Vacation

Family vacation!  On balance it was very fun, but it is always interesting to experience your own family's particular brand of insanity.  There is a lot of love trapped inside of that insanity.  As I left my parents broken and exhausted at 4:30 a.m. in the Ft. Myers airport (or, more precisely, they left me... with my cell phone in their backseat) I had occasion to wonder what our contribution was to that insanity.  It is hard to turn the mirror on yourself sometimes.

For example, I took the boys putt-putting, which is always a hugely popular activity.  It is Dad of the year type stuff, I think.  This year they were pretty fired up after their success in December in Florida.  As we headed out, Hunt was talking trash to Sam about his 2 holes-in-one at the "Animal" course in December, which is never received well by my extremely competitive high-strung 8 year old who had only 1 hole-in-one (and attempted to break a putt-putt putter in two during the event - Imagine John McEnroe golfing).  I figured it would go better this time around because Sam is bound to do better, and Hunter is pretty laid back about things.  We started well.  We remembered our please and thank yous.  We practiced some putting.  Said nice things to each other.  Encouragement.  All's well.  We agreed to not keep score, because that gets them mad.  They even agreed together they would take turns going first.  I have great children! 

First hole - Sam lines it up and three putts.  He shakes it off and says that the course was messed up and that I talked when he hit his first putt so he can't be blamed.  So Hunt lines up (yes, I let them just go continuously until they get the ball in the cup).  And, yes, dear reader, you guessed it.  Hole in one.  First hole.  And...it's on.  Daddy was talking during mine!  I hate this course!  Why are there so many people here!  I hate Florida.  I wanna go home.  Jeesh.  Mercifully it ended after about 1 and 1/2.  We all drove home mad.  We got out of the car, and they asked if they could go tomorrow.  There is a lot of love in that insanity. 

But we survived it.  We learned a few lessons.  Fritz can both cook and rock, which makes him a star in the boys books.  Bill is still the smartest guy I know, and has less practical sense than a 5 year old, who pointed out that he made a wrong turn driving home from dinner.  Grandmom can make some mean Easter eggs, and has the best onion dip.  And don't ever put your cell phone in your pocket in the backseat of an Audi A8000 or whatever that car is my dad has.

Enjoy a few of the pictures below.