On Holiday with Thing 1 & Thing 2

[2SCdoodles]

I love the way the British use the word "on holiday." It sounds so much nicer than "on vacation" or "spring break” or even the new phrase "staycation." In reality my family with the exception of my husband is on "spring break" this week. The week has been anything BUT a holiday, vacation or even a break. Between the two teenagers, two doodles, and myself we have crammed these activities into the week thus far:

• a five hour drive to and from Clemson University for a weekend camp
• a yearly check-up at the vet for Java Joe Doodle
• an orthodontics appointment
• a dermatologist appointment
• a family practice appointment for an unexpected ear ache
• a hospital lab visit for a teen on really strong meds
• an optometrist visit (emergency) after a dog chewed up the pair of glasses needed to make the 5 hour drive to Clemson University
* 6 trips to the local university this week (my children go to public high school located on the college campus and take a combination of high school classes and college classes. No public school classes this week, but lots of college classes including one that was cancelled- we only found out after driving the 15 miles to the campus!
* one misjudged step which caused me to fly through the air and land on my knees and wind up on my back on the concrete garage floor- miraculously I was not hurt, but my husband did get a scare and then a laugh as he saw me flying through the air, do a somersault and land on my back laughing so hard that he thought I was crying.

After all that excitement we loaded into the SUV today and made a 53 mile drive to Sunset Beach. This is our first trip for 2009! Two doodles in the back, one wet from swimming just as we went to load him. His timing is very interesting! He swims at the most awkward moments. Thank goodness I had a new cargo barrier that kept him in the back on the plastic mat. The same dood, Java Joe threw up just as we arrived at the bridge to the causeway of the island just minutes from our destination! Joe hates curvy roads, and the drive to the island does a 45 degree turn when it meets the Intracoastal Waterway so that it can run parallel to the water. I held my breath as I heard him retch worrying that his vomit landed on suitcase, on the carpet, or worst on my teenage son sitting in the second row seats. I was lucky, it landed on the mat AND the doods did not step in it! YEAH!

When we crossed the waterway the doodles started whining and whimpering recognizing where they were. They love it here! I think it has to do with the fact that just about every house on the street has at least one dog, and most have two. There are two beagles, two bloodhounds, and two labs just steps from where we stay. I have collapsed in a heap with two doods on the floor dreaming sweet dreams. I hope the rest of this holiday is less eventful!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

The view in the picture makes it all worthwhile. Have a restful time.