A Break From Vacation

I know, I know. I haven't finished blogging about our major vacation, and I'm already moving on to something else. I figured anyone reading won't mind this little digression as long as it's for good reason. I feel the need to post a few details from our lives while they're still current.

We had a ward campout this weekend at a place called Teancum Timbers. It's out in the wilderness of southeastern Washington, past a small town called Dayton. I'll have to admit this was Cora's first camping experience. We've been such slackers. I don't know why we haven't had time this summer to go sooner. Cora is usually pleasant and happy in the mornings (as long as she's fed right away) and the Saturday morning of camp was no exception. Here she is enjoying her Kix cereal in the tent.


The girls had a blast. Cora, like Ally, loved sleeping in a tent and experiencing the great outdoors. It also doesn't hurt that everyone we know from church just adores them both. Ally had plenty of friends with which to socialize, and Cora had plenty of people giving her attention. We camped right next to Ally's friend Devon. Although Cora woke up earlier than Ally, and chatted and cooed for 30 minutes straight, it wasn't until Devon awoke and said something in a whispered voice that Ally had a problem with the noise. She opened her eyes, dramatically rolled them, and grumpily declared, "Devon, your talking woke me up!" Then she threw the covers over her head and pouted, pretending to fall back to sleep. Needless to say, Devon and Ally have a love-hate relationship. Which is quite amusing at times since they often pretend they're married. Last time Ally was pregnant and Devon proudly told me he's the dad. Then Ally popped the baby out and Devon was carefully carrying their imaginary "new edition" around in his arms.

So Cora is 2 weeks shy of 9 months. At this stage of the game, Ally was already walking around with no falls. Looking back, that seems so surreal and utterly impossible. We wonder what Cora's problem is. (Just kidding.) Every day that goes by, it seems that Cora gets closer to skipping over the whole crawling thing as well. She'll get in position, rock back and forth on all fours, giggle, and then flatten out and pull (or roll) herself to wherever she'd like to be. She loves to stand and dance, has been cruising the couch, and will stand unsupported for 3-5 seconds before squatting down. I know one of these days she's just going to take off running.
Not that we're in the habit of comparing our children, but I need to report that Cora is ahead of Ally in one category-- She's already pooped on the potty 3 times! Amazing, I know. (I should take a video of that.) Ally cheered Cora on each time, and then she ate the treats on her behalf since Cora's too tiny to be consuming Smarties. And she doesn't have any teeth. (Ally had at least four by this age.)

Ally still loves princesses and American Idol-- and we play them constantly. Except when we take a break to play her other favorite imagination game. In Ally's own words, "It's the one where you are the big sister, and Cora's the little brother Ian, and I already have a baby Cora (played by a doll), and I'm pregnant with three babies in my belly (Chase, Ella, and another Cora) and I sometimes feel sick so you have to take care of me." We play that game for hours: going to the grocery store in our mini-van (the couch) and looking for 4-seater shopping carts to hold us all, visiting the doctor, feeding the babies, getting into trouble for not listening to mommy, making dinner for Daddy . . . She comes up with some very in-depth scenarios.

Here is Ally auditioning for American Idol with one of her princess songs. (Note to self: Make sure my children are freshly bathed and comb their hair before bringing out the camera.)

One last story to share. Ally has a lot of imaginary friends. Her first was Ana, followed by Ha-juana and Sally. They occasionally die, but they also occasionally give birth to each other, so they never disappear altogether. They have a house in Mexico (I think that's where they're from), but most recently they've been living in Washington DC and are thinking of buying a house in Spokane. I don't know. I usually just nod my head and go along with it unless her "friends" are being a bad influence (which, amazingly, does happen). After she made this birthday card for Ana, she showed it to me. "See, I put Ana's name on it right here: A-S-S". [Ally sometimes writes and/or recites her letters from right to left (does she think she's Jewish?), and that's how they're placed on the page.] I tried to tell her it should be A-N-A, but she kept arguing and loudly respelling Ana her way saying, "See, it's for my friend A-S-S!" I hope this little spelling mistake disappears as she continues her reading lessons.

The Taking of the Capitol

July 9-10, 2010

A random fact for you: Lancaster, PA was the capitol of the colonies for one day (September 27th 1777). How'd I know that? It says so on the monument in the middle of the city. Wikipedia also told me. So, after my family did some exploring around Lancaster, we set our sights on our nation's current capitol. Although we spent 2 days in D.C., I have very few pictures to account for our time there. Here's the only one I have that proves Cora actually came along. (When a baby spends her days leisurely strapped to her Momma's chest, she tends not to appear in any of the pictures.)

We stayed at a great hotel just outside Arlington. We walked to the Rosslyn Metro Station and, in 10 minutes time, we were at the mall area with all the Smithsonians. Except on Saturday-- when we accidentally took a 45 minute walking tour of the streets paralleling the mall area. Thankfully the kids didn't seem to notice or complain as we walked and walked and walked in the rain. Most of us saw it as a fortuitous opportunity to chat and spend time together as we wandered.











We visited the American History Museum, where Ally and Ella got to help unfurl and refold a replica flag of the one flown over Fort McHenry (Star Spangled Banner). We went to the Natural History Museum to see all the stuffed animals, insects, and precious gems. We also visited the Air and Space Museum, where we had a close encounter of the celebrity kind.


We also visited the National Archives.  Ally got to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights after having a small tantrum in the middle of the exhibit hall.  She may be an American with rights and liberties, but she still has to listen to her Mommy. That's the best way to pursue happiness.    

We saw (from afar) the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Jefferson Memorial. We had lunch at the Old Post Office, where Ally went up the glass elevator with her cousins to see views of the city. We walked past the Washington Monument to reach the World War II Memorial. Ally, Cora, and I stayed there and listened to a military band while Eric's family and my Mom continued on to the Lincoln Memorial. Someone's legs (mine) we're just too tired to go any further, and Ally refused to carry me.

Livin' in an Amish Paradise

Our family made a trip out to Shady Maple Smorgasbord one afternoon to gorge ourselves on their massive buffet. I remember the days when my brothers would have competitions to see who could wolf down the most plates. The food tasted so good while they were consuming it, but they'd always walk away from lunch so full and uncomfortable. And it's a 40 minute car ride to get back home.

One time Mark wasn't feeling so well as we were loading into the car, so Eric pretended to take a paper cup out of his pretend shirt pocket and said, "If you have to spew, spew in this." Does anyone else remember that movie quote?

It was so hilarious at the time, the moment has stuck with me. I laughed so hard that I almost puked on the pavement. (Sorry, that story really doesn't have anything to do with this post.) There weren't any eating competitions this time, but we all enjoy the local food and left pleasantly full. I finished my meal off with a whoopie pie and a glass of birch beer. Oh, the memories. . .
Ally and Cora quickly succumbed to sleep on the drive back home. I didn't think they'd eaten enough to fall into a post-consumption stupor, but I was grateful for the chance to explore the countryside. My Mom and I took a little detour on some back roads and re-found a few covered bridges. Chris and I enjoy taking pictures of scenery but since having kids, that luxury has gone by the wayside. This was a rare opportunity to photograph my surrounding in peace.

"Corn.
Corn. Corn Corn.
Corn Corn Corn Corn.
Corn Corn Corn. Corn Corn.
Corn Corn. Corn. Corn Corn Corn. Corn Corn Corn Corn. Corn Corn . ."


When we were younger, that's what Mark used to say while we traveled down the road. He'd start in with his repetitive statements whenever he saw some growing-- and it grows everywhere. Such torture! And then I'd get yelled at for telling him to stop. Such added torture! I dreaded corn-growing season.

The Great D W

July 7, 2010

My family is not very big on traditions except when it comes to two simple letters of the alphabet -- D and W.   Doug and Diane Winters had 5 children: Eric Douglas Winters,
Karen Diane Winters,
Mark Daniel Winters,
Kevin Dennis Winters, and
Amy Denise Winters.
When we were younger and lived in Broomall, we'd make a yearly pilgrimage to the Dutch Wonderland amusement park. Little did we know, the Winters clan would eventually move to Lancaster County, where we proceeded to devote considerable amounts of our teenage summers working for minimum wage as employees of DW. (I started out at $4.10/hour and ended at $5.25/hour-- and I ended as a ticketbooth supervisor.) Oh, and even our mother worked some end-of-summer shifts for a few seasons.  If we had convinced Dad to retire early and join us, I'm sure we would've become official DW royalty. So a Winters Family Reunion just wouldn't have been complete without a trip to our second home. We older kids had fun reminiscing while our little munchkins had fun playing. Too bad Kevin, Katie, and Chris had already packed up and left town.

Here we all are, taking up the last car of the train. I was thankful to be a passenger instead of the engineer. Driving the train was fun at times, but I remember how much heat that engine exudes on a regular summer day. And we chose to go to DW on a record-breaking, sweltering hot day. Erin and I found a little reprieve from the heat in the Mother's Nursing Station, but I swear the air conditioner only brought the temperature down to 88 degrees. (Oddly enough, that "Station" used to be my old Info Booth. I was feeding Cora in the building where I lived for 2 summers while I rented out strollers, paged overhead for lost children, sold ponchos, and made Bubba Bear announcements).

I wish I had taken more pictures of the day. Ally enjoyed being in a place that caters to kids and loved running around with her cousins. She says her favorite rides were "the one that goes straight out" (the monorail), the Choo-Choo Charlie hand-propelled trains, and the Turnpike car. I know she had a great time in the kiddie splash section of the new water park. We also saw a dive show and met the DW Princess. We tried to milk Bossie the Cow, but her supply seemed to be udderly dried up. Thinking back, that was almost always the case. Some things never change.
My favorite quote of the day came when Ally followed Amy and me onto the spaceship ride. I knew she wouldn't like it, but she begged nicely and wouldn't be persuaded otherwise. She confidently buckled herself into her seat and was all excited for the ride to start-- until the doors closed in preparation for take-off. In the darkness, Ally had a death grip on my arm and very matter-of-factly stated, "I shouldn't have come in here." The movie started and the ride began to move. Ally agreed to close her eyes and cuddle on my arm until it was all over. She didn't scream, she didn't even cry; she just held on very tightly and shook. I spent our simulated flight quietly consoling her and trying my best not to laugh. When it was over and the doors reopened, I carried her tired body out in my arms. She gave me a big hug, followed by a big kiss and then said, "I don't need to ride that one again." I agreed, as the experience had made me a little seasick.

Even when scared, Ally is still such a trooper. She usually pulls through just fine by closing her eyes and cuddling. (That's how she survived the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, too.) I know she's only 3, but I hope Ally has learned some valuable lessons from her spaceship misadventure:

Mommy will do her best to protect you.
Mommy can't always save you from your choices, but she'll stand by you and comfort you.
Mommy's always right. Believe her.
You really should've listened to Mommy in the first place. . .

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot-Diggity Dog

July 5, 2010

Chris flew back to Washington very early on Monday-- had some lame excuse about having to work or something-- so that left me husbandless for the remainder of the trip. The kids had another photo shoot, and then we stopped by the Wilbur Chocolate Factory to get some tasty local sweets. Nothing like consoling your bruised heart with a handful of chocolate-- except maybe revenge. To teach him a lesson for abandoning us, I made the trip into Philadelphia (Chris' favorite city) to watch the Phillies (Chris' favorite sports team) play ball.


Since it was July 5th, they were still celebrating our country and all of the freedoms we've been so blessed to have as Americans. Before the game started, members of all branches of the armed forces helped unfurl this massive flag on the field. They played patriotic songs and honored veterans from all the major conflicts over the past decades. Talk about giving you goosebumps of gratitude!


This was Cora's second Phillies game, but it was her first at Citizens Bank Park. Because our seats started the evening in the scorching sunlight, I gave her a VIP walking tour of the park (I walked, she rode). I took her to see a Fanatic replica, perused Ashburn Alley, got her a "first game" certificate from guest services, and showed her where the rich people get to sit in the shade behind home plate. We took lots of pictures so we could brag to Daddy later.

We even got this photo with a random guy who came to the game dressed as a hotdog. I wanted so badly to ask if he was wearing anything under his bun, but I couldn't. I didn't want to run the risk of sounding flirty-- especially in front of his girlfriend who took the pic-- but I really was curious. I mean it was a REALLY hot night and all. . .

Once the sun went down after the third inning (and we were no longer at risk for a sunburn) we returned to our budget seat on the third tier, forth section over by the yellow foul pole. I can spot Mark, Courtney, Eric, Amy, and my Dad if I click and zoom in. Can you see them? I'll give you a hint-- they're all wearing red.

Cora seemed to enjoy herself at the game, especially when I fed her the bun from my hotdog. (Fun fact: the hotdog man is holding the free hotdog he got for dressing like a hotdog.) Cora stayed awake for all nine innings, so I'd say she's a true fan. I guess her Daddy really is raising her right.

And Then the Sparks Started to Fly . . .

July 4, 2010

Long-time readers of this blog will appreciate the sacrifice we had to make in spending July 4th at the home of my parents. Since our move to Washington, we began a family tradition of attending the Quatro de Julio Parade in Pasco. Alas, we missed the yearly check-out of our favorite mullet and the sabor of an authentic mexican helado. Instead we had sparklers, a few rounds of Bang!, and a fireworks display seen from my parents' front lawn.

Oh, yeah. And to start the holiday off right, all 20 of us invaded my parents' ward (church) for my nephew Thane's baby blessing. I stole this pic from my sis-in-law Erin's blog. You can't tell now, but Ally was trying to lift up my skirt the whole time while Cora was trying to pluck Chris' chin hairs.

Winters in the Summer

July 3, 2010

It only took us a day to drive to my teenhood home in Lititz, Pennsylvania. You might ask how that's possible from way across the country? Magic. It also helps if you rent a speedy red car, have well-behaved and travel-tolerant children, and start the day in North Carolina. I'll return to my beloved NC at a later post, as that's how we did things in real life anyway. (Yes, I'm blogging about our month long trip by starting in the middle. I will potentially get around to putting these episodes in proper order, but just getting it blogged is an accomplishment at this point. Please bare with my insanity.)

Since my siblings and I live in various regions throughout the U.S., rarely will you ever find us all in the same state at the same time. (Last time around was at Kevin and Katie's wedding. And we were all in the same exact place for maybe an hour.) On this occasion, the last of us arrived on Friday evening (my little family), and the first of us left before dawn on Monday (my husband). That's a record 2+ full days together! Thanks, Dad, for requesting that we come home for a reunion and a few pictures. Our photographer was Craig Leaper, and he did a fabulous job. He graciously gave me permission to post the following two pics here so my cyberspace friends (and stalkers?) can see all the Winters together.

The Whole Winters Clan

The Original Seven

I know we're an awesome family and you'd love a copy to hang in your own home, but please don't steal from our photographer. Instead, visit his website to see some bonus B&Ws of the kids and some beautiful shots of Lancaster County. (Check out the one of Cora and the perfect, precious tear gliding down her face.) Our actual family photos are locked but, if you are really interested in them and ask nicely, I can help you see them too.

Here are Ally and Ella practicing for their future modeling careers.

Please Stand By

We seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties with our Internet at home. I hope The Amazing Christopher will have things up and running normally again soon. Then I can get back to blogging about these two munchkins and our East Coast Adventures. "Tempermental Internet" sounds like a better excuse than "Slacker Mother", so I'll just stick to that reason for now. Although the computer does sound like it's working overly hard at something, and it's either going to overheat or take off into the air at any moment now. I think it's time to log off before it explodes. . .