What I did on my summer vacation

Since it's still 100 degrees here and feels like the middle of summer, why not welcome myself back to the Internets by recapping our summer. Here goes:

Logged more than 5,000 miles on the family roadster.

Shared a house with four other couples (my husband's college best friends and spouses. See this)  and six other kids. For a week. On Lake Michigan. And lived to tell about it. And loved it. And want to go back next year. Who's in?

Spent countless hours at the pool trying to convince my daughter to go under. Finally accomplished it. Watched her conquer jumping in from the side. Until she scraped her arm on the concrete trying to jump to the stairs and never jumped again. Until that time David threw her in.

Went through THREE blackberries. All mine. And by no fault of my own. Unless you consider having my children experiment with water near my phone, handing a 10-month-old my phone to buy some extra time in bed in the a.m.and not following him into the bathroom to watch him drop it in the toilet my fault.

Spent a week at my parents' house with my children and my best friend of 17 years and her two-year-old daughter. Left wishing they lived next door. And wishing we could see each other more often. Loved watching our daughters become friends.

Spent a week at my parents' house with my children, husband and my other best friend, her two-year-old son and her husband. They left thankful they have only one child. And wishing they could move a little further away from us. We won't let them.

Managed two kids at the pool nearly every day we were in town. Not as easy as it looks.

Threw a double birthday party at the house for a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old and 45 of their closest friends and family. Because that's what normal people do.

Watched Lila cover her face as she walked down the aisle as a flower girl in Uncle Paul's wedding. It was her way of "hiding" from all the people looking at her.

Spent four days at an awesome beach resort. Watched my mom try to put together a very detailed kite. Watched her try to fly the kite that may or may not have been completely put together. Watched my kids fall in love with the beach again. Had a fun night drinking bourbon with my dad and his friends at the hotel's top floor bar.

Watched an almost 3-year-old scream her way out of the line for the spinning tea cups at Disney World. And then watched her sit patiently for 1 1/2 hours to meet Cinderella, Ariel and Belle (for the second time in 6 hours).

Held my daughter in an ER room while a nurse stapled a cut on the back of her head.

Watched my little man go from unstable almost walker to full-on experienced walker.

Made it to the ER too late to be there for Andy's chest X-ray, but the tears in David's eyes were proof enough that it was as awful as he said it was. 

Left a pair of size 3 panties in the ladies room in Frontier Land after a certain someone was so excited about being at Disney for a second time in one day she peed herself walking into a stall. Hint: it wasn't me.

Took the kids on a six-hour car ride trip by MYSELF. ROUND TRIP. Barely lived to tell about it.

Took a blogging break. For many reasons. I never had time to download pics and all my vacation posts that piled in my head were accompanied by pictures. I was so exhausted after full days with two children that I was in bed by 9 most nights, too tired to write, too tired to update my little Internet scrapbook.

Mainly, I needed a blog and Internet break.  I read my Twitter feed on my BlackBerry and checked in with Facebook status updates every now and then. But the mommy blog reading came to a halt - I was either feeling too inadequate at my own parenting and jealous of all these super moms and their ability to accomplish way more than me in one day or fed up with whiney moms whining about being too tired and dealing with their whiney children. I needed a break all around. And it felt good. And life went on.

And here I am. Renewed.  A little nostalgic at how much my children have grown since Memorial Day.  Thankful for the time I got to spend with them. Thankful for the fall in front of us. And thankful for this little place to update our lives. Even if it's three four months late. I'll eventually have proof to show the kids that the summer of 2010 rocked.

Comments

[Casey]

I'm so glad it wasn't you (who peed her pants in Frontier Land).

And, I'm glad you have the self awareness to take a break when it's too much. If you're overwhelmed or pressured with blogging......how can you be a good mother or wife. THOSE are the most important things. Yes, I love dearly hearing about your darling family, but they come first. We can wait.

Go on with your bad self, mama.

Oh, and we're in San Diego now......couldn't be further from you.....but if you ever venture west coast, you're welcome here!

[Amanda]

so glad to see you blogging again! loved the update. I still can't believe summer is over and, HELLO, how did it get to be October?!

[pdiddy]

David's a size 3?