The Island Family Voyage

The Island Family is on the road for a few days. It looks like we are in for an as yet undisclosed change in the next few months, so we have some work to do to make it happen. I’ll keep you posted.

Right now, the impending change has resulted in me trying to write sitting on the floor with my computer propped on a diaper box. As I type, the three small people and the one large person are running around me, shooting each other with Nerf guns. That, coupled with the raging headache and sore throat I woke up with, is making for an unusually challenging posting experience. Yet, I am a professional, so HEAR ME ROAR. Or in this case, TYPE FORCEFULLY.

When my daughter saw me starting to pack for what I’ll call the first leg of our voyage, she got all excited and wanted to pack her own suitcase. I was rather curious to see what she’d do, so I gave her free reign.

Here’s what she did. Hmm. Kind of looks like my suitcase. Actually, it looks like my brain feels right now.

Before we left, we also encouraged the small people to go out and enjoy the ocean for a while since we would be gone for a week.

My eldest chose to do martial arts in the waves as his coastal activity of choice. I’d give anything to know the full details of the internal drama going on in his mind when he’s out there doing this. When I ask, he’ll gladly give me the title of the drama, like Lord of the Rings, for example, and a ten-second summary, like: Frodo is with me, he has the ring, the Orcs are closing in on us, and I lost my weapons in the last battle. But it would be fun to see all the details he’s imagining, sort of like a virtual reality game of his mind. Okay, now that I wrote that, that sounds seriously creepy, and I hope we never have the capacity to do that to people, because I’d like to keep my mind to myself, thanks so much. At least on this blog, I let it out in very controlled, albeit scary segments.

My middle child decided to use his powers to torment every possible living creature that tried to burrow just below the surface of the sand. After all, they’ve got a whole week to rest easy after he leaves, so why not provide them with some excitement that will live on in their minds while he’s gone?

My youngest decided she needed to go fishing with her net. This is always entertaining to watch because first she gets mad at the poor fish for not making it easier for her to catch them, and then she becomes mother-protective of them once her dad she’s caught them. She then hovers around the Disney princess bucket they are in, yelling at anyone who comes near it not to touch the fish or knock over the bucket because “we have to keep them alive.” Next, she plays with them for a while, trying to feed them with things clearly not meant for fish consumption, and then pours them back in the ocean so she can catch them again later. It’s very humane compared to what she would inadvertently do to them without supervision.

Well, I just heard my son yell “My gun has booty power!” as he aimed his Nerf gun at his brother. I’m not sure what that means, other than I think that might be my final curtain call, as complete and utter chaos appears to be about to ensue.

I’m off to find pain medication, and maybe a nanny to handle this domestic disturbance. Over and out, my friends.