The Three Things Head East

I think I'm stuck in a post-vacation* depression. You know, that overwhelming feeling of "I can't believe it's all over and we are back to reality again" that creeps up on you as you drive in your own driveway. It kind of hits hard, smacks you in the face, really. Its like when you were driving down your street you were still ON vacation, but the minute you turned INTO the driveway, it was all over.

Over two weeks with daddy every single day did the Three Things a world of good. They were brought to tears yesterday morning as he left for work.

(In our van, and not his VW, because once again, the famous little VW is not drive-able).

They played and hung out and had fun with him like never before. Time is so much more important to children than anything else. If I learned anything on this trip, it's that. And it's certainly not that I didn't know it before, but kids want to spend time with you. It enriches them. It makes them happy. It makes them feel safe and secure. And loved. They don't need toys or fancy gizmos or expensive sports lessons or anything else. They just need you.

To lay around in bed with them for a while and giggle, while a crafty mom makes pancakes in the shapes of Star Wars characters. Thing 1 always eats Luke. Thing 2 always eats Han Solo. Thing 2 is not even three years old yet and yet knows the names of every single Star Wars character. He even knows what a Jedi knight is. And he knows his big brother is one.

Our first vacation destination was just outside of Saint John, New Brunswick, to visit my sister and her husband and their two little cuties. It was wonderful to see the Things spend time with their cousin R. She and Thing 2 are only about 9 months apart in age, so they played well together and liked to follow each other around. I'm told there is a little girl in New Brunswick still calling out, "DEH-VID, where are you?".

The 3 Things met their new cousin, H, who was only 10 weeks old when we first arrived.

He loved spending time with Thing 3 at the beach.


Aw shucks, here are the two kewl sistahs and Thing 3. She is so heavy now, it took two of us to hold her.

Thing 1 was very fond of the water this summer. He loved hangin' out by the river and going for a dip.

Thing 2 was more cautious at first, but by the end of our trip he was diving into the ocean waves!

Thing 3 took every opportunity she could to look extremely cute, to be extremely happy, and to generally make the world around her a better place simply by *being*.

We ate some ice cream.

And marshmallows.

And rice cereal.

And lots of yummy seafood and other delicious things that did not technically fall under my new "healthy eating" regime. But it was all so yummy and I truly couldn't drive through three provinces with three young children and NOT eat fried clams and chips, right? I have to deserve a reward for that. And, yes, I had a glass of wine with it too! (OK, it was more than one glass . . . since my sister so kindly informed me that alcohol leaves your system in roughly two hours, so you may have MORE than one glass of wine after you have nursed your baby to sleep.)

The second part of our trip will be chronicled tomorrow, when I am less tired and need fewer toothpicks to keep my eyelids open.



* Please note that use of the term VACATION is used loosely. When you go away for an extended period with Thing 1, 2, and 3, you are going on a TRIP. There is no vacation. From anything. You will still work very hard all day long. As hard, if not harder, than you do at home.