Vacation "Where are you?"

So it's the end of July practically and there is no vacation in sight.  I mention this to my husband last night over cocktails and appetizers.  He reminds me, "Well, at least we have the backyard landscaped, and we have a new refrigerator.  You can entertain whenever you like." Excuse me...I don't mean to complain, but how does that help me get through the long days of children, complaining, screaming, fighting and wanting to be entertained.  Not only have their been no flights booked or plans made to get out the hell we call Texas, but I have been given an additional job duty.  We are adding a 13 year old cousin to the mix for a week.

O.k., so this could be a good thing.  The boys will be so excited to have him here.  That helps with the whole "entertainment" part.  They usually get along well with this cousin, however, most of the time they've spent with him has been on his turf.  With my kids...you just never know.  What's supposed to be fun isn't always fun because anything out of  the ordinary, or unexpected, could cause a negative reaction.  For example,  I take "11" to the pool the other day, (not because I wanted to). He spent the first hour counting the bugs in the pool instead of swimming.  I'm sitting there in the heat after paying an $8.00 entrance fee when we could have gone swimming in our neighborhood or at the Y for FREE, and he's complaining! I refused to leave because didn't want to waste the lousy $8.00.  It's the principal of the thing.  I could have been at home reading my book in the air conditioning instead of sitting the steamy Texas heat.  But that's o.k., that will be the last visit to the $8.00 pool this summer.

I would love to go somewhere and just chill for a couple of weeks -rent a beach house, just relax, read and  go which ever way the wind takes us. Unfortunately, in my world -there is no such thing as go with the flow.

The good news is the boys have decided to get along this week.  They're not yelling at each other, no knock down drag out fights to the death.  I guess that's sort of a quasi vacation.  For now it's as good as it gets.