Sidman Family Camp

This past weekend we did something completely unusual for us - we went to someone else's lake house.  It was great to spend time with the Sidmans, the Gouldmans and Nana and Pa too!  It's difficult for husband and I to be the guests, and not the hosts, and this showed in the kiddos too.  It occurred to me that they are usually never the guests.  When we go away, it is almost always to an immediate family member's home (like Hilton Head) or a hotel - and in either of these cases they move right in.  They also moved right into this guest situation where they were the youngest guests in about 15 years to this camp...  But all worked out very well.

We went in the boat, we had a swim or two, we had a camp fire where we roasted marshmallows and made smores (Joel Andrew liked just the chocolate, James' favorite part was the marsh-mell-oow).  Mommy got irrationally upset about the loss of a Jake and the Neverland Pirates towel.  It flew off the boat (totally my fault) and we all watched - Mommy in horror - as it slowly sank to the bottom of the lake.  Should we rescue it?  No one else thought so, except for me.  Just after it began to make a quicker descent, Alan saw my sadness and then gallantly jumped into rescue it.  But once those suckers get under, they go quick.  By the time Alan swam all the way to the site, it could not be saved, and then the next thing you know poor Alan needed to be - as he was in a current and we were all focused on the towel and he is getting pulled farther and farther away.  It was all quite an episode, one in which I uttered: "My mom would never forgive me if we lost Alan while he was trying to save my towel!"

We saved Alan and we opened a beer and we got to a safer part of the lake and went for a swim.  But the damn towel really bothered me.  I think it is because it was new, and had James' name embroidered on it.  Earlier in the morning James jumped with glee when he saw this towel - A Jake towel, for me!?  And snuggled all wrapped up in it.  I guess it was his reaction earlier in the day, and the notion that it is much more rare for James to get something shiny and new and all his own - rather than Joel Andrew who always seems to get something shiny and new and all his own - that made me sad.  Eh, we will get another towel and some eel or fish at the bottom of the lake has a new home too.

It was a great weekend with great friends and family.  The boys loved the visit and want to go back again.  We quickly got out of there first thing Sunday morning though, as the rain and the boys who were already going stir crazy by 9am demanded it. We will always have fond memories of our visit though, of the loons singing and swimming with us, and the delicious meals the Sidmans cooked, the campfire where we sang Baby James song, and the towel that will forever be lost!