Escape to the Extraordinary
We snuck out of town. We needed to do this quietly so the house wouldn't suspect anything and hurl roof shingles at our backs as we hightailed it down the sidewalk towards O'Hare.
It felt good.
Aaron's parents had a wedding to go to in Victoria, British Columbia and they used the trip as an opportunity to gather us all together for a family vacation. When they invited us along, it took 0.3 seconds for us to reply with a resounding "Yes! Oh, thank you! Yes!" Why did it take us so long to respond? The internet was really slow that day.
That is the famous Empress Hotel in downtown Victoria. Why is there a boat in the photo? Well, that is how we got there.
Aaron's family grew up sailing the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest and are experienced sailors. So they decided to revisit some old memories and create some new memories for Grace. And we went along for the ride. What a beautiful ride.
Before the wrath of the internet comes crashing down on our heads, let me reassure you that the appropriate and official safety gear for infants, including a really awesome personal flotation device for Grace, was most definitely an integral part of our trip. You may now commence sending us outraged anonymous emails if you still feel so inclined. Preferably to our new email address:
your_comments_about_how_we_are_raising_our_kid (at) houseinprogress (dot) net
Though, I'm telling you, your vigilence at monitoring our parenting escapades is nothing compared to the vigilence of both sets of her grandparents. Now, back to the rest of the blog entry.
Grace adored boating...the gentle rocking of the waves putting her to sleep at night. All of the eager relatives wanting to cuddle and play with her. Her baths in the sink.
Almost ten days aboard a boat with six adults and a baby really drove home how simple and lovely life can be in a well designed, uncluttered space. And the company was as pleasant as the accomodations.
Grace gives Aunt Kjerstin her wake up call.
Kjerstin and Aaron catch up on some reading. Aaron spent most of the trip reading about programming in PHP and SQL.
A most competitive game of Skip-Bo whips everyone into a frenzy of excitement.
And where was Grace most of the time?
Well, sailing the boat was HER job. She was too young to use the stove and cook, after all.
Everything we needed was cleverly fit into this tiny, floating space. Except for the one thing:
Laundry appliances. All of this water around us and not an agitator to be had. Though our three year odyssey with camping with a mortgage had definitely prepared us for camping on the water.
So now we have returned, reenergized and full of enthusiasm for working on the house. The importance of taking regular breaks from renovation has become very clear. Renewal is essential. As i told my pal Parker on the night we became friends, "life is a process, not a product." Sometimes I just have to remember to live my own philosophies.
Resources for boating with babies:
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Comments
What a nice post and the serenity just shows in those lovely photos! I only wish we could take a vacation right now, but this time we just can't. We did take a mini-vaca today though in the backyard. Come September we are out of here though- MI, B&B, and canoeing here we come!
I hope the parent-police aren't bothering you too much. People do get quite fanatical these days it seems. It's evident to me how much you treasure Grace and that you would always consider her safety and comfort.
Posted by: Jocelyn | July 4, 2006 6:57 PM
Looks like a great vacation. I'm definitely jealous.
Posted by: ben | July 4, 2006 8:33 PM
Looks like tons of fun!
I really hope you are joking about receiving emails telling you how to raise your child. Although, I guess I wouldn't put it past some busybodies :-)
Posted by: stuccohouse | July 4, 2006 9:25 PM
I'm so jealous! Danielle and I used to live on Vancouver Island (in fact that's where we met!) - about 40 minutes north of Victoria. It's seriously one of the most gorgeous places on earth - I love the San Juan Islands and that whole area - so gorgeous. I can't imagine how cool it would be to sail through there. And what a great trip for the little chica!
Posted by: Shawnmk | July 4, 2006 10:19 PM
I don't think you will get any comments about how you raise your child unless you tell the world that you spanked her!
I know......
Posted by: Gary | July 5, 2006 7:54 AM
Oh, how incredible that looks. I fell in love with Vancouver/Victoria when I was there for a conference a few years ago. Looks like everyone had a wonderful time. And Grace is so darn adorable. If anyone tells you that you're doing something wrong, just show them her picture and say, "Does she look like anything's wrong with her?!"
Posted by: pink | July 5, 2006 10:27 AM
What an amazing trip! We were in Maine for the weekend and were envious of all the folks we saw sailing. As a ex-resident of Seattle and lover of B.C. I can picture how nice your trip must have been and it looks like you had great weather.
Posted by: Timothy | July 6, 2006 9:05 AM
What a great photo array, Being a pacific Northwesterner you forget how lucky you are to have all this beauty around you. I haven't been through the San Juans since my own Grace (who is now 12) was about the same size. The importance of breaks are overlooked. especially in the few short summer months.
Cheers
Posted by: Lara | July 10, 2007 10:29 AM