Why You May Want To Remove The Bubble Wrap

When you go on trips, sometimes you forget things. Sometimes it's your toothbrush, sometimes it's your underwear, sometimes it's your contact lens cleaner. Paula and I forgot that when you go on vacation without your husbands, YOU have to do all of the work. By yourself.

Arriving at the cottage in the pouring rain, it quickly became apparent that it was going to be a vacation powered by mom-power. Who was going to unload the bursting SUV? We were. Who was going to unstrap and haul the bubble-wrapped kayak off the top? We were.

The saddest part is that the list grew infinitely before our eyes:

1. Unpack? Moms, check!

2. Make the beds? Moms, check!

3. Put the melting groceries away? Moms, check!

4. Cooking

5. Cleaning

6. Laundry

7. Entertainment

8. Referee

9. Tuck in.

10. Doctor

11. Wake up

12. Watch over

13. Damage control

14. Fix it crew

15. Emergency clean up crew

16. Driver

17. Menu planner

18. Disciplinarian

19. Bed time story reader

20. Cleansliness moniter

I could go on and on. You, sadly, can probably get the picture. We had no one to shirk our duties to, unless it was each other.

By the time we had unloaded, sorted and made some food for the kids and various other things on the above list...we were too tired for wine, scrabble or anything else. Our first day of our big Girl's Trip and we were asleep. 9 pm EST. I think the little girls were still awake and running around.

The Canadian Chronicles, Part 2: Beds, Breakfasts, Best Buds and Tired Bones

When we disappear from our normal life into the Canadian Wilds, we re-emerge in an old fishing lodge that sleeps 11--if you put everyone in a bed. We can sleep 7 more on various couches and futons. Heck, lots more people can sleep on the floor if we squeeze 'em in.

This is not to mention a playhouse that sleeps many children in a triple decker bunk (our record is 8), a treehouse that sleeps two and a guest cottage that sleeps 6 in beds. Once again, if you get creative, you can find a lot more space.

Our cottage is a full-time Par-tay House. We love the company we keep, but making 12 beds and washing the sheets and re-making 12 beds makes one mom very tired. Ummm, and I'm not very good at housework--you know, the cooking and cleaning stuff. I like to bake desserts and make margaritas, but cooking for 30 continuously, is not my forte.

Especially, when the nearest real grocery store is an hour and a half away. If you drive fast, our local general store is only 20 minutes away and might have bread that day and might not. It's fair to say some days I am whipping up culinary creations out of a box of mac and cheese, a cucumber and a can of Campbell's soup. Unfortunately, I'm getting pretty good at it--I was after all raised in the midwest.

I am very tired by the end of the summer with no date nights, no take out and no housekeeping service. I arrive back to our normal life and people ask me about our summer vacation. Honey, my real life is vacation and my time in exile is my penance. I'm not water skiing, sleeping in a hammock or hiking in the woods.

No, I am running my own all inclusive resort with a limited staff of me, and for some reason...I like it. It's the job I love to hate. Good friends are good guests and they always lend me a hand and their many hands make light work. Bad guests should switch cocktails glasses with me, so as to make sure I'm not poisoning them.

We have so many awesome memories of the time spent on the lake. It defines our summer and it sure makes it feel good to come home.