally collapse and trap or crush us to death. I know. But doesn't everyone have some kind of crazy in them?

And on Sunday morning, of course, the Easter Bunny left some baskets and hid some eggs.

I watched Hailey opening her plastic eggs that were filled with candy. Every one that she opened she would see the candy and exclaim "Oh! Beautiful!" Every. Single. Egg. That girl loves her some candy.

There may or may not have been a couple attempts at a photo shoot with Sweet Elaina. More on that later.

My handsome boys. This picture just makes my heart so full. I can't believe how fast these kids are growing. They got along so well during the the whole trip.

Hailey and one of her besties. Though I can see this tight knit twosome growing by a person when Lainey gets a bit older. Perhaps someday they will even construct their own little MLH Fun Park. Complete with haunted balance beam which includes a withered dead snake in an old tire. For reals. You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.

Our family on Easter Sunday. Don't think I didn't use a little bit of Photoshop magic on the bags under my eyes. And also know that this picture makes me feel the need to dial up the salon ASAP. Eyebrows. Apparently I have never heard of tweezers. I am also rethinking my current hairdo. If you can even call that a hairdo.

Sister's family on Easter Sunday. Yeah, she just had a baby five weeks ago and she looks that good. Go ahead. You are allowed to hate her.

The cutest cousins EVER on Easter Sunday. I had to tell Spencer to hold on to Lainey as if his life depended on it or sister would have never let go of her. Just wait until she has Baby #3 - she will be propping her up on the ground with a piece of wood and some twine. For the record, I don't think sister has any intentions of having Baby #3. She has seen what it has done to me.

We spent Easter at my Aunt and Uncle's house. They live in the same town as my sister. Hailey may have found another new best friend. Watch your back Mirabel!

Elaina wore the same dress on Easter that Hailey wore for her first Easter. I saw this shot I had of Elaina and had to dig out a similar shot that I knew I had of Hailey. I have to get my act together and get my old photos into a scrapbook or some sort of album. I got out that picture packet and looked at the photos of that Easter three years ago. Oh my heart! Spencer with his toothless grin, Evan with his sweet three year old little round face and Hailey in her three month new baby adorableness. When did these children of mine stop being babies and grow into kids?

See what I mean? Hailey was just this size YESTERDAY! At least it was yesterday in my mind. Hailey looks a bit crazed in this photo. It could have been the four or forty pieces of candy she ingested that day.

Our trip ended pretty much the same way it began, with kisses and loves for Baby Lainey. We had a fabulous time in Wisconsin and loved the laidbackness of the trip (that is probably not even a word, but I know what I mean). The feeling may not be mutual since I am sure that they are all still digging out from our family hurricane that swept through their entire house and yard. We love you guys!

Next installment: Our time in the big city! or the alternate title Someone always pukes in Chicago.