Brief and un-funny recap of the reunion (because nothing funny happened)

Sorry for the late post.  I wanted to write my family reunion post yesterday morning, but L got all sick and feverish Monday evening and it just got worse yesterday.  He topped out at a 103 degree fever, and I spent my day cuddling him, comforting him and taking him to the doctor.  

Thankfully, he just has a virus and should be ok.  I will admit, a tiny piece of me loved all the snuggles.  I know that's terrible because no mother would ever wish for her child to be sick.  And I didn't wish for him to be sick, really, but I did slightly enjoy some of the by-products of his sickness.  As a rule, I want him to be healthy.  But if I get to hold him while he sleeps and read him books and have him snuggle me and not try to escape after 3 seconds, well....I'm not going to say no to that.  I'm the worst mother in the world.

In any case, the reunion was mostly good.  Of course, since nothing comes easy and since I am a professional procrastinator, the power decided to go out on Wednesday night (inexplicably, it went out 5 hours after the rain passed through), which stopped any packing or preparations dead in their tracks.  So, we had to speedily throw things together in the morning, with L under foot and grumping for attention.

By some miracle, we were able to pack everything, thanks to the amazing and organized list that I made in Excel.  Everything was broken down into categories (such as "Clothes") and sub-categorized by the people who would use them.  And you know what's even more miraculous?  We did not forget a single thing.  That is the first time that has ever happened in the history of my life, and probably the last.  And I could not be more proud.   I am a master List and Plan maker.

We successfully picked up the pop-up camper we rented through Craiglist, which turned out to be awesome.  Except for the fact that I forgot how much I hate any version of camping because everything gets all damp and smelly, including bedding and pillows.  But that's not really the camper's fault.  And the camper turned out to be the way better option (as opposed to a tent), since it poured down rain all night Friday and all day Saturday.  Except, let's be honest.  If we didn't get the camper, we would have gotten a hotel room because there's no way I'm ever sleeping in a tent again.  I did lots of tent sleeping when I was a kid, and now that I'm the parent, I have a say.  And I say NO TENTS.

So the rain was kind-of a bummer, since Saturday is generally the day that we have lots of activities and displays of athleticism and such.  Instead, we spent the day huddled in the barn around tables, playing cards and games and acting depressed about the rain.  The rain did stop eventually, and we played an awesome game invented by my aunt, which was seriously fun even though I seriously sucked and dragged my poor cousin down to last place.  She surely would have done better with a different partner, but I was happy for the boost.

We were also able to fit in the traditional softball game in the evening.  And, as is the new tradition, D was picked first and I was picked last.  Which actually makes me proud and not ashamed or sad, since it means that my husband has been entirely and completely accepted into the folds of our family.  It doesn't even make me feel a little embarrassed that I'm so god-awful at sports that my family, my own flesh and blood, picks me last.  Not even a smudge.

I did have a small victory this weekend, however unathletic it was.  The mosquitoes were out in droves this year, and it was pretty miserable.  But, L was the only person, big or little, who did not get a single bite.  Not one single bump.  And you know why?  Because of an amazing thing called a Bug Band.  I am not getting paid or in any way compensated for this plug - I am just so utterly thrilled about it that I had to pass it on.  It is a little bracelet that looks like one of those rubber wristbands that people wear for whatever cause.  We hooked it onto the back belt loop of his shorts and jeans so he wouldn't pull at it, and he was bug-free for the entire weekend.  Even when I was holding him and getting bit myself, he remained unbitten.  And the best thing of all?  It cost less than $6 at Toys R Us.  So worth it.  Bug Bands, you have a new life-time follower.  And it's me.

Since it's late and I'm tired, I don't want to go into how awful the car ride home was on Sunday.  In hindsight, I know it's because L was getting sick and was totally off his sleep schedule, but since I didn't have that hindsight during the ride home, it was pretty hard to keep things in perspective.  Especially when he was screaming and throwing his toys on the poor dog who was trapped next to him in the backseat of the truck.  I'm pretty sure the dog has declared an oath to never travel anywhere with us again until we get a van so he doesn't have to sit next to L.  I wish I'd had my camera handy so I could have gotten a picture of the poor dog trying to paint himself into the door so he could be as far away from L as possible.  

But like I said, I'm not going to go into all that.  Traveling is awesome, but coming home is even awesomer.  There's nothing like a shower in good old city water to make you feel like yourself again.  Well water simply doesn't cut it for me.  I guess I'm a city girl through and through.