Back from Family Vacation
I'm certainly glad I put 'irregularly updated' in this blog's description, 'cause it's been just over three weeks since I last wrote anything. I don't really have any excuses. It's just been a bit busy with a family vacation and a work-related trip to Amsterdam, Holland. Oh yeah, and my oldest starts school this week. He seems alright with it. I'm f*cking terrified!
For our family vacation we went the cottage rental route. We've done the group cottage rental thing before and I have to say, with the right people, it's a good idea. Luckily, we go with the right people. At our busiest we had 10 adults and 6 children. We were spread around 5 cottages on one property, so we weren't on top of each other for 7 days, thankfully. That's how friendships are ruined. Nope, this was about a 3 hour drive outside the city limits and each family that went had their own cottage. The property was waterfront so the kids got plenty of beach time while the parents got some much deserved dock time.
Why a cottage? There's a beautiful simplicity in a rustic cottage vacation. The kids are exposed to so much more than they would be in the city or at a resort, especially when you have next to no cellular service and the wifi is spotty at best. My youngest, at 2 years old, caught his first fish while my oldest and I played rescue team in a peddle boat. There were sand castles and water blasters for days! Camp fires prepared spider dog dinners and s'mores desserts. The nature that surrounded them was incredible. Case in point: the kids and I picked raspberries and blueberries right around the cottage grounds. Granted, I had to do the deep rummaging of the raspberries because of the bloody thorns, but you can't get any fresher than right off the shrub. I know that's not going to be at every cottage rental, but my oldest loved it and constantly asked if we could pick more berries. He really liked the idea of being able to eat what we found. Even getting to the cottage can be fun. This road trip didn't require too many stops, but we've done longer drives and stopped along the way in small towns and parks. Now, as a dad, I totally get the road trip mentality. Air travel is expensive. It can also be stressful (been there, done that, didn't exactly love it). Once you get that figured out, there's still the expense of the hotel which doesn't seem to offer too much of a discount on 2 and 4 year olds, even though they're in the same friggin' room as the parents. Our cottages had functional, albeit small, kitchens where we prepared pancake breakfasts or scrambled eggs and bacon. You don't get to do that at a resort and maybe that's one of the reasons you go to a resort - so you don't have to cook. I totally get it. I'm planning on doing a 5 day all inclusive, without the kids, so I don't have to adult at all. I just really liked our little family getaway and the nature that surrounded us, except for the shit on the bottom of the lake that touches your feet. I wear water shoes 'cause I'm a bit of a bitch when it comes to that stuff.
Even just looking at the pictures above, I'm flooded with the happiest of memories. I can't say for certain that my kids will remember this particular trip in great detail. My youngest likely won't, but I will. That's a recurring theme I find, with being a parent. My kids may not remember certain things, but I'll never forget. There is also a chance for development in the kids when they're taken out of their routine and given a chance to explore and try new things. Camping and cottages seem to be a terrific, age-appropriate vacation that is both stimulating and adventurous. I hope to make it an annual tradition.
Back to the daily grind, I suppose. I have a bench to build, a razor stone to lap and a plethora of other projects including a simple, yet extremely satisfying, dump run to complete. I really wish I had a pick-up truck!
Coco out.
For our family vacation we went the cottage rental route. We've done the group cottage rental thing before and I have to say, with the right people, it's a good idea. Luckily, we go with the right people. At our busiest we had 10 adults and 6 children. We were spread around 5 cottages on one property, so we weren't on top of each other for 7 days, thankfully. That's how friendships are ruined. Nope, this was about a 3 hour drive outside the city limits and each family that went had their own cottage. The property was waterfront so the kids got plenty of beach time while the parents got some much deserved dock time.
Why a cottage? There's a beautiful simplicity in a rustic cottage vacation. The kids are exposed to so much more than they would be in the city or at a resort, especially when you have next to no cellular service and the wifi is spotty at best. My youngest, at 2 years old, caught his first fish while my oldest and I played rescue team in a peddle boat. There were sand castles and water blasters for days! Camp fires prepared spider dog dinners and s'mores desserts. The nature that surrounded them was incredible. Case in point: the kids and I picked raspberries and blueberries right around the cottage grounds. Granted, I had to do the deep rummaging of the raspberries because of the bloody thorns, but you can't get any fresher than right off the shrub. I know that's not going to be at every cottage rental, but my oldest loved it and constantly asked if we could pick more berries. He really liked the idea of being able to eat what we found. Even getting to the cottage can be fun. This road trip didn't require too many stops, but we've done longer drives and stopped along the way in small towns and parks. Now, as a dad, I totally get the road trip mentality. Air travel is expensive. It can also be stressful (been there, done that, didn't exactly love it). Once you get that figured out, there's still the expense of the hotel which doesn't seem to offer too much of a discount on 2 and 4 year olds, even though they're in the same friggin' room as the parents. Our cottages had functional, albeit small, kitchens where we prepared pancake breakfasts or scrambled eggs and bacon. You don't get to do that at a resort and maybe that's one of the reasons you go to a resort - so you don't have to cook. I totally get it. I'm planning on doing a 5 day all inclusive, without the kids, so I don't have to adult at all. I just really liked our little family getaway and the nature that surrounded us, except for the shit on the bottom of the lake that touches your feet. I wear water shoes 'cause I'm a bit of a bitch when it comes to that stuff.
He's more a navigator than he is a paddler. 😕
Relative to my son's size, that fish is a giant! 😂
Even just looking at the pictures above, I'm flooded with the happiest of memories. I can't say for certain that my kids will remember this particular trip in great detail. My youngest likely won't, but I will. That's a recurring theme I find, with being a parent. My kids may not remember certain things, but I'll never forget. There is also a chance for development in the kids when they're taken out of their routine and given a chance to explore and try new things. Camping and cottages seem to be a terrific, age-appropriate vacation that is both stimulating and adventurous. I hope to make it an annual tradition.
Back to the daily grind, I suppose. I have a bench to build, a razor stone to lap and a plethora of other projects including a simple, yet extremely satisfying, dump run to complete. I really wish I had a pick-up truck!
Coco out.
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