Back on the Hamster Wheel

Family vacation is over, and I've been back at work for almost a week now.

We had great weather for our "camping" trip - over the past few years, the week we go has been the hottest, sunniest week New England gets.  But thanks to what I'll chalk up to shifting hormones, the heat and humidity were too much for me.  I gladly stayed inside midday, avoiding the sun and other elements, reading my chick lit while the Youngest napped.

I even survived Snookie.  It became obvious that if I participated in campground activities like tie-dyeing and Candy Bar Bingo, stayed inside midday, and didn't venture onto the beach until she was off "floating", we spent little time in one another's company.  Limiting it to time around the campfire was enough, particularly at the end of the week when she started bashing the campground, its activities, its rules, and how she and everyone in our group should go rent a house on a lake somewhere else next year.  She seemed to have forgotten she'd already told the group she wasn't returning next year because she didn't want to be locked into one place or week.  Trust me, I'm not shedding any tears.

As for the change of duties and roles, Hubby made sure he and our two older kids took care of our family's - he wanted to keep the peace and did.  He also handled the responses to the emails, and had told the group twice we were not able to do/buy/bring what we had in the past.  Of course, none of the families who'd changed everything took up the slack.  Instead, the dad for the family that was new last year offered to take on everything we were not. Doesn't seem fair, but that's his issue, not mine. His family did however turn out to be a major issue.  Or should I say, his teenaged son did.  I won't go into details, but the campground owners and security made more than one visit to their site, and they won't be returning next year either.

In fact, it'll be us next year and one other family.  I've known the dad his whole life, his wife's family my whole life, and their two boys are close in age with my Youngest.  We have enough space in our unit that MidKid can invite a friend or two, which may be his cousin (who came for an overnight and had a blast!), and the Oldest, who'll stay with my parents so he can work next summer, might try to come up with friends for a night or two.  Needless to say, I'm looking forward to a VERY low-key camping trip next year.

So, have you had an away-vacation yet?  Or is your's coming up?  Did you have a good time, or are you glad to be home?