"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
~Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
This is an amazingly versitile quote because one can apply it both to the French Revolution and to a vacation taken with five children in tow.
I wish to expound upon the latter: a vacation with five children in tow.
It was the best of times...
- I saw six bald eagles in flight over the course of our trip
- Western Washington is majestic in its beauty (Deception Pass ... *sigh*)
- We walked to the beach where our daughters ecstatically collected shells
- We rescued a washed-up sea star
- We rode on a ferry (with our car)
- There was a jacuzzi at our vacation house
- We ate clam chowder and fish & chips for dinner one night (yum)
- We met up with old friends and new ones (Hi, Vijaya!)
- I played Wii "Just Dance" for the first time
- Our kids all enjoyed themselves and we enjoyed our kids
- Sophie, our two-year-old outdoors aficionado, cried as we were leaving, "Whidbey Island, I need you!"
- Our two-month-old was a champ in her car seat (most of the time)
- We forgot our camera at home
- The vacation house lacked a dishwasher (I have become terribly spoiled living in the U.S.)
- It rained a lot
- A woman outside the whale skeleton exhibit yelled at two of my children when they didn't deserve it
- I left my purse at a restaurant on one side of the Cascades and didn't realize it until we were on the other side
- We listened to a lot of whining and/or crying and/or fighting from the four non-baby passengers in the back seats of the minivan
- Gas is expensive
- The pass was scary with lots of snow
How was your week?
After reading what you go through with 5 kids and no help... I'm never complaining again in my life!
ReplyDeleteI have used that quote many times over the years in similar context. So glad you had such a lovely time. Yes, it could have been MUCH worse. One of the families in our church went to Florida to take a dream cruise to the Bahamas. The entire family came down with food poisoning, in a single hotel room with one bathroom. Yes, they are missing the cruise. Her two-word post on Facebook yesterday; "Absolute Nightmare!!". From now on, I'm comparing all bad vacations to her's.
ReplyDeleteAunt Sandi :)
Can't beat real fish 'n chips.
ReplyDeleteHey, I've been to Deception Pass...yes, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteAnd when we first moved into our house here we didn't have a dishwasher...made for some good times.
What a great first line of a book. How applicable to so much of life.
~ Wendy
Forgot camera- lol- we just did that too. Couldn't find it the night before, but it was under one of the seats in the car. Too bad!
ReplyDeleteAnd it really irks me too when people get mad at kids for no reason. I think sometimes when there are more than two, people assume that things are going to go downhill fast, or something. They're scared to be outnumbered? Which actually might be a reasonable response;)
Glad you had a great time!
You went to Whidbey? : ) Did you know we moved to Oak Harbor from Prosser? My screensaver on my computer right now is a picture of Deception Pass bridge. : ) I can just picture your vacation.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a wonderful vacation. I love Western Washington. Have fond memories snow tiring in the Cascades, the town of Roslyn where Northern Exposure was filmed (They have a place in their graveyard for druids), ferry to Victoria, Port Angeles and Sequim and , yes, even Forks and La Pushe before the Twilight fans discovered it. The second time we went on location there for Northern Exposure, we had fours kids living in the house, my mother, and a good friend who was taking care of her. It was one of the top three months of my life.
ReplyDeleteTee hee ... your best list is bigger than the worst, so all's good. So fun to meet you and all your kids! If I didn't have a cough, I would've gobbled up the baby.
ReplyDeleteThis was so cute and funny. I envy you your family vacation--so full of memories you will cherish later on AND I don't envy your family vacation because of the stress :) But I bet the stress was all worth it. Phooey on the woman who got mad at your kids :(
ReplyDeleteI'm smiling because I can totally relate. You and your kids will remember this trip forever! And the bad parts always make the best campfire stories, anyway :D
ReplyDeleteDid you get your purse back??? I'd be lost without my purse! It sounds like you made some wonderful family memories for your children to cherish.
ReplyDeleteUmmmm-what kind of person yells at children that are not their own?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on surviving a family vacation :)