Cousins Camp 2008

I've been MIA on my blog for a few days while Joey was staying at Gma and Gpa Remsburgs. My mom and dad started "Cousins Camp" this summer...once the kids are potty-trained they get to stay with their cousins at Gma and Gpas for 3-4 days. So, Maddox was out, and well, let's just say it was a close call on Joey being able to attend- but he's finally potty-and-poopy trained! Yippe! We broke out the champagne when he had gone 3 days in a row with no accidents. Truly a celebration to remember.

So, Joe and I dropped off Joey and Gracie and Maya on Sunday. On the way there, all the kids watched Alvin and the Chipmunks. Maddox slept and so I told them they all had to be quiet because Maddox was getting over a cold and needed some rest. But, the funniest thing was that Joey would talk, Maya would talk back and then Joey would say to her, "Maya, we can't talk now, Mad Dog is resting his eyes." Maya would look at him like, "Um, you're the one who talked to me first!" Joey did it again, and again and it was so funny. Each time, Maya just kind of shrugged her shoulders and kept quiet. Meanwhile, Joey talked and gave orders. They take turns being the boss between them and it's usually pretty entertaining. We had lunch at my Gma and Gpa's house- my grandma's famous fried chicken. It was delicious! The best part was that gpa looked good and ate good. But, at about 1:30, he told us he had to go rest, which kind of jerks you back to reality- he's gets tired easily, but we were so thankful he was able to eat and talk with us, that I didn't care he had to rest. The kids all ran circles around the dining room table and fought over things like whose silverware was better, whether girls had to have the green sippie or could they drink out of the blue sippie and who got to play with Gma's Pooh Bear game. That's when Joe and I knew it was time: run before mom and dad changed their minds. And, we were gone!

It's funny how you look forward to a little "break" from your kids, and then once it comes, you are so lonesome for them. Here are the things I missed when Joey was gone:
* A dirty, messy, house that only a 3-year old can create in 2.5 minutes
* Finding Spiderman underneath his covers every morning when I make his bed
* Hearing "Mom, I won't let the bed bugs bite!" when I tuck him in to bed
* Maddox laughing at his older brother
* Our morning walks (although one little boy certainly is lighter to push at 6 a.m.!)
* Unloading the sippie cups from the dishwasher
* Watching a cartoon before bedtime
* Listening to him play with his superheroes
* Seeing two little boys in the backseat of the car while driving

Here are the things that I enjoyed while he was gone:
* Not saying "sit down, Joey", "we have to say our prayer, Joey", "please eat another bite, Joey" and "say 'excuse me', Joey" and "eat your vegetables, Joey" at every mealtime
* Really getting to play with Maddox. It's funny how the second one just misses some of that one-on-one attention you gave your first. I actually sat down with Maddox and played basketball with him and showed him the balls, talked about his colors, tried to get him to say 'hoop'....I loved it, but it made me feel painfully guilty that he sometimes may get neglected. (I was the second child though and I turned out fine...I think?)
* Knowing that Joey was getting quality time with his cousins. I'm close to my cousins, Jenny and Kelly. As much as I can recall, Jenny and Kelly came to Lake City every summer at least for a week and we spent a week together playing and hanging out. And, to do this day, I consider them my best friends. I hope Joey and Maddox will say the same about their cousins someday.
* Knowing that Joey is getting to know his grandma and grandpa. Of course, having my inlaws in the same town is amazing and Joey has a great relationship with them. But, going to my parents house is like a vacation for Joey- it's a destination for him and I love that about it. They live on a farm and he has a clubhouse, his own mailbox, his own sandpile, two swings, ranger rides, pigs, tractors....all things he doesn't get in town. It's his own little adventure and mom and dad do a good job making it special for the grandkids.
* The fact that Joey didn't get any new toys at Gma and Gpas, but he came home with a ton of memories. It's awesome when they are at the age when they can tell you about what they did. He has told us all about it - the crafts, the park trip, the water carnival, Gma's surprises, etc. I hope he always will remember these things.

I wish I had a video camera on Joe and I when we'd call Joey. We'd put him on speaker phone and gather around and I'd act like I was 12 years old and Kirk Cameron was on the other line. I was THAT excited. Anyway, we'd ask him a million questions and he'd tell us he was having fun and he'd talk so fast that he couldn't stop and then he was like, "see ya". No doubt, he didn't really miss us. There was just way too much excitement going on there. It was really cute. So, of course, we couldn't wait for him to come home today. Right now, he's playing with his Bat Cave and I just can't help but let him stay up past his bedtime tonight- I just miss seeing him! I'm such a dork!

Well, sadly, they are going back to the farm on Friday, as Joe and I head to Chicago for a softball tournament. Poor mom and dad have both Joey and Maddox for 3 days and they're acting like they can't wait when they are probably really exhausted! Thank goodness for grandparents!

Time to get to bed and watch Big Brother 10!