The Family Vacation That Wasn't

Have you ever done this?

You have a stretch of time off, and you decide not to plan any big trips, because it will be so relaxing to stay home. No packing or unpacking. No traveling by car or train or plane. No hotels or camps or relatives' houses to deal with. Think of the money you'll save! The comfort of your own home! Yada yada yada ...

Then the end of vacation comes and little twinges of sadness and regret keep bubbling up. Maybe staying home wasn't such a great idea. Maybe you needed to get out of the house for more than a day after all.

That's how I'm feeling these last few weeks of summer vacation. The boys start school (2nd grade and kindergarten) on September 5, and we haven't done much besides go to the park and the beach and the zoo ... all day trip stuff.

One reason we didn't take a trip is money. We had some major expenses including a new bed, fencing in the yard and a new roof come September. With vacations, though, I think sometimes mental health and family memories should come before financial solvency. (Ha, as if.)

It's not that I feel bad for the kids. Even though getting away would have been ideal, I truly believe they had a good summer. We never made it to Story Land (Brian's fault, and no he will not hear the end of it). But we can still do that in September.

No, I'm feeling sorry for myself. Feel free to look away.

I think it's because I'm in this house 24/7, 365/52, and have been for SEVEN YEARS.

Never. Leave. House. Is. Prison.

Maybe it's not too late to schedule some kind of trip.

Maybe if I hurry I can pack my bags before Brian gets home.

Maybe he wouldn't miss me for a week or so.

Oh, who am I kidding, I'd want the family with me. (*cough* Prison! *cough*).

Tags: summer vacation, family vacation

Blogger Laryngitis

I have blog laryngitis. Lots of things swimming around in my head, but not enough spunk to get them onto the page, out into the light. I'm going through a lot of personal changes this summer. Unbloggable, but not unbearable. All good. But, along with the kids, it's taking all my energy and focus.

Rather than blogging, here's a glimpse of what I've been doing:

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Grocery shopping
• Going for walks
• Lifting weights
• Trying, unsuccessfully, to talk my 7 year old into homeschooling (I'm willing to force the issue depending on how 2nd grade goes)
• Going to the beach
• Going to every park on the North Shore (there are lots)
• Going to the library
• Reading Charlotte's Web to the kids
• Reading every magazine I've purchased in the last two years (not really, but close)
• Reading (and enjoying) Becoming Fearless
• Hunting for locally grown vegetables (I dropped out of the co-op last year and couldn't get back in)
• Hunting for a Wordpress template
• Filling up the pool/setting up the sprinkler
• Applying sunscreen
• Applying bug spray
• Picking up all the crap that infests every surface of my house
• Again
• And again
• Trying to get my husband used to the idea of a fourth baby ("Well, if we get a season pass to Water Country for next year, I won't be able to use it because I'll be pregnant." *grin*) (that's me grinning, not him)
• Giving my niece all my baby stuff while telling her I may get pregnant again (man, I can be an ass) (just give me $200 and a WalMart! that's all I need!)
• Schlepping kids to the speech therapist and the doctor
• Going to library book sales (like I need more books)
• Writing in my kids' journals
• Enforcing quiet time
• Becoming a Scribbit groupie
• Learning the ways of the Webkinz (one each, that's my rule)
• Deciding to buy a treadmill
• Deciding to join a gym instead
• And back
• And forth
• Feeling nauseous about the $10,000 fence we're having installed (contracters, why do you all hate me?)
• Potty training my 2 year old
• Watching movies, both of the kidlet and the adult variety
• Joining writing groups, networking (a bit), chasing down payment from clients, signing up for seminars (OK, one seminar)
• Cooking (!)
• Taking my vitamins
• Eating corn on the cob and tomatoes (it never gets old)
• Fighting with my 7 year old when it's time to stop playing his favorite computer game: Star Wars Legos (damn that game!)
• Dropping stuff off at the Salvation Army
• Not wearing make up
• Not blow-drying my hair
• Becoming a better mom
• Enjoying my kids
• Wishing time would stand still

Let's Catch Up, and Some Link Love

A million years ago, the lovely YLM of Mothers on the Verge ... of a Nervous Breakdown tagged me with The Meme That Refused to Die. You know, the one in which hapless bloggers must list eight random things about their sorry selves.

1. Tomorrow I drive up to my niece's house to give her all my baby stuff. *sniff* Yes, I still want another baby.

2. Last night I watched a Very Disturbing Oprah Show about autism. Do you know that it affects 1 out of 150 children born in the United States? Somebody needs to figure this out already.

3. Between No. 1 and No. 2, I cried myself to sleep last night.

4. I have been trying to lose weight since February. So far I've lost about 10 of the 30 pounds I need to lose. Also, I haven't lost a single pound in three months. I guess all my fat cells are very happy with their living situations and have no intention of relocating.

5. I seem unable to understand that I'm carrying around 20 pounds of extra body weight. I keep buying clothes that are too small for me, for example, a size 8 bathing suit that may have fit were it not so sexxay with a deep V-neck that shows, not cleavage, but strangely located cellulite. And a skirt that I unconsciously ordered in a size 6 (???!!!) even though I haven't been a size 6 since 2004.

6. Every time I write one of these Eight Random Things posts about myself I end up somewhat embarrassed by what I've said. This time is no different. I mean, who has cellulite where her cleavage is supposed to be?

7. In the spring I developed an addiction to buying iced coffees at the local drive-thru. But after dropping about $45 in one month on them, I decided to make them myself from my left over morning coffee. 1) Pour leftover coffee into large glass measuring cup, so you know how much sugar to add. 2) Add sugar and stir. 3) Put in fridge. 4.) When the afternoon slump hits, pour the coffee over ice and add your creamer of choice. You know what? It's delicious. And cheap. Screw you and your liquid sugar, Dunkin Donuts. You're not getting my book money anymore!

8. I'm looking for work. Need a writer? Hire me! C'mon. Just hire me.

~~~~~~

The wonderfully vibrant Kallie of Wife Soup tagged me for the Geek Love Train meme because she knows I enjoy spreading link love and obviously thinks I am a geek. And really, who can blame her? Choo-choo...

(The money-making) Affiliate Marketing Guide
(The satirical saint) Craig Kohler
(The kick-ass) Nate Whitehill
(The original) 13-Year Old Blogger
(The User) jemmille
(The crafty two at) TechRave
(The AdSense ‘dude’) Michael Cheney
(The overclocker) Shawn Knight
(The incredible)Chris Hooley
(The Cute Smart Mom) Terri Terri
(The rhetorical) Michael Kwan
(The talented) Leo Chiang
(The root of all evil) John Chow
(The business dude) Josh Mullineaux

(The absurdly loud) Ed Lau

(The mastermind) Jon Waraas

(The Florida Wench) Paris Romance

(The yaketty) Stephen Fung

(The wickedly cool) Everton Blair

(The uber blogger) Ms Danielle

(The enterprising) Matt Coddington

(The career minded) Jane May

(The legendary) Gary Lee

(The nifty) Dosh Dosh

(The ambitious) Jeff Kee

(The Down Low) Shawn Low

(The Reviewer) Thomas De Maesschalk

(The Post Whore) Derrich

(The Bitchy Mogul) Bob Buskirk

(The Anti-Social) Matt Propst

(The Hawk) Gregg Hawkins

(The Carpenter) HMTKSteve

(The Artist) Web Urbanist

(The Popularity Booster) Romlet

(The King of Blogs) King Kong

(The Dizzifying) Deezar

(The Ever-Humorous) WallStreetFighter

(The Oldschool Blogger) Disassociated

(The Father/Son Trip) BlogForGas

(The Original Original) blogpaul

(The Life Coach) Agent Sully

(The Thinker) Ilker Yoldas

(The Homeschooler) Danny”Jack Lewis” Carlton

(The Silicon Valley Girls) Silicon Valley Moms Blog

(The Meta-Dad) Meta-Dad

(The warped mom) Twist & Skewer

(The dumper) BlogDumps

(The rambling man) Rick’s Rambling

(Manilow Fanatic)Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing

(Mom, Wife Life)Wife Soup

(Empty Nester)Ocean Mom's Blog Surviving The Empty Nest

(Mom to 3) Wonder Mom

(mother, wife) Life With Heathens

And here are my additions:

(Writer Mom) Robin of CCJellybeans
(Mom of Two and Kicker of Cancer's Ass) Marisa of I Have What?

Janice says:
"Don’t forget to check out this page to see how you can keep the train going…"