Getting ready for Vacation
We are leaving tomorrow for a 10 day vacation. We will be camping at Crater Lake Saturday night, and then staying in a time share (my parents had a week they weren't using) Sunday through the following Sunday. I am not sure where we are camping on the way home. We will visit one of my childhood friends that lives in Tahoe, play at the Lake, hike, and whatever else we find to do.
I don't know what it was like for you but when I was little and we would go on vacation (which was camping for us), it was all relaxation. Besides, packing my clothes, I really didn't do much else, Mom and Dad took care of all the details and packing. Now that I am the mom in charge of a great deal of the prep, vacation is a lot like....extra work!!!
With 3 small children and being pregnant, I find that my brain operates in spasms of thought (some of you may relate to this!!!) so I have kept a Vacation Notebook for the past several weeks where I can write notes to myself as I think of them. I planned a menu, made a shopping list, and have made numerous lists of what to bring and what needs to be done before we leave.
Phil took the day off from work (still did a 50 + hour work week!!!) and did transmission cooler, rotated tires, and got an oil change with the children. I had a full 4 hours of alone time. Ahhhh, what one can accomplish when given no interruptions!!! I got all the food prepared and all the kitchen necessaries packed. I am talking all meats, still frozen, in their marinades, all veggies chopped, premade salads, cut up melons, assembled igredients for the sauces, premeasured rice, etc. I prepped everything so that the only thing to do is assemble, grate cheese (don't like this squishy), and cut up tomatoes and cucumbers (these get too slimy).
Here is our menu (we will be eating good!!!)
Saturday:
B: Bagels and latte's from the store on our way out
L: Sandwiches (PB and J for the children, meat and cheese for me and Phil - I need protein!!)
D: Hot Dogs, Spud Puppies (healthfood tater tots), melon
Sunday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Tacos (all topping prepared just need to cook meat, make guacamole, and heat shells)
Monday:
B: Eggs and Bacon (lots of treats on vacation!!)
L: Sandwiches
D: Spaghetti with red sauce, salad
Tuesday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Steak (in BBQ marinade), fries (health food store ones), salad
Wednesday:
B: Eggs
L: Sanwiches
D: Sweet and Sour Chicken (this is experimental, I have chicken breasts in a sweet and tangy
marinade with sliced onions, red peppers, a few fresh apricots, and pineapple. I plan on
wrapping them in foil and baking them), rice, salad
Thursday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Spaghtetti with pesto, salad
Friday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Beef stoganoff (meat chopped and marinaded in a little beer, to be cooked with onions,
mushrooms, tomato paste and tomato soup topped with sour cream), rice, broccoli
Saturday:
B: Eggs and Bacon (again!)
L: Sandwiches
D: Chicken Fettucini (chicken, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, white wine (this is marinading
the green pepper as we speak), cream of chicken soup, and cream cheese (melted in) served
over noodles), salad
Sunday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Hamburgers (added Onion soup and Worsheshire sauce to the meat), chips, whatever is left!
Monday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: We will be home and I would imagine if we haven't popped from eating snacks, we will just
order pizza
I also have lots and lots of store bought snackies, mainly crackers, for in the car munchies! I also put together entertainment packs for the children. Every hour or so, I will give them something new to do or eat. I got new books (from the Goodwill), coloring books and crayons, mini notebooks and pencils, and battery operated hand held fans. We will also bring the laptop and a few movies.
So now all I have to do is wash diapers (going to do disposable but don't want dirty diapers hanging around for 10 days), wash another couple loads of laundry, pack clothes and other misc items, monitor children, clean the house, go through the camping stuff with Phil, and help Phil pack the car! I am sure there are numerous other things I will think of as I go along.
Phil needs to build a trailer (yes, you read that right), help me with the camping stuff and pack the car, clean the car, fix the fence so the neighbor dogs don't get in, do a couple things on the rabbit house, monitor children and calm me down when I start to freak out over all the stuff to do. He is currently in a meeting at school to finalize our insurance plan.
The watering system is in so I don't have to worry about the garden dying. We have someone caring for the animals. (Sister Cat decided to get sick so she is on antibiotics and living in the garage while we are gone - sure hope Rebecca and get the pill down her throat). Deer fencing WAS done until I found a deer by the patio last night. I ran at her yelling, throwing rocks, and bamboo javelins in my bare feet for about 5 minutes before she broke through the deer fencing. Not sure how she got in but clearly chose a different route for her escape. Guess we won't worry about it for now unless by some miracle Phil can get to it.
It is 3:30 right now so my late lunch break is over. I better get back to work!!
I don't know what it was like for you but when I was little and we would go on vacation (which was camping for us), it was all relaxation. Besides, packing my clothes, I really didn't do much else, Mom and Dad took care of all the details and packing. Now that I am the mom in charge of a great deal of the prep, vacation is a lot like....extra work!!!
With 3 small children and being pregnant, I find that my brain operates in spasms of thought (some of you may relate to this!!!) so I have kept a Vacation Notebook for the past several weeks where I can write notes to myself as I think of them. I planned a menu, made a shopping list, and have made numerous lists of what to bring and what needs to be done before we leave.
Phil took the day off from work (still did a 50 + hour work week!!!) and did transmission cooler, rotated tires, and got an oil change with the children. I had a full 4 hours of alone time. Ahhhh, what one can accomplish when given no interruptions!!! I got all the food prepared and all the kitchen necessaries packed. I am talking all meats, still frozen, in their marinades, all veggies chopped, premade salads, cut up melons, assembled igredients for the sauces, premeasured rice, etc. I prepped everything so that the only thing to do is assemble, grate cheese (don't like this squishy), and cut up tomatoes and cucumbers (these get too slimy).
Here is our menu (we will be eating good!!!)
Saturday:
B: Bagels and latte's from the store on our way out
L: Sandwiches (PB and J for the children, meat and cheese for me and Phil - I need protein!!)
D: Hot Dogs, Spud Puppies (healthfood tater tots), melon
Sunday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Tacos (all topping prepared just need to cook meat, make guacamole, and heat shells)
Monday:
B: Eggs and Bacon (lots of treats on vacation!!)
L: Sandwiches
D: Spaghetti with red sauce, salad
Tuesday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Steak (in BBQ marinade), fries (health food store ones), salad
Wednesday:
B: Eggs
L: Sanwiches
D: Sweet and Sour Chicken (this is experimental, I have chicken breasts in a sweet and tangy
marinade with sliced onions, red peppers, a few fresh apricots, and pineapple. I plan on
wrapping them in foil and baking them), rice, salad
Thursday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Spaghtetti with pesto, salad
Friday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Beef stoganoff (meat chopped and marinaded in a little beer, to be cooked with onions,
mushrooms, tomato paste and tomato soup topped with sour cream), rice, broccoli
Saturday:
B: Eggs and Bacon (again!)
L: Sandwiches
D: Chicken Fettucini (chicken, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, white wine (this is marinading
the green pepper as we speak), cream of chicken soup, and cream cheese (melted in) served
over noodles), salad
Sunday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Hamburgers (added Onion soup and Worsheshire sauce to the meat), chips, whatever is left!
Monday:
B: Granola
L: Sandwiches
D: We will be home and I would imagine if we haven't popped from eating snacks, we will just
order pizza
I also have lots and lots of store bought snackies, mainly crackers, for in the car munchies! I also put together entertainment packs for the children. Every hour or so, I will give them something new to do or eat. I got new books (from the Goodwill), coloring books and crayons, mini notebooks and pencils, and battery operated hand held fans. We will also bring the laptop and a few movies.
So now all I have to do is wash diapers (going to do disposable but don't want dirty diapers hanging around for 10 days), wash another couple loads of laundry, pack clothes and other misc items, monitor children, clean the house, go through the camping stuff with Phil, and help Phil pack the car! I am sure there are numerous other things I will think of as I go along.
Phil needs to build a trailer (yes, you read that right), help me with the camping stuff and pack the car, clean the car, fix the fence so the neighbor dogs don't get in, do a couple things on the rabbit house, monitor children and calm me down when I start to freak out over all the stuff to do. He is currently in a meeting at school to finalize our insurance plan.
The watering system is in so I don't have to worry about the garden dying. We have someone caring for the animals. (Sister Cat decided to get sick so she is on antibiotics and living in the garage while we are gone - sure hope Rebecca and get the pill down her throat). Deer fencing WAS done until I found a deer by the patio last night. I ran at her yelling, throwing rocks, and bamboo javelins in my bare feet for about 5 minutes before she broke through the deer fencing. Not sure how she got in but clearly chose a different route for her escape. Guess we won't worry about it for now unless by some miracle Phil can get to it.
It is 3:30 right now so my late lunch break is over. I better get back to work!!
Oh my gracious Emily! You pack food for royalty! I'm not even half that ambitious when we vacation. I never cook. The closest thing to that I'll do is heat something up.
ReplyDeleteHave a joyous time!