Posts made in July, 2006

The Family Vacation

Posted by Dad on Jul 28, 2006 in Family | 0 comments

I’ve noticed that it’s only 7:15 am. The family doesn’t wake up until after 8 so I have about 45 minutes before I have to go up to the room.  As I’ve written, this hotel only has wireless Internet in the lobby so that’s were I go when I wake up.  Mostly to send pictures back to family members and keep them up to date on what we’re doing.  Of course, also to jot some notes here.

I did want to get down some thoughts that have been crossing my mind now that I get to focus more on my family.  The one thought that I’ve been studying is the dynamics of a family vacation.  I am starting to think they are incredibly valuable to a family just like trying to eat dinner together at the family table.

With today’s fast-paced work, school and extra-curricular schedule, I find that we don’t connect at a deep level with the family. Sure we speak, have dinner and pray every day.  My wife spends almost every waking moment with my kids.  However, because we are running around doing so many things, we really don’t connect as we should.

On family vacations, you spend every waking moment together and you don’t have the everyday schedule to contend with.  What this does is allow you to connect with the family.  I start to realize and appreciate my kids’ manarisms and personality.  I start to think more about my wife and appreciate her feelings.  I start to pick up that she’s tired, angry, happy, etc. because I have the time to spend with her.

What’s more, I think there’s a natural progression of feelings that happen when you’re on a family vacation.  We’ve all seen it in the movies.  A dysfunctional, alienated family goes on a quirky family vacation and learns that they really love each other by the end.  There’s certainly some truth to that.  Oh, I don’t think we’re dysfunctional- not more than any other family, anways.  It is because we’re normal that I think we go through that progression.

I think it’s natural to start by getting on each other’s nerves.  The stress of starting the vacation can get to you too.  Then you slowly start to relax and enjoy each others company.  I’m currently at the middle of the progression, I think.  I’m thinking that I don’t spend enough time with the kids. I don’t spend enough time with my wife.  Work has a tendency to become all-consuming.

For the wives reading this, husbands are genetically programmed to focus on providing for the family. For most, this means go out and hunt and bring back home.  This is why we get lost with work and, sometimes, it appears we are paying more attention to it than our family.  It is just because we love our family so much that we go out and work as hard as we do.  Probably, the fact that we don’t multi-task well is also a factor.  We feel that if we don’t provide, we are not doing what we’re supposed to do and we’re a failure and you won’t love us.  So, once in a while, let us know you would love us no matter what and that you appreciate what we do to bring home some bacon.  I’m sure many of you do that already. But, just in case….

In any event, I’m feeling very grateful to have this opportunity to re-connect with my family and to learn more about them.  I truly wish that you have the same opportunity.

Last day in Charleston

Posted by Dad on Jul 28, 2006 in Travel | 0 comments

Well, we had a great day yesterday in good old Charleston.  We got up early to grab some breakfast before heading over to the aquarium to catch the ferry to Fort Sumter.  The day was beautiful.  Unfortunately, my daughter, who didn’t have breakfast and doesn’t particularly like boats, came down with a terrible headache.  The thirty minute ferry out to the fort wasn’t bad but the hour we spent on the island and the ferry back were difficult.  Thankfully, my wife took Children’s Motrin in her bag and gave her some of that.  Mothers continually amaze me with their forethought when it comes to the kids.  I would not have thought to carry that.

We returned to the hotel to let my daughter recover.  The wife went to buy some lunch from a restaurant across the street.  All in all, it was three before we got out the door again.

We wanted to do a carriage ride through the historic area so we went to Market Street and plunked down $60+ for the four of us.  As we were getting the receipt, a distant thunder could be heard.  Sure enough, it started to pour as we were climbing into the carriage.

Frankly, I (my wife calls me “safety man”) was rather concerned about the ride.  Picture this. You’re in the middle of a mid-afternoon, southern thunderstrom with lighting cracking the air around you.  You’re sitting in a wood and cast iron carriage being pulled along at a snails pace by an old horse. Hmm… My “safety man” powers were kicking in and screaming “We’re a freaking lighting rod!”

Fortunately, the rain let up halfway through the ride and we avoided the lighting strike. Other than being completely soaked, we had a great tour through the historic residential part of town.  Charleston is amazing when you start to learn about the city’s place in history.  Washington stayed here during his tour of the south. The “nullification papers” were signed here. The Civil War started here. They have over 2,500 houses that date back before the revolutionary war!! Heck, were we’re from a house that is more than 20 years old is considered “old construction”.

We ended the day with a nice dinner at Poogan’s Porch (fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and fried chicken) and a walk through the residential neighborhood that my wife can’t get enough of.  The kids did their best to behave.  I’ve got to hand it to them, they are dealing with all this history and what to them are very boring tours MUCH better than I would have at their age.  I’ve very proud of them.

Today we’ll go tour a couple of important homes in the area and will head off to our fourth stop on the Road Tour 2006- Atlanta, GA.  It’s a six hour car ride.

I’m attaching a few shots of Charleston.  I’ll try to write again from Atlanta.

139 141 143

Charleston, SC- stop number 3

Posted by Dad on Jul 27, 2006 in Travel | 2 comments

Well, we’ve been to St. Augustine, Savannah and now Charleston.  All beautiful locations with a tremendous amount of history.  The wife and I are loving it.  The kids…well…they’re happy to be out of the house and on the road.

I don’t mean to say that they’re having a bad time. It’s just that it isn’t Disney World.  They are sitting through 90 minute historic tours.  That’s a lot to ask of kids under 10.  I must say that they are behaving themselves very well, considering.

We met a family at an inn next door who said that our Road Trip 2006 sounded like the vacations they used to take when their kids were little.  “Educational vacation”, their kids used to say.  Maybe that’s how my kids will think of it.  I hope not though.

I think that they are getting a lot more than they realize- an enourmous amount of quality time with mom and dad.  Rather than sharing our attention with work and house issues, they have our full and undivided attention.  And without having to misbehave! Imagine that.

Well, let me jot down some thoughts on what we saw yesterday- the Magnolia Plantation.  It’s a beautiful southern plantation. Over 500 acres that take you back to the time of the civil war.  Actually, it is owned by the Drayton family that traces its lineage back 700 years to dear old England.

There’s a swamp tour through the swamp that surrounds the main home. Alligators, turtles, wild birds, snakes, mosquitos, heat, humidity, wonderful smells… You get the picture. My son loved it.  Daughter was petrified thinking the tram was going to end up in the swamp because the tour guide/driver looked sidewise more than he looked forward.  She had a plan, though.  She says she would jump out as it was falling into the swamp and then help the others get off.  Amazing how her imagination works. She’s thought the worse and then how to get out to save herself and others.  Hmm… She’ll make a good lawyer.

Anyway, with that, I must bid you adiue (I think that’s how you spell that?). My breakfast awaits in the room.

Oh! The inn we’re staying in has wireless Internet but only in the lobby. So, I get up before the family and come down for some early java and some typing.

Savannah, GA

Posted by Dad on Jul 26, 2006 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

We made it to Savannah on the second stop to our “Road Trip 2006″.  And what a beautiful city it is!

We stayed at the Double Tree, if anyone’s interested.  It’s a very nice hotel and located on the west side of the historic distric.  We realized that the Mulberry is actually more centrally located.  If we ever go back, we’ll be staying there.

The kids loved the beautiful architecture but I think they enjoyed the old cemeteries the most. Would you believe that!?  I was shocked at the number of children and infants that are buried there. I guess odds weren’t very good back then that kids made it to adulthood.

Anyway, a few days into our two week vacation I’m starting to finally relax.  It usually takes me a few days to throttle-down from my typical work pace.  I’ve only checked in a few times but that’s been enough to get the family grumbling that I’m working too much.  I have a couple of work things I need to get done and I’m working up early to try to finish them while the family sleeps. Anyone see the movie RV…?

Road trips are great to get to know your kids better.  That’s what I’m focusing on now. 

More later…  Here are some shots of Savannah.

130 133 136 

Pictures from St. Augustine, Florida

Posted by Dad on Jul 24, 2006 in Travel | 1 comment

I’m on a wonderful two week vacation with the family. A road trip!

First stop- St. Augustine, Florida.  The oldest city in America.  I’ve attached some images. 

P.S. Images aren’t showing. Got to figure out how to upload them!  Figured it out!

127