Dutch Wonderland

Michael and I took the twins to Dutch Wonderland for the day  last weekend.  My anxiety is usually heightened in situations like that because (1) I don't know the lay of the land; (2) I anticipate that Charlotte and Gavin aren't going to behave well because, frankly, they often don't; and (3) I just don't DO amusement parks.  But it actually turned out to be a great day.  There were lots of people there, but it never felt crowded.  The twins listened well and had no meltdowns.  And it was just NICE to get out and do something together, which we don't often do because the kids are always running in three different directions.

Here are a few photos from our day:

Here they are enjoying a water ice.

I love this one.  Look how much they love the ride!

With the Dutch Wonderland Princess.

Road Trip

Michael, the twins, and I are heading to Myrtle Beach on Thursday for a week. It's about a 10-hour drive, and that doesn't include stopping to eat or stretch your legs.

I've been having anxiety about it for weeks now.

I figure if we leave around 9am, the babies *might* nap in the car for a while since that's around their usual nap time. When they awake, we can stop for lunch. If they cooperate, they should also nap between 1-2 pm. Later, we'll stop for dinner and get them into their pajamas.

We also have a portable DVD player that attaches to the driver's headrest; I'm hoping we can amuse them with a little Baby Einstein. (They've never been into B.E. before, but I'm hoping that with nothing else to look at other than the traffic on 95, they will somehow become interested). I've mentioned before that they are way into Amos Lee, so hopefully listening to his CD will shut them up for a while, too. (Yes, John, I know--I'm single-handedly responsible for keeping Amos Lee's career alive...)

Any tips for keeping them happy and occupied? It will take me a long time to recover if this turns out to be hellish.

Scheduling Conflict

So, I have achieved some semblance of a schedule with the babies. Our mornings operate like a well-oiled machine. They are up around 7:00, they play, eat oatmeal, take baths, nurse, and go down for a nap around 9:00am. The afternoon naps are still anybody's guess, but they have been slightly more predictable of late. The sleep training is also going quite well. On many occasions I can put the babies down awake and they go to sleep on their own. If they don't, it usually requires only minimal intervention on my part.

I am giving myself a mental pat-on-the-back as I type.

My only concern is this: What happens when very scheduled babies are suddenly taken off of their schedule? Sure, a schedule is great when you're at home, but we are heading to Disney World with my entire family in two weeks. There will be no rocking chairs, no cozy familiar cribs, no "schedule." I am afraid. Very afraid. Once, the babies were out at a restaurant past their bedtime, and they screamed inconsolably until I finally took them home. What am I going to do at the Hoop-De-Do Review (sp?), which will inevitably run past their bedtime? Any advice would be appreciated from my fellow Type A mommies.