Summer Vacation Ohio Style

This last week we visited my sister Sarah and her family in Ohio. The drive was longer than I thought it would be. this may be because I drove the speed limit on my section, but it was very, very pretty, up through the mountains and in Virginia and West Virginia. I got to knock another state off of my list, since I had never been to Ohio, and all of the kids got to mark off two more since they hadn't been to West Virginia yet.

It was a great time hanging out. Beth, Caleb and Jacob adored the little kids. I think Beth was in heaven getting to play mama and play with Emily and Elsa in particular. We introduced Ethan to Minecraft (sorry Sarah), and the boys liked showing that to him. While we were there we went to a pool, to get ice cream and to the zoo. I think the zoo was Rob's favorite since there was an Australian section and we got to see animals he saw on his mission. My favorite animal at the zoo was the Red Panda. Beth and Caleb loved the baby gorilla, and I think Jacob liked his selfie with a lion. (It's posted on Rob's Facebook page if you want to check it out.)

The car trip back was a bit longer and had more comments along the lines of: "He's touching me!" "You're crossing the line!" "Make him stop." "I would rather be dead than in this car right now. I would rather be dead." (This one in particular made me laugh, I don't know why since it is such a negative thought. I don't think I'm as sympathetic as I ought to be.)

I still haven't recovered from vacation yet. I need to get back onto a schedule and get working.

The kids are mixed about going back to school. Beth keeps locking herself in her room when we talk about buying school supplies and while the boys seem pretty excited. We just got a new principal at the elementary school, and I think he's a better fit than the last one who lasted a year. So I'm a little anxious about that.

I need to share about the ketchup explosion that happened after church today. It went down like this. The kids love to dangle baskets of things down the stairs and randomly drop them. Every time they find a long piece of rope or a string, it happens. As I was making dinner, I heard the whispers. I knew they were starting. I told them to stop, and went back to cooking. Nothing too drastic has happened as a result of the hanging baskets. Some things slightly broken, the wall is a bit scuffed up, but nothing horrible.

Until today.

They got the full, brand new ketchup bottle and begin the process of lowering it and pulling it up. Until they dropped it.  It's only a ketchup bottle, what's the worst that can happen? You ask. A little bit of ketchup on the rug? Not a big deal right?

If it was that, maybe. But no. It squirted about 20 feet up and hit the ceiling above the stairs. Splattered down that wall. Hit the ceiling above the landing, and squirted a ketchup trail across the ceiling in the living room, and hit the wall on the other side of the room.  Ketchup trails on the carpet too. It's like the bottle exploded. But it is still quite full, so I would dread what would happen if it actually did.

Was it Jacob, my youngest that managed this astounding feat? No I heard screams, and running from my two oldest 12 and 9. Admitting that they should be grounded. That they didn't mean to do it. Yelling, running, hiding.

And that is why Rob mopped the ceiling that is 20 feet up, and wiped down the walls while I scrubbed the carpet. And why they will never play hanging basket again. (I was laughing the whole time. We don't get many of these moments anymore--my kids have outgrown them. Rob on the other hand was grumpier. (He didn't deal with the flour episode about 6 years ago that broke our vacuum.) But I think he'll laugh about it later.)

Have a great week!