"Staycation"

Silly word, really, but apt in our case. This summer has been fairly stationary, with any real "road trips" undertaken mostly for medical reasons. Yippee. Don's first year of employment as a "regular joe" didn't offer him many days off, most of those too which were taken up for his own coughs and sniffles. A far, far cry from his pastor/priest days where we had a glorious 4 weeks of down-time each year. We spent one day at the shore, which was part fun and part (literal) wash-out, and now with Grace cast-bound we are finding ourselves rather house-bound. That's all right, really -- someone came up with a word for that: "staycation."

Don took his final 3.5 days off now, with today being his last day of freedom. The first day and a half were spent traveling to and from PA for Grace's cast, and now we're home. We spent part of the day yesterday at a nice-sized zoo -- quite inexpensive (for NJ), super clean, not crowded, and thoroughly enjoyable for all of us. I think the kids' favorite part was the little train that chugged through the forest, past a reservoir, cooling us down from lots of walking. We came home in time for good afternoon naps all around, free of charge.

Today we ran an errand, dropped off a too-small bike at my brother's house, then visited a local mini-arboretum. Our mega-3-wheeler stroller came in handy, having escaped a Craigslist posting for now, and Grace got a kick of riding around on the trail in such a fashion. It wasn't a big place but it was very pretty and just right for some tired out kids. While Grace now naps, I'm finishing up the laundry while Don and Aidan are out yukking it up at Chuck E. Cheese.

I'm wiped out, really. This summer has been an interesting combination of fun, relaxation, a very slow pace, and crazy insanity -- a mixed bag of nuttiness. The last month+ has been wrapped up in clubfoot issues, sapping a lot of my energy and peace that I had been feeling earlier in the season. While I'm not worried -- at all, in fact -- it still is draining nonetheless. And one week from now my baby boy will be starting his first full day of school, riding the bus to and from. That, my friends, will be a killer of a day for me. Of that I am very, very sure.

Back to folding shirts and shorts and super-cool camouflage boxer briefs picked out by my boy. No stickers to add to our steamer trunk this season, but somehow memories still find ways to be made ...