Home at last

It's that time of year again, where I lament how fast time flies, how I claim that next summer will be much less busy and how I swear that school starting will be a welcome break from my over-stretched and traveled summer. Whew, glad I got that out of the way.

We had a wonderful trip to VA to see my sister-in-law and her family, which was also the first time 2 of my 3 kids has flown on an airplane. It was quite an adventure, believe me. Let us just say that my kids may have been the reason that half the Midwest missed their connecting flights out of MI. If you flew out of Detroit on June 22, and were stalled by kids stopped on the moving sidewalk, or on the escalators, or at the handless paper dispensers in the bathrooms, or at the check in kiosks or at the applestore vending machine, or fighting over who pushed the buttons on the elevator, I apologize. Those were my kids. The novelty of such things never ceases to amaze my kids. If I hadn't been so freaked out about them being run down by angry travelers, I may have shared in their excitement. As it was, I played the part of the frazzled mom of three young children. They are actually wonderful travelers, in cars, on planes and subways, and every time I saw a toddler throwing themselves to the floor, I counted my blessings that my kids are so great.

Virginia was a great time, the kids spent every spare moment in the swimming pool, except for Jack, who spent every spare moment testing the water and freaking out about his face getting splashed. It is time to get that boy into swim lessons. By the end of the week, he was fine, though and was actually enjoying the water. B has spent some time in VA and DC with my mother-in-law, so he was old-hat at most of the activities. We spent two days in DC, which was an adventure. We caravaned in two cars, and yours truly actually drove in the crazy traffic. We saw the Smithsonian and the Lincoln Memorial and walked around the Washington Mall. It was a lot of fun, even when we were hot and the wheels had come off the bus, as far as the kids were concerned.

We also visited Virginia Beach for an afternoon, which was the only thing that Mimi requested we do. We all had good, sandy fun and got lots of sun too. What a great trip!

By the time we flew out, we were all ready for a rest and reprieve at home. But does that sound like a typical summer for us? Oh no. We barely got our bags unpacked and we were packing again, this time to see my family in Durango. I tell ya, it is time to hang up my traveling shoes and put on my slippers. School starts in a mere two weeks, and I am looking forward to the routine and the mellow....wait, didn't I already say all this, last summer??