Somehow the nonstop lifestyle of life itself can be overwhelming when you're removed from it all.
We spent the weekend away with the Himstedt family. While we were enjoying the pool, kids, lake, and quietness I thought about all at home that I was missing. The laundry. The kitchen. The clothes. The cucumbers that needed pickling. The closets that need cleaning. Even now, there are 1,000 other things that are more important that blogging and uploading pictures about our weekend.
I guess that's why it's always way late at night before I even start. The kids are home, fed, homework done, toys put away (sort of), in bed, backpacks ready for tomorrow, lunchboxes set out, papers signed, muffins made, pickels cooling. But the laundry still sits in baskets in my living room. The bathrooms still need picking up. The kitchen still has dishes to put away. My bed is already calling! All this going on... constantly. Yet we still found a way to completely forget all these things and sit. Doing absolutely nothing but watching the kids play, laugh and learn new things. I used
Corie's camera because she brought her zoom lens and I documented some of the stuff we did. Over 400 pictures on hers and 100 on mine. I'm supposed to find 10 good ones to put here so you can see. How do I find just 10? (obviously, I couldn't narrow it down!) Corie posted a few on her blog...
here.
So, it begins:
Friday I left work early thanks to my favorite nurse friend Jeanine! (just in case she reads this). I was able to run home, change out of my scrubs, and help Curtis throw all the essentials into the van. Then we ran into school to retrieve the eldest two before the bus whisked them away since someone forgot to send the "I'll be a pick-up today" note to the teachers.
We hit the road as soon as school was done and headed south. Within 2 hours we were at our weekend destintation This house is incredible. It belongs to a couple of Corie's uncles and aunts. We got lost in in the first night. The kids played hide and seek. Lydia roamed alone for hours just to be by herself. They have a heated pool with a water fall, diving board, hot tub (which the kids referred to as the little hot pool).
They also have wave runners, pontoon boat, fishing boat, and the most wonderful lawn of grass to play in. Hurricane Fay visited in a very benign sort of way. It was very overcast, slightly rainy at times, heavily rainy at times, windy and a wee bit cool. The sun only poked out briefly a few times.
Somehow we managed to play and swim despite the rain and wind. We rode the wave runner in turns with the kids... only one could be started so they were brief rides.
It makes me nervous to have something I care so much about out in the middle of a lake with no means to call for help, should something happen.
I enjoyed riding with Bennett but he tries to talk the whole time and I can't hear and I think I need to hear what he says so I slow down and then it ends up being nothing so I start driving again... and then he says something.
Generally, it's something he notices about the water, the bridge, the cars, the wind. Rarely, it's anything like I'm about to fall off, my face hurts, I'm gonna throw up. Those things... I'll slow for. :) I took the middle girls out for the first ride and promptly ran into a deluge of rain. Before we could get back to the dock everyone had abandoned us and ran up to the house.
Ruth was crying about not wanting to get wet. I tried to explain that the rain was no worse than the lake. By the time we got hooked up to the dock and ran up to the house the shower was passed. We caught our breath and headed back down.
I haven't ridden a jet ski in many, many years and that evening my shoulders were a bit sore. Maybe it's my age. Maybe it was the one handed driving so I could hold on to my precious cargo just in case they wanted to jump off. :)
Maggie decided to take off the life vest while swimming and actually jumped off the diving board several times.
She swam to Curtis with a very purposeful stroke, not just a doggy paddle. I said she could be our "little Phelps"... especially after watching Olympics for 2 weeks straight.
Corie convinced her to do a dive... and she did! Much better than I could ever do. I think Amelia's swimming also helped motivate Maggie. Amelia is their 5 year old and took up swimming this summer as well. They had a great time.
Ruth FINALLY acted like a normal child in the water. She mostly stayed in the hot tub but would pretend to swim and she even put her head under the water and held her breath. I made her get in the big pool with me and swim with her floaty vest. She clung to me with sheer terror in her face, eyes and scream. I'm just glad we were not near any neighbors!
She held her breath and got across the pool on her own, ran back to the hot tub, the proudly exclaimed to her father that she swam all alone in the big pool.
Ruth, Lydia, & Shannon... waiting for their turn on the wave runner.
Curtis enjoyed playing with Avery too... he's not quite 2. He continually cracks us up with his funny little things. Curtis gets him to say "chicken" in the most precious little voice.
The many faces of Lydia. She was posing for me.
She also drank a large portion of pool water via the water guns. I'm surprised she hasn't had any intestinal issues either. :)
The Mother's Token Photo...
Maggie's class, along with several other 1st grade classes, got to interact with a couple horses brought to the school by Strong Rock Camp. We knew ahead of time so I planned to visit the school and take pictures. My excuse is "for the yearbook" but really, it's for me too. I enjoy seeing the kids at school with their friends, in their own environment that I didn't make for them. I like to know their teachers... and for the teachers to know me.
Anyway, we met up with the horses before the classes arrived. Ruth and Lydia got to brush Maverick for a little while before Ruth started sneezing. We gathered around the horses with the kids and I took pictures while Corie explained all they ever wanted to know about the animals. Elizabeth was "hanging out" with Corie, but they were in some pretty intense sunshine, so I took the small child and hung onto her while still snapping photos.
I got a couple cute ones of some school children. Ruth became more miserable as time progressed and I snapped a few pitiful ones of her. I think we'll stay away from horses for a while. 
By the time we were done eating Ruth was no longer all red faced and much of the swelling had gone down. It was a fun day despite Ruth's temporary sadness. She had some Benedryl at home and was fine within a couple hours. No need to worry, Grandma! 
