Surviving vacation . . .

I wish that my vacation time could turn out to be as relaxing as I imagine it will be in the days before I leave. I picture my extended family exchanging stories, playing games, laughing, eating, and drinking just enough to loosen up. Days of sunshine and hiking, kayaking, running around with the kid(s) and the dog(s), reading on the deck and watching the boats go by. Everyone glad to be there and glad to connect with everyone else. Altogether, pretty low key. Just a nice time.

I don't know why I picture this in my head. This is never what happens. Clearly I need to expect the madness and allow the chaos to be my relaxation. Nothing is in fact going to be as I imagined - and I can't predict what craziness will occur. So why not just embrace it, breathe in to it, let it be what it is, and allow myself to enjoy the movie?

It is a fortunate thing that I have a very calm and level headed husband who does not engage (unless he absolutely has to) and does not let it affect him (unless it affects our kid). Why not just embrace the fortune in that?

Why not let things be what they are and stay happy anyway?
Well, here's why:
Because I am the eldest
Because I have responsibility
Because I want everyone to be happy
Because I don't think people should yell at each other
Because I had too much to drink that night
Because I figure I must be wrong
Because I am too old
too fat
too intense
too immature
not cute enough

So . . . what to do for the next vacation? Already a family vacation - late August - better start planning now.

Too long - and too much going on

I didn't expect to take so long between postings - but there you go. Lots of life going on in between. Joel got a year long contract with Oregon Children's Theater to perform in schools for Kaiser Permanente (a job that I had in Denver). So perfect and fabulous! He will be doing something he's good at and working with actors and directors and getting known in Portland theater circles. This is great.

My job continues - but is a question mark for a lot of reasons. Mostly, I'm just plowing through at the moment and hoping for a good change. More when the good change comes.

Ethan is having a summer. Playing with friends most of the day, piano lessons coming soon, theater camp, swimming at Pier Park, and learning to play card games with family (golf is a current favorite).

At dinner yesterday Ethan said: I lived 2,000 years ago. Before I was an idea, I was nature. My millions of atoms were one piece of everything in the world.

Which reminded me that it's OK if my job is not perfect.