Play/Guest/Work Room Update!

So when we left off here the playrooms was empty of any playthings. It had the bed and a workspace and a chalkboard and a bookshelf, new hardwood floor, and nice light but appealingly bright blue walls. There was nothing on the walls, floor, there wasn't even a light fixture!

We put in a big silver fan for the hot summer days to come (we do have a/c but sometimes a fan is nice too), we put in track lighting so it's nice and bright in certain areas, and we bought this big baby, to put over what I decided would be our reading area. Suffice to say, our ceiling was done being decorated.

I really wasn't sure where to go after that, so I didn't pay any attention to the room until after the first week of January. Then I found an amazing purple floral area rug that wasn't exceptionally feminine (Theo...) but still brought a bit of a delicate feel to the room. We bought it and threw it down and it was like a switch got flipped on because from then on I was all about finishing the playroom.

We found an adorable wooden table with four chairs for 50 bucks, took it home and painted it white, and now it's one of my very favourite things in the house. We decided we weren't done with the ceiling after all, and we ended up hanging four long canopies from the ceiling. Most of the time the kids don't care about playing with them, but once in awhile we'll let them hang and all of a sudden we've got four little circus tents or houses or stages (because obviously that's what they're for). Viv is too little to play in hers much yet, but when she gets older she'll have her fun too.

We decided to be very careful in selecting toys for the kids, so we bought a Lego bench that serves as both a Lego building platform and a Lego storage center, and a puppet theatre. We bought a bunch of fabric puppets and the kids love them. We bought some wooden cars and other Eco-friendly toys, and we found cheap and very comfortable love seat on wheels that we put in one corner. We bought a cheap TV on sale in January that we hung on the wall so every once in awhile I roll the sofa into the center of the room and stick a movie in the TV and the kids don't have to watch TV in the living room, plus that was our guests can watch TV in bed and we can watch TV if we're using the workstation, even though that's counter-productive.

For Christmas my mom made the kids about 8 (probably more) cushions for their little huts that hang from the ceiling, and we threw in a bunch of old throw and fleece blankets so it's a cozy room.

It doesn't have very many toys in it at all, but the kids have lots to do. We're at a stage now where the older kids can play together as well as entertain the younger ones, and we've got stations set up so that sharing isn't a big issue. There's a huge chalkboard, an art table for colouring or painting or doing homework or playing cards. A puppet station, a bunch of fabric tents to make houses or shops. And of course they can put on little plays all the time too. The big kids can read. There's tons to do in there, mostly involving the use of their imagination, and I think that's better than a bunch of noisy, flashing, battery operated junk. We have a tonne of puzzles for the kids to set, and board games galore. If there's really nothing to do, they can always watch a movie.

So overall it turned out great, I love that the playroom is a place where I don't have to watch the kids every single minute, guests will enjoy it, and Nick and I can work in it. It's everything we hoped it would be, and if the last few days are any proof, the kids love it.

I didn't want to write this but oh, here it is

Nick and I flew internationally with four children yesterday. For the second time. We took a trip to a family reunion, it was pleasant. The family, not the flying. If you were flying anywhere near eastern United States yesterday, I am sorry.

It started at 7am yesterday morning, when I woke up to find our plane delayed. Already. Our plane was supposed to leave at noon. So I let the kids sleep a bit longer and we eventually woke them up and got them ready to leave with only one minor incident over a fluffy purple tutu. Okay, check, Four kids, 6 suitcases, 7 carry ons, Nick. Good. Oh, and a purple tutu. Can't forget that.

So we drive an hour to the airport, and of course the big kids fall asleep and the baby poops and the toddler stays awake and chats the entire way. We get inside, drag 486534066902 bags and four children to the self-check in thing, check in, and then begin waiting in line.

After 20 minutes and nothing gained I send Nick to go take the oldest three for a smoothie on the other side of the airport, and thankfully they go quietly and our line begins to move and I check the weight of 486534066902 suitcases, check four car seats, and Nick comes back and shows his i.d. and the kids are all present and for a few minutes it was not chaotic at all.

We say goodbye to family and rush the kids to drink the last of their smoothies. After another round of goodbyes we corralled the kids around the stroller, got Viv in her car seat, car seat on the stroller, put Pippa in her seat with much annoyance over the fact that I'm sorry, the purple tutu may not travel with us, and got Sera and Theo to hold Nick's hands. Once all the bags were loaded onto out bus we made our way into, you guessed it, the first line. It was short, we were through it and into another line in no time. Border. After an excruciating amount of time spent trying to keep my energetic children from getting refused entry to their birth country, we made it through the border and into the security line. We had to remove each child's shoes, jackets, backpacks, and the stroller was a whole other deal. After a minor issue where we were told Vivian would have to walk through the metal detector (she can't walk on her own), we made it to the other side.

Each kid threw a tantrum while we hurriedly redressed them and shoved their backpacks on/stuffed them into the stroller. They all had to go to the bathroom so we had a long stop there to change the baby and get everyone set for the flight, and then... nothing. Our flight was delayed, and the international terminal had nothing to do if you're a normal traveller, never mind a family of 6, most of whom are under 6.

I didn't want to open up any electronics yet, lest they die during flight, so I took the kids to a section of chairs where no one was sitting and I let them run wild. I gave up. They played tag and rolled all over the floor but I did not care. Nick and I just watched, hoping they'd tire themselves out eventually. The did. And we reloaded everyone and then boarded out plane. Our tiny, tiny plane. Two seats on either side. I sat with Viv to nurse her, Nick sat with Pippa to control her, and the big kids had two seats behind Nick and Pippa. They munched snacks while everyone got on the plane, and I only had to shush them twice. Let's skip the next 45 minutes, because it involved tears, while they deiced the plane, and we'll just say take-off went well. The big kids were all excited about flying! on a plane! in the air! so high! up! up! up! and Viv nursed and Pippa sat in her car seat and drank some juice and watched the ground a lot.

The flight was really good, Viv fell asleep and Pippa fell asleep so Nick and I talked to Theo and Sera and it didn't seem like very long until we were landing. I gave the big kids some chewy candy and two water bottles and nursed Viv, Nick and Philippa played patty-cake. I'm pretty sure she had no idea we were landing. Everyone who left the plane smiled at the kids and they waved and grinned back and it was cute and they were little angels and Nick and I had a proud parenting moment. On a plane! I know!

Then we got the stroller and put the car seats on them and I put Viv in the ring sling and Pippa was on Nick's hip sling and I put the big kids in the stroller and we RAN from terminal C to terminal G because our plane was supposed to be leaving NOW. So of course we got there and the plane was an hour delayed. And then it ended up being three hours delayed and my god this entry is long so we'll just say many flights were cancelled and our flight was only delayed but the kids had nothing to do and then they ate McDonald's for dinner and we finally boarded our plane and there were tears and crying babies and sleeping big kids and it was just horrible. So we landed in a lightning storm and it took 2 hours to drive the 45 minute drive home because it was pouring rain and at 2am I walked into our place and Theo fell asleep on elevator floor and I finally got to lock our door and turn off the lights at 2:30 am.

So we all slept until noon today, except the baby woke up to eat at 8, but she went right back down. And now my kids are playing silent tag because I told them to be quieter, and I'm a zombie.