As we pull out of Ohio I am running on empty. After being the sole care giver for 4 small children for 4 days I’m exhausted physically. Its bittersweet driving home. The fact that this is the first time I have been home since my mom has gone was extremely hard. As I drove it was hard to hold back the flood of emotion. Memories of the excitement of coming to mammies house, the excitement from mammie for our arrival. Nothing is the same. Sister’s are excited but they don’t make quite the same big deal out of it. They don’t give the big embrace a mothers arms do. I had to go see them. They didn’t come running to see me. Its time to pick up my big girl boots and take care of myself more. Its not easy and not fun at all to have to be a big girl. I no longer have my mom to take the crying child that followed me around the entire two days we stayed at my sister’s house and I was getting things ready for camping. She’s not there to entertain my kids while I take a shower. She’s not there to give me the mom hug when you find out your tent doesn’t have the poles that should be packed in the bag and they are actually in Kansas still. As I’m driving down the road I’m remembering these things and thinking about all the new memories that will be made.
The intent of this trip is four women to take their 10 kids (total) camping for ten days. Will it be mayhem? YES! Will it be loud? YES! Will we have fun? YES! Will we make unforgettable memories? YES! The camp ground we are going to is the one my parents met at. Our family has been going to this camp ground since before we were around. There are so many great memories here and we hope to make so many new memories.
As everyone is getting things ready for our trip I realize my kids are ready and our things are ready and everyone else is almost ready. I felt like all of my kids needed a nap or at least a break from the intensity of playing with cousins for a long periods of time while the adults are distracted packing.
So I decided to take my kids a little early so we could drive around and take a nap. Well that did not happen. I was so exhausted beyond belief. I could hardly keep moving but I had to to get everything ready for camping. We drive into camp and it was hardly 5 minutes before I figured out it was a bad idea. My kids were whiney they were tired and I was whiney and tired too. I pile them into the car and did the you “better straighten up” speech. And we were saved by the other’s pulling into camp then the prep and set up started. I unloaded my car top carrier and my tent. I opened the bag and unrolled the tent only to find out we had no poles. I held back tears but after 2 hours of everyone happily setting up camp and me helping but not being able to get mine set up I was stressed. I was finally able to go to Walmart and buy a new tent. It has tent poles built in. It was a very easy set up. I get the tent set up and start blowing up 4 air mattresses. By 8 PM I was done with everything and crying and ready to go back home before we even started. Talk about a bad attitude. The first night we get to bed and have a good night’s sleep. We were all exhausted.
I love so much spending time watching my kids playing with cousins. And boy did they play. The first day they also began to learn better how to ride bikes. And w just took off with his riding. I also rode a lot on my bike the first few days.
In the evening we decided to go kayaking. This was one of my moms favorite things to do with her grand kids especially. As we decide who is riding where, we set off. My sister R and I in a canoe with C,J, and my niece A. J cried the whole way out because I wouldn’t let her have the ore. Then my niece A cried the whole way home because she wanted her daddy. My older neices had their own kayaks and my sister M had D with her. Still pushing off the shore were my brother in law and W in one kayak and my sister JS. My brother in law and W barely got off shore and they flipped their kayak. W was done then and by that time the others had rowed out and were coming back. It was hard figuring out how to steer the canoe and my stomach hurt from all the laughing we did. We got to shore determined to come back again. Adventures were done after supper and bedtime. On to the next days adventures in the morning.
Signing for now
From one woman to another
Jenny Ren
I like it a lot it is vary accurate The next day I feel w had fun once we made it to the dam and, when the scuba divers where talking he he was vary interested in the topic.
I loved how much time the diver took with us to explain everything. It was very kind of him. Thanks for the comment.