As usual, I'm way behind. Behind on household stuff. Behind on my paying work. And behind on this, which was supposed to be a place for me to pile up my thoughts. Instead, they are piling up in my brain. As I may have mentioned, my brain is short on space these days, so it's time to empty out the drawers and dust the corners.
Our trip to Wyoming was a big success. We spent 3 days driving from Seattle to Jackson, 5 days in Jackson, then another 3 driving home (including 2 days at Yellowstone). My little monkeys were better than expected in the car, thanks to the occasional well-timed DVD, some books on tape, and a fresh collection of books from the library.
One highlight of this trip was seeing my kids take risks. Not the dangerous kind, mind you, but stretching themselves beyond their usual (narrow) comfort zones. We went whitewater rafting, and Jack actually sat right up in front of the boat with me, gleefully taking the drenching we got with every rapid. We went horseback riding, and they put Timothy right up on his own horse. He looked like a natural, sitting back in the saddle like a real cowboy.
I think it's easier to take risks like that when you're away from home. You're already away from your ordinary life. The expectations are different - if you have any at all.
In many ways this trip felt like the vacations we took when I was a kid. I remember riding from Virginia to Indiana (where my aunt had a house on Lake Michigan) in the back of our station wagon. My three brothers rode in the back seat; I got to share the "way back" with the dog and the suitcases. I could curl up back there with a book and before I knew it we'd be at our destination.
I'm encouraged to keep traveling with my kids, to keep giving them chances to stretch and grow.
That said, we had a lot of togetherness. It's good to be home where I can duck into my office and be alone for a bit!
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