We’re back from our annual trip to the Great Midwest, and instead of a tremendously boring play-by-play, I’ll just give you the Good, Bad, and Ugly of 10 days in Northern Wisconsin with my family.
THE GOOD:
The kids were super travelers. Even Ellie, on her first flights, who was cutting her second tooth the entire time. And while I was adamant that I could have taken all three kids by myself (M couldn’t take that much time off from work and didn’t arrive until much later), I’m very glad my mom was there. Solo-ing it would have been foolish.
10 days of extra people to constantly entertain my kids was awesome. My mom got up with them and made breakfast. My stepdad was so excited to have them there, I lost count of how many fun things he had set up for them to do. My teenage cousins showed up and Daniel & Becca completely forgot anyone else was there. And my aunts practically lined up for turns holding Ellie.
The indulgences never ended. Delicious dinners every night. Late bedtimes. Lollipops a-plenty. Bonfires and roasted marshmallows. Always someone willing to go fishing or swimming or do a puzzle.
The kids were really good about water safety. We had a clear rule that they could only go on the dock (much less in a boat or in the water) with a lifejacket on, and there was zero pushback. Only once or twice did they forget and put so much as a foot on the dock without one.
Despite the first few days being a relative heatwave, the weather was largely beautiful, the lake wasn’t too cold, and we spent the majority of every day outside.
THE BAD:
By the end, the late bedtimes and hit-or-miss naps got a little out of hand and the big kids got kind of cranky. (Ellie, bless her, took some SERIOUS naps and was always down for the night between 6 and 7.)
We had to get up at 3:45AM for our return trip. It beat the alternative of starting the travel at 5PM and not getting home until midnight, but still. That was ugly.
The lake had a nasty bout of Swimmer’s Itch, a yucky little parasite that sometimes lives in the shallow water and can get under your skin if you’re not careful. This year, it was in much deeper water than normal. And despite taking what we thought were appropriate precautions, Daniel and I got it, bad. The itching was so awful, I literally felt sick to my stomach that first day. Daniel tried to hide under couch cushions and said it made him “crazy and mad.” Thankfully, a bit of benadryl took the edge off, and the itching was mostly gone the next day. The welts however, are only just now fading from my arms, almost two weeks later. We found a zinc-based sunscreen ointment that seemed to provide a barrier, so thankfully we didn’t have to completely abandon the water.
THE UGLY:
My mom’s dog, a 100+ pound Golden/Newfoundland mix, bit Rebecca. On the face. AGAIN. This would be the third time in two years, and yes, I’m livid. While a mostly friendly dog, he’s unpredictable. We were keeping them separated for much of the trip, and keeping a close eye when they were in the room together. Rebecca’s offense? She’s a completely undeterred dog lover, all shapes and sizes. She went to give him a pat on the head and maybe a little kiss, and he bit her.
I am done with this animal. Believe me, I am a dog lover, too. But since I can’t trust this one, even with reasonable amounts of supervision, I’m done. Some shit is going to hit the fan when I have to tell my mom that we won’t stay at her house for Christmas with the dog there, but I’m not quite ready to have that discussion yet.
It happened on the last day of our trip, which was a miserable way to end it. My mom was very upset and constantly apologetic. M (who had arrived a few days earlier) showed considerable restraint in that he neither yelled at my mom nor kicked (or worse) the dog.
Canine drama aside, it really was a good trip, and I’m glad we went. The kids had a blast, I found it relatively relaxing, and I was glad that plenty of my extended family members got to meet Ellie. And, as with any vacation, I’m glad to be back home.
Can I ask what sunscreen you are using to combat the swimmers itch? We’re in Michigan and two of my three kids get it bad from our lake.
Looks like a fun time was had by all!
I guess we can assume your mom doesn’t read your blog?
So sorry about the dog bite!!!
I’m gonna good, bad, ugly my comments to keep short.
Good: photos, lady you got some talent. Love the motion shot of the kids, the rainbow, the feet. Love.
Bad: Ugh to swimmers itch. The pic of you make me gulp.
Ugly: Icky family dynamics. Everyone’s life has static, but a dog bite on the face! Good God I would have lost it. Kudos to you for the restraint.
ps- we had that same rule about lifejackets with the boys recently at the lake and not one complaint miraculously from Ben.
So sorry about the dog and the itching (I get poison ivy super bad and I know how maddening itching can be…). On the other hand, these family trips of yours are building great memories for all of you, even more so because of your gorgeous photos!
You know how I feel about my girls (aka the dogs). I would do just about anything for them to make them happy, comfortable, etc.
As we were driving home from the hospital with Ben (almost six years ago now), I looked at P and I told him, “If she EVER puts teeth on him, she will be in our vet’s office and put to sleep as soon as possible.”
Since I made that statement she’s bitten me once and Phil once. She’s also bitten a couple of random vet techs. However, she has never laid a tooth on a child. We’ve ingrained in both of our kids what *not* to do with Sam because we know she can and will bite if she feels threatened.
I feel for Rebecca and I’m so sorry that this continues to be her experience with your mother’s dog.
Sounds and looks like you all had a lot of fun. So, so, so sorry to hear that Becca was bitten AGAIN! Grrrr.
You’ve certainly given this dog (and your mom) enough chances to get this biting stuff under control. Hopefully your mom won’t be too surprised when she finds out you’ll be staying elsewhere for the holidays. Seriously, who could blame you?
Wow, my husband would not have shown such constraint.
Our Christmases are spent with family friends, of which one couple has a dog that is their child. She is a vicious and sneaky little thing, that will hide under chairs and tables and then run out and sink her teeth into your heels when you walk by. Nothing can be done for this behavior by her parent-people. Fortunately, the first baby born into the group turned out to be TERRIFIED of the dog, so she has been happily absent from all celebrations since 2008. I hope things go smoothly at Christmas.