And We're Off!

Brialee RV & Tent Park in Ashford, CT   April 22-24, 2016

We made it!

Despite two storms on Friday night, the second one being a huge thunderstorm, our first camping trip of the 2016 season went down in the books as a success. We decided to try an April trip this year and chose Brialee RV & Tent Park because they had a full activity schedule, which can be hard to find this early in the season, plus with an off-season rate of $20/night, we couldn't go wrong!

Living in New England limits our camping season and our camper has been parked in our driveway since the end of October. It was as though it was Christmas Eve again the night before we left, based on the level of excitement in our house. All three kids were eagerly anticipating a fun weekend of camping. The camper was fully stocked, car packed and address loaded in the GPS when I got home from work at 11am on Friday. The kids chatted about the "new campground" for most of our trip and my youngest son spent almost the whole hour asking "are we there yet?".

When we arrived, we were given a map to our site. I was a little disappointed at first as we drove away from the playground since I asked to be on a site near there, but was pleasantly surprised to discover a second playground as we pulled up to our site. Our site was in a field-type area and we were not thrilled with that. I did call the office to see if we could be moved to a site with some shade, but was told that all of the sites were full! We certainly weren't expecting to hear that in April. We settled into our site and while my husband was setting up the camper, the kids and I went exploring. We were near a brand new bathroom, with showers, in addition to playground, fields and covered pavilion. The site was a little tight, but was all grass, which is always a plus.

The new bathroom and showers

One of the playgrounds 

It was Earth Day Weekend, so the campground's activities were Earth Day themed, as were the activities I planned for my kids. While there, we went for walks in the woods on their paths (the wooden walkway definitely needs a little TLC), visited the playgrounds, participated in activities like crafts, candy bingo and a 2.5 hour marathon kickball game for my oldest son. There was a Family Movie Night on the Saturday night and the movie being shown was Daddy's Home. I didn't think was the best choice for younger kids, so we had a fun evening around our campfire instead.

A walk through the woods

 A majority of campgrounds don't have activities on Sunday and have an early checkout, but Brialee has Sunday activities and a late check-out. It definitely made packing up on Sunday morning less stressful!

Overall, we had a good time and would definitely consider returning, especially since we were not able to enjoy the pool, splash pad and pond this visit. All three kids asked when we were going back as we were heading home. I would not want a site in the same area during the summer as there was no shade, but there were some shaded sites that would be great for a hot summer weekend. 

Next up, Whispering Pines Campground in Hope Valley, RI for Memorial Day Weekend!

Happy Camping,
Rachel

P.S. See below for some more pictures from our weekend at Brialee!

Collecting rocks to paint.

Planting our strawberry plants for home.

Painting their rocks.

Wordless Wednesday

Perfect attire for a scooter ride on a hot afternoon in late-May. I hope he always travels through life with  the same level of confidence.

Imagine Sisyphus Happy

Last month, I saw a posting an Facebook and although I can't find it now, the gist of it was "I just conquered a mountain.  So what if it was a mountain of dirty laundry?" I 'liked' the post when I saw it on Facebook, but lately I've been thinking about it again. I think the fact that I have endless loads of laundry to do each day as the mom of 3 kids, including 2 babies, has made me reconsider that quote.  

I think that it would be easier to climb/conquer Mount Kilimanjaro than the laundry in my basement.  No, I am not saying that I could wake up tomorrow morning and set off to climb an actual mountain because I definitely couldn't. After all, I did take a van tour to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. I'm also not discrediting the amazing amount of training, strength and endurance it takes to climb an actual mountain. But, think about it. You have a list of things you want to do in life and one of them is "Climb Mount Kilimanjaro." You climb the mountain and once you successfully descend it, you can put a nice checkmark next to it or cross it off your list entirely. If "laundry" is on my to-do list for the day, I can put a nice checkmark or cross it off my list for about 2 minutes. Then more clothes are dirtied and the entire cycle starts again. Rather than conquering a mountain, I sometimes feel more like Sisyphus from Greek mythology. Most likely you know his story, but may not remember his name. He angered Zeus, Father of the Gods, and his punishment was to roll a huge boulder up a hill each day, only to have it roll back down at the end of the day for all of eternity.  

Philosopher, Albert Camus, invited his readers to look at the myth of Sisyphus from another angle and said, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” In light of so many tragedies throughout the nation during this past year, I try to pause when I feel that I have a never-ending task as Sisyphus did and reflect upon what I am actually doing. Yes, I have endless piles of laundry, dirty dishes, diapers to change and Legos to move from my living room. I have days when neither baby will nap and my 6 year old is as ornery as can be. Days when I feel that my life is like the movie, "Groundhog Day," and I'm destined to repeat the same day over and over.  Rather than dwelling on the negativity of Sisyphus' fate or that of Bill Murray's character in "Groundhog Day," I need to "imagine Sisyphus happy" because I sometimes forget how fortunate and happy I am. I have 3 healthy children, a loving husband, family and friends and a home in a great community. Those dirty clothes, dishes, diapers and house are here each day because they represent, not my "burden" to carry each day, but the abundance of love, laughter and joy in my life.  

ClothingShopOnline.com Giveaway!

When Did I Join the Circus? I'm excited to be doing my FIRST giveaway!

Summer is upon us and I don't know about you, but I have found that clothing shopping can get very expensive... that is why I tend to frequent ClothingShopOnline that sells t-shirts, hoodies and outerware for the whole family. Because they skip the middle man and sell directly to you they can offer amazing brands with prices that are 20-75% off what you'd see at Target or Wal Mart. Plus, buying in Bulk and FREE shipping on orders over $75 ensures you can save even more!

Oh and ClothingShopOnline.com is super-easy to navigate! You can shop by Top Sellers, Staff Picks, or by category. Anyway you go, you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for, at the best price possible. My twins are turning 1 soon and I'm looking for cute outfits for their birthday celebration. This Rabbit Skins Infant Jersey Ruffle Romper Dress is both adorable and affordable at only $9.45! Plus, you can read a FULL review from Blog With Mom by CLICKING HERE!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Now, for the fun part - ClothingShopOnline has teamed up with AdvertiseWithBloggers.com, Adventures of My Family of 8, and some other amazing Bloggers to offer YOU a chance to win a $100.00 ClothingShopOnline gift card, with FREE shipping! Giveaway Rules:

• This giveaway will run from May 13th through MIDNIGHT on June 2nd
• Opened to entrants 18 and older in the United States
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• Winner will be chosen via Random.org and will be contacted via email - see all disclosures at the bottom of the entry form below

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Entry-Form

**DISCLOSURE** When Did I Join the Circus? is acting as an advertisement for the Sponsor and is not responsible for prize. This event is brought to you by Blog with Mom and Adventures of 8 through Advertise with Bloggers! If you are interested in sponsoring an event like this, please contact Advertise with Bloggers.

NICU Family Reunion

Last night was the March of Dimes NICU Family Reunion and Family Teams Celebration at the Providence Children's Museum.  This annual event is sponsored by the March of Dimes NICU Family Support program and as I learned last night, Women & Infants was the first hospital to introduce the NICU Family Support program to the families of their littlest patients.  

We've been supporters of the March of Dimes since our oldest was born prematurely in 2007 and have participated in the March for Babies since then.  We have a Family Team and our family and friends join us each year to participate in the walk.  Our twins were born last June at 30 weeks and spent 10 long weeks in the NICU at Women & Infants Hospital.  Now that we have 3 NICU graduates in the family, we're even more committed to supporting the March of Dimes as the NICU Family Support program was a great help last summer.  They provide programming for parents and siblings, resources and we were even able to celebrate Father's Day at the hospital at their Father's Day luncheon.   

As always, it seemed as if all of the kids in attendance enjoyed themselves and it is always great to see how these former preemies, some of whom were born weighing less than 1000 grams, are growing and thriving.  

While our family and others who spend extensive time in the NICU have benefited from the March of Dimes’ programming and support, the organization helps all babies, not just premature babies.  The March of Dimes has conducted research on the importance of folic acid during pregnancy, developed the standards for newborn screening tests and more; benefiting all pregnant mothers and babies. 

This year, we're again walking in the March for Babies in honor of our 3 preemies and all babies like them who are born too soon.  We want to do all we can to help this organization that had such a positive impact in our lives at the most difficult times for our family.  

Click here to find a walk near you. 

My husband and sons having fun at the Providence Children's Museum!

C is for Cookie, P is for Peanut

I started this post last week, but I am just now finishing it.  It has been a CRAZY week around here.

I could not sleep the other night.  A 19 year old man, although in my mind he is a boy, who I never met was in my thoughts and causing my worst fears as a parent to run repeatedly through my mind.  This boy was a student at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI, but at home in Massachusetts on spring break when he ate a cookie.  That boy and that cookie were the reason I could not sleep for you see, unbeknown to him, the cookie contained peanut oil (according to the news) and he had a severe reaction that caused his death.  I've read a few different versions in the news of what ultimately caused the reaction to be fatal, but that is not what am focusing on.  In the end all that matters to me is that he ate a food he was allergic to and it killed him.  The story struck way too close to home for me.

When my oldest son was almost 3, I gave him a peanut and jelly sandwich because I wanted him to have peanut butter for the first time when he was at home with me.  He had eaten a granola bar months earlier and had broken out in hives a little later, but I was unsure if the peanut butter chips in the granola bar were the cause.  He took 2 bites of the sandwich and spit them both out, telling me they made his mouth "feel funny." I called the pediatrician and was told to give him Benadryl and keep an eye on him, since those were his only complaints.  He seemed to be fine after that, but about 45 minutes later when my husband arrived home, he suddenly began coughing, wheezing and vomiting.  We again called the pediatrician and I was told to get him to an ER as soon as possible.  We did not have time to make it to the hospital, so we drove to an urgent care clinic that was much closer.  I sat in the backseat with my son, who was vomiting, coughing and gasping for breath the entire time.  Upon our arrival, he was rushed to the treatment room, where he was evaluated and given a shot of epinephrine and oxygen.  Fortunately both of those worked and the reaction abated.  In addition to treatment, you have to stay there for 4 hours after a reaction in case it returns after the medication wears off and that can happen.  His reaction did not return and fortunately he handled the entire incident very well; much better than his parents were handling it.  The next week we took him to the allergist and found that his allergy to peanuts was a high Level 4.  There are 6 levels. 

My son is now 6 and still remembers (and talks about) the time he ate peanut butter and had the reaction.  He is very aware of the importance of checking all ingredients and informing people of his allergy.  We have numerous Epipens, as do his grandparents, caregivers and school.  The preschool he went to was nut-free and his kindergarten classroom is nut-free too.  Next year in first grade, he'll sit at an allergy table in the cafeteria because other grades in the school are not nut-free.

Each time a person has an allergic reaction to a food, the reaction intensifies.  We have done our best to ensure that another reaction has not happened and until this point, that has been fairly simple.  At 6 years old, he does not go many places without one of us and when he does, whomever he is with is aware of his allergy and given an Epipen.  My fears (which were exasperated by last week's news story) are for when he is older and has more independence.  Will kids think it's funny to sneak him something with peanuts in it as a joke?  Will he be confident enough to tell his friends in junior high and high school that he cannot eat certain foods or needs to check the ingredients first?  What about when he goes to college and eats in the cafeteria--will he check each menu item at every meal?  Although he is only 6, he is fascinated by Eastern cultures and wants to visit China and Japan when he is older.  Even if he does not make it to those countries, how do you travel internationally with a food allergy?  Do you need to use Google translator to learn how to say, "Does this contain peanuts?," in multiple languages?

Life for parents who have children with food allergies is different.  It changes not only the types of food you have in your home, but also how and where you shop, restaurants you visit, family outings and vacation plans.  While I was told that my son can only have an anaphylactic reaction if he ingests peanuts, I am frightened when he wants to attend events that sell shelled peanuts and when we fly on airplanes. We obviously take precautions, but the fear that something could happen is always in the back of my mind.  I shudder when I inform restaurants of his allergy and I'm told that "we don't use peanuts here" because you cannot tell if a product is 'safe' unless you read the ingredients to verify that there is not a chance it was processed with, near or may contain peanuts.  While I am not advocating for peanuts and tree nuts to be banned from all schools, I do bristle when I overhear parents say, "all my child eats is peanut butter and jelly and it isn't fair s/he cannot have it at school/camp/daycare," as I think, "your child is picky, but mine could die.  Imagine it were your child who had a food allergy.  Would your stance change?"

While my son only has a peanut allergy, there has been a sharp increase in all food allergies over the past few decades.  There is much speculation as to the cause, but so far no one has been able to pinpoint a definitive answer.  The American Association of Pediatrics recently revised its guidelines on withholding allergenic foods and now recommends that those foods be introduced to infants and toddlers earlier as one of the theories is that the increase of food allergies could be linked to the previously recommended delayed exposure.  I do think that one positive reaction to the increase in food allergies has been a heightened awareness to them and the fact that they are life threatening and need to be taken seriously.  

While I cannot follow my son around with an Epipen for the rest of his life (it would eventually be considered stalking), I can do everything to ensure that he understands the importance of being aware of his allergy.  I hope that he grows up with the confidence to accept it as something he does not need to be embarrassed of or hide to be "cool."  And if he does decide to one day travel internationally, I will get him the best translation tool that money can buy!

Summer Belongs to You

To quote the famous stepbrothers, Phineas and Ferb, "Summer Belongs to You."  In each episode they work towards their goal of having the best summer ever.  My twins were born prematurely last June and were in the hospital through August, so my entire summer was spent in the NICU.  Summer belonged to Women & Infants and visiting our babies.  This winter has seemed extra long with too many snow storms and frigid weather, coupled with the lack of summer last year, I'm ready for the warm weather to arrive!

One day a few weeks ago, my oldest was climbing off the walls and we were all suffering from cabin fever when I came up with an idea to keep him busy and bust our winter doldrums.  I proposed that we create a list of things we want to do once the nicer weather arrives.  (It was also part a sneaky plan help him to practice his writing!)  My only guideline was that it had to be something that we couldn't do in the cold weather.  He and I both came up with some ideas and my husband added to it when he came home that evening.  Since then, we've been adding things to our "list" and it helps to have some things to look forward to once we can begin wearing shorts and flip-flops again.

Right now, our Summer List is just on the pad that we started with.  Some of the ideas are one time things "fly a kite," while others, like "plant a garden," are long term projects.  I'm debating how to display these ideas and how to choose what to do.  Do I put the ideas on slip of paper in a jar to choose randomly?  Do I make a colorful list of all of our ideas and check them off as we go along?  I certainly have some time to decide, but I would like to have it ready sooner rather than later to remind us that the spring and summer will be here before we know it!

How are you and your family preparing for summer?

Welcome!

I've been toying with the idea of creating a blog and finally took the leap.  I'm not sure how often I will post, but I hope it's pretty regularly.  First, a little about me.  I'm a native Rhode Islander and like many of us, I have no plans of ever moving to another state.  My husband and I are parents to 3 children--a 6 year old boy and 9 month old boy/girl twins.  I'm primarily a stay at home mom, working only 3 hours a week in the "real world."

This past year has seen us navigating through a lot of changes: premature births, lengthy hospitalizations, kindergarten and new job opportunities.  I now feel like we're in a good place, but will be the first to admit that our home often has a circus-like atmosphere.  Of course that may be the only way life with three kids 6 and under (2 of whom are babies) can be.  We often joke that our family's theme song is Journey's "Who's Crying Now?" as the title reflects many moments in our life these days.   

I hope to share my thoughts, musings, likes and dislikes with all of you out there.  I'm an avid reader of both adult and children's books, plus I'm always on the lookout for great deals and fun, inexpensive/free activities to do with my kids.  

Welcome to "When Did I Join the Circus?" and feel free to contact me and share your thoughts.

Rachel