our "staycation"

With S traveling far too much this past year we decided not to go camping as planned and instead opted to stay home.  We felt it would be more restful and affordable, especially as we have memberships to various places throughout the city.  Four to be exact, which makes me feel extravagant (!) - although it's one of those "only in Winnipeg" things.  Because it's a small-sized city and family oriented, it's much easier to afford annual memberships and use them.  Not like having a membership to Science World or the Aquarium in Vancouver, which would cost far more and require lots of traffic and pay parking to take advantage of.   We have passes for the Assiniboine Zoo, the Manitoba Museum, the Children's Museum and most recently the YMCA.  It's great to have out-of-the-house options come winter, but we decided we'd better use them this summer, too.  Which we did, but we also went on other outings as well.

Our first was ill-timed, as it was 35 C outside - far too hot to be away from air conditioning or water!  We went to Tinkertown with 2-for-1 passes.  Knowing how ill I feel on rides now that I'm a lame grown-up, S had to be the extra free guy.  His mistake was going on the Tilt-a-whirl right away and realizing that he's a lame grown-up now, too.  He tried hard not to get sick throughout and took some time to recover.  But, he was a good sport and the kids had a fun, if super hot time.

The too-loud train as we waited in the parking lot for Tinkertown to open

pooped out!




The next day we spent at Patricia Beach on Lake Winnipeg enjoying the lovely sand and quiet atmosphere.  It's amazing how few people were there!

Ai and S went for a father-son outing Sunday afternoon as it's tricky for us to get one-on-one time with our children, making it special for parent and child.  This time, S wasn't super thrilled by the outing:  a painfully slow steam train ride from Winnipeg to Warren and back on the Prairie Dog Central Railway.

The special theme for the day was "The Great Train Robbery" - a fundraising event where robbers on horseback stole up to the train then boarded to collect money.   It was rather lame that the horses had to trot slowly, as they went faster than the train speed!  Our oops was that I thought the ticket price was the fundraiser, so S looked pretty cheap when he had no money to pass over!   But, Ai had a super time and that's all that really matters. :)

One day I wanted to "just drive" and see where we got to.  That was a stretching one for S, who likes to have a destination and a direct path to getting there.  It was kind of him to let me pull over when I had the whim, which I did a few times.  The kids enjoyed our stop along a calm river in a field full of frogs.  Iz, the master insect/small amphibian catcher happily delighted us with her ability and willingness to share.

Another stop across the river in St. Norbert was the place of giant grasshoppers, so Iz switched gears to catching those.  Even after she was bit a few times, she still eagerly caught them.  She makes me so happy in these instances (and in many, many others!) that she is very unlike me!

As like last year, we took part in ManyFest - the big street festival downtown.  The younger two did the inflatable obstacle course countless times and hung out at the art tables and other places in the kid zone.

I hardly saw A, as she was off with her good friend, Gabriella - recently moved back from Haiti and at church once again.  She's not the only one super happy about this!

Being around town meant we also got to partake in get-togethers hosted by church folks, like a fund-raiser meal for Iraqi-Kurdistan at our friend Kathy's.  I'd attended last year, but how nice it felt this year to know at least half of the people there (if only in name).  It was a reminder that slowly I'm getting social circles figured out . . .

Sneaking tons of pita bread, while Ai later overdosed on baklava!

Not great photo of me, but hanging out with two great people:   Brad & Kathy 

The celebration of little Johanna being cancer-free was an even more special one.  Diagnosed last September at eleven months with Wilms' tumours in both kidneys, it was a difficult year for her and her family.  One Sunday after church, Johanna was being changed when her mom noticed her very swollen abdomen.  Next day, Johanna was coming out of major surgery having tumours removed from both kidneys - one the size of a grapefruit. :(   Suddenly, they were on the unwelcome journey of chemo, radiation and more surgery.   How wonderful to have her declared cancer-free this summer, with enough kidney left to function on each side so that the original best scenario of what her life might look like is much better:  no dialysis!  It was fun to mingle with church folks for such a wonderful reason!

We spent a bit of time with local friends, too.  Chantal and I had fun getting our kids to do a lemonade stand (at which I was too busy to take photos).  They each pocketed $8.72 after they'd paid Chantal for the supplies, so they were pretty excited about that.  Helped, I think, that Chantal's parents were our first very generous customers. :)

Salem relaxing on his grandpa on a sweltering hot 36 C day

With two weeks off, we did more than I took photos of.  At this point (posting in November), it's hard to remember.  I do recall that we likely should have read up on the Wikipedia explanation of what a "staycation" is before deciding to have one of our own.  While we did the few outings and swims, we didn't eat out more than usual (which is seldom!) or set "staycation" rules, like "planning ahead and avoiding routine."  With very varied personalities in the area of planning . . . or not (or in a very loose way), S and I could relate to this: 

On the positive, it helped us recognize again (if not appreciate in the moment) our differences.  If I've been somewhere before, I'll be happy to do so once or twice more . . . or at least make sure to drive a different road every time I go.  S will be happy to go back somewhere many times over because of all the options out there of places to go, we know we like this one.  Perhaps in regards to holiday-ing, our preferences were formed through our own families'.  Mine had relatives to visit on the Prairies, which meant the occasional road trip, different places many nights in a row and lots of adventure in broken down vehicles en route.  S's family vacationed in Osoyoos every year for two weeks, in the same hotel complex.  I like the idea of both (minus the road-side emergencies) but am reminded I can be easily restless.

We could also relate to this:

Daily routines and demands continued, and not just for me.  S was the recipient of many an email and call from work needing an acute response.  Some of those callers had the nerve to reprimand him for not setting clear boundaries and working on his holiday, yet it was they who'd crossed the line!

Anyway, our time home worked well enough.  We can't say we were rested at any time throughout it, but at least we were together and got to put money instead into getting a couple of odd jobs done around the house.  We know we're lucky to have the luxury of time off and choices as to how we spend it.  As for the kids, they lapped it up.