Friday, August 17, 2007

what to do with 3 girls a dog and a lake


Yaya really likes helping Oma. I think it has everything to do with the ear muffler-things. It doesn't really matter what job Oma is doing, Yaya needs to help ... but only if she can wear ear covers. This particular photo was snapped while the two of them were watering flowers. A very dangerous task indeed.









Noni is already the bored pre-teen. About a hundred times a day she declares that there is "absolutely nothing to do here. I am bored." I can't see what is so wrong with that. My folks have cable TV at the cabin - go figure. We don't have cable TV at home, so mostly Noni is pissed off that we don't allow her to watch 24/7. We had to make the rule that the TV goes off after 10:00 AM (We might sleep that late. Who knows.) And it can't be turned on again until after 4:30 PM (right around the time we start making Bloody Mary's and drinking beer.)
Wow, that makes us sound like really wonderful parents. We are actually having a wonderful time with the girls. Swimming, doing projects, reading Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... but everyone needs a vacation, if you know what I mean, therefor the TV is not completely banned. Ah well. We will never win the Parent of the Year Award - if there is even such a thing.


Via has exactly the right idea. She lays around most of the day reading. She can completely ignore everything around her, unless someone is scooping up peppermint bonbon ice cream cones. That she can hear through closed windows and doors.

Best things so far: Reading Willy in the tent. Swimming in the cold water until our lips turn blue. Grilling Salmon for my dad. Figuring out that the dog is still happy if he sleeps in the bathroom with the door closed. Finding the stash of candy from the Fourth of July parade. Getting Rick's phone call when he got back to St. Paul safely.
Worst things so far: The nightly woodtick check. Escorting Daddy-Long-Leg spiders out of the tent and out of the bedding. My father insisting that I bathe the children in bug spray because his neighbor's son got West Nile (I don't know what's worse: the story of the son and his nasty illness or the amount of chemicals that are required to keep those nasty mosquitos at bay.)
I know that there will be a lot more good things in the next week and a half. It's good to be here. Ahhhhh.

5 comments:

. . . said...

We're packing today! The girls are so excited that they cannot sit still. Freya is looking forward to fishing. Esme cannot wait to swing. It's fun now that they're old enough to anticipate the fun. Hugs to everyone at the cabin! Love, Johanna
________________________________
I found my driver's license so I don't have to submit to body cavity searches. Can't wait to see ya! -David

Galadriel Thompson said...

Isn't it so funny what happens when you become an adult? Things you didn't like so much as a kid, boring days with nothing going on, become things you dearly wish you had? Sounds like fun and I sure wish I had a bloody mary right now: )

Iguana Banana said...

Johanna
I can't wait to hug those little girls. It will be interesting to see what happens when there are 5 little girls using one swing. Do you think that David can find another tree to put up another swing?
David
Travel safely! See you soon.

Iguana Banana said...

Galadriel
You're not kidding about the adult pleasures - my girls are preparing for a princess-fashion show right now, complete with bathing suits and lavender daisy-flower crowns. It will be cute, but I'm pretty sure that I am on the clean-up crew.
Cheers! We'll drink one for you.

Chris and Rikki said...

There is no way that children can understand the adult pleasures a vacation to the lake can bring. When the Liens would take trips to Bemidji, Sara and I would look forward to the yummy food, the swimming, and hopefully a trip to visit Paul and Babe. Now, whenever we visit family or friends at the lake, Rikki and I marvel at how little it takes to make us happy. All I need is a gentle breeze, a view of the lake, and an icy beverage of choice to make my summer complete. Have a good week and say hi to the loons for us. --C.L.