Getting Ready

On Monday we leave for a vacation. Like most people, we didn’t take one last year. But not because of Covid. Ellyson was born in June, so we weren’t going anywhere. But for that matter, this is our first family vacation in nearly three years. Ed gets two weeks off every summer when Subaru shuts the plant down and since we’re trekking all the way out to New Hampshire, we’re taking almost the full two weeks.

 

To be honest, I’m not keeping my fingers crossed that I am going to have a vacation. The last time we went to New Hampshire wasn’t very relaxing. Then I ended up driving nearly the whole way back to Pittsburgh on a Saturday and by 8 o’clock in the evening the next day was prostrate in bed with a crippling headache that made my whole body feel sick having barely gotten the kids in bed. My goal is to return to Indiana without that occurring. Which may or may not (probably the latter) constitute an actual vacation.

 

As most mothers know, moms don’t get vacations. It’s just doing almost everything you always do in another location. The kids will have loads of fun off schedule with their cousins and Ed will stay up late watching who knows what with my brother-in-law in the “man cave”, sleep late, and take naps. I will try to keep Ellyson on as much a schedule as possible, keep an eye on the other two, break up fights, deal with tantrums, clean, cook, and do laundry at my sister’s house. And two weeks is a long time so I’m also taking my laptop I will also work. Just hopefully not every day.

 

Still, I’m looking forward to it. Although I’m running myself ragged getting ready. Packing up everything for the kids, deciding what snacks and other things to bring, coming up with distractions for the long drive, and working a lot of hours trying to get as much ahead as possible so I can set aside the extra appendage referred to as my work laptop. And, of course, making sure the house is spotless before we leave. I’m not sure why exactly, but it’s vastly necessary.

 

We’ll leave Monday morning after we pick up the rental mini van and get it loaded. We will drive as far as Niagara Falls were we will stay a full day and two nights. We want to enjoy the falls and it will give the kids a break as they aren’t use to being in a car that long. On Wednesday we’ll leave Niagara early and trek to Katey’s house in New Hampshire, hopefully arriving late afternoon. We’ll stay there until the following Wednesday. I plan on taking the kids to the beach and maybe the mountains depending on weather and how much I think they can handle. Of course we’ll visit Allyson at least twice. And eat ice cream. And, apparently, spend a lot of time on Scott’s boat. Not sure how I feel about that, but I’m sure Emry and Ethan will love it. When we leave there, we will travel to Pennsylvania and stop in Bethlehem to have dinner with one of Ed’s cousins and his wife. We’ll drive a little more that night to Hershey where we’ll spend the night, see “Chocolate World” the next day and then head home. On paper, it sounds great.

 

But right now I’m just exhausted trying to get it all to come together. Man, I really could use a vacation!