Vacation

Our little family is in Vail for a few days for the Mountain Games.  It is funny to type that we are in town for the Mountain Games... because we do not attend many events any more.  We always walk around and enjoy the atmosphere, but the Mountain Games have really become a nice little tradition for our family to spend a long weekend in Vail just our family.

All of our vacations these days involve our extended family.  Part of that is the age of our children, and part is the need for extra hands (preferably family) when we do travel.

What I am realizing is that this annual little Vail getaway is becoming very special to me because my little family gets to stay in the condo, and it is just our little family.  We can go down to the village if we want, and be back in our room in 10 minutes if need be.  Tracey can go swimming in the pool and be in a warm bathtub 5 minutes later.

It is the only little vacation that is just our family of five.

The funny thing is, for about the first 36 hours, it didn't feel like a vacation.  It felt like I was wrangling three little ones with a little more challenge because we weren't at home.  My responsibilities as the Mama were pretty much the same as at home.

But then, yesterday, these was this wonderful moment mid-day when all the planets aligned and all three children were napping at the same time, and I realized what makes this a vacation.  When all babies were napping at the same time... there wasn't a pile of laundry waiting for me, there wasn't a vacuum or a summer project calling my name.  THIS is the vacation -- yes I still had my responsibilities as the Mom... but my ONLY responsibilities were being the Mom.

 Vacation does not mean sleeping until noon and staying up until midnight anymore, with a nice afternoon nap after a walk in the hot sun.  Vacation does not take away the Mom responsibilities... but it does take away the homemaking responsibilities.  That is the vacation.