Family Vacation 2014—Deviceless!

In case you don't remember what we look like*

Our family vacation took us back to Central Oregon where the weather is usually warmer.  Although adjacent to Sunriver, the area where we stayed is newer, quieter, and the bike paths aren't heavily trafficked.  That's important when you have four young children, some being bike-riding novices, and an ataxic grandmother. 

Daily bike ride

This year, the parents imposed a "No idevice" rule.  How do you (gulp) keep four children under eleven, entertained for five days?  Short answer: Keep them moving.  More important answer:  Leave them to (uh) their own devices.

The children made frequent use of the pool table, the hot tub and swimming pool, bikes, books, and various drawing implements.  The eight year old created the adults' portraits (see above) and "finger–knitted" a Rapunzel lock (see below).  The ten year old read to the younger ones.  The lone boy taught everyone how to shoot pool.  The youngest (nearly six) was cute and charming and smart enough to know that was enough.  Being close cousins at this stage, their favorite activity was being together. We experienced no more than the usual amount of fighting and tears.  There will come a time when they aren't great companions.  If they can just avoid doing serious damage to one another, they'll be close again.

The cousins

Rapunzel, Rapunzel...

One characteristic of this newer area is the size of the houses.  When you need to house six adults, four children and reasonable bathrooms, have some handicapped access, the search can become involved.  We learned last year that doors can be an issue.  Who knew?**  When  a luxury house is large, it's a fair bet that at least one of the bathrooms will be cavernous.  We guiltily observed that the master bath could have housed three developing world families.  Parents could easily have hosed down four children at once, had "girl parts" and "boy parts" not become an issue.  Earl and I weren't paying attention— physical maturation happens.

The kids wanted the usual outdoor adventures.  Even working around the uncharacteristically wet weather, they managed to get in fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, and a trip into the Central Oregon lava caves.  Rainy weather never interferes with my naps and there were plenty of dry spells to facilitate scooting.

*Everyone, regardless of gender or hair, gets a bow.

**Previous post: Family vacation 2013–the "door" house

The lesson:  There was civilization before smartphones and tablets