A Vacation in Our Town: Days 4 and Last. Thankfully.

I'm combining Days 4 and 5 of our vacation this week into one post. Everything seems to be running together, i.e., going downhill just in time to end our week of "rest."

Let's see, today is Saturday. Let me backtrack a little as I know you're hoping I will.

Thursday we had planned indoor vacation activities since rain was forecast. We took Son 1 to gymnastics class and then headed to Incredible Pizza, though we had a different name for it by the time we left. My boys are only almost-2 and 3 yrs. They needed about 1/100th of the things this place had to offer. But, they got to run around while it rained outside and eat 5-7 bites of pizza so we got our money's worth.

When we finished our "incredible" time, we headed back with the boys in tow down one of the busiest streets in our city.

Raining? Yes.

Boys exhausted and ready to get home? Yes.

Traction on the tires of the car behind me? No.

I think I wouldn't have been so shaken had I seen the guy coming. As it was, I was advancing through the green light and looking straight ahead and then CRASH. My first thought was of the boys, but neither of them seemed fazed by it. The questions didn't even start for a good five minutes.

I'll save you most of the boring details, but here are a few to get you through the day:

• My Toyota Highlander's bumper was damaged but it was still driveable. The other guy? Not so much. He was driving a 2000 Ford Focus which could be totaled. The important thing is no one was hurt.


• We spent Day 5 of our vacation dealing with the other driver's insurance company, the rental car company, and the collision repair shop. I think we deserve a refund on Day 5.


• We dropped off our Toyota to have it fixed and for our trouble we were awarded a luxurious Grand Caravan to drive in the interim. I'm pretty excited about that; husband is keeping a hat and dark glasses in the van at all times.


• Wouldn't you know, it didn't rain yesterday so we could have been vacationing at the waterpark. We did pack up and go to the horse track in the evening. Rained. But a big canopy protected us and the boys loved watching the ponies run and I gawked about how the jockies could possibly have enough strength in their 100-pound bodies to wrangle those muscular animals.

Okay, finally I'm finished with the vacation saga. I'm kind of glad we will be getting back to normalcy on Monday. Just in time for the July Fourth holiday which we will TRAVEL for. In our mini-van. Get out the sunglasses, husband!