Well...after a scrambling for last-minute unpacked items, special stuffed animals and the like...my family is off on the annual family camping trip. They're heading for the Oregon coast...without me.
Lest you feel too sorry for me, let me assure you it was by my own choice. Let me explain...
You see, each year, my husband's eleven brothers and sisters, assorted spouses and kids, head to the same campground every year. They have been doing this since my husband was born and the tradition carries on. I have gone off and on, through the years, as well. I have enjoyed some fun moments, sitting around the campfire with the clan and listening to stories, hiking on the nearby trails, and playing on the beach on those rare, warm Oregon coastal days.
But I guess I'm not the pioneer sort. I grew up with a nice Terry trailer, sleeping on the top bunk, snug and warm, with the soft light of the gas lamps setting off a cozy glow. So this year I decided to stay home- sending off my youngest for the first time on this adventure without me and giving lots of hugs and kisses to both girls and hubby this morning.
Now, if we had a trailer, maybe... maybe ...I would have gone this time. But tent camping on the Oregon coast has never been exactly my favorite vacation. I've tried many years to be a trooper, honestly! And I think his family still loves me, in spite of my lack of "roughing it" genes. (Ot at least tolerates me.)
Now, don't get me wrong...I have enjoyed some good tent camping in other places. I'm not that much of a primadonna. But tent camping on the Oregon coast- only forty feet from the cold, blustery sea - is just not my cup of ...cocoa.
It causes me to:
1) shower with cold water on a cold morning on cold, puddly cement.
2) shower daughters with cold water (insert crying and fussing) on a cold morning on cold, puddly cement.
3) sleep with layers of jammies and long johns and sweatshirts, huddled with my family (OK, that part is really nice) but still feeling like I'm in the tundra...
4) feel cold enough that I keep waking up...which makes me feel like I have to use the bathroom. I hunt for the flashlight, carefully unzip the tent (wow, that's loud...did it wake the whole campsite?) and make my way through the frigid darkness to the bathroom (...just take a right, down a path, then it forks to the left, walk through the grassy area, and then just another quarter mile...can't miss it, just look for the massive moths batting the one overhead light...)
So... instead, I am here thinking about all the great things I can do, but as a busy mommy, never seem to have the time for. Wow- Free Time! This whole messy, cluttered house is at my disposal! (Ok, first on my list is doing some serious house-cleaning!)
But all kidding aside, I really do hope to make this time useful. And though I didn't get to church this morning, I plan on spending some extra quiet time with the Lord. I plan on finally getting my scrapbooking material out (which haven't been touched in months) and doing a page or two at long last. I plan on reading a good book out on the sunny deck. And I even plan on trying to complete the last chapter of the Christian romance that I have been working on for two years!
Oh...and yes. I honestly do plan on cleaning the house and organizing. (And the strange thing is, I'm actually looking forward to that! Funny, how much easier cleaning can be when it's not being messed up simutaniously!)
However... as much as I think I'm going to try and use this rare alone time wisely...it's going to be with mixed feelings as I go about my days. How strange not to hear my little wee voices or to read them stories at bedtime tonight. How quiet the house will seem!
I think I may even start to miss the whines of my four year old and the tattling and squabbles that sprinkle my day.
But when my family comes back from their fun- tired, tan and dirty- I also know that I will have gained a lot. I will have not only been refreshed by my time of peace and quiet ...I will have gleaned a new appreciation and thankfulness for my children and husband. And this is a very good thing.
In the meantime... I'm off to start my alone-time. First order of business? To tear myself away from this computer and my new-found blogging addiction (at least temporarily). So, what would you other mommies do with several days to yourself?
Wish me well...I'll let you know how it goes!
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24 comments:
OOOh! Alone time, I am so jealous.
Give me an RV or give me a Best Western. Period. That's the only way I camp! And alone time? Why, that's just good for the soul.
I'm with you! Actually I used to love camping. My husband was an Eagle Scout, and we found it was an inexpensive way to vacation. But NOW, now that I'm middle-aged I much prefer life's little luxuries.
How would I spend some free time? Dreaming. Dreaming, scheming and praying about the next steps of my life.
How well do I remember the 2 times I joined in at that camp, freezing in a tent the first time,& on the 2nd trip being trapped in my van(the Kid safety lock was on which I didn't know about, & my son in law had left a huge box on the passenger seat in front, which I had to unload to get out through the front of van & during all this time in a hurry to get to the rest room. I too missed the Terry!!
As a fellow Oregonian -- I live in Portland -- you need to head EAST, not WEST, lol! I'd rather swim a snotty river than camp anywhere on this side of the Cascades. Dear Hubby and I have a secluded spot NE of Madras that's to die for, with beautiful views of Hood, Jefferson, Three-Fingered Jack, and the Three Sisters...acres and acres of desert wildflowers. I grew up on the southern border of the Olympic Rain Forest so I love to avoid the cold and damp of the coast as much as possible. I am coming over here from Piggle Wiggle's site...I love that gal!!...and I hope you'll stop by and say hello. The door's always open at my place! :-)
I would definitely be cleaning if I had some alone time. I'm so used to the boys messing everything up the minute I clean it that I barely even try anymore. If the dishes and laundry get done, that's good enough for me, LOL!
We used to camp with our extended family when I was a kid- only it was in South GA in the summer heat. Lots of bugs and strange swampy creatures. One time my dad and uncles thought they saw an owl in our campsite. Turns out the next morning that it was a lamp post! LOL My idea of roughing it is Hampton Inn. ;>)
Hmmmm, I love camping, but I also love mummy-alone-time !! How long will they be away for ?? Do you have enough time to do what you like for a few days, then get into the housework before they come home ??
Thanks for dropping by my blog. It's lovely to meet you.
Have a wonderful week.
Take care, Meow
I hope you enjoy this time to yourself. I do have to admit I love camping, and outdoors. My husband and I are counting down the months to when we can take our 10 month old camping (ok, so not yet but soon hopefully!)
I understand. I do like sleeping in a tent, but not in the rain, and who can predict? Actually, I don;t mind sleeping the rain as long as it clears in time for a good day.
We went camping in Oregon last year along the Rogue river. It was just an over night thing since we were visiting with my brother and his wife who live in Bend. My daughter was nine months old and from about 3 a.m. on I was eagerly anticipating that first cup of coffee, since sleep seemed out of the question. Unfortunately, I woke up and my brother was pouring coffee into empty coke cans--we'd forgotten coffee cups. Luckily the only other people up that early loaned us a few of their cups. I was so grateful!
I haven't camped since we started having kids. I keep waiting for them to grow up a little more so it isn't so hard :) Your description makes me shiver!
That sounds wonderful. The funny thing is, the cleaning sounds like the most exciting thing on the list. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have some mommy alone time to clean and organize my new house. Then I'd be refreshed and ready to take on the messes that would pop up as soon as I opened the door to let the fam back in. Enjoy your time and do whatever makes you happy.
Sleep! I would honestly sleep!
I so can relate to those feelings of wanting to join the fun but just not up for the "great outdoors" hehe. We've camped lots in the past as it is so affordable and definitely bonding (older boys loved it) but as middle age sets in, oh the comfort of a good Sealy Posturpedic just calls my name!
Hubby tries to go at least once each Spring and again in Fall for an overnight with younger ones. I've missed out with little ones of late though.
So home alone huh? I always plan big and then chuck the whole plan (except the cleaning, so relate to cleaning w/o "messer uppers" following behind)and end up reading!
Enjoy and remember to kiss hubby with a huge thank you when he gets home. alone time. . .what a luxurious thought!
Oh, you guys! Thanks so much for the replies! You know, being 'home alone" isn't so bad when you have cyberfriends, right?
While I was just typing this reply, my hubby and oldest daughter called to say good-night...aww. (Youngest one is totally out for the count.)
OK, it's almost time to go to bed and I guess on Day 1, I've accomplished just a tiny bit of several things on my list. Not nearly as much as I hoped, because after getting up early, I've done what Kim said...slept! I slept part of my afternoon away! Oh, well...that can be good, too! :)
Blessings!
I can sooooo relate! Even though I'm a camping addict, when my extended family decided to go when I was eight months pregnant, I was like "Thanks but not thanks!" My multiple potty breaks to the outhouse ALONE would've put me over the top.
And so I looked forward to my alone-time more than you'll ever know. Too bad it RAINED that weekend and it was canceled. Such is my luck!
Feel sorry for you?! I'm jealous. I would pay for some time alone. I'm not much of a camper. I love hiking, but then I like to go to the hotel afterwards and order pizza.
I wish my family would go away for a while and leave me alone! I hope you enjoy your time alone.
hi tammy, sounds like a dreamy time for you! (except for the house cleaning). enjoy it. thanks for coming over to my blog.
I just had some alone time this weekend. For my friends birthday we got a hotel room in town and did some serious scrapbooking! Enjoy your time!
I'm sorry I hadn't seen your first comment on my blog! For some reason, even tho I have it 'marked' on my blog's 'inner workings' that I want to be notified when I get readers' comments, the silly thing doesn't work! So unless I scroll down and notice there might be more comments on a particular entry than there had been the last time I looked thru, I miss them. Plus my daughter told me she commented on my entry about friendship betrayal but it's never shown up, ha! That's cyberspace for you, eh. Also, I think you're the 4th or 5th Tammy who's commented lately on my blog, haha! So my poor menopausal brain gets befuddled. But thank you for your lovely comments, and for bookmarking me. I've got you in my Favorites...I'm running out of links that Bravejournal will allow for non-Bravenet members, which I think is lousey but I'll save THAT complaint for another day! :-) Have a good day, Tammy! Nice to hear from a fellow Portlander, let alone a fellow Oregonian!
Enjoy your time!
I am definitely not a camper anymore. When I was young I enjoyed it but now I prize a good night's sleep much more.
A couple years ago our family went to our presbytery's family camp. The cabins were primitive with no electricity and we had to brush the bat droppings off the ancient "mattresses." One of our boys had a snake in bed with him, we had a mouse who kept running in and out, and the air coming in the large screened openings was very damp at night. I think I had three interrupted hours of sleep the first night. Then there was only one shower house for three sections of the camp and it was a very good hike away and filled with many friendly spiders. I kept plugging away with a smile on my face, thinking over and over to myself: I'm doing this for the children. I'm doing this for the children. I'm doing this for the children. :-)
We haven't been back since.
We went camping on the Oregon coast when I was eight months pregnant! We got there, and found out it was a hike in site. So, my sweet husband blew up the air mattress that we use to make tent camping okay (that only blows up being plugged into the car). He hiked it in! I do remember having to get up and pee in the middle of the night, and not loving that.
But I'm glad that you were able to stay home. I probably would spend m time blogging (guilt free), reading, maybe watching a chick flick.
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