a foxy little jaunt

in lieu of a vacation this year, c and I have decided to do a cluster of mini getaways- in either daytrip or overnight form. with the dogs, it's tough to stay away for long, so this is a happy option for us right now.

we just got back from our first overnighter today. it was a secret getaway, planned and executed by my love. all I knew was that we were going to hike and kayak or canoe. Thursday evening, we packed clothes, life preservers, electronics, cameras, the selfie stick (which I have yet to master), and backpacks. Friday morning found us loading up the cooler and the car, and then stopping for a not-so-quick breakfast before hitting the open road.

getting ready!

learning the selfie stick

breakfast!

c took the scenic route. I wasn't even aloud to look at the gps. our first stop was two mile park. we rented canoes, divided up the kids, and off we went...

neither c nor I had ever canoed, and the little life guard girl offered no suggestions, so it was basically hands on learning. I was supposed to take the girls, and c was going to take the boy child. lyncoln refused to sit on a seat, so c scooped her up and plopped her in the middle of her canoe. rhys got in the front, c sat down, and then told me to shove her into the water. okay, but who was going to shove Quinn and me? i'll tell you who: NOBODY! I had to wade a bit into the minnow infested waters and hop into a shaky canoe. the little life guard girl gave us a little push, and off we went!

we started off great! wanna know why? because we started off downstream. we had to paddle, but basically we just had to figure out how to steer. the kids were of zero help, so c and I were on our own. we spent some time with our canoes up against each other. we snacked and took pictures (did I mention that I still haven't mastered the selfie stick?!) and chit-chatted. I had the backpack with our phones and cameras and keys in a ziplock baggie... every time I tried to get something out of the backpack, the canoe would rock, and Quinn would lose her mind.

q wasn't sure about the canoe at first

I still didn't have the hang of the stick!

when we finally decided to head back, that is when things really got interesting. it is in times, such as canoeing upstream, when you see people's true colors. by this time, rhys had started to actually help a bit (a small bit), and Quinn had decided to try and "help" (by holding her paddle in the water, thus either turning us or slowing us down). as I was maneuvering us around, c and her posse took off. I could see them in the horizon, so, I channeled my inner Pocahontas, and began paddling away... to no avail... we got caught in a current, and found ourselves further downstream, twirling backwards. as soon as I got us turned around, we found ourselves heading straight into a bunch of branches. as I was thinking that I was going to have to use my safety whistle, Quinn exclaimed, "uh, mama? this doesn't look right! I think you're going the wrong way!" I used my paddle to push us out, Quinn cheered, and we looked to see c further upstream. i'll give her credit- she stopped to look at us, but I didn't see her paddling toward us to help in our time of need. as soon as I got some canoe mojo going, I found us turning around far too many times, always being chastised by Quinn- "oh, silly mama! you're going the wrong way again! mama? why isn't mommy coming to help us?" as soon as i'd get us going again, we would either drift around, or find ourselves in the sand pit. "mama? this really doesn't look good at all!" sang my little quinnie, as she tried to help by dipping her paddle into the water. i'd get us pushed out, and try to head to the middle of the lake, turn around a few times, and then ponder how to get us back. by this time, c and the gang had docked on the beach, while q and I were mia. did anyone come to our rescue? no. eventually, I emerged as the strong Pocahontas that I am, and safely made it to shore. it was a blast!

there they go!

after we docked, we set up our picnic lunch. the kids inhaled their food so that they could swim in the beach. after a bit of swimming, we got them showered, changed, and then they played on the playground for a bit.

selfie stick fail! although rhys and c look great!

getting the hang of the stick!

the next leg of our trip found us in the quaint little hamlet of foxburg. c rented us a room in a neat little inn nestled right on the Allegheny river. it was so cool! we checked in, then went and explored our surroundings. we went on the huge deck, to the winery, to the chocolatier, and meandered around the grounds. by this time, we were all starving, so we went to dinner.

and we're off, take 2

zen quinn

hog chips

willie nelson burger and sweet potato fries

seafood mac and cheese

pita pizza

chicken tenders

after dinner, we went for a little walk, and then back to the inn to get cleaned up and ready for bed. c slept in one bed with lyncoln, I was in the other bed with Quinn, and rhys was on our kid cot, that was about a foot too small for him. lu and q took a bit to settle down, but rhys was out like a light- all nestled in his light sleeping bag on the toddler cot. it seemed to take forever for me to fall asleep, but, when I finally did, I found myself awakened by the sight of a floating cell phone at 2:30 a.m. "what are you doing?", I asked c. she told me her back hurt and that she was looking for the aleve. I told her where it was, she took one, got back into bed, only to have rhys whisper, "mommy? i'm so cold. can I get in bed with you?" her response? "lay back down on your cot that is too small and go back to sleep." now... in her defense, lu was sprawled out in the middle of the bed, after spending a lot of time thrashing around trying to get comfortable. I, however, decided to go from Pocahontas to snow white, and wanting to make all of the woodland creatures comfortable, moved Quinn and myself over, and brought the boy child into my bed- and I even covered him up. he immediately snuggled in, but, went back to the cot after awhile. about an hour later, I heard him again, "mommy? can I sleep with you?" again the boy was turned down, so, I told him to come back into bed with me. "okay, mama. but can you sleep in the middle so that I can hug onto you?" wish granted. after a bit, he warmed up, and then went back to the cot, where he spent the rest of the night.

this morning, we got up, and, as I showered, c took the kids to the deck to eat breakfast. we then lotioned everybody up, checked out of the inn, loaded up the car, and then headed to our pontoon tour reservation. this was dynamic! our tour guide was a science teacher, and him and rhys bonded like the science kindred spirits they apparently are. they discussed habitats and exoskeletons and predators... the ride was way cool, and the kids even got to steer the boat!

after the pontoon ride, we loaded up the car, went to the outlets, stopped for some frozen custard, and headed home. the two things I miss the most when we travel are my bed and my shower (and the dogs, of course!). the kids are tucked into bed, the accumulated laundries are being done, the wine is chilled, and orange is the new black is beckoning us.

thank you, c, for a fantabulous time!