Yellowstone

"Mom, what time it is?"
"6:14."
"When will we get there?"
"In about 4 hours."

"Mom, what time it is?"
"6:17"
"When will we get there?"

And so began our road trip to Yellowstone! A trip full of ups and (melt)downs.

Saturday

Just 45 minutes into the park, our first day started off with a geyser! Unfortunately, it was in the form of projectile vomit from Makenzie's mouth. We didn't quite have enough time to pull off the road and her beloved stuffed elephant, Ellie, took the brunt of it. It was also all over her pants, car seat and a few other toys. I took her out to clean her up and she started to cry, "I still want to go hiking!" I told her we would see how she was feeling in a little while. Of course I packed extra clothes for an emergency just as this. . .if only I hadn't left them in the hotel room. Brilliant! After we were back on the road again she said she was hungry and wanted some fruit snacks. Ummmmm, NO!

We got to the south side of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and she said she was feeling fine. So we started with a small walk along the rim to see the Upper Falls kept going to the Lower Falls and then had lunch.

Makenzie devoured hers and said she was feeling great. So we decided to descend 348 stairs on Uncle Tom's trail to get a view of the Lower Falls from the bottom. The twins got a lot of comments on their Camelbaks and what troopers they were. Little Lexi was a trooper too: she walked down about 250 of the stairs.

The mist from the waterfall created a beautiful rainbow.

Of course, what goes down 348 stairs must come back up!

After that we drove to Yellowstone Lake where we enjoyed a quiet, relaxing afternoon.

No trip to a lake would be complete without throwing rocks in. The kids decided the rocks were too small, however, and started going after the driftwood.

Not to be outdone by Big Brother Brayden, Kenzie and Lexi worked together to get the biggest log of all.

That evening we headed to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone where the twins got to hide food for the bears and then watch them forage for it.

SUNDAY

The bears at the Grizzly & Wolf Center weren't the only bears we saw! On Sunday morning as we drove through town we were surprised to see this. Brayden declared that it was "crazy!"

Note to Grandma Rhodes: We stopped in the middle of the street to take this picture just for you!

Our first stop that morning was Gibbons Falls.

Makenzie posed for a photo. . .

. . .and then Brayden decided he needed his picture taken too.

Next stop: Gardiner, Montana (just outside the north entrance to the park) where we went on a scenic float trip on the Yellowstone River.

This was one of the things that the twins were most looking forward to. But after about 20 minutes they were board and wanted more rapids.

We didn't see much wildlife on the river, but we did see some rednecks! You know you're in Montana when. . .you see hairy, shirtless men floating on the river with a separate inner tube to keep their cooler of beer afloat. Awesome!

At the end of the trip an old school bus picked us up and took us back to our car. As we were walking through the parking lot, Makenzie said, "Mom, that was sooo much fun!" To which I replied, "I'm glad you enjoyed it!" thinking she was talking about the raft trip until she said, "I loved riding on the school bus!" (Sigh.)

On our way back into the park, we saw a herd of about 60 elk. You can't see many of them in the picture because they are actually laying down in the grass; their ears were barely visible.

After that we strolled around Mammoth Hot Springs for a while and then headed to Artists Paint Pot for a short hike. On the way there, Brayden fell asleep mid-snack.

We hit a bump which startled Brayden a little bit and he used his Scooby-Snack-wrapper-clad-hand to wipe away the drool and fell back asleep. When he woke up, he realized he had something in his hand, inspected it and resumed snacking.

MONDAY

Monday's agenda started with a hike to Fairy Falls. The trail was flat and easy, but the kids were worn out and it was slow going. Below is a scenic view of some hot springs at the beginning of the trail.

The trail went on the backside of Grand Prismatic Spring, which was hidden by the steam.

But a quick jaunt up the neighboring hill provided an impressive view.

When we finally reached the waterfall, we were greeted by a woman who offered to take our picture and directed us where to sit.

We were also greeted by a rather aggressive chipmunk who had the nerve to grab Brayden's Ziploc bag in his mouth and try to steal his PBJ.

There were also a few ravens that were close at hand waiting for some dropped food.

The grand finale was Old Faithful. As luck would have it, however, we got there just as the geyser was finishing, which meant we had to wait a LONG 92 minutes for the next eruption. We were all tired and ready to go home. It wasn't the ideal situation, but we were able to listen to a Ranger talk and finish the final requirement to get their Junior Ranger badges, which the twins thought was very cool. After teasing us a few times, Old Faithful finally put on a show. Was it worth the wait? Watch Brayden's reaction below for the answer!

Status Symbols

As a teenage girl, I thought that owning a pair of jeans with a triangle and a question mark sewn on the back pocket was the must-have status symbol. When I was a young woman in my twenties, I decided that owning a pair of red bottom heels meant that one had arrived. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that strollers—much like cars—are the ultimate status symbols.

It all started with a Graco DuoGlider. Its lines were long and sleek, much like those of a stretched limo. And I was treated much like a celebrity whenever I took it out for a spin. People would go out of their way to help me, running from behind to open doors for me. Very cool! The masses also flocked to it, much like the paparazzi, hoping to catch a glimpse of the passengers inside. One brazen gawker even went so far as to tear back the retractable sun-shades of the attached infant carriers and touch the stars of the show who were sleeping at the time. Not so cool!

As the twins got older, I decided it was time for a second vehicle; this one a jogging stroller. With all-terrain wheels and a heavy duty-chassis, my Bebe Love stroller resembled a Hummer and elevated me to rock star status. There were even more stares and the comments we received were more in awe of what we were doing. People were quick to get off to the side of the parkway to make room for the ruggedly sophisticated SUV. I was growing a little tired of the fame, however, and was eagerly anticipating the day when I could ditch the double stroller and return to a life of normalcy.

And then, baby makes three. Weighing in at a mere 33 pounds my new Valco Tri Mode Twin EX Double Stroller complete with an optional third seat is sleek, sporty and loaded with features. Not to mention kids! On one holiday shopping trip I received eleven—yes, ELEVEN!—comments on the stroller in less than an hour. My personal favorite was the guy who exclaimed, “That is the Bat Mobile of Strollers!” And just like that I transcended rock star status and reached that only attained by super heroes. Oddly enough, people stopped offering to open doors for me when I was driving the Bat Mobile. Probably because they knew I had spent four years honing my Super M.O.M. (Mother of Multiples) Powers and could handle anything that was placed in front of me, including dirty diapers from my dynamic duo and the double doors at the mall.

After spending the equivalent of a house payment on the Bat Mobile, I needed yet another stroller that was both compact and economical. Enter the umbrella stroller. I consider it the Toyota of strollers; it’s nothing fancy but gets great mileage and lasts for decades. Every now and then I load my singleton into that, let the twins walk alongside and get a glimpse of the anonymity I once enjoyed when going out. Until, that is, the twins have joint meltdowns in aisle 7 because I refuse to purchase whatever over-priced, trendy toy they happen to consider a status symbol at the moment. (Sigh.)

Double the Fun!

This year the twins got to have not one but TWO birthday parties!

Friend Party

The celebration started on Saturday with a party for their little friends at My Gym.

Waiting for the guests to arrive!

Intently listening to game rules.

Playing "Mr. Fox. . .What Time is It?" (Check out video below.)

The highlight of the party for most was riding the zipline.

More zipline fun!

The guests of honor got this sweet ride and arrived for group pictures.



Show us your muscles!



Making their scariest faces!

Sammy T. decided to help Brayden & Makenzie blow out candles.

Presents!

Thanks to all of our friends—Kayla & Korvin L, Jack & Evelyn H, Baily & Kyla R, Sammy & Jack B, Julia C, and Kara J—for celebrating with us and making the party so much fun!

Birthday Morning

On Sunday morning, the twins got to their presents from our immediate family. They got puzzles, a game from Lexi, their very own Camelbacks for hiking and bikes and bike helmets!

Of course Lexi thought she was big enough to ride the bike too!

After breakfast we went outside to teach the kids how to ride their bikes. Makeznie jumped right on and started riding before we could even tell her where the brakes were. She literally rode circles around Brayden, as you can see in the video below.

Family Party

I decided to use a Candy Land theme for our family party on Sunday evening.  

The Invitation.

I had grand plans for the decorations; unfortunately Mother Nature's plans were more grandiose than mine. I bought 34 yards of butcher paper to construct a game board in the backyard, but I couldn't even keep the paper in place long enough to hold it down with 2x4's. Stupid wind!

The guests of honor at the start of the Rainbow Trail, behind them you can see the Lollipop Woods.

Close up of the lollipops (my favorite decoration) , the Peppermint Stick Forest and the Ice Cream Floats.
Unfortunately, the wind blew away the other ice cream decoration.

 

The guests got to visit the Candy Bar and fill up loot bags to take home.


We decided to have the relay race before dinner while the weather was somewhat cooperative. Team Green consisted of Kara, Grandma R. and Andy. Team Yellow was Makenzie, Jenna and Brian. Team Pink was Brayden, Dallin and Grandpa M. For the first leg of the race the little ones had to carry a marshmallow on a spoon a plate.

Those in the second leg had to eat the marshmallow (which was covered with toasted coconut), two Hot Tamales and a Tootsie Roll.

Jenna DID NOT like the marshmallow!

But Grandma Rhodes had no problem eating it and showing the judge she had swallowed everything!

Contestants in the third leg had to run across the grass, blow up a balloon and bring it back to the start where they popped it with the help of another team member.

Team Green won!

After the relay race, we ate a quick dinner. It came to an ubrupt end when the wind started blowing people's plates across the table.

We managed to snap a hasty picture of all the guests before it started raining.

Opening presents inside. The twins were SPOILED!
Thanks to everyone for such thoughtful gifts.

Time for cake! Sticking with the Candy Land theme, I made a gingerbread man and a cake complete with gumdrops and ice cream cones. After the party Brayden told me he didn't like the shapes of the cakes and wanted different ones next year.

The party wasn't quite as sweet as I had imagined, but it didn't suck. I am already planning next year's Beach Bash in my head. I'm pretty sure I need some professional help from a twelve step program of some sort. Is there such a thing as Party Planners Anonymous?

Adorable 4-Year-Olds!

In honor of their fourth birthday, I decided to choose the four words that best describe the twins' individual personalities right now.

BRAYDEN

Clever - Brayden is very smart and comes up with innovative solutions to problems. I prefer it when he uses his cleverness for good rather than evil. For example, when he was potty training, he quickly figured out that if he put on two pairs of Pull-Ups he could pee all day long and I would still think he was dry and give him treats.
Athletic - Brayden can run fast, hike for miles and never tires out.
Sensitive - He cries when he watches Snow White and The Land Before Time, while Makenzie, on the other hand, can't figure out why he is crying.
Curious - The shear volume of Brayden's questions is exhausting; he is curious about everything! I try to put things in terms that I think a pre-schooler would understand, but that isn't good enough. He wants to know everything! He is constantly asking about HAFB and wants to know every detail, including who buys them their airplanes. Have you ever tried to explain the concept of tax payers to a 4-year-old?

MAKENZIE

Nurturing - Whether she is nursing her stuffed elephant or rubbing Lexi's back to make her feel better, Makenzie is very nurturing. She will make a great mother someday.
Adventurous - Makenzie is always looking for a new adventure. She loves climbing rock walls, the taller the better. She always wants to try new things and pushes to do better. This morning, she hopped on her new bike and started riding before she even knew how to use the brakes.
Clumsy - I hate to say it, but the girl trips over everything. She has the scrapes and bruises to prove it.
Outgoing - Makenzie makes friends wherever she goes!

THE TWINS

As twins, Brayden and Makenzie also share many of the same traits. They like to tease each other and are silly as can be. Sometimes they fight as all brothers and sisters do, but they will be best friends til the end!