Roller Coaster and The Panic Sets In

The last two weeks have been a roller coaster of teenage drama that most days makes me want to climb into a blanket fort and not come out EVER!!  I remember all the drama that I caused my parents growing up (love you mom!)  but it sure doesn't make it any easier when you are in the midst of being called foul names, told that you've never done anything worthwhile for them and that they don't consider you their mother.  BREATHE and THIS TOO SHALL PASS (painfully but it will pass) has been the mantra for the last two weeks!  My mom tells me that it will get better but I tell you some days I'm not sure!  I love my children dearly and I'm sure she will grow up to be an intelligent, strong woman but like I said some days that blanket fort is calling my name!  New semester, new start next week so here's hoping it all goes uphill from here!

In three more sleeps we are leaving on our first ever warm holiday without my best friend, Stacy and her husband Hermann which makes me sad, but last week our reservation for summer camping came which makes me happy!  As we rush around making the "master schedule" for all the respite providers that are making this possible for us (thanks Marge, Rachel, Michael, Sylvia, Savannah, Lori, Annie and anyone else I may have forgotten), making sure that I have everything I need to be gone for a week (and that it weighs under 40 lbs!), groceries bought etc etc etc I begin to think of our past vacations.  Cuba last year where I was sick for most of it (then came home to puking kids), the family trip to the Dominican (where some things happened that no mom really needs to know about!) and our very first one to Cancun many years ago.  I decided that I would write about that one just to remind myself about some of the lessons I've learned along the way!

We started our trip to Cancun in the wee hours of the morning, having to be at the airport at 4 am.  Maybe drinking at the social the night before until 2 am wasn't the best idea but it was fun!  We managed to sit with our partners on the plane but not all 4 of us together!  My friend Stacy didn't realize that it wasn't me sitting in the seat in front of her but that was part of the fun!

After our otherwise uneventful flight we arrive in Cancun and wanted to hit the beach first thing.  The bottle of sunscreen says "Apply generously before sun exposure".  Of course I did exactly that!  My significant other laughed at me.  He had no idea that I would have the last laugh!  There we are sitting on the beach with a tropical bevy in hand, sun in the sky - what more could we ask for?!  All was good until he stood up and I just about peed my pants or swimsuit in this case (really wish digital was in for that trip!).  As he stood up the rolls on his tummy straightened up and he looked like a cross between a lobster and a zebra!  Bright white lines where his rolls were!

What the bottle doesn't say is "Apply generously and evenly!"  A lesson that I apparently need to learn! Check out that nice white spot!  Lesson learned!

I'm off to do some more packing!  Here's hoping that it all fits in the suitcase!