After starting off the summer with the other children thoroughly traumatized by Bridger's behavioral. . . um, er. . .what shall I call them. . .episodes (lacking the word to properly label that month of our life of physical, mental and emotional strain), we all needed a little recovery period. Lance had been off at camps during most of the first month, so it was the girls that needed their PTSD addressed.
I took the three girls away for a long weekend at the cabin, exploring the area south of it and doing the things that the boys don't particularly care to do. It started with a visit to a sweet little cupcake shop we found that made our mouths water something fierce, followed by taking them to a salon for a fresh 'do for the summer, and we may or may not have gone back to the cupcake shop again after the salon. . . what happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin.
On the way back to the cabin from our romps around town we stopped for dinner. I wanted to check a box off their bucket list and have them eat at a Waffle House. A once (and ONLY once) in a lifetime experience everyone must have. The thrills at Waffle House begin with the stickiest menu you will ever touch.
After watching the cook handle all of the raw meats with her hands then immediately handle our food over and over again, I winced my way through a few bites and tried to whisper to the girls to not eat any more off their plates while the cheery waitress was gabbing with us at the barstools and told me to stop rushing them through their food. I was pretty sure we all were going to be sick, in fact, I am throwing up a little in my mouth just recalling this all-American dining adventure.
After venturing about, we settled in back at the cabin with the necessities for a homestyle spa pedicure. We spent the evening sugar scrubbing, massaging and painting each other's toes. My "emoji toes" were courtesy of resident pedicurist, Sadie.
I tried my best to make watermelon toes on Sadie. I won't quit my day job any time soon.
After the painting and polishing was finished, we all snuggled with a good book on the porch as the sun went down and buried ourselves in our books until we could no longer see the words on the pages.
We spent three days like that, with some yummy cabin culinary creations sandwiched between our lazy mornings and afternoons of reading, games, and berry picking at our wild blackberry and wineberry patches.
Lazy, quiet, peaceful, and luxuriously simple. Such a contrast to the month we had all just endured and the proper way to kick off the beginning of summer.
After a couple days we were ready to go home and face the next round of behavioral challenges. Recovery accomplished.
However, Eliza just came home from school the second day with this. . .
Apparently, she is still suffering from the trauma of this summer. It looks like Bridger's behavioral challenges are making her 'wilt'.
Perhaps she may need a little more recovery time.