Sun – day 8. Randy and Jeff arrived yesterday- Daddy Day! After several combined weeks of solo mom-ing, Allie and I deemed that today would be the ‘Mommy Day’: the day moms get to go relax and enjoy-  sans kids. This is the day we’ve been looking forward to while temporarily single parenting, the metaphorical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (Not that solo parenting is bad. It’s actually kind of fun… until that brief moment when it’s not.) Anyway, that’s not exactly as our day played out. The first task of the morning was to pitch our circus tent for Ethan and Jen’s arrival. (Some families joke that they could put a tent around their loved ones and call it a circus… we actually have the big canvas tent.) Our tent provides sleeping quarters when we’re all in Parry Sound together. The Boat House has several beds, the Little Cabin has a full size bed with a screened-?in porch, and the Bunkie has two twin beds. The tent is actually quite a nice option for a couple; it’s furnished with a big blow up mattress, bureaus, and chairs. There’s electricity and a ceiling that’s at least 8 feet tall in the center. Jen and Ethan gracefully volunteered to stay there this trip. Thanks Aunty Jen & Ethan! (Or ‘Nethan’, as Wylder calls him.)

The rest of the day included time with Dada. Graham played at the beach with us, he napped in the cabin and in the hammock with his dad. (During this time I got to take a nice Sauna with Aunty Allie and jump in the lake while it lightly rained down on us.) We all had dinner together (the men had fired up a steak on the open fire pit at the top of the hill), then Jeff and I took the boat up the bay so ‘dads’ could have ice cream; one to go as a special delivery for Randy and one that was eaten in route back to the cottage, by Jeff.) We finished the evening with a game of ‘spider’ (place the spider on Uncle Jeff’s leg and watch him act surprised as he tosses it into air). For the smaller family members, this game doesn’t get old and could go on for hours. It’s an entertaining game that provides non stop kid laughter. Thanks Uncle Jeff. Until tomorrow…

 

 

 

 

Mon- day 9. Today is the day that Aunty Jen and Ethan arrive! Yeay! Randy, Jeff, Graham, and I made a quick trip into town for groceries, Internet, and a book at Barely Used Books. Graham went fishing again with Granpa and cousins. He spent time in the hammock with Dada and Mama, he played in the sand at the beach, and he’s definitely getting the hang of this Parry Sound thing.  Jen and Ethan arrived in time for dinner. Some people took saunas, swam, drank cocktails, and enjoyed music. The most requested song of the summer thus far, has been one about 10,000 lobsters escaping on highway 93. WYLDER loves this one and, of course, so does his cousin and his sister.

 

 

Tues – day 10. We woke to a beautiful morning. First priority, now that everyone is here, is to go to an island! We decided to head towards Palmaroy. Graham took his first swim with the life jacket on the backside of the island! The front is very sheltered; we anchor the boats here, lay out beach towels on the rock, and eat lunch. Then we walk to the more exposed back side. Grammy said that there was great blueberry picking on the walk across the island a few weeks ago, but we didn’t see any today. The water was perfectly refreshing. There was a little “ohhhhh-ing” and “ahhhh- ing” with the first slide down into the water along the smooth slimy rocks, but after the initial shock it felt like cool bath water. We played with a giant frisbee- throwing it back and forth from the water to the shoreline. Graham splashed around at the water’s edge with Mama, then he went right in with Dada wearing Mabel’s pfd.

We headed back to the cottage in the boat- 6 adults and 3 kids. (Plus two people on the Sea Doo.) I drove the boat out to the island, Grampa drove it home…most of the way. Graham also had a turn driving the boat. He LOVES the steering wheel.

  
  
    

Once back, almost everyone suffered an attack of Parry Sound Syndrome – that lazy lake time feeling that sets in once true relaxation has started. We had people napping in the tent, in the Bunkie, in pack & plays, and in the hammock.

We also had a breakthrough in Graham’s waking! Aunty Allie and Grampa found a Fisher Price walker at the town dump when they were there the other day. Early this morning Aunty Allie cleaned it up with bleach for us. Graham immediately took a liking to it. Before walking around, he flipped it over and inspected the wheels and figured out how it worked. Our very own little Curious George. Then he set out walking back & forth in the cottage. He loves it! (And he’s so proud of himself.) We don’t get all our toys from the town dump but when we do, they’re good ones! It’s hard to believe that before long, our little baby will be walking like his cousins.

We had another great dinner. The men  cooked bbq ribs up on the open fire with chicken, rice, peas, sweet potato, yellow beans, and cabbage slaw. Then we roasted marshmallows over the fire and went to bed listening to loons and Barred owls calling from across the lake… and the sound of the refrigerator humming away as it begins its final night in the Big Cabin. Tomorrow we get a new fridge!