our trip to Chelan

We had our annual family trip to Chelan. Doing something annually lets you see how much you life has changed. I remember having to get up at 5:00 in the morning with David and get him out of the hotel room in five minutes flat, so we wouldn't bother the rest of the family or the rest of the guests at the hotel. I remember trying to stroll Rose to sleep at nap time with no luck. Or trying to get both children to sleep before 10:00 with no luck. Or the year we stuffed them full of French fries, gluten encrusted French fries and learned that David, at least, is not asymptomatic. Traveling with them is not easy, but it has gotten much much easier. Here are the highlights from this year:

Pie

I had read an article in Sunset praising the pie at bakery in Cashmere. Cashmere happens to not only be in a direct route from Seattle to Chelan, but also a good lunch stopping place and the place where the river raft trip pulls out (which the kids and grandparents did--another highlight.) I like pie. I even like bad pie. But I really like good pie. We got cherry pie, marionberry pie, and host of chocolate desserts. I wouldn't drive two hours for their pie, but I would definitely request the driver make two bad left turns to get me there again.

The double innertube ride at Slidewaters

At the water park, another great tradition that keeps getting better as the kids get older, David and I went down a tube slide together. It was the first time for both of us, and it was fantastic. I enjoy water slides, but I take most of them pretty slowly, and I don't like being flipped around backwards, in the dark, or scared my back will go out again. This one not only didn't do the bad stuff, it somehow managed to be transcendent. I felt transported, spun off into a new world, simply in the moment. Really, I let go. And it happened both times we went. David had a wonderful time too. He's now tall enough and confident enough in the water that he could just enjoy it.

Gluten-free pizza and French fries

Usually when I go out of town, I pack the kitchen sink. Even in the trip to Legoland at the beginning of the summer involved an entire suitcase worth of food. But John noticed Chelan now has gluten-free pizza, so I only packed g-f muffins, g-f bread, g-f bars, the other g-f bars. . .really, it was half what I normally bring. The kids liked the pizza! Rose was feeling very sad that the hotel restaurant only had gluten French fries, but then my sister discovered the hamburger shack at the corner had great g-f fries and shakes to boot. And on the way home, David deigned to try a hamburger (with fries, ketchup and shake mixed in). He liked it! Feeding my children has always been one of the hardest parts of traveling and now with new g-f availability and their slowly expanding tastes, it's getting almost sane.

David doesn't need me constantly

David can now watch three hours of tv without complaint. I know this isn't something to cheer about, but long car rides used to be utterly exhausting. Now, they're a chance to chat. For the last few years, David has joined the other kids in the grandparents' playroom extravaganza. (The grandparents bring tons of toys.) That meant John and I could go work out for an hour in the morning. This year, not only did he do that, but he could go to the pool without me. I'm not saying he can swim safely. But he can stand in half the pool, and he was willing to go down with Grandpa or Uncle Dan. So, he can play happily and safely with minimal supervision. Some days I got in the pool. Some days I didn't. I had a choice.

Iphone

My iphone has changed my life. I want no comments on my level of addiction, but I feel so much more relaxed now that I can check my email whenever I want. And I just learned how to check books out of the library and read them on my iphone. You probably aren't getting the significance of this. The iphone creates its own light. So, I can share a room with the kids, turn out the light for their bedtime, and continue to read if I want to. Freedom.

The Pioneer museum

Dan always picks out weird places for us to visit. A few years ago we went to the Apple Museum in Wenatchee--one long sales pitch for apples. This year we went to the Pioneer museum in Cashmere, of pie fame. Much to all of our shock, the museum was great. In addition to a ton of exhibits on Native American and pioneer life, there was a village with a saloon, millenary shop, post office, etc. My favorite part was the post office. Ah Swarthmore readers, remember the thrill of seeing that diagonal shape in your box? Here were our very same mail boxes.

Time moves strangely as a parent. Like right now while Rose sighs heavily about the play date I have set up for this afternoon, and I am waiting for David to turn off the cd of the BFG, find his socks, find his shoes, find his ten sticks and go to his swim class with John, so I can lift weights and write in peace, it's slow. But I know the years of playing together will fly by, and I'm trying to pay attention and enjoy them.