A Change of Scenery

     I apologize for not writing this post sooner, but I was busy being OUTSIDE!  For the past week two of my children and I were on a vacation to Schroon Lake, a beautiful lakeside community in the Adirondacks.  We are blessed to have such generous friends that they frequently loan us their vacation home there.  As often as we can, some combination of my family borrows the house which is a mere two or three minute walk to the lake.  This time it was Ginger, Oliver and my turn.
     The three of us have been there two times before together but never in summer weather.  The first trip was last October.  The kids insisted on swimming in the deserted lake while I sat on the beach wrapped from head to toe in their warm towels.  The next time we visited was in April while part of the lake was still thick with ice.  That time we focused our outdoor energy on the local playgrounds.  For this trip I knew the weather was ripe for beach trips.  Lots of them.  I summoned my inner strength and in order to show my commitment to all things outside, I had my nails done for the occasion.  That is how ready I was.

"I had my nails done for the occasion."

     We arrived on Saturday evening and went straight to unpacking and making dinner.  I did channel my fun mom side and took them on a walk to get ice cream.  I will admit that I love the ease of walking everywhere when we are there.  At home we live in a more rural area and can't walk to anything except the local graveyard.  It felt so good to enjoy the simplicity of a quiet walk holding my daughter's hand and seeing the excitement of treating my kids to a late night snack.
     The next day we walked to a nearby church and then stopped on the way home to play at a playground.  It had rained overnight and the only seat available was an outdoor chaise- loungy thing with a fabric cover.  It was sunny and warm and I couldn't just stand there.  I gave in and sat on the soaked cushion.  I hung on as long as I could while the children played.  It got hotter and hotter and I got wetter and wetter.  I lasted about an hour and then suggested we head home.  After lunch was our first beach trip.  The children were in the water faster than I could set up my soccer mom chair on the sand.  They were in paradise.  I am about to admit something big.  I was happy to be outside.  Happy. Outside.  Watching them was a pure delight.  They made friends, built sand structures, swam, played, and giggled.  It was wonderful.  We stayed for hours.  We stayed past dinner time and past when the other families left.  Exhausted, we headed home.  Repeat that for the next five days.
     I really was extra fun during this trip and we were outside each day for many hours.  By day four though, I prayed for rain.  I got it in the form of a thunderstorm overnight and a grey morning.  It didn't last and we were right back on the beach by lunchtime.  Oh well.  The children were so happy.  That was all I needed to keep myself on that beach.

Ginger and Oliver

     I will admit that it was easier to be outside because the weather was so reasonable.  Just as soon as I would start to complain about the heat, the sun would disappear behind a cloud and I would stop my grumbling.  Watching the kids was what really made it all worthwhile.  It made me think how easy it would be to make them happy by getting outside with them more.  They need to run and be noisy and explore.  They were loving every minute of our time there and that made me love it too.
     Saturday morning we slept in, tidied up, and were on our way home from the Lake House.  We were all sad to leave.  By the time we had driven the three hours back to our house the rain started in earnest and continued for the rest of the day and all through the weekend.  Believe it or not, I was glad it waited for us to go.