Camping with Ma & Pa (August 13 - 18)

Just over nine months since we'd last seen my parents, it was such a wonderful feeling to drive (with Mom in the van) into the Eiling Kramer campground in Battleford and see Dad waiting for us.  He takes the cake when it comes to warm greetings, so it was just icing that he'd picked the best camp spot and had already set up half the camp!

The kids got to let lose at the playground right beside us.  The proximity of which only became a problem on mornings when other campers brought their kids over at 7:00 am!  Some judgemental thoughts passed through my head as the rocking horse squeaked and the parents yelled, but at least we didn't have partiers at night as can happen in campgrounds. 

We had a relaxed dinner and were surprised by a visit from Auntie Joyce and Uncle Bud.  Pretty funny that she was trying to get me connected to Wi-Fi and knew far more about how to do it than I!

The following evening my cousin, Mona, came out with Joyce.  Was nice to get a visit in as I'd never really done so - she being a fair amount older than I.   The following morning, her sister Patti came and spent two hours visiting, too.  Was such a treat to have one-on-one time with her (as my kids watched a DVD!!) and remember the gift of extended family.  Even without having overlapped significant time, there is so much in common and an ease when it comes to connecting.

If dirty = happy, then Iz had a most fantastic week!
Which she did.  She still asks when we can go camping again . . . 

My parents were busy during the days, helping sort out what was left in my Grandma's storage unit and visiting a few relatives.  Auntie Jean came up from Saskatoon one day, so we were able to spend a little time with her - always a treat!

We spent early mornings and evenings together with my parents at the campground, just hanging out . . . .

Letting Ai use my camera . . . just once

Bonding over computers :)



















. . . and then we'd lollygag or go to the local wading pool as it was a super hot week.

A playing with the camera again . . . 

Since the campground was amazingly empty - just a few motorhomes scattered here and there, the kids loved what they don't get here in the city:  space!  Maybe they loved the break from regular hair-combing and grooming, too?!

Dressed appropriately in his Saskatchwan Roughriders hoodie

They rode their bikes freely, played gopher and made trees by sticking dead branches down gopher holes, taping leaves on.  The bonus was that it helped us see where nearby holes were so we didn't trip in any of them!

Friday was our favourite day, as we spend the late afternoon at the (fairly) new North Battleford Aquatic Centre.  With a wonderful wave pool, a river raft area and water slides, it couldn't have been more exciting for the kids.  I was super excited they could go down the water slides without me, as I have a bit of an aversion to them myself.  With S not along, I would have had to rise to the occasion.  :)

Our fun afternoon was topped with a visit out to cousin Mona and Gary's farm.  My girls were in heaven with the animals, while Ai was in the bouncy castle . . . almost the whole time aside from dinner!

Second-cousin Becky & A

Barefoot freedom

Toby the potbelly pig

Mona's dinner was a reminder of how my sister and I are so dissimilar to our cousins on Dad's side of the family.  They can whip up a meal for many as easily as they could vacuum the floor or do other mundane household chores.  I'm always happy if I can have three separate dishes on the table, but Mona . . . she had three separate main meat dishes and then all the others!

Lover of crabapples, she still had room after her massive dinner!

Soon Saturday came, along with it the packing of the camping gear and reloading of the van.  After lunch, we had a last stop at the wading pool before it was time to say 'goodbye' to Mom and Dad.  Never easy to do, we made it sweeter by having ice cream together. :)

I had lots of time driving and driving and driving to think of how good it was of my parents to meet with us.  I'm not so sure I'll be kind enough to tent with my kids when I'm seventy-two!  I have a hard enough time sleeping in one now!!

We didn't anticipate that hotels in Regina would all be booked that evening due to a Roughrider's home game.  (Apparently, with every home game, all hotels are maxed.  Saskatchewan has more loyal fans than most teams, I learned).  With super tired kids running around a lobby of yet one more hotel we'd tried, a kind man let me use a phone book and his cell to call around.  Was able to get the last suite in "Victoria Inn," not caring it was for smokers.  That means I'd phoned from A-U by the time I at last got a hotel on the outskirts of the city.  It was hard to express my gratitude as I couldn't have imagined a further drive!

While the kids enjoyed cartoons in the morning, I was able to look up our day's route for spots of interest along the way.  Few and far between, we timed our stops well and enjoyed playgrounds and lakes.

 The swinging bridge in Wolseley, SK was my favourite.

Once we got to Brandon, the storm that had hit my parents at the campground Saturday night finally caught up to us.  We enjoyed (?) waiting the worst of the lightening and hail out in a local mall, the kids enthralled as we watched water flood a mall hallway by gushing under the doors.  With an unexpected detour off the Trans-Canada further down the road, our six hours of expected travel stretched to nine.  We enjoyed the fields of sunflowers on our country road as best we could as there was little else to see aside from the stream of headlights behind and the bumpers ahead!  Were we ever happy to get home!

But was I ever thankful for the opportunity to see my parents and other family on an expected summer trip.  Spoiled in so many ways, I am.

Thanks for a fun week, Mom and Dad.  And thanks to S for allowing me to pack up without him.  I can't say I would have been so gracious, sending the kids away from me for a week and yet I take for granted that as the Mom, I can.  Sexism in reverse?  Regardless, I'm happy it worked out. :)