Tis the Season,  travel

home again, home again

December 3, 2006 /

On the way home we stopped at Clendenen’s for some fresh apple cider and maybe a snack for the baby. We always stop at Clendenen’s (when it’s open, they close during off season). I remember stopping there with my parents when I was a little girl. I remember that the only way my parents could get me to take some awful tasting medicine was to bribe me with a quick swig of cider as a chaser. Clendenen’s is awesome.

Unless of course you’re a baby. They’ve got nothing for babies. Honey? Nuts? How about a fresh uncooked yam or an onion? Unpastureized apple juice? I don’t know what we were thinking that we thought we could find a snack for the baby at a fruit stand. We ended up buying some Loleta cheese and shaving off slivers of it with a plastic knife. That worked pretty well.

Since the baby was starving, we had to stop at McDonald’s further down the way. I love McDonald’s. Toby hates McDonald’s. He wiped down the table we ate at about five times and still he wasn’t okay with the baby eating a french fry off it’s greasy plastic surface. What Toby doesn’t know is that I’ve fed Baby Bug greasy hamburgers twice since she’s been born and I let her eat it off the table. I know, disgusting but sometimes you just have to choose your battles. I let her eat sand, what’s a little fast food bacteria? Probably pretty bad but so far she’s been perfectly healthy (if you don’t count the nasty rash on her chin that I swear is from teething).

Anyway, Toby made me order a chicken sandwich instead of my favorite two cheeseburger combo deal and the chicken was slathered in disgusting white mayo sauce. Ugh. So now he still hates McDonald’s because on top of serving “meat matter” they also slather on the “white man sauce” aka mayonnaise. Oh well. Whatcha gonna do. The baby loved her french fries. She didn’t really like the chicken though. I think she was full of Loleta cheese and itty bitty dried fruit snacks that I keep handy in my purse.

So we’re back now and life goes on. Phew! Where to begin….

1. unpack many many suitcases
2. forklift laundry into one common place for mountain climbing fun
3. throw out moldy food from ice chest and refrigerator and nooks and crannies of van
4. clean moldy coffee pot and brew a pot of the strongest wickedest caffeine loaded coffee in house
5. fish baby out of many many suitcases
6. rescue baby from moldy food inhalation
7. pet needy clinging whining cats
8. pet needy clinging whining baby
9. take a shower
10. shave mile long underarm hair that grew during trip because of forgotten razor
11. find something clean to wear other than mismatching pajamas
12. go grocery shopping to restock mold free empty fridge
13. think of something brilliant to cook for dinner so as to not miss father-in-law’s cooking too much
14. get a tree for Baby Bug’s first Christmas before Christmas gets here!

16 Comments

  • kate

    December 3, 2006 at 9:23 am

    welcome home! i love the photos of your trip…. i feel like we got to vicariously
    go somewhere. when you finish your heaps of chores let’s walk!! oh and i have
    a mc donalds story for you …remind me!! :) kate

  • Kristin

    December 3, 2006 at 1:49 pm

    I love the picture of you and Baby Bug in the orchard – awesome.

    Also, I have fed Nolan McDonald’s chicken mcnuggets AND sauce. There are much worse things. :-)

  • margalit

    December 3, 2006 at 3:25 pm

    I have to admit, I’m totally grossed out by McDonalds too. When we eat there (rarely even though it is right down the road and easy walking distance from our house) I make the kids cover the table with napkins. I don’t care… they use filthy cloths to clean off those tables. A few napkins used as placemats is a good thing.

    The photos are so beautiful. The sky so blue. What a great trip you’ve had. I’m jealous. And the Bug is getting so big. She’s just adorable. I love the way her hair is growing in all wispy and soft. I just want to kiss it!

  • Angella

    December 4, 2006 at 9:21 am

    I thought I’d try that same sandwich instead of the usual 2 cheeseburger deal – what’s up with ALL THE SAUCE they put on there? My kids all love the fries :)

    Welcome home!

  • jP

    December 4, 2006 at 9:39 am

    We always eat off the tray the food comes on. I know it was washed in recent history. The kids love double cheese burgers, ketchup only. It’s so great that we don’t have to buy a Happy Meal anymore. M swears by the fries dipped in a chocolate shake. I refuse to try it. It’s a safe meal on the road , because you know what you are going to get. j

  • Jennifer

    December 4, 2006 at 10:06 am

    Welcome back :) I hate returning from vacations and getting back to normal. Are you ready for the holidays? We got our tree this weekend but didn’t get it into the house yet. I’m looking forward (I think) to babe’s reaction. Our four year old has already told me that she will take care of all of the falling needles.

  • Erica

    December 4, 2006 at 2:47 pm

    Best part of your blog is the to-do list. Love it!

    And for some amazing, easy recipes, check out iVillage.com. I made the potato soup last night and loved it.

    They also have a recipe finder that I love.

  • BeachMama

    December 4, 2006 at 5:03 pm

    Love the orchard. It is always awesome to get away, but it is great to get home too, even when cleaning is involved.

    Our McD’s has grilled cheese up here, J loves it! We use a napkin as a plate, but a little germ here and there is good for the immune system (says the woman with the nasty cold she got from your kid…).

  • erika

    December 5, 2006 at 6:43 am

    so glad you’re back, safe and sound. love all of the pictures and again, it looks like everyone had a wonderful time. baby bug is the little traveler :) ca-yoot!

  • Thrusher

    December 5, 2006 at 8:25 am

    I’m so jealous of where you live! We just had our first snow yesterday here in upstate NY. :(

    I just wanted to say that a little bacteria is good for kids because it helps them build up their immunity. Really. A little McD’s (or Macadonadado, as we called in it Japan) never hurt anyone!