Catching fish and malaria

While a mosquito bite on the underside of one's knee is annoying, having a fresh bite right next to an old one is even worse. Pam cooking spray can be used to fix a squeaky door. My kids can watch Toy Story 3 on repeat over 500 times and will never get sick of it. A bikini top does not substitute for a bra.

These are some of the things I've learned while on 'vacation'. My parents, myself, the kids and my boyfriend took off for a week and stayed at a cottage on Lac Cayamant. I had expected a non-stop stressful "never again" week but it wasn't bad at all in comparison to my imagination. We didn't have to baby proof the place other than placing a gate at the top of the stairs leading to the porch. Seth could leave the room and I wouldn't worry about him. The first night was challenging trying to get the kids to sleep. Seth was a lot better than Rayna in this respect. She did not like sleeping in her pack and play, and she did not like sleeping in a strange place. The last night consisted of Wayne taking her from room to room in an attempt to get her to sleep until she passed out from sheer exhaustion...I think we were more tired than her in the end. And then Seth puked in the car on the way home...something I was famous for when I was that age.

I was definitely glad to be home but more than anything, I was glad we'd gone. This was the same lake that I visited when I was little, though it was a different cottage. Also, my parents were there, so we had backup so I could do some fishing and swimming and the occasional relaxation with a book. I had a solid week away from work, not worrying about whether or not things were getting done.

Unfortunately however, when I got back to work it was as if my vacation never happened. Such is life I guess...

I guess I can look at my scabby gross legs and choose to forget that they ever itched...that should be enough to get me to do it again next year.