vacation part one

(Blogger is giving me a hell of a time uploading pictures. Sorry, I know this is no good without the pictures- I will keep trying.)

We're back. It really stunk to come back to work yesterday. I mean, normally I like my job and the people I work with. But the first day back after vacation is a real drag. I pouted for most of the day, and tried to comfort myself with a really expensive salad and sushi lunch from the health food store.

On a happier note, we had a terrific vacation!! It wasn't without mishaps and frustrating moments, but all in all it was great. I imagine it will take me a few posts to get through all the things I want to share and record here.

Vacations like this, when you visit the same place year after year, can't help but be sentimental. Bill has been going to this cottage for his entire life. So has Kate. I've been visiting since 1993. As I reflect on this most recent vacation, I can see not only how much our kids have grown over the years, but how Bill and I have grown too (and I don't mean around the middle! I try NOT to notice that.)

When Bill first introduced me to this vacation spot, I wasn't much of a lake person. I thought they were pretty to look at, but I was afraid of the rickety docks, afraid of the boat, and grossed out by the mucky sand and seaweed and little FISH swimming around my feet- eeek!

On the first day of vacation this year, I stopped to look at myself: leading my two young children out into the lake in our water shoes. All by myself- not scared at all, and teaching my sons not to be scared either. I realized that this is just one of the countless new experiences that my husband and my children have brought to my life.

Both boys swam in the lake like little fish! I can't convey how proud I was. I really feel like Henry's swimming lessons were one of the smartest moves we made with him. If for no other reason than it gives him the confidence to explore the water.

Henry really enjoyed himself, but also did a lot of protesting, at just about every transition: "I don't want to go to the big dock I don't want to go to the big dock I don't want to go to the big dock I don't want to go to the big dock..." all the way to the big dock. Once there, he would jump in and paddle around and have the time of his life.

And his bravery scared me a little. On the first day, while I was unpacking, I heard the door slam (thank God this house is so loud and creaky). I looked out the window, and there was Henry, walking across the street! I asked what he was doing, and he said "I want to go back to the lake." I told him that he must never go to the water without a grownup, and it seemed to sink in, because he didn't try that again.

We also spent quite a bit of time sitting beside the river, which feeds into the lake, watching boats go by. I made a big fuss about how deep and cold the river was, because I was quite fearful that he would jump right in. (I guess my deep-seated fear of the water is not quite gone...)

One of our worst vacation experiences was the summer Henry was 2 and Kate was 12. At that time we did not suspect that Henry was autistic. We just thought he was a pretty stubborn, bratty toddler. For just one example, he always wanted to take off his swim trunks, and we would fight and fight about it. At that time Kate was at an age where she wanted to hang out with other kids, rather than with us (the same families are always up there, so there are other kids to play with). But we weren't quite prepared for her to not want to be with us. That vacation was so unpleasant that we didn't go back for the next 2 summers!

Well, Henry still doesn't like to wear his wet, clingy swim trunks. Always wants to take them off as soon as he gets out of the water. So I try to remember to bring his dry clothes with us, so he can change right away. Now that I understand him better, I can adapt, and we are all happier. This is another example of how I observed that Bill and I have grown as parents. Another is: now we know that Henry will protest about most activities, but we know when to ignore it. Back when he was 2 years old, we would have gotten angry and said "he never even wants to swim. What a waste of time... grr grr grr..."

Henry did seem to miss his technological companions: the movie player and the computer. He asked many times to watch a movie or play on the computer. We brought along several Disney book-on-tapes, and those received heavy rotation. (Pretty much like listening to a movie, rather than watching one. Oh well.) I was pleasantly surprised that once we arrived back home, Henry went up to his bedroom and started playing with all the toys in the toybox- didn't even ask about the tv or computer.

(I missed technology too- on Thursday afternoon I took a nap, and dreamt that I was staying in a fancy hotel with a big jacuzzi bathtub surrounded by televisions and computers!!!!! What a pitiful statement about my subconscious!)

When we were swimming in the lake on the first day, I heard Henry say "I'm not afraid of anything!" I could tell it was a script, and asked him "who says that?" he replied "Piglet." Even though he was using Piglet's words, I felt that he had picked out an appropriate script for himself, and I thought my heart just might burst at that moment.