Nephews (and maybe a Niece or two)!

My sister found out today that my oldest nephew will be attending the split Second and Third grade next year!  This is big news because in his school, these are the classes designed for the "gifted" students, academically anyway!  He really does take after his Aunt, lol.  I go to get him for his 3 week stay with us in 10 days too.  I'm flying to Portland, Oregon, where I will meet up with my Mother and Uncle and all three of the boys for a fun day at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and visiting with some of the family before we go back to the airport to enjoy my oldest nephew's first plane ride!  Our middle nephew (who is just 15 months younger than the oldest) got to go "first" for a plane trip in September for his first solo trip out to visit us.  The oldest has gotten to be the "first" at so much, that it was nice for his brother to do something "first", though he still complains that he hasn't gotten to take a trip by train (or bus) with me yet, lol.  I learned my lesson though, a rambunctious 3 year old on a long train trip is exhausting, especially when you get stuck at the terminal for 6 hours!

I hope the boys are interested in the "extra" exhibit right now at OMSI, Narnia!  It's $2 more than regular admission to get into it, but maybe.  I'm seriously considering adding an OMSI membership to my mini goal rewards list...the smallest package is $90 a year for 2 adults.  While we don't generally get to Portland, OR often, each membership comes with free admission to science museums all over the country!  Four in Washington are on that list, including one in Pullman, a mere 80 (or so) miles away!  Both of us are huge science nerds, myself more than my other half, but we both really enjoy the hands on stuff like OMSI.  The list of included museums is four pages long!  Our "end reward" to ourselves for reaching our weight goals is a trip "somewhere"...maybe we could tour science museums all over the country!  Something good for when we visit my family too, the Sunriver Nature Center is on that list!  I grew up going to this little nature museum and loved it!  I could take the boys while I'm down there!  Yup, this membership thing is definitely goin on my list of goal rewards...or maybe just as a "want" for my Birthday or something, lol.  My other half's "out of town" family live in Eugene, two museums are there too!

The older boys have both been to OMSI in the past, but they are finally reaching an age where they can really interact with the science!  I think the thing I am most excited about is the Earthquake simulator, this is always fun with smaller kids!  Also, the water-filled soda bottle rockets are a "blast", literally!  Not only is it fun though, it is super educational!  Yep, I'm one of "those" Aunts, lol.  After we depart, back to Spokane late that evening, the other boys are going to meet up with even more of our extended family (my Mother is one of ten and my Dad has three siblings...lots of Aunts, Uncles, and cousins!) the next day to go to the Oregon Zoo.  The oldest is a little upset he's missing that, but we may go to Cat Tales again this Summer and when we return three weeks later, it will just be my Mother there to pick us up.  Again though, my flight home isn't until late that evening (10pm), so we plan on going to the zoo with him on that day too!  Man, some days I really miss being a kid!  This is why people have kids...they get to continue doing all the fun stuff!  I, on the other hand, have to borrow one and cram all the fun stuff into a few short weeks!

Speaking of kids...my sister is due with her #4 around Thanksgiving this year!  This I have mentioned here before.  But, what I'm not supposed to say on Facebook (because they are waiting to tell the other side of the family until they know for sure), is that at the last appointment they finally set the date for the ultrasound!  Well, that part is already known...but, but!  When she called to make the appointment, the nurse confirmed that this "is for the twins"!!!  My sister has been going on all along thinking the doctor was giving her crap because she was so sure with all three of her boys that she was having twins.  She never even considered the fact that maybe he wasn't pulling her proverbial chain!  Of course, the rest of us all thought, from comments she's made, that it was her bringing it up again with the doctor.  It seems his favorite line of "you can't tell from the heartbeats, because twins beat in unison", wasn't just him teasing her.  Of course, they won't know for sure if there is one or two in there until the ultrasound and it may very well be a "false alarm", but wow!  It makes me giggle and think "Be careful what you wish for, little sister!"...4 kids is a lot of kids, 5 is a herd! 

How many weeks are there in Summer?  We sort of started the Summer visit tradition with the oldest, the next one in line is already complaining he doesn't get to come this Summer (he's made two trips recently while the oldest was in school), and can't wait for next Summer when he'll get to come (he starts Kindergarten in the Fall) too!  Number 3 keeps asking when he gets to come, but he's still working on getting out of diapers...he has to go a full 6 months with no night time accidents before he can visit (same rule we had with the older boys).  Once all 3 are in school and are slaves to that schedule, we may have to adjust the visit schedule a little!  We're already up to 9 weeks if they all get 3 weeks here alone, two more kids to add would make it 15 weeks!  Hmm, looks like we'll have to cut back and/or double up a little!


So, for now...the possibility of more than just "#4" is between you, me, and the lamp post, okay?  They have an appointment set for June 30th (right around 19 weeks) and then leave for Southern California with the younger two boys to attend a family reunion of the hubby's side of their family.  Hopefully, they won't keep it secret until they get there!  They're going to need all the help they can get if they need to double up on things like infant car seats and such!  For the most part though, they have the clothes covered if it's two boys...her oldest two are only 15 months apart, so they were in a lot n of the same sized stuff at the same time.  She even has two sets of older kid's car seats!  When #3 came along, the other two were still both in car seats (they had matching car seats), but the infant car seat wouldn't fit in the seat with them, so smaller sized seats had to be purchased.  The oldest is now in a booster seat and #2 goes back and forth between a car seat and a booster.  He's old enough/big enough for a booster, but not mature enough to behave in one just yet.  Either way, they need at least one new infant seat...did you know those things have expiration dates on them?!?  I'm all for telling that "other side", they can afford to buy the big things better than I/we can. Also, I'd let them "get it off their chests" before I (if I were her hubby) had my very pregnant wife standing there to bear the brunt of the nasty things they'll inevitably say.  When they originally announced the coming arrival of #4, they said very nasty things about how it was "all her fault"!  This may or may not have bee a planned pregnancy, and no, they really aren't in a "good" place financially for another child, but what the hell?  It's not like they can return it to the baby store...  Some people should just shut their traps!  Anywho, I think he should let his family in on the conversation early so they can get it out of their systems and at least attempt to pretend to be happy for them.