Smoothly Roughing It

Jenelle and Jonathan, reluctant to let their three-kids-under-three status keep them from enjoying the Great Outdoors, decided to take their family camping.  Since this would be the first camping trip with newborn twins, they were reluctant to go certain places.  For example, they were reluctant to go anywhere that would require spending the night in a tent.

Fortunately, in Oregon there are many ways to go camping without a tent and without sleeping under the stars.  (Some purists will assert that this is merely “camping” and not camping, but one should note that most of those purists do not have a young gaggle of girls to travel with.)  So, the Vance family made a September reservation for a cabin at Stewart State Park, which is only a 35-minute drive from their house.

The cabin had a lovely view of the coast mountains.  It also had some simple furniture, electricity and heat.  It proved to be about the right level of camping for the Vance family right now.

Cabin

Although Annika was already an experience camper, she enjoyed new experiences like roasting marshmallows and helping Daddy with breakfast.  She thought her sleeping bag was pretty exciting, too, since it was Mommy’s and it was pink.

Happy Camper

After managing to get some sleep during the night, everyone went for a nice stroller-friendly walk on a trail in the park.

More pictures are here.

They Were Good Little Monkeys, and Always Very Curious

In November 2008, Jenelle found two infant monkey costumes on clearance at Target.  By this time, she and Jonathan knew that they were expecting twins, and they hatched their costume plans for 2009: the little girls would all be monkeys (i.e., Curious Georgias), Jonathan would be the man in the yellow hat, and Jenelle would be the Woman in the Yellow Hat.  (Literary purists will point out that there is no “Woman in the Yellow Hat” — but don’t you think that the Man gets a little lonely with just a monkey for company?)

So, Jenelle pulled out her sewing skills and made costumes for Annika, Jonathan and herself.

Halloween 2009

Annika’s costume was Jenelle’s crowning achievement this year.  Fortunately, she eventually agreed to put it on.

Annika's Costume

After a photo session, the family set off for a ’round-the-cul-de-sac trick-or-treat walk.  Annika declined to say “trick-or-treat” at any house, but maybe she can do that next year.

After returning home, Annika sat down on the living room floor to sample each piece of her modest-sized loot.  They next morning, she asked her parents where her “snacks” were — but by that time, they had mysteriously disappeared.

Jenelle’s sewing projects were particularly impressive this year due to repeated problems with her Swedish sewing machine, which she inherited from her grandmother (the machine, not the problems).  (The machine’s name is unprintable here because it contains too many consecutive consonants.)  After repeated trips to the repair shop failed to remedy the problems, Jenelle bought a pdf of the machine’s manual on eBay and then fixed the machine herself.  Since then, MIT has offered to confer an honorary doctorate on her, but Jenelle is too tired and too busy to bother with such fluff.

More Halloween pictures are here.