date: Thu 23 Jul 2026 10:41:23 PM PDT subj: puke town vacation ------------------------------------------------- There were some snags on our vacation. We all drove back home, mom had a wedding to go to, that was planned nearly as long as the vacation. It was a bit of stress for us all, and it took some energy out of our relax, but sometimes that's the way it goes in life. It reduced our chances to be with the family, and the less energy decreases my stress resistance. I think the same happens to my wife (mom). We started with some breakfast, cottage cheese for the babes. Mc Donalds for parents. Leave Ocean Shores, munching on a egg sausage mc muffin, the cheese smell was lingering a little too long and too strong. I kept wiping my face, but the smell stuck around. Then it hit me. Someone in the back (one of our babes) threw up. Turns out our son wasn't feeling well. We pulled over and started to clean him up. It was a huge mess, and this kicked off the stress for us my wife and I. A bit of arguing happened. We did our best to clean up, but already my tank was a bit empty, so my temperament wasn't what I wished. Our son had to be put in his sisters jacket because we forgot to pack extra clothes for him. After all this is a one night hurry back trip. So there was a loss of dignity when people spoke about our little girl, and I had to let them know our son got sick and this is all the clothes we had for him. We made it home had a decent meal, and got to bed without a problem, although I stayed up too late getting little things done that needed doing for the ride back in the morning. We drove back and at some point my wife got in the back and fed the babes some snacks, but not long after, puke all over again. So the air in our truck smells like puke. Stress and our son not feeling well put a damper on most of the vacation. We rested the next day and didn't do much. Then the rain came, and we didn't go to the beach. We did make it to the pool. In the pool our son in ketosis didn't have a lot of energy. This also caused his body to core up his temperature so he felt cold on the pool. Mom was concerned so pool time was cut short for us all. We spent a good amount of time in the hot tub. In the hot tub, I turned away for a couple seconds and our daughter decided to dunk under the water. I quickly pulled her out, and she seemed to be completely fine with the entire event. I'm not sure if she wanted to go under the water after seeing the other big girls swimming under water all around her. My wife and I waited for her to go under again, but she didn't, but still she had a great time in the hot tub, smiling at everyone, and being her cheerful self. Mom and son got out of the tub, and daughter and I went back to the pool, to feel the cold again and swim around. Our daughter had a great time in the pool and enjoyed being in the water. Back in the room we stayed up late and all in all it was a decent day. -------------------- Arguments about communication got to me a bit. We spent too much time focused on the wrong things, and worring about our childrens food. I really want our children to eat good food, while we can buy it. I hear other parents feeding their children Cheeros Nachos; a mix of Cheereos and cheese. My up bringing did not have a lot of surgar in foods, compared with my younger brother's and todays idea of children's food. So we clashed about this issue. I guess it was something we had to work out, or maybe just because our son was feeling down, refusing to eat, getting throwing up what he did eat and having to rest on his mother most of the day, trancended into our collective concinousess. The night was long, and we talked about adjusting our expectations and how to approach vacation, and trying to be more than we can for everyone else, and try to live a bit more in the now and except what is to come. We are learning how to deal with anxiety and all this is dang hard to do and a bit messy to work out. There is nothing set and new circumstance throw us off sometimes. So the beginning of our vacation was fun, but the middle seemed more like a learning and growing time for us. -------------------- Packing up to head home, we worked and worked loaded the truck, said our good byes for now to grandma and grandpa, got our coffee drink and Donalds, and drove on. During our ride back our babes babbled a bit, then feel asleep. My wife and I talked about the strange internet influencer marking shtuff, and what to do about all the negativity. We enjoyed the scenery as we drove home, the small towns, and stopped at a state park to rest, give our babes a chance to stretch their legs while having a snack. An older couple with their dog walking near us, asked if our babes were twins. We confirmed it, and the older woman told us "I always wanted twins, but now that I'm older realize, I think it would have been way more work than I could handle." My wife said "Its a lot of work, we have to count each week as a win." I chimed in "At one point we were counting each hour as a win, then each day, now each week. We've made it fifteen months. We have twenty years to go. I hope we can make it." My wife tells me "We will." The older couple says "Have fun raising your children." I say "We do. Take care." My wife and I are happy, and in these moments she is like a glowing angle, her happiness makes me happy, and I feel special. The rest of the drive I feel absolutely positive. During the drive to the ferry in Port Townsend, my wife ask "You want to go up top on the boat." I think for a moment what she means. Then say "Yeah lets go up top." After we load on the boat, and enough vehicles surround us, we get out and take our babes up to the top of the boat, and enjoy the stunning view of the shoreline of Port Townsend, and all I feel is joy, during the entire ride back. Surprise at home, the cat got into some greenies treats, and puked on the carpet. Always a surprise when we get back. No flood though, which is good. Mom cleaned up the cat puke, I changed the babes, she unloaded the truck (wow!), and I did a bit more cleaning. Mom fed the babes, our son threw up all his cottage cheese, but we are all happy to be home. --------------------------------- I wish I had more vacation, it went by in the blink of an eye. We got to sleep in a huge bed. A new bed is on our list, but I sure enjoyed the extra space. Even though we had some arguments, the times we didn't continue to be the best times of my life, being with my family and seeing our children play, and grow, and witnessing their development. --------------------------------- This trip our son and daughter learned to turn on and off the lamps where we were staying. They were so happy to be asked to turn them on or off. They are getting so smart. They are understanding who grandma and grandpa are. My daughter and I can be in the bedroom and I can tell her "go see what mom is doing." Off she goes to find mom and check on her. One evening we gave them a bath in the shallow tub. Our babes were so happy about the running water as they stood outside of the bath, watching it fill up part of the tub. Our son splashed the water, he was happy, same with our daughter. I put them both in the water, and they just started crying like they've never taken a bath before. This was the first time I have not been in the bath tub with them. So mom decide to get in the tub with them. What a treat for the babes, Their first time in the bath tub with mom. I wish I could have taken a picture because it was one of the beautiful moments seeing mom with her babies in the tub, to me my beautiful family a lot like when my babies were just born, and mom got to hold them for the first time. ----------------------------------- We have a couple days off left in vacation, but the regular work of home chores, and preparation for work is starting to creep up on me.