It’s been a week since my last entry, and I have so much to tell you but I’m backed up. (Not that kind of backed up). My husband, and I, along with our kids and granddaughter went away for Memorial weekend to Big Bear Lake.
Dana and Chris orchestrated the trip. Paul and Muriel took over the responsibility of cooking. Mackenzie handled the entertainment. My eighty-six year old uncle babysat my mother (his sister) while we were away. All my husband and I had to do was to sit back and relax.
So on Thursday night I made sure there was plenty of food for my uncle. I cooked meatballs, linguine with roasted garlic chicken, and lamb chops. Normally, that would be it, I cook and he babysits. However, this time he had another duty.
My daughter Dana, asked her neighbors son to feed her dog, two cats and turtles. My son on the other hand asked my uncle to feed his cat and dog. Let me say it another way, feed his pit bull. That’s right, an eighty six year old man feeding a pit bull. Let’s make it worse; they’re not familiar with each other. I envisioned the dog seeing my uncle as an appetizer when he opened the back door. But my son’s dog is old (like me), has arthritis (like me) and takes a real long time (like me) to go up the back steps, so my uncle was safe.
So Friday morning, Paul and I along with our granddaughter Mackenzie, who spent the night, left early to pick up some supplies (grub) and get the keys for the cabin. The kids had to work and wouldn’t arrive until after seven that night.
The cabin was fabulous, three bedrooms, two baths, a loft with a pool table, fireplace, barbeque, spa and cable with four flat screens. This is my kind of camping in the mountains.
First, I scoped out the bedrooms, upstairs the master bedroom had a king sized bed and private bathroom, this I was told by my kids this was our room. Management decision, no can do, I’m not going up and down the stairs. Chris has sleep apnea, and sleeps with a CPAP machine which makes him look and sound like Darth Vader, so the master bedroom goes to them.
Downstairs one bedroom had a queen size bed the other had a full size bed with a twin bunk bed on top. Junior management decision, my granddaughter wanted to sleep in the top bunk with grandma and grandpa on the bottom bed. so this was my room. My kids were not happy, they wanted us to have a room that was comfortable, it will be years before they will understand that no room could have been better, than being with our granddaughter, now, and her memory bank later, of being with us the first time she slept in a top bunk.
The first night we had steak, pasta, sautéed mushrooms and salad.
After dinner we started playing Scrabble, a game we haven’t played in some time. Now Dana and Chris are self employed in his family’s travel business, they have been all over the world escorting clients. Since they interact with people all over the world I thought this game would be a piece of cake for them. Now add Paul and Muriel, Paul is self employed in the computer field, Muriel is self employed in photography and acting, both are intelligent, aggressive and self starters.
By the second game, I realized my husband and I weren’t so bad at Scrabble. Our kids on the other hand sucked. Since Scrabble can at most be played by four people, it took two games to realize our kids needed to be on the short bus. OMG, they were thinking of kick ass words, but not planning where to get kick ass points.
That lasted two games until they figured out how to play. It was fun; by the end of the night I realized my kids are smarter than a fifth grader.
Second day, Paul and Moo made pancakes, eggs, fruit and bacon. Lunch was sandwiches and chips. Dinner was fried chicken, rice, broccoli and salad.
Games, more games, more sugar and more challenges. Yes my kids are the greatest. My five year old granddaughter was so happy going up and down the bunk bed she only came out to act as a referee during game time.
Third day, Paul and Moo went hiking. Mac and Chris met Smokey and saw a bear. In the afternoon they all went fishing. They planned on having fish for dinner. Well, my granddaughter didn’t catch anything, but did come home with two skinned up knees and a story of taking her first pee in the wilderness. My husband had an “it got away story.” My daughter came home with stories of who almost hooked who, Muriel came home smiling with her camera, Chris who likes fishing came home disappointed and my son Paul came home with a headache. I on the other hand stayed home in my PJ’s, the Lifetime channel and snacks, yes life is good.
Since there was no fish, we decided to go to a local steakhouse for dinner. Just before we were to leave, my son’s lips started to swell, again not knowing all that he’s allergic to, I wanted to stay home, he said he was ok grabbed his EpiPen and off we went. Dinner was great, my son felt better. I’m so happy.
Monday came too soon. We had a wonderful breakfast, packed up and started home. In the car my husband and I talked about how our life has turned out. Our son Paul and our daughter Dana have turned out to be our best friends. Chris and Muriel have blended into the family so well we have outlawed the word in-law. Mackenzie, let’s just say she is our world, the icing on the cake.
