Present and absence

Once again, we have been given a wonderful present. I will be absent and without computer access for more than a week.

I will be with my Beloved and his parents, his older brother and his wife, our children and our Pup in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone in Wyoming. We will have the proverbial road trip there and back. I look forward to sharing photos and our journey with you when we return. I have been blessed with the most wonderful parents-in-law. They are paying for us to have this family vacation with them (a year into unemployment, this would have been impossible for us). We want to create as many memories for our children with their grandparents as possible. Grandpa Tom turns 82 this year. Wyoming here we come!

childhood summer

Do you remember those Summer days that seemed to last all year? I think our children are experiencing that. They have had a full Summer. Most days are spent waking up earlier than us (my Beloved and me), opening the cupboards and helping themselves to "breakfast", playing Wii games or Legos, waking us and the dog up and then having a second breakfast. Our Charlotte loves to "help" cook fried eggs, Grant and Benjamin are our bread boys and Elijah-Max loves leftovers, especially if it's white cheddar shell pasta. Then they are off and running. We live on 2 acres of woods and boggy conservation land. They have constructed their own little hobbit hollow on the edge of the woods using plywood and fallen branches. Max and Ben are the flag makers, Grant has the plans for whatever imaginary identities they will role play and Charlotte is usually cast as R2D2 or Hello Kitty (her choice). They are usually "starving" by 11 and come in asking for "elevenses". Fruit and hand held veggies are on the menu (sometimes Goldfish too). They bicker, argue, share, are selfish and considerate, kind-hearted and cruel. The days are long and the years are short. Pirates are real. Monsters are not. Sharks will leave you alone if you bonk them on the nose. Snakes can be picked up by their tails. Dogs like to kiss. Frogs live on lilly pads and in small swimming pools. Fireflies are magical and can be held in cupped hands or in jars with icepick holes in the lid. Sand makes a wonderful canvas for hearts, names and cat art.Sprinklers are fun to dance in. Family makes the best friends. Especially when the towel is big enough for three.

You can find coins near or in vending machines. Pizza on Friday nights and popcorn on Sunday nights is what everyone does. Dream spray helps you have sweet dreams at night. Tomorrow will be more of the same.