We May Starve

December 8, 2013December 8, 2013Amber 29 Comments

It’s no surprise, Texans do not bode well during winter storms. As soon as a meteorologist says there’s a possibility of a winter storm, we make a mad dash to the local supermarket to stock up on supplies. When I say “supplies”, I really mean hibernation food. Store shelves are quickly void of carbohydrates, junk food, hot chocolate, and marshmallows. We truly fear starvation during the day, or two we are “snowed in”. I am certain that people dwelling in cold climates where snow is typical get a good laugh out of watching us panic over a few icy days, but we just can’t help it. Our towns literally shut down because the DMV is ill prepared to treat roads, and it’s generally ice not snow so roads are impassable for the most part. In a typical year, we have one or two wintry storms.

The first day of ~~snow~~ ice we are all giddy and full of excitement. Children and their parents zestfully play in the white stuff, even if it’s ice. We make pathetic snowmen if we can, sit by the fire, watch movies, and sip hot beverages. By the second day, our excitement wanes, but we tolerate the storm. Once a third day rolls around, cabin fever sets in and we start venturing out in any way possible. We creep to our local doughnut shops, or anywhere we can travel safely. Today was day three of what our meteorologists are calling “Icemagedon” and goodness did cabin fever strike here! Unlike everyone else in the greater metro area, we did not go shopping just before the storm. Our freezer and pantry contain plenty of food (George is a closet doomsday prepper) , but there are few desirable options and no “hibernation food”. That meant we had to trek to our local supermarket to find out what remained for us. We had no plans of taking the quads out in our van, but our Runabout proved handy for off-roading on ice. We bundled the quads in their “Texas snow suits” with extra fleece blankies and George wore cleats to push it up hill. We managed to get to the store within about 15 minutes so no one froze. Apparently our neighbors had the same idea because it was packed! The parking lot was full.

Before entering the store, George and I planned to pick up a few Redbox movies, and we even reserved our choices. Just after we pushed the Runabout under the awning covering the kiosk, we heard a loud rumble. Apparently the ice began to melt, creating an avalanche. It was a close call, people! Needless to say, we abandoned our movie plans in order to get to safety.

Rylin began her afternoon nap a little prematurely. Cabin fever is exhausting!

Our list wasn’t terribly long, and we scored everything on it except bread. There was not a single loaf of bread, bananas, or berries. Apparently those delivery trucks didn’t make it in the storm. Otherwise, we managed to collect our needed items to make chili, rice crispy treats, fried apples, and hashbrown casserole. The quads garnered more attention than usual in their attire, and because everyone was nursing a case of cabin fever. It was as if all of the shoppers had not seen another human being in years. Our trip home went smoothly, and the quads are currently giving us a wonderful early Christmas gift- a good, long nap from ALL four.

What is your favorite way to treat cabin fever?

hugs,

Amber

They’re Finally Hitched!

April 1, 2013April 1, 2013Amber 8 Comments

Last spring George and I did the unthinkable. We sold our beloved Jeep and purchased a van in its place. I always said I would NEVER, EVER drive a van. Then God must have chuckled the day we discovered we were expecting quads and would consequently need a van. That being said, we actually really like our van. If you have to drive a van, this one is pretty nice. With the nifty seat warmer working it’s magic and the sound system going it’s rather easy to forget you are actually in a van. A few short weeks after buying the van, we made another purchase we never anticipated: a Runabout quad stroller. We stumbled across a fantastic deal and scarfed it up.

The only problem was that our new van wasn’t equipped with a trailer hitch, which is required by the stroller. Had we purchased the stroller first, a trailer hitch probably would have been in our negotiations with the dealer. We didn’t worry about it at the time knowing it would be months, even close to a year before we’d even use the stroller. We’ve been putting off adding a trailer hitch for months thinking it would be both time consuming and expensive. After a bit of research George learned it was a relatively simple DIY project with a kit from U Haul. Over spring break, George finally scrounged up enough spare time to install our trailer hitch so we could use the van and stroller for the first time! Check out our first family excursion with the Routan + Runabout:

I think the Routan and Runabout make a beautiful couple. The babies seemed to enjoy the ride despite the dreary looking weather.

If you’ve been following our crazy journey for a while, you likely recall when we purchased the van, https://fourtoadore.com/2012/04/22/i-never-thought-i-would-say-this/ and then when we purchased our stroller https://fourtoadore.com/2012/04/30/lets-runabout/ That means you’ll also recall that the stroller loads on the van similar to a bicycle rack for transport of the stroller itself, not the quads. However, upon hearing that our stroller requires a trailer hitch, many people envisioned a stroller being pulled by the van with the hitch! I wrote about the first incident of that https://fourtoadore.com/2012/05/20/is-that-thing-safe/ shortly after it occurred because it was hilarious.

This is actually how the Runabout attaches to the trailer hitch. We have plans to take the babies on outings such as the zoo, festivals, and more!

This is actually how the Runabout attaches to the trailer hitch. We have plans to take the babies on outing such as the zoo, festivals, and more!

However, if you are a new reader, I hope we GOTCHA!!!!! Happy April Fool’s Day.

Disclaimer: No babies were transported via the trailer hitch for this posting. Rather, the photo you see above was staged and the keys were not even in the van at the time of the photo.

Hugs!

Amber

Maiden Voyage

January 19, 2013February 10, 2013Amber 18 Comments

When we purchased our Runabout stroller, we anticipated not being able to use it until the spring. We figured the babies would need to sit up without support and the weather wouldn’t be appropriate until the spring. However, today was an absolutely lovely day in Texas! If I didn’t know better, I would say it was April. The sun was brilliant and it was temperate; the perfect day to head outdoors. Normally we would use our twin strollers, but I saw that the Jones Quints (who live nearby) were using their Ruanbout this week. If they could Runabout why couldn’t we? Our babies may not be able to sit independently, but they have reasonable neck and trunk control. So, we took our Runabout in the neighborhood for it’s maiden voyage!

The entire family, including the furbabies, loved it! I think the babies enjoyed being able to sit up and see what was in front of them. When we got back, they were all relaxed and in a great mood. The stroller is so easy to maneuver and we even took turns jogging with it. After all, it is a jogging stroller than can go up to 10 mph. Not that I envision either of us ever running 10 mph with our without a Runabout. It was easier for one of us to wrangle the dogs while the other pushed the stroller. As far as neighbors and onlookers they were all so nice! We got plenty of marveling glances and a few cute questions from kids, but not one rude remark. One little boy asked if it was heavy to push because it was so big while another inquired about Sydney’s hemangioma. When George explained it was a birthmark, the boy replied, “Like Harry Potter?” Too cute! We live in such a great place for the quads to grow up.

I like the babies to wear sunglasses to protect their peepers. Sydney’s glasses were too big so she wore Mason’s. He wore his Build A Bear’s aviators!