Family Vacation, Buffalo Style

Hey, it's only been 10 days, so why not do a post, ay?


I don't usually announce on the whole-earth-web when we aren't home, but the fact of the matter is, we are on vacation.


So there.  I said it.


Our vacation this year (and most trips we take, for that matter) is a little tour to visit family.


We prepped for this several day trip by spending the entire preceding week painting our living room and hallway, and pulling up the carpet in both of those areas.  That's just sensible, right?


And by 'we' I mean 'Greg'.  But I did my part by keeping little hands and feet out of the way as much as possible.  And cooking meals.  Because even in disarray we have to eat.


So.  Yeah.  Back to today.  


In true Buffalo fashion we didn't even leave the driveway until 30 minutes after our desired time.  But we did leave at exactly the time I predicted.  I've finally gotten used to us.  There is always something to slow you down.  Today was a discipline issue that escalated at the last minute.  It all came out good though.


We stopped at a dollar store 20 minutes down the road for some last minute items.  Two of which they didn't have.


So we decided to split up and one of us (me) brave walmart while the other (Greg) took the boys and got gas.


Then there was an emergency bathroom trip (twice) and other interruptions that totally threw a monkey wrench in our smooth plans.  Finally - an hour and a half after leaving home - we were really on our way.


And hey! In all that I was able to pick up my wedding set that was in for repairs.  I have been borrowing one for over two months and am so happy to have mine back!  The repairs themselves only took 2 or 3 days.  Can we say pro-cras-ti-na-tion?


The rest of our drive went amazingly well.  We enjoyed an episode of Adventures in Odyssey, a fun cd of kids travel and camp songs, and then completely bored (I assume they were bored anyway) our kids with a cd of 65 tv tunes from the 70's and 80's.  Fun times.  We finished up with some classical piano - Bach, Beethoven, Mozart.  Because our tastes are just varied like that.


The boys were thrilled! to be at the hotel! with an elevator! and Aaron! and Uncle Scott! and a pool!  Cousin Aaron (smack in between Dale and Alan) and his dad are in a room adjoining ours.  Within 20 minutes of unloading our luggage cart, the rooms cleared out for the pool. 


Tyler and I enjoyed the peace and quiet (and internet) for a little while, then went to watch.


After a good long swim, we joined Greg's grandparents for dinner.  At a place with dimmed lights, candles on the table, cloth tablecloths and cloth napkins.  Yeah.  Whew.  High alert time.


We were hardly even seated before the race began for me to clear everything out of Tyler's reach.  Which I was not able to do before he snatched up a fork and stuck it in the candle in front of him.


Other than that, and him throwing a board book across the table at his cousin (since when does Tyler throw things??) and driving a race car across my plate, dinner was a success.  All the kiddos behaved themselves beautifully!


But that hour in the pool was catching up with them by the end.  As soon as Alan noticed everyone had finished eating he took a good look around the table and asked if he could blow out the candles, since we were all done.  


He did, however, manage to rally for a bowl of ice cream.

And now, blessedly, everyone is putting on pjs.  Hopefully sleep will find us all soon!