Family Times

We have just recently returned from a four family trip to the Poconos. The trip was anticipated for months since we were unable to do anything last year because of the pandemic and it was the first time our kids would be able to really hang out and be together in what felt like forever. We rented a house with 5 bedrooms and a trampoline so we basically had all of the essentials. Thank goodness for that trampoline, for it kept our kids occupied a LOT. It kept me occupied too, and my body still hurts because I didn’t realize going on a trampoline at my age was a workout and not the fun jumping experience I remember from my youth? Anyway, there were 8 adults and 9 children and nobody was ever tired except for the parents. WE WERE EXHAUSTED. The first night we got all of the kids (minus the 1 year old and 2 year old) into the room with the bunk beds, we put on the tv for them and told them to go to sleep. HA HA HA HA. I think each of us went back and forth into that room 150 times. I had to lay in the top bunk with Charlotte and play Lisa Loeb and they all finally gave in to sleep probably close to 11 PM. AND THEN WE WERE ALL UP AT 5:30 AM. Except most of us were up all night for various reasons. My reason being that Mackenzie has never been away from home and was NOT a fan of the pack and play shoved into a bathroom as her place of rest. She also doesn’t like sleeping with me, so she spent the entire night laying on top of me moving around until she gave up at 6. IT WAS A TIME. I ended up having a panic attack the second night wondering what time she was going to wake up the whole damn house, but she ended up doing a little better than she did the night before. When I tell you that child was THRILLED to be back in her own house on Sunday I mean it. She went back into her crib like it was a refuge. Charlotte was never like that.

Anyway, even with very, very little sleep we had such a wonderful time. The kids get along so well – literally no fighting ever – except for the random tantrums over being pulled out of the hot tub or losing a game of freeze dance. You can see how much they genuinely love each other and how much fun they have when they are running wild and free. It was totally worth the no sleep and the panic attack. Charlotte has not stopped talking about it. She wants to live in the Poconos house. She wants a bunk bed. She wants to go away with the family every week for the rest of her life. “How can you expect me to sleep in my bed now when I am used to a bunk bed?” I’ll never hear the end of it. She also said to me, “mommy, do you know why it took me so long to go to sleep?” I said yes because you were in a bunk bed in a room you were never in before, right?” “No mommy, it was because I was NOT used to the underwear and the pajamas. But I did it! Are you so proud of me?” She couldn’t sleep because she wasn’t naked. Of course.

We already decided the next house needs a pool in addition to the trampoline. Maybe that will tire them out faster so the moms can sit outside and have a drink for longer than 30 minutes before we crawl inside to pass out.