A Girl on the Move

During our trip to St Kitts, Noella had just started to push up to hands and knees. In the space of a few days, she is trying to figure out how to crawl and climb. She's already pretty fast, especially when headed toward anything that she is not supposed to have (the action on the video was motivated by my glasses on the floor). She is also trying to climb up stairs but can't quite figure out what to do with her knees.

The turtle toy has become a favored object to climb, although she keeps getting herself stuck on top of it with no idea of what to do next.

We hope that everyone is ready for us and our summer visits. Let the child proofing begin!

Caribbean Adventure, Plus Kids.

So you might say I'm crazy... but I actually had a great time. Far from restful, relaxing or romantic, but I am so glad that we went.

Full disclosure: except for one day, with a baby who had not slept and a grumpy, sun burned, bug bitten husband who had tossed and turned for the few hours I was in my own bed. So I had not slept, and was worn out by the thought that I was actually crazy (and a terrible wife and mother) for dragging my family on this trip.

The reality is, we got to see a really cool part of the world, our kids did well- even having fun- and I think Patrick did too. I admit that I pushed our luck, and will certainly make sure that all future accomodations have their own pool (and AC). In the meantime I think that the adventure was well worth it. Besides, everyone should get to experience sleeping under a mosquito net in their lives.

The problem with traveling with small children is that, well, they remain small children. With all of the work and problems that this part of life entails. The joy of traveling with small children is that little moments make a big difference, that you focus on things you would not consider otherwise, the simple pleasures of life and adventure are far more apparent, and you go to bed a lot earlier. I wanted to do this now because I have a remarkably long list of places to see in my lifetime. St Kitts is incredibly safe, with few health or safety risks, and seemed small and interesting enough to strike a compromise. I also have a fear that if I wait for opportune times to insert travel into our lives, we will be retired. I want the girls to grow up with a sense of how the world works in different places, with a nice big comfort zone, and a decent sense of wordliness and an appreciation for the life that they lead. I thought this could be a good chance to start, plus a chance to just do something totally new and different.

So, what did we do? Tried out several beaches (Caribbean, Atlantic, and one in between the two), visited a 300+ year old fort, went for a rainforest walk, visited a botanical garden and batik making store, swam in a resort pool, circumnavigated an entire country, survived me (yes, me) driving for a week on the wrong side of the road, dodged many goats, cows and even chickens, had many meals of very fresh seafood, and spent many hours waiting while children napped.

A few tidbits:

Mariel, when tired, would get homesick and beging asking to go back to St Louis. She actually concocted, entirely on her own, a plan of how Papa would bring his boat (from Lake Ontario, for those who don't know) to pick us up, then go back to St Louis. While our departing plane taxied down the runway (when it was actually time to go, of course, she said she did NOT want to go back to St Louis) she saw the harbor and yelled: I see Papa's boat!

After much explanation from Patrick of how we would take a plane to Miami, and then another plane, she began to ask about "Daddy's Ami." It took me a while to figure out that she thought he was saying "My"- ami.

The island's main form of transportation is vans turned into taxis. In the manner of much of the world, they have crazy names, painted in garish colors. Some favorites: "Scooby Doo," "Shatta" (nope, I don't know), and "Love Sponge."

Mariel wrote several imaginary letters. Many of them began with the phrase "SOP" as in "SOP, Daddy I love you." We think this is supposed to mean "PS," but it remains charming nonetheless.

Patrick and Mariel found me a pirate treasure on the beack. Does anyone need a lovely ring with cutout hearts?

Here are a few picture highlights (I have tons more on a Kodak gallery- just email me and ask if you want a copy!)

This is "Beach Mariel," who took great joy in rolling herself in sand. She was constantly filthy.

Here are Noella and Patrick, on Turtle Beach. Noella had plenty of sunscreen on, Patrick did not. Oops.

This is Mule House, where we stayed. A bit more out of the way than I realized when booking our accomodations (of course, on a tiny island, so not that out of the way!), but far more affordable than anywhere else.

The greatest thing about Mule House (besides its very helpful owners, Ray and Sue) was the incredible gardens. Mariel spent hours outside, picking flowers, looking at plants, and finding lizards.

In keeping with her botanical interests, we also went on a rainforest hike. Our guide was Oliver Spencer, a lovely grandfather who has been doing this since 1970. He was great with Mariel. Patrick had an unfortunate encounter with some fire ants on the hike, which was not so lovely.

The next day, we went out to a great restaurant with the qualification of actually not being in every tourist publication. Sprat Net is owned by Oliver's sons, and the food was delicious. Patrick's snapper may have been the best fish I have ever had. Surprisingly, Mariel's cheese pizza was also incredible (perhaps I have just been in St Louis too long). And, since we were going for indulgence we also ordered dessert- coconut cake and chocolate cake. Delicious. Mariel was so excited when Oliver met us for a drink, and entertained many of the patrons of the place with her creative dancing. It was one of those times when she was just so charming it could kill you.

We also managed to hit the pool a few times to cool off. Noella liked it- she also enjoyed the lounge chairs.

On Sunday, our last full day, we discovered Cockleshell Beach on the far tip of the island. Mariel actually enjoyed going into the water after spending the week concerned about the waves elsewhere. There was good shade, too, so Noella got to hang out on her beach blanket. This is how I pictured my vacation when I planned it. So it lasted for five minutes- to me, absolutely worth it.

And at the close of the trip on Monday night, this is Noella. And how we all felt. As Patrick said, this trip does not qualify as "vacation," but as "travel."

OK- now time to sleep!

A few last minute updates as we pack to leave for vacation.

First, a tribute to our baby bunnies:Yesterday, during our garage sale Patrick and I noticed some lost baby bunnies in the front yard. We assumed they were the babies of the bunny that we often see in the morning, which Mariel has taken to calling her pet. Well, we have not seen the pet bunny recently, and as of this morning we have laid two babies to rest. Very sad. Not sure if there are more, but I am sort of glad that I probably won't know since we are leaving in the morning!
Second (and much happier): another M and N and M and N playdate (Mariel, Noella, Margot and Nash!)

And that is it for now. Off to take the puppies to their own vacation, then finish laundry and cleaning the house to get ready for our 6 AM flight. If there is room in our suitcases (which are packed about 75% full of kid stuff) for my computer, there will be updates from St Kitts. If not, you will see some pictures when we return!

Here is Mariel, on her first and last days of preschool this year. She seemed like such a big girl on the first day- now she is certainly much more of a big girl! This is true even of her fashion sense, as she refused to leave the house this morning without her white fuzzy winter scarf on (it is already well above 80 in St Louis every day). We are excited for the summer and all of our adventures planned (from family vacation in St Kitts next week to Lake Ontario over July 4th and Cape Cod in the end of July, Mariel will be the most beach-going child in all of the Midwest!)- but we will certainly miss our friends and playmates from Shining Rivers over the summer.

I am not a very sentimental or nostalgic person, but tonight I am a bit overwhelmed by how quickly children grow. I generally think its silly when so many people remind me "they grow so fast" and similar sentiments. Of course they do! It IS amazing how the progression of time changes to a much faster speed as soon as you have kids, because you are watching them learn and grow every day, but I guess this usually strikes me as obvious rather than something to dwell on.
So, two things that have happened tonight that are making me feel as though the girls really are growing a lot more quickly than I realize. Since we have started feeding Noella, she is getting a bath every night to clean out the food that has found its way all over her face and body (you do have to wonder how so much food can get into her ears, eyelashes, etc!). Mariel is already taking baths every day, so I have just been bringing them both up to the big claw foot tub to bathe them together. Tonight they were playing and splashing one another, both laughing- two kids in a tub. Crazy- I have TWO KIDS! What happened to newborn, helpless baby Noella? Much less newborn Mariel?
Another new addition is that I have started to read to Mariel. I have been reading picture books to her since she was a baby, and we read stories every day. But she and I have just started to read "Little House in the Big Woods" (which she calls "Laura in the Big Woods"). This is a real book, a novel, with only a handful of pictures. She is enjoying it- in a few days, we are almost through two chapters.
This book (and all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's works) were my absolute favorites as a child. The books were also central to most of my imaginary play, as Kristina Hurley and I would spend hours... possibly days... re-enacting and creating stories about Laura and her life as a pioneer child. So reading this particular book is evoking so many memories of my own, as well as making me wonder how it happens so quickly that babies become children who turn into their own independent people.... And why do I think that my mother knows exactly how I feel? :)