Surprise Treat

 

We've had an amazing 2 weeks with the lil one and home schooling - AND attitude! even the teacher has noticed how animated she has been.  I have my suspicions as to what brought on this change..... first I told her come hell or high water she's going back to school in September... and I told her that there was 3 weeks left of school... shrug... don't know what prompted this change - don't much care to be honest... it's just really good to have OUR lil one back!  

Sir Steve and I have been talking about how to acknowledge this positive change - and we decided that perhaps a trip to Dairy Queen after dinner would be fun!

 

Dairy Queen for those of you who may not know (not sure if it is a brand name known anywhere other than here in Canada/US)  is an ice cream shop.  Last June the lil one received a gift certificate for Dairy Queen as part of a reward for outstanding work from school.

SO last night after dinner Sir Steve asked if she would like to take a trip to Dairy Queen for dessert.  Of course he didn't have to ask twice!  Excitement ruled the day!  (He did make a point of saying we were going cause she had been working hard and not giving anyone attitude) 

She proudly brought her gift certificate and with her dad's help decided on a small ice cream cone.  THEN the chap behind the counter asked if she wanted a "DIP" she looked like a deer caught in the headlights!  and said "no".  I was shocked..... no chocolate dip??  I thought all kids loved chocolate dip!  Then he listed the flavours of dip - chocolate ... blah blah... blah blah.... candy cotton!  I stopped him there - cause ya know it's candy cotton!!  The lil one still looked overwhelmed.  I suggested she take a candy cotton dipped cone - and promised her she wouldn't be disappointed.  While her cone was being made she presented her gift certificate - AND surprise surprise!  it came back with enough money still on it for another cone!!  Excitement reigned!

This is exactly what it looked like.......................

 

Personally I'm not sure I would be tempted by a BLUE ice cream cone - but hey I'm not 8 anymore! 

We sat outside by ourselves and enjoyed our ice cream - and announced it really truly was summer now! 

Summer's Over

 

We moved back to the city yesterday......... OH we'll still be going up for weekends until the end of September BUT Fall is here and time to be in the city.   AND I was SO ready to come back to the city  and get into routine.... we've been in the country for 4 months!! 4 months since we slept in our bed... 4 months since I cooked in my big kitchen.... 4 months of peace and quiet and isolation.  (and of course we move back to the city and the covid numbers are creeping back up again!!)

We ended the summer with a birthday party for the lil one.  She turns 8 this week!!  GOD!!! I entered her life when she was 4 ......... she has really grown up in those 4 years.  No kiddies party this year (first time in 4 years) and I wanted to make it as special as humanly possible considering the restraints on parties.  Eldest daughter and SIL came for hamburgers and hotdogs for supper...... and for cake we invited a friend who is in our 'bubble' in the country.  We had cake ............ lots and lots of cake!!

 

and sparklers by the fire......... 

and of course presents galore!! She declared ' it was the BEST party EVER!'

On Sunday Sir Steve drove her into town and handed her off to her mother.. she'll be back next Monday morning in time to start online school.

I - well I will be doing laundry (piles of it) and cleaning and organising the house for the winter hibernation........ 

Life is good when the holidays are over and routines resume.........

Happy Camper

(not our trailer)

The lil one and I moved the last of the 'stuff' up to the trailer yesterday - we organised her bedroom and then she toddled off to mom's trailer for a week (in the summer we do one week on one week off custody)  She did say to me though that she wished she could stay - or come back on Monday - I reminded her that it was summer ..... so... one week on one week off was what we do...... 

Then I set up the bathroom and got the kitchen organised and put all my clothes in the wardrobe in our bedroom. (Sir Steve brought his suitcase up after work and we got all his stuff into the drawers)  Everything fit!!  with some room to spare .. AND it looks amazing!! My stress levels dropped !  

My eldest daughter and son in law came up in the afternoon (they are on holidays for a week) and they came and spent the afternoon with me ........ it was glorious!!  

BUT the best part........ even better than the neat and tidy trailer

Last evening we were sitting around the fire and I said some cheeky thing to Sir Steve (can't even remember what) and when I turned to look at him he was giving me THAT look!!  and he said ' I still have my belt on you know' !  My heart skipped a beat and my knees went weak ....... ohhhhhhhhh this could be a GREAT summer!!!

(ohhhhhhhhhh and guess what??? guess !!! guess!!!
I actually slept for 7 hours last night for the first time in god only knows how long!!)

Summer time and the living is easy..............

 

Packing up

Today we officially move to the campgrounds for the summer........ and yeah I do believe I look just like that (pic above)........ 

YAY for summer vacation!

Almost.........

For the last - I don't know - 6 weeks or so - I have been keeping up with 2 households... the one in the city and the one in the country.  It's exhausting - honest!  And every Friday I pack up what we need in the country for the weekend - load up the car and head to the trailer.  On Sunday I reverse that and head back to the city.

BUT

We are down to the finish line.  Next Friday we move to the country for the summer!   I can not wait !! 

However before I get to the finish line - I have one more 'hurdle' to get over.  This weekend Sir Steve has invited 10 friends to the trailer for a barbeque on Saturday.  10 people!  plus us... plus the lil one!
AND being us we can't just do hot dogs and hamburgers Noooooooo we are doing flank steak and baked potatoes and salad..... plus appetizers before and a fancy dessert.  

I think I set the bar a bit high when I did Sir Steve's 50th birthday at the trailer 2 years ago...... 4 course dinner ....... yeah I don't know the meaning of 'camp food'.

Life is good when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel........

End of Season

Honestly it feels like only a month ago I was packing up all the summer stuff -- all the camping stuff -- and moving it to the campgrounds.  

And here it is -- the last 8 days of seasonal camping -- and I am packing everything  up to take back to the city.

It has been a much better summer than last year for sure -- better weather wise and better ex-inlaw wise...... This morning the campground is nearly empty.. it's quiet and just a liittle bit depressing.  

Actually I have been a bit low/depressed for the last couple of weeks -- weepy and irritable and the panic attacks have been just on the edges of my being -- making my heart pound for no reason ..... making me jittery and on edge... making me anxious for Sir Steve to return from work..... he is my rock ........ the one being who grounds me and chases my anxieties away.

I'm sad to see the summer come to an end.......... end of 'wine time' ...end of night time fires..... end to long summer days...... end to no schedules and lazy times.

It's been a good summer......... no a great summer!! but all good things must come to an end eventually.

Time to start thinking and planning for Christmas (cheeky grin)...... until it's time to once again start the planning for another summer in the country.

Two More Weeks..........

I woke up the other night and realized there are just 2 more weeks of full time camp life.  Then we head back to the city for the start of school.  The nice thing is I don't have to go 'cold turkey'..... we do spend 3 weekends here in September............. 

There's no denying the summer is coming to an end..... the mornings are chilly as I sit out on our deck with my morning coffee and the evening fires require socks and long pants.   

It has been (for the most part) a glorious summer!!  Lots of sun and heat and reading and campfires and barbecues and wine and rest.

It has been amazing to have eldest daughter and her husband camping just across the way from us.  We have shared weekend campfires, lots of laughs and the occasional adventure together.

As the season draws to an end -- I am already thinking about next summer -- and praying softly that Sir Steve and I are blessed enough to have many more happy summers here at the campgrounds together ...................

Strict Orders

I am under strict orders to have a quiet week.

We moved up to the campgrounds for the summer on Friday and now the lil one is one week with mother and one week with us -- this is mother's week so I can actually have a quiet week.............

The last week was more than rough........ the meds the doctor put me on really REALLY took a toll on my overall health. 

I had promised the lil one before we came up to the campgrounds for the summer... she and I would have a 'girls day out'.... somehow (god only knows how!)  I managed to pull it off -- shopping for new toys for up here -- and lunch out at a 'fancy restaurant' ( we went to the local Chinese buffet place - no white linen table clothes but she was very impressed - and kept telling everyone she got T W O  straws in her drink) 

Friday I somehow managed to pack all the clothes and food and supplies that had to be moved from the city to here and get both the lil one and myself moved up here by 2p.m.  (no small feat seeing as I had to keep sitting down either because of nausea or dizziness)

Saturday Sir Steve and I got back in the car and drove home to visit youngest daughter and family for a 'pool party Grad Celebration' for my two eldest grandsons.  We only stayed about 2 hours cause 1) I wasn't allowed in the sun - and 2) the heat had risen to 45 degrees Celsius (which is approx. 113 F) 

Sunday I honestly thought I was gonna die.  By Monday I was sure of it.  Monday I took the last of my meds and then went onto some pretty strong probiotics to finish up the job of the antibiotics.

Today Sir Steve is back at work -- the temperatures FEEL cooler (at least right now) and for the first time in about 6 weeks I think -- T H I N K -- I am starting to feel like my old self.

 

 

Brrrrrrrrr

I am sitting here in shorts and a sweatshirt - freezing my ass off - thinking I should put on long pants and warm socks.  Weather wise this summer has been very disappointing!

The lil one wants to go to the beach party this afternoon -- and I am thinking we will be breaking ice on the lake.  GEEEZ! 

Camp time is winding down........ ending pretty much the way it started - with me in long pants and warm socks and the heater going during the night.  Two more weekends and we'll be back in the city.

And then the following 2 weekends we'll be packing up the trailer and winterizing it.  Three months ago I didn't see me living here - 24/7 - for the entire summer but I have.  Next summer should be easier -- I won't be a 'newbie' to trailers and the folks around here... and I'll be better prepared for the dramas and the noise noise noise. (small smile)

 

Summer time

"and the living is easy.............. "

We're packing up today and heading off to the trailer for the summer.  Well kind of for the summer......... we'll spend 5 days there and 2 days in the city getting laundry done and picking up groceries etc.

I am praying for nice weather -- as I keep telling Sir Steve -- I am a 'fair weather' camper....... even with a trailer which is nothing like 
''camping'' !  I am also bringing the old 'limp along' computer with me so I can write here in the early mornings (I think I would have withdrawals - honest! - if I couldn't write in the early mornings!)

We have internet and will have Netflix for when the weather is bad (thank god -- I sound like my mother -- but TV is the BEST babysitter!)

Sir Steve will leave for work from the trailer and come back in the evenings..... memories of when I was little and spent the summers at my grandparent's cottage with all my cousins.  The 'men' would take the train into the city on Monday and come back on Friday.  At least Sir Steve will come home every evening....... and -- cheeky grin -- barbecue dinner.

I have my Kobo loaded with books and am bringing my running shoes.  I haven't joined a gym since I arrived but am hoping if I can get a couple of good walks in in the morning and early evening I will slowly get myself back on track.  I have noticed a change in my body shape (not my weight thank god!) - bringing out the voices in my head telling me I am fat -- and that I CAN'T get fat or Sir Steve will lose interest (yeah I know stupid thoughts -- but my voices aren't always very logical) and of course with the voices comes the loss of appetite.  gotta nip this one in the bud pretty damn quickly!

 There is only one small dark cloud on the horizon.  The mother and grandmother are making noise about having the lil one over the summer.  The child custody papers clearly state they only get her from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon........... so there may be a little temper tantrum from 2 trailers down as they learn to 'read' ........... but in my heart of hearts I believe the lil one is better off with her father.  I have witnessed the child rearing tactics from 2 trailers down and am not impressed! 

And so the summer begins.......... hopefully with more sunny skies than rainy ones.. and lots of fun and laughter............