Friday, July 2, 2010

Home Again

We were barely settled after our California trip, when Ryan headed off for a week long conference on the other side of the state. I dread this conference, and it comes around every summer. Just me and the kids for a week. No knight in shining armor coming to my rescue come evening time. So, after a long day, Monday evening rolled around and we talked to Ryan on Skype. Over the kids jumping around and hollering, Ryan showed us what a nice, big room with two queen beds that he is enjoying all to himself. After a crazy evening trying to get the kids to stay in bed, I did a little searching online of activities to do in Kelso. We were going on a road trip.
Tuesday morning brought laundry, packing, printing off directions, a couple of phone calls, and a frantic dash for the car. We made it out of the house at .....just after noon. Alone it takes me 4 hours to get everyone out of the house for a trip.
Then I took my crew on a drive across the mountains along a two lane highway. When you get stuck behind a truck towing a helicopter, you are stuck there. My three and a half hour trip took closer to 4 hours. And I'm not kidding about the helicopter.
We arrived in time for Happy Meals in our hotel room at the Red Lion. Biggest hotel room I've ever seen. We fit two play 'n packs in our room easily, with room for our luggage and then some. Come evening time, we put the twins down in their beds, set Emma and Elizabeth up with a movie on our laptop in the bathroom. I drug the chair ottoman into the bathroom so they'd have something soft to sit on. That left the closet for Ryan and I to hang out in. We watched episodes of Lie to Me on Ryan's school laptop until 9, when we put the big girls to bed.
Our days were spent at the park, wandering local stores and hopefully not bothering our hotel room neighbors. And Ryan was available in the evenings. I don't think I will let Ryan go to conference again by himself. We all miss him, and he claims to miss us too. Even after a few nights of all us of in a single room, he still likes us and says we should definitely come again next year.

4 comments:

Heidi E said...

I like how you guys separated out into every space in the room :) Michael and I have watched many movies in the bathroom while Amelia slept, during vacations, but never the closet, guess that might come in the future :)

Danae said...

It was quite a big closet, actually. I didn't really feel like watching Dora or Diego, and the closet was the best option at the time. I did feel pretty silly sitting on a pillow in the closet 3 nights in a row.

Annie said...

So glad you did it.

Pictures?

Enjoy the weekend.

Bingham Family said...

That is hillarious! Boy, I wish I could do that. I am more than a bit envious when my honey gets sweet hotels, great food, and all for those so called "work conferences." I really think WE should have a "work training" conference too. Hmmm.... this idea could go places! Hee Hee