friday flashback - pack your bags

Well now this is just getting silly. As I type there is, yet another, snow storm raging away outside. For those of you keeping track at home, this is our second storm *this week*. Mother Nature has one hell of a sense of humour. And where is this global warming Al Gore keeps blathering on about? They are estimating 15 - 25 cm for today with another 5 over night with a dash of some pretty wicked winds. Abby slept over at her cousin's last night and we are anticipating she'll be sleeping there tonight as well. So like most people I am longing for spring and warmer weather, so it only makes sense that this week's Friday Flashback would have a summer slant.

When we were kids we went camping every summer. My parents at some point had purchased a tent trailer and we'd load up the van and haul it to Niagara Falls to the same campsite. I don't remember how long these camping excursions were. They seemed long and I know they were longer than a week. I do remember that Dad would "commute" to work from there. So there would be times it was just Mom, Dave and I there. It all sounds like a tremendous amount of work to me and one I wouldn't be willing to undertake with my kids. It's just further proof that my Mom was, indeed, super mom extraordinaire.



I have to imagine my parents had a traditional relationship when it came to these sorts of things. Meaning I'm sure my Mom gathered and packed everything necessary for the trip while Dad's job was to load it all into the van and trailer. I do remember for the sake of everyone's sanity when we hit the campsite we all made ourselves scarce while Dad swore his way through setting up the trailer. Once we were all set up we had the best time ever. Swimming, riding our bikes, painting in those books that already had the paint on the pages them you just needed to go over them with water, camp fires and all that fun camping goodness. I do have to wonder if Mom ever questioned during the "getting there" portion, if it was all worth it.

Luckily we had a very creative Mom and she figured out quick that she didn't have to do everything. That Dave and I would be pretty great helpers, especially if she made it seem like a game. Every year when camping time approached Mom would make us lists. Packing lists. Dave and I were responsible for packing our own suitcases for the trip. Seems like a big job, better left to the adults to ensure success. If I let Abby pack her own suitcase for a trip there'd be nothing but Princess dresses, high heels, dress boots and a tiara or two. She's one smart cookie, my Mom and I'm not sure how she came up with this idea, but it is genius.

Come packing day, Dave and I would get our lists. On these lists would be little hand drawn pictures. Seven little pairs of hand drawn underwear, seven pairs of shorts, seven t-shirts, three sweat shirts, three pairs of long pants and so on. All we had to do was lay our our clothes according to the pictures on the paper. It was great because it shifted some of her work load to us at the same time keeping Dave and I out of her hair so she could get her things done. Told you - genius. We haven't really traveled with the girls beyond an over night stay here and there, so I haven't had the chance to use this trick from my childhood, but it's tucked away in my "Mom folder" if the situation every arises. Thanks Mom.