Two Weeks in Connecticut

Our trip to Connecticut took us two days. The original plan was to stop at Kirtland, Ohio on the way out, because we haven't ever visited the temple or the other church history sites there. But that would have meant an 8-hour drive the second day, and I just couldn't stomach the last day being the long one again. So we skipped Kirtland (maybe we'll stop there on the way back in December?) and made it to somewhere forgettable in Pennsylvania. We slept decently and had a five hour drive on Saturday the 8th.

We were warmly greeted in Connecticut by Grandma and Grandpa Stratford and Sarah's four kids: Claire, Cooper, Jane, and Jill. The cousins were all very excited to see each other again, and it was nice that they had seen each other recently enough to remember one another. Ben and Sam came home from Scout Camp that night, and Sarah returned from a girls' weekend in D.C. on Sunday evening (when Sam left). We were all in that not-so-large house for a whole week, and all the adults had headaches and at one time or another were ready to slit their throats from the noise. But the kids had a great time with each other and made some good friendships and memories.

I was probably happier than anyone to be there. First of all, I was just glad to not be the only adult anymore--to have other people to talk to, to joke with, and to share responsibilities with. Despite the noise, I was very content to be there. But second, I am lucky to feel as comfortable at my in-laws as I do at my own parent's home. They treat me like a daughter and I feel completely accepted and loved as I am. They hug me when they can see I'm having a hard time, and they cheer me on in all my endeavors. They are also wise people, and I appreciate the wealth of experience they share with me. I couldn't have better in-laws--all of them.

Abby with Cooper Boyle. They are only a few months apart and claim their minds are identical.

Mary was usually in the parlor reading or working on her language skills (or sneaking computer game time), but Isaac was out with the younger kids all the time. They all looked up to him and wanted to play with him, and though that usually meant conflict, this was one moment when he was using his influence for good, and I wanted to catch it on film. Despite his ridiculous face, he was having a good time teaching the younger kids to play marbles.

The very first night, Linda fell as she was climbing down from her bunk bed and got a beautiful shiner.

Most of the time we spent at Grandma's house, but we did spend one lovely day at Jenning's Beach on the Long Island Sound. My kids were a little grossed-out by the seaweed, but had a decent war with it. These Utah landlubbers hardly know what to do with a saltwater beach.

Mermaids Linda and Claire Boyle

Jane, Claire, Jill, Joe, Cooper, and Linda, with Sarah on the background.

Abby and Linda begged for days for Grandma to do face paint. 

Uncle Ben was kind enough to take Isaac golfing, and to my surprise, Isaac loved it.  Ben said he was very well-behaved and played all the way through, and even showed some aptitude for it. Isaac asked a few times if they could go again before we left. I'm always happy when my kids find something new to be interested in (that doesn't involve a screen), and grateful to Uncle Ben for being willing to risk a less-stellar evening of golfing.

The cousins left on Saturday the 15th, and the following Monday we had our first day of "School." I wanted to get the kids accustomed to our "European Vacation" version of homeschool, as well as work out some kinks, before we arrived in Europe. We had a pretty strenuous schedule, especially because the weather was quite hot and humid and sapped a lot of energy. We started at 7 with chores and breakfast, at 8:00 moved to 15 minutes of scripture study, 30 minutes of math on KhanAcademy.org, then 15 minutes of French practice. Of course, the first few days were a total waste, taking twice the time it should and with so many technical difficulties I wanted to scream. In fact, on Monday morning I had to take a 20 minute nap when the homework was done before I could face the rest of the day. This schedule eased up as the week went along and the kids got more used to self-starting their learning. This will I hope be the most valuable lesson they learn from this trip--that they need to be responsible for their own education. Most of their school experience has been spoon-fed learning, and while there will definitely be aspects of that in our trip, I hope they will understand that education is something you do, not something you sit and listen to. 

After the morning homeschool, the kids packed their lunches and we set out on sight-seeing trips. The first was a Nature Preserve with short easy trails through swamp and forest land. Abby and Isaac caught huge frogs, and everybody got really muddy. 

There was also a great "educational museum" with live animals and a room with tons of puzzles and toys that kept everyone busy for a full 90 minutes. 

Again, Joe prefers to wear the backpack rather than take it off.

Isaac was trying to communicate with the squirrel.

I took the kids to New Haven one day to see the Peabody Natural History Museum at Yale. They enjoyed it fine, but they were quite captivated by the simple experience of driving through New England. They loved the homes, the hills, the trees and the rural feeling of it all. As Mary put it (with uncharacteristic simpleness), "It's so much more naturey!" They all agreed they wanted to move to Connecticut. If it weren't for that little problem of Dad's job. . . 

At the Peabody, Mary and I were excited to see the new geological phenomenon "plastiglomerate," the rock composed of both sedimentary and organic materials welded together by molten plastic. In other words, we've introduced garbage rocks into the earth's geological development. 

I came around the corner and saw my wonderful daughter taking notes on the exhibit. So great.

I really don't remember what we did every day for our field trips, but I know we did something each day. In the afternoon each day, I also wanted the kids to blog for an hour, then after dinner do some assigned reading. By Tuesday evening I had already learned that I was pushing too hard, and that I need to choose what is most important. Mary may be able to keep that schedule, but I'll need to be careful going forward that I don't wear the kids out with so many academic expectations that they are emotionally or physically too drained to appreciate the sightseeing. 

On Friday and Saturday we got to spend some nice time with Grandma and Grandpa. On Friday we went out canoeing, and on Saturday afternoon we went to another hands-on science and technology museum. (How many of those do you think we can go to in the space of four months? The kids keep asking for more, but don't they want some art or architecture or music?)

Mary played mostly with the snap circuits.

Abby loved the many iterations of marble run.

What preschooler doesn't love a sensory table?

Linda and Isaac spent at least an hour with the life-size marble run.

Grandpa was the most entertaining kid in the whole museum. 

We had a wonderful time in Connecticut, and despite the craziness and hard work, it was relaxing and rejuvenating for me to be with family. But we were counting the hours until we could be with Ed. As our departure got closer and closer we all missed him more and more. 

ALSO: We had the benefit of a spiritual learning opportunity on Friday morning when Isaac went out to feed the rabbit and discovered it had died in the night. We had a lovely service and laid it to rest in the back woods with Daisy (the duck), Oreo and Doublestuff (cats), and various other animals from Ed's childhood. It was a good chance to talk to these sheltered, city-slicker kids about life and death and the blessing of the Savior and his resurrection.