A Week Away from It All

My parents and family often convene at their place in Tennessee for the Fourth of July weekend; I think this year is our third year in a row of making it, which puts this firmly in the category of "tradition." In addition to us and the kids, and my parents, it's also my sister Cat and my brother Andy and his wife, and my grandmother ("GG"). This year, Hayley's mom and her husband were able to join us for a couple days too-- enabling them to meet their new grandchild for the first time.

It has been a nicely low-key week: boating, swimming, eating ice cream, other people watching the kids, dinner being cooked for me. The lake here is somehow as warm as my pool, which I kind of resent. I really appreciate the chance to spend time with my family, and to get away from it all. I even got some work done on my eternally in progress book revision. (Rounded off a chapter section, mostly anyway, and read half of Jack London's The Iron Heel.) I have also been a very productive reader, finishing off six books in the past week and being well into a seventh. We did a nice dinner at the local barbecue place (thanks GG); my mother requested a nice photo ahead of time, and we surprised her by all wearing purple for it. Or we would have, if my sister hadn't been on speakerphone when telling my dad the plan.

I like seeing the kids spend time with their family; one of the definite downsides of the academic life is how you don't grow up within twenty minutes of the majority of your extended family like I did. My brother took Son One on the paddleboard; my sister put Son One to bed a couple nights; everyone had a lot of time holding the baby! Son One is a big fan of boating and swimming, less so my mother's dog. The first couple days he didn't like to be more than an inch from being held in the water, but now he will happily paddle back and forth between me and the dock at several feet. (He's wearing a life jacket.) Though any day he swims he also extends bedtime an hour by eating extra food because of how hungry he is! He still says the dog is a "scary animal" but also now claims he's his friend, and is always trying to sneak him food.

Today we begin our return journey (albeit with a side trip), and I am ready to be back in my own house, but I will miss getting the chance to just be with my family, though with things (hopefully) going in the direction of normal, we will get to have a Mollmann Thanksgiving this year.