A Not So Ordinary Mom's Log of Summer

DAY -0.5 of 84 days of Summer Vacation: After chasing our napkins on an extremely windy all-school family picnic, we happily arrive in the stillness of the garage with our bikes and backpacks full of paper and trash. I add the papers to the ombined stack of papers and art from school. It now measures about 18 inches in height and is beginning to tetter to the left. We change into our suits and head to the pool. An inside pool, that is, due to the extreme fifty mph wind gusting like a wind tunnel in Wyoming. Friends are everywhere, kids are laughing and enjoying, and mom is a bit cold and tired after treading water for like ever watching her fish dive. Then it is a Red Box flick and one dollar popsicles. "Wow," Mom says, "I don't think I can keep this pace through the summer." DAY 1 of 84: "Mom, what would be doing right now if we were in school today?" asks number one child every ten minutes. Another day of fun. Scooters to the park, board games, and another movie. Early to bed, I thought. Yet, the tired puppies resist. Day 2 of 84: After packing, we are off mid morning to Pinewood something or other campsites above Carter Lake. I think our specific site area was called Windy Pines and it will show us why during the wee hours of the night. Day is filled with fishing. Scott brought the Avon and the boys go out with our Friend Luke and his son. Julia and I, having tried the Avon inflatible row boat for about ten minutes, decide are time was better spent at camp. So way up the hil overlooking the lake, we draw. She writes a poem about jelly fish and days in May while I draw the still life dirty lunch dishes and a bannanna. Then Julia makes up a fun game. One person draws. If that person stops, then the paper is passed to the other participant. It was a blast. As the evening draws near, we start a fire, put on our coats and hunker down to a meal of pasta and brocolli. The coolest thing about camping is I don't have to do any of the cooking or cleaning dishes. Awesome. I think this is the carrot for me sleeping on the cold mat and bearing the stinch of the lattrin without actually throwing up. The night is rough as the wind picks up around ten. The children are crying and we consider leaving. But, just as Scott decides no one is going to sleep so we might as well leave, the kids all pass out. Somewhere around one am, Jack is awake and whining about being scared. He crawls up on the double blow up mattress. It is too crowded. He falls asleep quickly and I climb down on his mat. It is colder down there, but I have the forty below sleeping bag so I manage. It is more quiet down there and Julia, I am pretty sure she was still asleep, snuggles up against me like a cat. I feel a layer of dirt that has escaped into the rain fly and tent screen to coat the imside. DAY 3 of 84: the wind is a little calmer as the sun is rising. The air is still in the tent. I am the first one awake. Now, this may not be weird in some families. But, Scott gets up at four or five am on a regular basis. It is odd to see him sleeping after the sun is coming to warm the earth. I lay silently stretching my feet and arms wishing I was still asleep. The air is cold. I have to, you know... I sleek out of the tent putting on an extra sweater and race up the hill. It is nearly eight. The other camps are waking. I see the baby who was crying half the night is up in her daddy's arms. He's throwing away a diaper. The bathroom reecks. There a no words to discribe the stench that the wind mist have kicked up. After, some gagging, nearly giving up, deciding I can't hold it, psychic myself out, taking a huge breath outside and dashing in, breath held and shirt over nose, I take care of business. Phew, I nearly throw up outside and the daddy looks at me like I surely don't have kids and never changed a diaper. Okay, I admit, I often threw up after changing my kids' pants. In fact, when I was pregnant with Jack, I changed ninemonth old Julia's diaper in the bath tub. That way I could take care of my needs in the toilet with out worrying if she would fall off the changing table. Nothing personal, Honey. Having spent the night in the wind, we were pretty ready to strike the camp after a pancake breakfast. I take the kids to the lake shore while the men people pack the cars. During the forty-five minute drive south to home, the kids pass out. I think I fall asleep for a bit too. A bath forevery one yes, one at a time, is a grand reward. A little quiet time and we are off again. We meet Scott's cousin and sister in Denver at the Sixttenth Street mall for dinner. We have not seen each other since before we had kids. I think it was my sister-in-law's wedding twelve years ago. Jack had a great time with his five year old second cousin. Julia started a game of Hangman with her crazy Uncle Scott, and I enjoyed my Thia Lettuce Wraps. yes, that is what I always get at the Ceesecake Fatory. It was a fun night and our beds where so inviting. Yet, the kids, again, resist. DAY 4 of 84: Memorial Day. Phew, a day to sleep in. I let the kids each sleep until they wake themselves up. Come nine, I start getting a bit loud to rouse the troops. It is a slow day. Scott comes home from a mountain run, and we have brunch together as the kids are finally up. I go off to the noon yoga class...love it after sleeping so horribly the past several nights. Then, a bout two, I take the kids to the Boulder Creek Festival. We timed it right to see the acapella band of six men called FACE. And it is the rubber ducky race that please the kids. Seven thousand rubber ducks floating down the River really is a bit impressive. After a ride on the carosel,we head home. Scott grills. The kids can barely keep their eyes open, yet, they resist. New house rule: kids in bed at 7:30 Monday through Wednesday. DAY 5 of 84: Though my better judgement says that we should spend the day learning how to be really bored, I want to see Chimpanzee. So I found the only theater still playing the film, call up one of Julia's friends, and we all head out. I am so glad I caught this movie on the big screen. It was amazing. The kids loved it and my prism glasses make it look 3-D. After catching lunch at Subway, we head to Scot Carpenter Park in Boulder on the way home. About two o'clock, the friend's mom calls my cell. We are off for home and swimming in their apartment pool. The water is cold. The hot tub is too hot even for me. But, those are just inconvenious when it comes to fun with friends. Then, it is home. Grandma and Grandpa have returned to toan and are coming over for diner. I BBQ a few turkey sliders and make a salad. The conversation was delicious and the food fulfiling. Really, I am not su I can keep up this pace all summer. Kids to bed...no excpetions. They resist. DAY 6 of 84: It is another fun filled day. We meet some friends for a hike to Button Rock Reservoir just above Lyons. Jack befriends a Josh. The boys are racing up the hill. I keep up with them. Josh's mom stops with some some of the other moms with toddlers. I slow down the boys. We walk with the moms with strollers and three year olds. We are almost up to the reservoir and it is past noon. But, I start thinking that Josh's mom just may not catch up with us. So here I am with this boy and I am not too sure what to do. I really don't want to go running down the steep hill by myself with three kids. And, the kids are quote, unquote, starving. So I stick with the other moms, get the the servoir, share our lunch and take a few photos. On the way down, we try to hustle the kiddos. The three year olds want to walk. Julia holds their hands like a big sister to get them move faster. At the bottom is Josh's mom clearly upset. She had actually only been there about ten minutes. Her group never made it all the way up. She had gone back once leaving her younger son with her group of moms. So here she was not knowing what to do and walking somewhere between her sons. At any rate, the reunion was gracious, and I explain that I also didn't know what to do because when I realized she wasn't following behind us, it was too late. She was greatful that the boys had such a great time and her son was fed and happy. A weird happening to what started off to be a normal day of hiking with friends. Since the kids hiked three point five miles...the most they have ever hiked...I rewarded them with a stop at the Dariy Bar. Dispite the name and the cow pattern paint on the facade, there is a dairy-free smoothy for some special tummies to ejoy. And, yes, this is a reward. The second new house rule for the summer is that there are only two desserts in a week. Since they had one on Monday at the Boulder Creek Festival and there is desst planned for this weekend up at Sol Vista with friends, I gave them these fruit smoothies as rewards. I am pretty proud of them. Needless to say, after falling asleep on the short drive home, they only wanted to watch one episode of Phebus and Ferb. Well, okay, spoiled kiddos. Life can slow down another day. Needless to say, they reesisted. I went to yoga at seven. When I returned home completely soar form practice and the hike, they were both still up. But, I am proud of them for at least being in their beds reading. Mrs. dudley and Mrs. Bauer, thank you so much for teaching them to read.