Keeping It Fun

     I'm not saying I do things right, especially when it come to the 'rules' of vacationing with Grandma.  But I do know that it works for me and seems to work for the kids too.

     I believe in letting the kids feel free to act a way that may not be allowed at other times.  This isn't a trip of cheer leaders where you have to be super proper.  This isn't a trip of honor students who are required to maintain their composure at all times.  This is a trip of kids with a grandma who has forgotten to grow up.  So, we let the fun begin as soon as we hit the road.

 

They may yell and holler but this really is sisterly love. 

The Costco bucket of Double Bubble is wonderful.  The years when they were not toting a mouth full of metal, there were bubble contest randomly and sporadically happening through out the trip.  Really, what is the worst thing that could happen?   Gum in the hair - that can get cut out if it doesn't get washed out along the trip.  Gum on the car seat or carpet - a little ice will take most of that out.  And we take precautions from the beginning by having towels on the seats.  The towels have a multitude of uses.  Bubble blowing is just fun. 

And then we have the bellman's cart.   This is a long story but the bottom line is - from the early on trips to the latest trips, the girls found some fun uses for the luggage cart.   Was this proper?  Maybe not but it was fun.  Nobody was in any danger.  Nobody was disturbed.  This became a tradition at the Best Western Sunrise Inn on the harbor in Redondo Beach, California.

And Mo got in on the fun also.  You will meet Mo later.                                                                        And you know what it is like when you get so tired that everything is funny.  That is when you really should be going to sleep, but there is always that kid who just can't settle down.   What do I say?  So what, as long as nobody is ready to strangle her.

So the kids play and fight and play more and joke around and have fun.  You may ask what this has to do with a budget - well I guess it doesn't.  It's just what I consider an important part of a good trip.  If a kid can't be a kid when they are young, they may end up like me; looking for the fun of childhood at the age of 60.

    

It Started So Simple

     As much as I enjoy spending time with my grand children, I had never thought about annual vacations.  That all changed in 2003 with a trip with my daughter, her 4 children, and another grand daughter, to San Francisco.  We spent 5 days in the area and then my 3 grand daughters and I head out for a road trip home, leaving my daughter to fly home with her sons.  Sorry boys - this is an all girls trip. 

     We spent 5 days in the San Francisco area as a family, wondering around the Fisherman's Wharf, watching seal, chasing sea gulls, shopping textiles on Haight-Ashbury and just enjoying the sights.  On day 6 it was time to leave my daughter and the two youngest kids, the boys, and take off on our own.  We headed south with our minds set on spending the day on the beaches of Santa Cruz.  At 50 years of age, I had yet to make it to that beach even tho I had dreamed of it for over 30 years.  The girls - they just wanted to play in the sun, sand and on the boardwalk. 

     This was not a 'get to know each other' type of trip.  We had all spent a lot of time together.  We had all lived together at times.  This was all about having fun and discovery.  And that we did.   In this beginning, Tiffany was 12 years old, her sister Robyn was 11 and then there is my other grand daughter Casey, who was also 11 years old.  I will tell you right now that there could not have been a better age to begin this tradition.  They are old enough to know how to be safe, how to listen and mind and they know just how far they can push their grand mother and when to back off and not push my buttons.  Perfect!

                    This is when our 'Life's  A  Beach' began.

       My goal here, with this little blog site, is to share any tips that I have on how to affordable make this type of trip.  Along with some of our experiences and advise on how to handle being in confined quarters with 4 four females.  Yep - as much enjoyment as we got from our trips there were some challenges.  If I said that it was all perfect, you would know I was not a very truthful blogger.  Let me tell you, as the girls got older and the hormones grew stronger, so did some of the challenges.  But, the enjoyment grew also as they were able to be more and more independent.  You will be amazed at how my girls grew over the years of travel.

     Check back for new post that will appear on a regular basis.
Take the 'Life's A Beach' trip through time with us.