I'm convinced that I have the best nieces and nephews on this earth. My kids are so lucky to call these little people their cousins! For five days this Thanksgiving, it was non-stop cousin mayhem in San Francisco. 
We left the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and headed up the California coast. Thanks to L.A. traffic, it turned into a twelve hour drive, which might have (and really should have)killed me, if not for a sweet little system I've nearly perfected over the years. I'll fill you in on the inside scoop...
1) Movies
We go to the library and pick out a stack of new movies the kids have never seen before. Every time the kids start to get restless or irritated, I say, "Okay! Who wants to watch a NEW MOVIE!?"
-cheering, variations of "you're the best mom ever", "I'm so happy we're driving in this car", etc. It's magic.
2) Snacks
I pack all of our food in an ice chest, in the half sandwich sized ziplock bags. I pack crackers, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, grapes, craisins, little sandwiches--with a serving in each. SO when my kids tell me, "Mom, I'm STARVING", I throw a little baggie at them. They think our game of catch is hilarious, especially when the food hits them in the face. Everyone has their own sippy cup of water.
3) Breaks
We try to take our potty breaks somewhere family friendly, like a rest stop. I let the kids get out of their car seats to run around on the grass while everyone takes turns in the bathroom. If potty breaks coincide with gas stops, I let the kids go crazy and climb all over inside the car instead.
4) Toys
My kids are all still little, so we are pretty limited on activities to do together in the car. For now, I let the kids pick two toys and a coloring book each. This keeps our car relatively clutter-free, because everything they need fits in the little cubbies next to each car seat.
The fact that I have zero pictures of our actual Thanksgiving feast is kind of lame! I was clearly just a teeny bit busy that day. I've said it before and I'll say it again- cooking and baking with aunts, moms, sisters, nieces for an entire day is just about the best thing I can imagine doing. On a side note, this year I discovered a new-found confidence in my baking, and it was wonderful!
My favorite outing during the Thanksgiving holiday was our trip to Muir Woods. It reminded me of beautiful Maple Valley! We took all the kids on a little 5 mile loop through the forest. Kyle and I each wore a twin, and Elle was passed back and forth from uncle to uncle because she was "too tired" to keep walking. At one point, Uncle Mark had his daughter, Millie, on his shoulders and Elle riding piggy-back! All the other kids were real troopers, braving the cold and the mud, while pointing out every giant banana slug along the trail. It was such a beautiful and peaceful morning.
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| All the kids slept in sleeping bags in the playroom! |
Another highlight of the trip was the first-annual Garvin Bocce Ball tournament. Aunt Kay and Uncle Tom play a game called Bocce Ball, where a pallino ball is thrown down a court, and each team tries to throw their bocce balls closest to it. One point is given for each bocce ball that is closer than the opposing team's bocce ball. Kimball even had this state-of-the-art trophy sculpted from real plastic for the winning team. The adults really enjoyed themselves, and we all agreed that it should become a family tradition.
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| Kyle is a natural. |
The twins were pretty hard this trip. I'm hoping it's just their age right now, but the twins were so overwhelmed by all the "new" faces and places and didn't want to do anything but hold on to me for dear life. Sweet cousin Kayla tried to be so helpful all week, and this is pretty much the "thank you" Juliette gave her in return.
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