Monday was our first official day off. It was a bit overwhelming with all the ideas of what we wanted to do and needed to do, exhaustion, and urgency to do it all. We made a list on the bathroom mirror, and started tackling it.
I had promised Owen a bike ride for several days, and knowing that we were in for good weather--I wanted to make it happen Monday. It didn't happen like I expected, but we managed a bike ride--to the grocery store. This was a blessing in disguise. We learned that Owen's skill level is not quite ready for a long trek downtown--what we had originally planned for the day. He had fun, and we got what we needed for dinner and a redbox movie.
We did a bit of gardening, rested, made Mediterranean pasta, and watched Where The Wild Things Are.
On Tuesday, we realized the kids weren't quite sure how to handle having Mom & Dad available to them 24/7. It was obviously overwhelming, and their emotions were kind of haywire. We spent a lot of time hugging and holding, a bit of discipline and correction, and then planned for a big bike ride on the trails in Loveland. Matt picked the route, and it was awesome. Owen has a tendency to turn his head, and then his bike turns with him--right into oncoming pedestrians and bikers.
The weather was gorgeous, and we all enjoyed the ride to the park. If you live in Loveland and haven't experienced Fairgrounds Park--you're missing out. In the summer they activate the water fountains for kids to play & get soaked, but today was perfect for dangling toes into the river. Eden just wanted to swing, swing, swing, but when I dipped her little feet into the water she was squealing with delight.
We enjoyed a light lunch there, but the clouds and wind picked up. So, we scrambled to bike back to the truck in a hurry. Unfortunately, Owen was zonked. Matt pedaled ahead while Eden crashed out in the chariot, but I struggled along with our tired boy. He made it, and announced that he didn't want to bike anymore. (That lasted until after nap time.) We were all tired and sunburned, but it was a good tired.
We ate burgers, oven fries, and sipped limeades. We rented The Princess and The Frog--which, I actually enjoyed. Even laughed-out-loud a few times.
Wednesday--today. My awesome MIL came over at 8 a.m. to watch the kiddos. I think we all needed a break from each other. Plus, enjoying breakfast with my husband--without interruption--HEAVEN. Matt and I headed to the jeweler to start the hunt for a new wedding ring. If you don't already know, my wedding ring met an untimely death in the garbage disposal. The jeweler still carries my ring, but it's nearly 3x the price we paid for it. :( We're working on options, but it was good to finally get a chance to look around. Next, we went to REI. It's dividend season, and we were itching to find our goodies for this year's camping trips. I got a collapsible camp sink, and Matt got a new head lamp. We also picked up a new water bottle for Eden. Owen will inherit Matt's old head lamp, so he'll be more than thrilled.
Tonight we're planning to go to the theatre. I didn't realize this before vacation, but we have 6 movie tickets/gift cards/passes. Two tickets to 3 different theaters. What a find! Dinner is a favorite--rigatoni with tomatoes and mozzarella. YUM!
Our list is shrinking, but still lots of ideas:
More time in the garden
I have sewing & knitting projects
A trip to the library
A date night
Family rock climbing
Something I've included in our vacation plan this year is getting back into routine. Starting tomorrow (yes, I know it's 5 days before the end of vacation) we're getting up early, and going to bed early. We'll be more deliberate in our plans, and stay on our flexible schedule. I don't want Monday to come, hit us hard, and make it difficult to get back into the swing of things. At the end of this vacation I want to feel rested, accomplished, refreshed and ready to tackle to the world again.
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