What I Learned While On Vacation

While I was on vacation, I realized:
• I can be a stay-at-home mom.
Sometimes I wonder if that is what I really want or if I am one of those people who only want what she can’t have. But after staying home for two weeks, one week just hanging out and the second camping, I realize I could do this full time.

• One never tires of swinging.
I think my son and I were on the swing for at least a hour several times a day. My guy likes to go high – by himself (on a regular swing) or with mommy or daddy. We went to several parks my first week off and the swings were always his favourite part.

• Exploring the world.
While camping, my mom told me to just let my guy explore the world. She said it’s amazing to let kids go off ‘by themselves’, to see what they do when they don’t think we are watching.
Mom, of course, was right.
I can see why kids disappear. My guy headed straight for the forest behind the trailer and picked up sticks, gathered leaves and went further and further away.
He also left several times, giant bag in hand, to go for a car ride. In that case, he would say ‘bye’, blow kisses, come back for real kisses and hugs and head toward the car, or sit in the grass and play.
It was amazing.
There isn’t as much opportunity to let him head off by himself where we live, however, he did go exploring at neighbour’s property this week.

• Time flies when you are having fun.
My mom also said a vacation wouldn’t be as fun if you were off all the time.
I have to disagree. When I was off for a year’s maternity leave, I still enjoyed last’s year camping vacation.

On a different note, I heard on the radio today the head of Google was saying in the future he could see today’s teens having to change their names because they revealed way too much on facebook and other social media sites.
It’s an interesting point and one everyone – not just teens – should keep in mind.

Wordless Wednesday – Camping with My Family

The first week of August, my son, my mom, my sister-in-law, my niece and I went camping. It was fantastic.

Photographic Opportunities

Before our son was born, I spent a great deal of time taking nature photos and having them developed.

Now I see a lot of photo opportunities, but don’t grab them. And why would I develop a picture of a flower when I can develop a picture of my adorable son?

But on our camping trip, my parents were quite happy to take the stroller reins so I was able to take a number of great pictures. And I thought I would share some of them with you.

Fun Times at Provincial Park

I’m back.
My son and I had a wonderful time camping with my parents, sister-in-law and niece at Sibbald Point Provincial Park.
It rained - torrentially at many times - most of the week, giving us only a couple of days sunshine and warmth. But we made the best of it.

We walked, swam, walked, threw rocks in the water, walked, climbed, watched Dora (she is really annoying), walked, played at the park, walked, coloured, played games, walked, sang, had campfires, ate, walked, watched Franklin, cooked smores (SK, I am really developing a taste for these things. I had the best one Saturday night) and walked. My niece and I played in the rain, with me encouraging puddle jumping (now she can point out and enjoy the best puddles herself).

We saw a mother deer and her fawn, complete with spots, twice, and had a raccoon play in the woods behind our campsite. Otherwise, we didn’t see much in the way of wildlife.
We did, however, had many experiences with pigs.
We were disgusted about the amount of litter we found on the trails, left behind on campsites, at the beach and in the woods.
Note to the many weekend, first-time and city campers who go to Sibbald Park because it’s close to Toronto and not in the middle of nowhere:
* Park staff are not there to clean up after you. If you want maid service, go to a hotel. We saw one man ordering a park worker to clean up the litter in his campsite. While you do expect your site to be clean, if there is litter to be had, pick it up yourself.
* There is no curb-side garbage pick up at provincial parks. While it’s lovely that you have bagged your garbage, if you leave it at the edge of the campsite, raccoons, skunks and other wildlife will get into it.
* The only thing you should take out of the park are pictures. Leave the wildflowers, the berries, the driftwood where you found it.
* If you take it in, you should be taking it out. Plastic bags do not belong in the water, bottles do not belong on the trails and cookie wrappers shouldn’t be on the road. Aren’t people teaching their children not to litter?
* Radio-free zones are just that. Keep the music off.
* If you aren’t in a radio-free zone, your music shouldn’t be so loud I can hear it at my campsite. If you want to party, stay home.
* Don’t cut through my campsite even if it is quicker.
* The beach is not an ashtray.
* You are camping, expect wildlife.
* And just a question. Why patio lanterns and Christmas lights? When you go camping, wouldn’t you rather see the stars than create light pollution?

It’s Vacation Time

Beginning Saturday, we are on vacation. Not to say the last eight months hasn’t been a vacation but this a “real” vacation. We are going camping with my parents. And when I say camping, I really mean RVing.

When my parents turned in their tent for a RV, I must admit I teased them about not being real campers any longer.

I told them when you have a bed, a TV and a kitchen, it stopped being camping and start being hoteling on wheels.

And then I went with them.

I never want to go in a tent again.

So I won’t be posting next week.

Happy Canada Day and we’ll talk soon

As a side note, thank you to Kathy Kacer for commenting on my blog. I am honoured. Second Story Press (www.secondstorypress.ca) also Twittered me.