Summer Vacation 2021

I want to fill my kids' hearts with great childhood memories. They will be important to them as they grow. I also want to fill my own heart with great parenting memories--things I can hold on to when this whole parenting gig is a heck of lot harder than the webinar made it out to be. I have a very solid childhood memory of tent camping with my family next to my great-grandparents and their pop-up camper. There was only brother at the time so I was less than 6 years old, maybe 4 or 5? I "snuck" out of the tent one morning (I'm fairly certain my parents either knew or had strategically sent me out) and into my grandparent's camper where I got to eat fun cereal from a tiny box...! Corn Pops baby! Grampa Neil split the tiny box side ways and in poured the milk IN. THE. BOX for me to eat!!  It very clearly made a significant impact on my little brain and all future vacation memories are filed with the asterisk *vacation = fun cereal.  No Raisin Bran, or malt-o-meal, or plain cheerios with skim milk *gross*; vacation = pretty & sugared and delicious. *Yummm* My adult brain can tell me that the fun-cereal-in-a-tiny-box-on-vacation scenario only happened once, but it speaks to the power of memories. 

Three summers ago when I got the crazy idea that we were a road tripping family, I mentally planned out three years worth of trips I wanted to cross off the list. Fast forward to 9 months of COVID lockdown, I just couldn't wrap my brain around how to make a week long road trip happen so I booked a week at the beach instead.  I am so very glad I did, as there was no way for January 2021 me to know that end of June 2021 was going to bring a record breaking heat wave to the Pacific Northwest. One that we would NOT have survived if we would have been on our dream-listed road-trip.  After searching three counties for a portable a/c and failing, we bumped our trip up and escaped the furnace (or so I thought).

We usually picnic during our road trips to get with wiggles out...not today. Wowzers. 

We made it all the way to Washington's SW coast right into 105 degree heat!!  What in the actual world?!  We lasted all of 20min outside on the boardwalk before we cried uncle and hopped back in the van, flipped on the a/c and drove up and down the beach in the comfort of NOT 105 degree heat. 

When I flipped to go south, putting Isaac on the ocean side, he repeatedly yelled "MOM! Please move! Wook! Da water!  PLEASE MOVE!"  

Unless I am holding her hand, Mila notoriously walks 4-6 feet behind me at all times. It's taken me nearly 3 years to both process it and ultimately be ok with it. BUT, at the beach, it's the only time she will not only step ahead but she will take the lead. It makes me happy that she not only has a happy place but that it is indeed the beach.  

Down to low 90s after dinner.  Nice warm toes in nice warm water. 

The sun literally melting the earth: 

DAY 2: Making our way down Cape Disappointment. 

North Head Lighthouse 

Fort Canby--I like the old history stuff and for the most part the kids will let me enjoy for it a few solid minutes.

Waikiki Beach & Cape Disappointment Lighthouse (yes, we are wearing coats!  It dropped from 105 to 65 overnight on the Coast while the heat peaked today at 115 back home!)

We made it to our favorite Gelato place!  One memory my kids will always have is that you can have ice cream every day on vacation...and we did!

DAY 3:

Playing at the beach!  Lots of sun (and sunburns!) and warm ocean waves. 

This little dude crashed HARD. 

DAY 4:

My dear college friend joined us for the middle of this trip and I am so very glad she did.  For 25 years we have been navigating life in parallel lives. Over the years we've traveled up and down the West Coast, into Canada and Ireland.  We've talked big spiritual issues, laughed so hard we've cried, escaped a particularly drunk Mormon in a pub on the Dingle Peninsula, mourned deep losses and honestly, solved most of the world's problems...if only someone would ask our opinions. ;)  My kids know her as Ms. Risa and I am so very thankful for her.   Also thankful, she was up for finding a shipwreck today even with two cranky kite flyers. 

The Peter Iredale shipwreck, off the North Oregon coast since 1906!

DAY 5:

When 'fun cereal' was an option for breakfast this morning I jumped at giving Isaac a chance...Apple Jacks for the win! (And no, you can't have that at home, we have yogurt and oatmeal and fruit, you'll be fine). 

I hope this is another fun memory for their memory banks...mom says yes to arcade games on vacation! (Because spending $30 to win 210 tickets to trade for two decks of cards and one thin mint is something Dave Ramsey would be proud of * eyeroll*   Totally worth it, DR. Totally worth it.)

Super fun memory and first for us...bumper cars!  All three of us laughed pretty hard on this one. 

Hanging out on the carousel. Thank you Risa for being our photographer! (Isaac is holding the invisible reins for the sleigh)

DAY 6:

Breakfast with some old friends--we left with full bellies and happy hearts.  Time to head home.  

I was able to read AN ENTIRE BOOK COVER TO COVER in the evenings after the kids went down. That time was such a special gift as I have been running NON STOP the last 15 months--parenting and homeschooling and pandemic-ing and opening up a new clinic all at once was not a well timed combo.  Sitting fireside with a good book with a clear view of the ocean was a breath of fresh air for my weary soul. 

 

The kids are great travelers and are generally always up for new foods and flavors. This is something that many typical families can't expect on vacations, so I am very thankful. I've learned to keep our bedtime routines in place even while away from home and to schedule frequent downtime and rests especially after swimming. This year I made the genius decision to bring our air fryer to the hotel to be able to flex meals if needed! (I 1000% recommend this by the way). Even so, the simplest of vacations can ask a lot of kiddos like mine. Attitudes flair. Meltdowns happen. Emotions fry easily. Like many of my special needs family friends, the post vacation debrief always includes "was the trip itself worth the emotional exhaustion? Wouldn't it be easier to just stay home?"  I'm learning to give myself grace to not answer that question for a few days, weeks or months.  In January, when it is time to plan the next big trip, I won't remember the utter frustration of an epic meltdown that took place in the middle of TarHee's Beachside Gift Shop.  I'll remember the gelato and  arcade games and bumper cars and wave jumping at sunset in 100 degree heat and the entire book that got read.  I'll remember the fun cereal.  Praying that is what these two goofballs remember too.