Well, we've been back from our vacation to Ocean City, Maryland, since Saturday night. Yes, it has taken me this long to get a post up! There is just something about returning from vacation, isn't there? You feel (or maybe you are) 2 weeks behind, and you look around at your house filled to the brim with stuff and feel the sudden urge to purge and organize! It must have something to do with living only with what you need while on vacation?
Anyway, considering the fact that our vacation was delayed one day by an emergency evacuation and threat of a major hurricane, we were beyond lucky. The day we were supposed to be on vacation (Saturday), we spent a fantastic day at Ohiopyle (a post on that is coming). We learned Sunday morning that they were letting people back into Ocean City at noon. We started calling our hotel, to make sure they were there, and for hours got no answer. Finally, by early afternoon, they answered, and we were on our way by 3:30 Sunday.
Dylan did a great job on the 6 1/2 hour ride down (and back), and we had no trouble with traffic. It was a little cold the first day, but there was no rain, and we were able to go to the beach every day. I wanted to make sure and choose a place with a pool, because it was Dylan's first experience with the ocean, and I didn't know if he would like the waves. Turns out, we only went to the pool for a short time on the first and last day. We are a beach family! We would go to the beach by about 11:00, and stay until 4:00 or 5:00 each day.
Dylan loves the sand. Not even so much playing with it, but more like crawling into it until he and the sand become one. There was sand in every crevice of his body! One day he even fell asleep laying in the hot sand, like a lizard, before Jim moved him onto a towel. He loved it when I would bury him up to his waist, and then Jim would make stuff around him. On the video, you'll see he was an octopus, driving a boat "S.S. Dylan", a strong man, a surfer, and a merman.
In the evenings we went miniature golfing, to the boardwalk, played his new favorite game (skeeball), and watched two movies (Monsters, Inc., and Rio). Jim and I watched "Morning Glory" and "Source Code".
All the photos are SOC (Straight Out of the Camera - not edited at all). That is a big deal, because I never do that! I took over 200 pictures, but I managed to only use enough for two songs - "Holiday Road", and "Three Is A Magic Number". Sometimes I feel bad for Dylan, since he is an only child, and doesn't have any first cousins to travel with. But, I have to say that on this vacation, it really did feel like three WAS a magic number.
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacations. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Weekend Trip to Julia's
We went to Maryland this past weekend, to visit my friend Julia. I hadn't seen Julia in... 7 years?! She's has 3 kids since then, that I never met. We've kept in touch through blogs and emails, but I was so excited to see her in person. I'm pretty sure I was way more excited about the trip than she was. She goes on adventures constantly. Her family has an Air Stream camper, and her kids, (at 8, 6, and 4), have probably been more places in their short lives than I have in all my years. Do I find that fact a bit depressing? Yes, yes I do. I discovered that if I lived near her, I would most likely be broke, because upon returning home, I felt the urgent need to DO STUFF. Fun stuff. Fun stuff usually costs money, unfortunately. Monday we went to SeaBase (an indoor play area). Yesterday, we went swimming when I got back from work.
One problem - I didn't make any plans for this week ahead of time. I should have planned some play dates because after you spend the weekend in a house with 5 people (8 including us), just Dylan and I hanging out seems very quiet and lonely.
Here's what I want to remember about the trip...
*Abbie signing "I love you" to me after just a few hours. If only we all shared love so easily and openly.
*Maggie drawing this picture of us when we first got there, and her smile when I said I loved it and wanted to take a picture of it.
*How excited Gertie was about the journals I bought the girls for their upcoming trip.
*Katie kissing the sheep at the farm.
*Dylan's face when he saw that the room he was going to be sleeping in had a playhouse, with a slide!
*How cute the kids looked, all sitting on a bench, eating their ice cream.
*Dylan saying "I wish we lived here", after a day at the farm and pool, eating pizza, ice cream and cookies!
*Dylan going under the fountain at the pool, and "swimming" with his vest on.
*Katie swimming under water for the first time.
*Dylan sleeping for 3 hours (of the 4) on the way home, because all that fun wore him out!
Thanks again, Julia, for having us and for all the work that went into it.
One problem - I didn't make any plans for this week ahead of time. I should have planned some play dates because after you spend the weekend in a house with 5 people (8 including us), just Dylan and I hanging out seems very quiet and lonely.
Here's what I want to remember about the trip...
*Abbie signing "I love you" to me after just a few hours. If only we all shared love so easily and openly.
*Maggie drawing this picture of us when we first got there, and her smile when I said I loved it and wanted to take a picture of it.
*How excited Gertie was about the journals I bought the girls for their upcoming trip.
*Katie kissing the sheep at the farm.
*Dylan's face when he saw that the room he was going to be sleeping in had a playhouse, with a slide!
*How cute the kids looked, all sitting on a bench, eating their ice cream.
*Dylan saying "I wish we lived here", after a day at the farm and pool, eating pizza, ice cream and cookies!
*Dylan going under the fountain at the pool, and "swimming" with his vest on.
*Katie swimming under water for the first time.
*Dylan sleeping for 3 hours (of the 4) on the way home, because all that fun wore him out!
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Porn Chair
That got your attention, didn't it? I'll get to that.
This weekend we went to Erie, PA, to go to The Albion Fair, and to visit Jim's relatives. Although we are both only children, Jim's aunt has six children, who all have children, some of whom have had children, so the Erie clan is quite large. Uh, yea, QUITE large. The only time Dylan is around that many people at once is at birthday parties, so I think it was a little overwhelming for him.
Saturday, Dylan didn't sleep much in the car, so already his schedule was messed up. In spite of that, he did remarkably well at the fair.
We listened to a band play, ate some ridiculously overpriced fair food, looked at the animals, (he wanted to pet every single animal!), let him ride a pony, and make a sand art dinosaur. We didn't pay to get in, and we only had $31 dollars in cash, which we figured would be plenty. After the pony ride, though, we were out of cash! When we told Dylan we were leaving, he said, "No! I want to go on the rides!" I said, "Oh, buddy, I know. I'm so sorry, but mommy and daddy are out of money. We don't have any money left for riding rides". I was so proud of his reaction. He just said, "Oh! No more money?! You have ZERO money?" The whole walk to the car, he announced to people, "We have ZERO money!" Funny kid.
When we got to the hotel (Super 8), we were busy unpacking, when Dylan handed me something. "Here, Mommy!", he remarked happily, while handing me a magazine. A HUSTLER magazine!!! After I picked my eyeballs off the floor, I asked him, "Where did you get this?" "Under the pi-dow". "UNDER THE PILLOW!!?? JIM!! LOOK WHAT DYLAN FOUND UNDER THE PILLOW!! THEY HAVE TO COME AND CHANGE THE BEDDING RIGHT NOW!! OH MY GOSH!! THERE IS NO WAY I AM SLEEPING IN THAT BED!"
Jim asked Dylan, "You found this under the pillow, on the bed?" "No", he replied. "This pi-dow", he answered, pointing at the chair cushion. "See?", Jim reasoned. "We can sleep here". "Well, it's still gross, and I'm still complaining!"
I marched down to the desk, and handed the lady the HUSTLER magazine, saying "My 2 year old son, just found this in our room!"
She was apologetic and said that they would "make it right when we check out", or something like that. So, for the rest of our stay, I avoided "The Porn Chair". When I turned around to see Jim and Dylan sitting on it to read books before bed, I shouted, "EWWW! Why are you sitting on The Porn Chair!" And, so it went the whole time... "Jen, why don't you sit on The Porn Chair"? I just hope Dylan only saw the front of the magazine, (and that he doesn't call one of the chairs at school "The Porn Chair").
I still remember the first time I saw a Playgirl magazine, at a friend's house when I was 11. "OHMYGOD! THAT IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE??! THEY PUT THAT, WHERE? I AM NEVER DOING THAT!!" I was traumatized for weeks. Luckily, if Dylan did see the inside of the magazine, he is so young, I'm pretty sure he won't remember it! (Just as a little side note, the hotel did NOTHING to "make things right". They said since we paid online, there was nothing they could do. WHATEVER.)
Sunday, Dylan woke up at 6:30am, and after waking me up making noises at 2:30am, we were all exhausted already. Then we went to Jim's aunt and uncle's campsite, where there were probably 30 or more people. Jim wasn't even sure who all of them were, and I gave up trying to keep everyone straight.
For the second day in a row, Dylan's nap schedule was messed up, so he was less than thrilled to be there. He actually announced at one point, "I want to go somewhere fun!" Yikes. He was, let's say, less than adorable, the whole day, and I was exhausted and frustrated. I am convinced Jim's relatives think he is an epic brat, because every time they see him he isn't on his normal schedule.
For me, one of the highlights of the trip was watching Dylan and his cousin Keith, "play football". That basically consisted of Keith pretending to fumble the ball, and Dylan grabbing it and running, giggling, with Keith chasing him, yelling, "I'm gonna get you!" He is the nicest 6th grade boy I know. Hopefully THAT is what Dylan remembers about this trip. I know Jim and I will be laughing about The Porn Chair for years to come.
(I did a horrible job of taking pictures this weekend. I might have a couple to add to this post later.)
This weekend we went to Erie, PA, to go to The Albion Fair, and to visit Jim's relatives. Although we are both only children, Jim's aunt has six children, who all have children, some of whom have had children, so the Erie clan is quite large. Uh, yea, QUITE large. The only time Dylan is around that many people at once is at birthday parties, so I think it was a little overwhelming for him.
Saturday, Dylan didn't sleep much in the car, so already his schedule was messed up. In spite of that, he did remarkably well at the fair.
We listened to a band play, ate some ridiculously overpriced fair food, looked at the animals, (he wanted to pet every single animal!), let him ride a pony, and make a sand art dinosaur. We didn't pay to get in, and we only had $31 dollars in cash, which we figured would be plenty. After the pony ride, though, we were out of cash! When we told Dylan we were leaving, he said, "No! I want to go on the rides!" I said, "Oh, buddy, I know. I'm so sorry, but mommy and daddy are out of money. We don't have any money left for riding rides". I was so proud of his reaction. He just said, "Oh! No more money?! You have ZERO money?" The whole walk to the car, he announced to people, "We have ZERO money!" Funny kid.
When we got to the hotel (Super 8), we were busy unpacking, when Dylan handed me something. "Here, Mommy!", he remarked happily, while handing me a magazine. A HUSTLER magazine!!! After I picked my eyeballs off the floor, I asked him, "Where did you get this?" "Under the pi-dow". "UNDER THE PILLOW!!?? JIM!! LOOK WHAT DYLAN FOUND UNDER THE PILLOW!! THEY HAVE TO COME AND CHANGE THE BEDDING RIGHT NOW!! OH MY GOSH!! THERE IS NO WAY I AM SLEEPING IN THAT BED!"
Jim asked Dylan, "You found this under the pillow, on the bed?" "No", he replied. "This pi-dow", he answered, pointing at the chair cushion. "See?", Jim reasoned. "We can sleep here". "Well, it's still gross, and I'm still complaining!"
I marched down to the desk, and handed the lady the HUSTLER magazine, saying "My 2 year old son, just found this in our room!"
She was apologetic and said that they would "make it right when we check out", or something like that. So, for the rest of our stay, I avoided "The Porn Chair". When I turned around to see Jim and Dylan sitting on it to read books before bed, I shouted, "EWWW! Why are you sitting on The Porn Chair!" And, so it went the whole time... "Jen, why don't you sit on The Porn Chair"? I just hope Dylan only saw the front of the magazine, (and that he doesn't call one of the chairs at school "The Porn Chair").
I still remember the first time I saw a Playgirl magazine, at a friend's house when I was 11. "OHMYGOD! THAT IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE??! THEY PUT THAT, WHERE? I AM NEVER DOING THAT!!" I was traumatized for weeks. Luckily, if Dylan did see the inside of the magazine, he is so young, I'm pretty sure he won't remember it! (Just as a little side note, the hotel did NOTHING to "make things right". They said since we paid online, there was nothing they could do. WHATEVER.)
Sunday, Dylan woke up at 6:30am, and after waking me up making noises at 2:30am, we were all exhausted already. Then we went to Jim's aunt and uncle's campsite, where there were probably 30 or more people. Jim wasn't even sure who all of them were, and I gave up trying to keep everyone straight.
For the second day in a row, Dylan's nap schedule was messed up, so he was less than thrilled to be there. He actually announced at one point, "I want to go somewhere fun!" Yikes. He was, let's say, less than adorable, the whole day, and I was exhausted and frustrated. I am convinced Jim's relatives think he is an epic brat, because every time they see him he isn't on his normal schedule.
For me, one of the highlights of the trip was watching Dylan and his cousin Keith, "play football". That basically consisted of Keith pretending to fumble the ball, and Dylan grabbing it and running, giggling, with Keith chasing him, yelling, "I'm gonna get you!" He is the nicest 6th grade boy I know. Hopefully THAT is what Dylan remembers about this trip. I know Jim and I will be laughing about The Porn Chair for years to come.
(I did a horrible job of taking pictures this weekend. I might have a couple to add to this post later.)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Shenandoah Vacation - Part 2
The things I want to remember:
* We loaded the car with so much stuff, that Dylan had to get in the front and climb through the middle into his car seat. At one point, we looked back, and he had snacks all over the seat! He was helping himself!
* How we successfully avoided the timeshare tour. (You're welcome, Jim).
* How Dylan went right to sleep in "the vacation bed" (pack and play).
* Dylan FINALLY drinking from a straw for the first time, and how pleased with himself he looked.
* The Super Nanny-like episode that occurred at nap time, when Dylan realized he could climb out of the pack and play, and how mean I felt when I stuck to the "no pool if you don't take a nap" statement.
* Jim commenting "I'm afraid there is a pocket protector in his future" when Dylan was counting while splashing, and "cleaning" all the numbers on the sides of the pool.
* Watching Jim and Dylan happily playing in the pool. Adorable!
* The deer we saw every single day, so close, and not the least bit afraid.
* Going to the arcade and Dylan getting a "lucky" 8 bouncy ball out of a machine, and how much he loved that thing! (He held it in his hand during his nap).
* How many times Jim and I had to search for that dang ball, and how we wondered (on the last day) how many quarters we would have to put in the machine to get another one. (Luckily, we found it).
* Taking Skyline Drive home, and how gorgeous the scenery was!
* Dylan pulling the coats and pillow down on top of himself in his car seat, giggling and announcing, "I made a mess!!"
* Stopping at Skyland Lodge for lunch, and Jim's chicken sandwich arriving RAW, which resulted in free dessert. What might have been Dylan's favorite part of the trip - Ice Cream! (He kept saying "Mmmm!")
* While we were on vacation, Dylan asking several times to "go home". Us saying "this is our vacation home...We'll go home in X more days". Then, on Sunday, (one day after being home), him saying, "I want to go to our OTHER home!"
I might have gone a bit overboard with the pictures! I took HUNDREDS, and had a hard time narrowing it down. You won't hurt my feelings if you don't watch the whole video. (It is two songs, "Shenandoah", the Bob Dylan version, and "Big Rock Candy Mountain", from the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. Oh, and the video is almost six minutes long!) I mostly make them for Dylan, who watches them over and over again.
* We loaded the car with so much stuff, that Dylan had to get in the front and climb through the middle into his car seat. At one point, we looked back, and he had snacks all over the seat! He was helping himself!
* How we successfully avoided the timeshare tour. (You're welcome, Jim).
* How Dylan went right to sleep in "the vacation bed" (pack and play).
* Dylan FINALLY drinking from a straw for the first time, and how pleased with himself he looked.
* The Super Nanny-like episode that occurred at nap time, when Dylan realized he could climb out of the pack and play, and how mean I felt when I stuck to the "no pool if you don't take a nap" statement.
* Jim commenting "I'm afraid there is a pocket protector in his future" when Dylan was counting while splashing, and "cleaning" all the numbers on the sides of the pool.
* Watching Jim and Dylan happily playing in the pool. Adorable!
* The deer we saw every single day, so close, and not the least bit afraid.
* Going to the arcade and Dylan getting a "lucky" 8 bouncy ball out of a machine, and how much he loved that thing! (He held it in his hand during his nap).
* How many times Jim and I had to search for that dang ball, and how we wondered (on the last day) how many quarters we would have to put in the machine to get another one. (Luckily, we found it).
* Taking Skyline Drive home, and how gorgeous the scenery was!
* Dylan pulling the coats and pillow down on top of himself in his car seat, giggling and announcing, "I made a mess!!"
* Stopping at Skyland Lodge for lunch, and Jim's chicken sandwich arriving RAW, which resulted in free dessert. What might have been Dylan's favorite part of the trip - Ice Cream! (He kept saying "Mmmm!")
* While we were on vacation, Dylan asking several times to "go home". Us saying "this is our vacation home...We'll go home in X more days". Then, on Sunday, (one day after being home), him saying, "I want to go to our OTHER home!"
I might have gone a bit overboard with the pictures! I took HUNDREDS, and had a hard time narrowing it down. You won't hurt my feelings if you don't watch the whole video. (It is two songs, "Shenandoah", the Bob Dylan version, and "Big Rock Candy Mountain", from the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. Oh, and the video is almost six minutes long!) I mostly make them for Dylan, who watches them over and over again.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Shenandoah Vacation - Part 1
I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "What goes around comes around"? It seems to refer to the bad stuff people do to others coming back to them at some point. I like to think it also applies to the good stuff.
See, when we bought our house last year, the small yard came with a big above-ground pool, that we didn't want. The previous owner begged us to give it a chance, and we did last summer, but we just didn't have the time or money or yard for that pool. This spring we decided to get rid of it.
To make a long story short (or shorter), we decided to give it away for free to a member of the Mom's Club that I belong to. All they had to do was take it down, and haul it away. The whole idea was that Jim and I wouldn't have to deal with it. But, somehow, Jim ended up out in the yard on numerous occasions, using OUR power tools to help the husband dismantle it, and I became very cranky. "A free pool and free labor?! COME ON!!", the ranter ranted.
Until about a month later, when I sent out a mass email to the Mom's Club again, this time asking for ideas for places JIm and I could go for our anniversary. The mom who took the pool emailed back that they own a timeshare at a resort in Virginia, and since "they owe us", they could get us a really good deal on a week's stay. And, that is how it "came back around", and how the ranter became the raver.
We've always been beach people, choosing to always vacation near sand and surf. But, now I understand the beckoning call of the mountains. Their beauty inspires and their vastness humbles. You find your muscles relaxing with each exhaled breath. You feel alive and rejuvenated.
I think it is important for all of us to occasionally be in a place that reminds us that the world is beautiful. The problem with that, though, (for me at least), is that I'm always left wanting more. I get sad thinking about all the places I will never get to go, all the sights I will never get to see, but I am so grateful that I got to see the Shenandoah Mountains. And, to them I say, "I hope that someday we "come back around"".
*Pictures should be up by Thursday!
See, when we bought our house last year, the small yard came with a big above-ground pool, that we didn't want. The previous owner begged us to give it a chance, and we did last summer, but we just didn't have the time or money or yard for that pool. This spring we decided to get rid of it.
To make a long story short (or shorter), we decided to give it away for free to a member of the Mom's Club that I belong to. All they had to do was take it down, and haul it away. The whole idea was that Jim and I wouldn't have to deal with it. But, somehow, Jim ended up out in the yard on numerous occasions, using OUR power tools to help the husband dismantle it, and I became very cranky. "A free pool and free labor?! COME ON!!", the ranter ranted.
Until about a month later, when I sent out a mass email to the Mom's Club again, this time asking for ideas for places JIm and I could go for our anniversary. The mom who took the pool emailed back that they own a timeshare at a resort in Virginia, and since "they owe us", they could get us a really good deal on a week's stay. And, that is how it "came back around", and how the ranter became the raver.
We've always been beach people, choosing to always vacation near sand and surf. But, now I understand the beckoning call of the mountains. Their beauty inspires and their vastness humbles. You find your muscles relaxing with each exhaled breath. You feel alive and rejuvenated.
I think it is important for all of us to occasionally be in a place that reminds us that the world is beautiful. The problem with that, though, (for me at least), is that I'm always left wanting more. I get sad thinking about all the places I will never get to go, all the sights I will never get to see, but I am so grateful that I got to see the Shenandoah Mountains. And, to them I say, "I hope that someday we "come back around"".
*Pictures should be up by Thursday!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Is A Vacation Really A Vacation?
Tomorrow, we leave for a week's vacation at a resort in Virginia. I'm nervous. The last trip we took, since Dylan was born, was a weekend in Lake Erie, (only about 2 hours away). Dylan was 10 months old. To say that it didn't go well, would be an understatement.
Although Dylan loved water at that point, the lake water was freezing, and swimming wasn't an option. That night at the hotel, we scrunched down under the covers, trying not to move, as Dylan screamed his head off. Since he could see us, and we were clearly not asleep, he didn't understand why he should be expected to sleep. Finally, after an hour or more of that, he fell asleep. We watched TV a bit more, then went to sleep ourselves. There was a thunderstorm outside, and suddenly the hotel's fire alarm started going off. Of course, the deafening noise woke all of us up, including Dylan, who tried to match the sound with his own loud crying. Jim stuck his head out the door, to discover that everyone was evacuating the building. I scooped up Dylan and covered his ears as we went out in the hall, where the noise was even louder. Everyone in the hotel stood outside, shivering in the rain, until we were finally allowed back inside. Then, we had to start the whole process over again, trying to get Dylan back to sleep.
The next day, we were supposed to meet one of Jim's friends for lunch. We were going to call her to make the final plans, but she wasn't home! She totally forgot that was the weekend we were coming! Then, we got a phone call from Jim's mom. "You don't have to come home. I'm fine, but I thought you should know that I had a heart attack and I'm at the hospital". That ended the mini vacation.
We drove home, and 1/2 hour later, learned there was a tornado warning in our area! They were advising everyone to go to their basements. So, we just got home, and I was holding a very squirmy child in my arms, as we sat on the basement stairs, waiting out the storm. Suddenly, we heard a noise. "What is that?!" Jim opened the door to the laundry room and we saw it. Water was gushing out of a hole in our wall, right above the sink. Jim very quickly became a lunatic. "BUCKETS!! I NEED BUCKETS!! GET ME BUCKETS, JEN!!" The water was quickly filling the sink, and was about to pour out onto the floor. We filled 2 large garbage cans and soaked the floor, before the water finally stopped coming. Then, we headed for the hospital. (His mom was okay).
So, yea, I'm a little nervous to go away again. But, I'm sure everything will be fine. We'll have a great time, and it will nice to spend time together. Some of the best stories are vacation stories, at least in my experience, so at the very least I'll return with some new material! In the meantime, I've asked a few friends to watch over the place. So, this week, if you drop by, you'll be greeted by Jonny's Mommy from Boondock Ramblings, Jenn from Juggling Life, and JCK from Motherscribe. I'm sure they will be quite gracious. JCK will offer you a drink (of Whiskey), Jonny's Mommy will share the carrot sticks that I left especially for her, and Jenn will make sure you don't trash the place. Visit with Jonny's Mommy on Monday, Jenn on Wednesday, and JCK on Friday, and I'll catch up with all of you when I return, hopefully more relaxed, with a tan, and with no catastrophes to speak of.
"Are you crazy?! This water is freezing!!"
"No, YOU go in!"
"This is how I feel about this vacation!"
*I started writing this on Thursday, two days before vacation. Today, at 2pm, one day before vacation, while washing the last two loads of clothes needed for the trip, the dryer broke. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's funny, right? Except for the part where, IT'S NOT.*
Although Dylan loved water at that point, the lake water was freezing, and swimming wasn't an option. That night at the hotel, we scrunched down under the covers, trying not to move, as Dylan screamed his head off. Since he could see us, and we were clearly not asleep, he didn't understand why he should be expected to sleep. Finally, after an hour or more of that, he fell asleep. We watched TV a bit more, then went to sleep ourselves. There was a thunderstorm outside, and suddenly the hotel's fire alarm started going off. Of course, the deafening noise woke all of us up, including Dylan, who tried to match the sound with his own loud crying. Jim stuck his head out the door, to discover that everyone was evacuating the building. I scooped up Dylan and covered his ears as we went out in the hall, where the noise was even louder. Everyone in the hotel stood outside, shivering in the rain, until we were finally allowed back inside. Then, we had to start the whole process over again, trying to get Dylan back to sleep.
The next day, we were supposed to meet one of Jim's friends for lunch. We were going to call her to make the final plans, but she wasn't home! She totally forgot that was the weekend we were coming! Then, we got a phone call from Jim's mom. "You don't have to come home. I'm fine, but I thought you should know that I had a heart attack and I'm at the hospital". That ended the mini vacation.
We drove home, and 1/2 hour later, learned there was a tornado warning in our area! They were advising everyone to go to their basements. So, we just got home, and I was holding a very squirmy child in my arms, as we sat on the basement stairs, waiting out the storm. Suddenly, we heard a noise. "What is that?!" Jim opened the door to the laundry room and we saw it. Water was gushing out of a hole in our wall, right above the sink. Jim very quickly became a lunatic. "BUCKETS!! I NEED BUCKETS!! GET ME BUCKETS, JEN!!" The water was quickly filling the sink, and was about to pour out onto the floor. We filled 2 large garbage cans and soaked the floor, before the water finally stopped coming. Then, we headed for the hospital. (His mom was okay).
So, yea, I'm a little nervous to go away again. But, I'm sure everything will be fine. We'll have a great time, and it will nice to spend time together. Some of the best stories are vacation stories, at least in my experience, so at the very least I'll return with some new material! In the meantime, I've asked a few friends to watch over the place. So, this week, if you drop by, you'll be greeted by Jonny's Mommy from Boondock Ramblings, Jenn from Juggling Life, and JCK from Motherscribe. I'm sure they will be quite gracious. JCK will offer you a drink (of Whiskey), Jonny's Mommy will share the carrot sticks that I left especially for her, and Jenn will make sure you don't trash the place. Visit with Jonny's Mommy on Monday, Jenn on Wednesday, and JCK on Friday, and I'll catch up with all of you when I return, hopefully more relaxed, with a tan, and with no catastrophes to speak of.
"Are you crazy?! This water is freezing!!"
"No, YOU go in!"
"This is how I feel about this vacation!"
*I started writing this on Thursday, two days before vacation. Today, at 2pm, one day before vacation, while washing the last two loads of clothes needed for the trip, the dryer broke. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's funny, right? Except for the part where, IT'S NOT.*
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