I'm here!
We did it.
My three kids, with my speaking partner Henry Graf, and myself drove 13 1/2 hours in our NON-air-conditioned car from Mpls, MN to just outside Detroit, MI. (Technically we dropped Henry off somewhere off I80 and I69 in IN, but he was with us most of the way.) Yes, no air-conditioning sounds as gross as it was. Sweat dripping down my back, beading on Little's face and the fact that it was cooler outside the car than inside was just wrong.
We left Mpls when our housemate came home from the new Batman movie. He was coming in for bed, we were buckling up to leave and head East all at 330am.
We drank more coffee than two people should. Seriously, I'm kind of worried for my liver after a week with Henry and his addictive coffee habit.
The kids took a couple good naps.
We sang more than 73 silly kid car songs.
We listened to four books on CD.
We ate a total of 7 apples.
We stopped to pee four times. It would have been five but we were stuck in rush hour traffic in Detroit, we were exhausted and I just wanted to get to my folks house when Little said she had to go to the bathroom. I will own it. I let her pee the car seat, and its in the wash right now. I stand behind my choice and the fact that we got to my parents 20 minutes earlier than if I had to find a spot to "rest" in downtown Detroit with three sweaty tired kids.
Henry and I had 8.4 inappropriate conversations.
I cried once I laughed so hard.
We listened to 3 songs that made me go...hmmmm...
We accomplished 0 movement on the book.
We had one serious moment where I felt so honored that my name will appear next to his on our book and I told him that. He hates mushy stuff, so its fun to do to him.
The kids and I found 2 houses on fire, one house being transported on the road, one personal boat submarine and one miniature car cart pulling a trailer all in 20 minutes. It was intense to say the least.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Then we got to my folks and it was eat dinner right away so we can go on the boat.
I LOVE being on the boat.
Maybe you didn't understand that the first time.
I L.O.V.E. being on the boat.
I don't own a boat, nor is boating a part of our culture in Mpls, MN. However, I grew up right by the water and we lived at our cottage in Canada in the summer. It can often be strange to me that something that was so defining to me growing up has no place in my current reality.
So every summer I bring my kids for a two week vacation and they get to experience all the fun and knowledge and responsibility of living and playing on the water. I love sharing the water with them. When I looked at my kids tonight on my parents boat, I almost found myself physically ill I was so full of love. Love for them, the water, the boat, my parents and watching them fall in love with the water.
I have found that my first boat ride of each season has me quiet and relaxed. I am not ready for the fun the boat offers yet, or all the company and memories we make on the boat. My first boat ride of each season has me closing my eyes, breathing deep and allowing the rhythm of the waves and the wind on face erasing all the stress and noise of my life. With each breath I can feel the healing water and fresh air brings. At one point, each child and came and snuggled on my lap in the front of the boat while the sun was dropping in the sky. I could wrap my arms around one of my children, close my eyes and breath deep. Breathing in the fresh air and sweetness of the water, and breath out noise. Mental noise of all the things going on in my head, physical noise of someone always talking to me, emotional noise of all the things I feel all the time. Life noise.
Last night I got to share one of my favorite things with some of my favorite people, my sweet husband wasn't there, sad face.
Last night I felt refreshed more than I have in a really long time.
I am ready for vacation.
Enjoy a couple of the pictures. Auntie Kelly loves her god daughter just a little so there seem to be quite a few photo's of her.
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