This past weekend we got a last-minute invite to spend some time at a fabulous cabin on a beautiful lake with some wonderful friends and their two adorable children. Needless to say, we jumped at the chance. The weather was absolutely perfect all weekend long, and it was the most relaxing "vacation" we've had since the Hatchling arrived. I think it was being with another couple with small kids that made it less stressful, oddly. I love my family to death, but we're the only ones with a baby right now, and, you know: babies can be sort of a pain in the ass. Especially if they're not yours. They have different schedules than most adults, and they need attention all the time, and you have to make all these adjustments when you're around them. This always makes me feel a little stressed when we travel places; I devote a lot of energy - far more than necessary, I know - to being as little trouble for the people we're with as possible. But this weekend was different. With two other small kids in addition to the Hatchling, all the adults were used to making accommodations for the little ones. It was like we were all on the same rhythm, instead of having to adjust ourselves to the non-baby-having rhythm (or make the non-baby-havers adjust to us). Silly, I know, but I was surprised at how much of a difference it made in my enjoyment of the weekend. The excellent company, glorious weather and healthy servings of booze didn't hurt, either.
And the Hatchling, of course, had the time of her life. There was a tea party,
beach lounging,
piano playing,
and much exploring.
It was a nice way to kick off the summer.
