moving on

We are wrapping up the first leg of our 2010 Summer Odyssey in the States and plan to move on to join more relatives at the beach in Sandbridge, VA in the morning and then to the wedding of a friend in Chesapeake Saturday.

We've been doing this family visit together for about nine years now & have slowly (and, at times, painfully) learned to navigate it successfully. A key element to a successful summer visit is to keep moving, without remaining in one place for over a week. It's also important to remember that it's not a vacation for us. Vacations suggest relaxation sans stress.

I've asked both Richard and Young One to tell me their absolute favorite parts of the first section of the journey. Mine was undoubtedly box seats at The Kennedy Center for Mary Poppins. Richard replied that his best moment was picking us up at the airport & the greeting he received from Young One. He traveled a few days ahead of us. Don't tell his mother, who would likely prefer his visits with her to be the highlight. And Little Miss Sunshine just told me that by far the visit to Chuck E. Cheese tops her list. (Yes, she sat in the box at The Kennedy Center. Yes, Mary Poppins flew right past her into the neighboring box. Yes, she scored a Mary Poppins doll. Chuck E. Cheese. She's six.)