Vaca 2008

Well folks, it is true, we had our first family vaca last week. Well, it was our first family vaca as a family of four. About three years ago Dave and I discovered that there are trips and there are vacations. We had gone on a lot of trips while in Europe, but for our 2nd anniversary we went to an all-inclusive resort in Turkey for a week...now that was a vaca. I made zero decisions besides did I want to lay in a hammock or learn how to shoot a bow and arrow (which actually left my whole arm bruised). Last summer we went to Napa with my family, and I would call that a trip/vaca. There was a little resting involved. However this was the first vaca we took as a family since we went to Costa del Sol two years ago. I was SO excited for us to be alone with just us. I mean I like being with friends and family, but that is not always a vacation either.

We rented a cabin in a little town in the Smokies (NC). I was so excited. There was a pool, a lake for fishing, boats, bicycles, swings, a farm, a restaurant...it had all the makings of a nice place to rest.

Here is the rub...we brought Hadleigh and Annelise. Of course we brought them...but we brought them. Apparently being the Mama to two children is stressful in Atlanta or in the Smokies...doesn't matter if you take away the phone and internet and house projects it is still stressful.

And to make matter worse Hadleigh actually probably had the worst week of her life. We have now truly discovered that she is a creature of habit and likes her own bed, her own house and things that she knows. She did not sleep well, either at night or during her naps. She had a lot of nightmares, and was just restless. That led to numerous fits and tantrums and fights and just overall unpleasant behavior.

And of course in a small cabin if one child is restless the other one has a hard time too...ugh.

We spent the first half of the week trying to readjust our expectations...yes we still had to get up at 5.30, and we still had to care for our children. Dave and I actually kept looking at each other asking each other when we would ever get to spend time with one another. At one point he asked, "Do you think we could pay someone to take them for a while?" It was actually slightly depressing, but once we adjusted our thoughts about our "vacation" things got a little better. There was no slowly eaten dinner over a glass of sipped wine...ah well...those days are over for a time.

So, no that I have depressed everyone I will talk about the fun things we did. Every morning Dave would take Hadleigh out (so that Annelise could nap). They generally went down to the lake to fish, and so Hadleigh caught her first fish last week! She even pulled it in and held it in her hands. She was always so excited about her morning outtings with Dada. One morning he took her on a bike ride and she loved going fast over bumps.

There were a couple wooden swings and a couple hammocks on the property and we all enjoyed a mid-afternoon swing. There was a farm with goats and chickens and turkeys and horses. It was fun to sit on our front porch and watch Hadleigh go and feed the goats grass. She loved it.

We went to the Western North Carolina Air Museum. Hadleigh was able to sit in some cool old planes, and then Dave bought her one of those little paper airplanes. They put it together and then spent some good time flying it...until it got stuck on our roof.

We went to a children's museum which was super cool and Hadleigh painted and played with legos and other things.

Dave tried some local beer which he liked. I read a book, played Sudoku and cheered Federer and Roddick on while they played at the US Open. We went on a couple hikes. We went to a park. Hadleigh discovered gaterade...it was a good trip. I am glad to be home.