Our Vacation

I had Thursday off for Veteran's Day. I decided to take Friday off too just because I wanted to. I rarely get to take a day off just because I want to. Usually it's because someone is sick or I've got to go buy a SUV or something like that. This time it was just because I wanted to. It was really kind of naive on my part to think that it would be a vacation. As if I would ever be allowed to sit around the house and not do anything. I guess I'm still naive despite my advanced age because that's exactly what I thought I'd do. Needless to say, it didn't happen. This post is two weeks later. I'd started it much earlier and got busy and couldn't finish it. Now, 2 weeks later, I don't remember what I did that Thursday. I only remember that I was busy. I think I might have spent part of the day updating catering info. That Friday, I spent the morning getting caught up on laundry and putting clothes away. 2 weeks later, I'm behind again. Anyway, after laundry, the boys and I went to clean the church. The boys are always such a great help. We did that, then rushed home to get ready for our "vacation".

I'd researched and decided that Stearns, KY looked like a good place to vacation. Stearns, KY? Where is that? You might be asking yourself that question. Well, from where we're at, you turn toward Prestonsburg and drive, turn to get on Route 80 then continue to drive. All in all, you drive about 4 hours. Yes, 4 hours in a a car with hubby and 2 boys. We didn't make it the full 4 hours. By the time we got to London (KY, not England) we were ready to stop at a hotel with a pool. That was our only requirement apparently and I pulled into the first hotel that had a sign boasting a pool. We could barely keep the kiddies calmed down enough to have supper. They were all about the swimming pool. Well, the big one was all about the swimming pool. The baby was all about walking around the swimming pool while never actually getting anywhere close enough to get wet. He doesn't like swimming pools. I don't know why. He loves bath tubs and showers. He pretends he's swimming when he's in the tub. He just doesn't actually like pools so we never have to worry about packing his trunks.

Anyway, my big one stayed in the pool while his brother went back to the room and spent the rest of the evening pushing the wheeled suitcase around. He loved that part of the trip. I think I'm just going to leave the suitcase in the downstairs hallway and tell him to knock himself out. He had a blast. Big BK remained at the pool for about 20 minutes, managing to get every part of his body wet except his hair. He told me during that time that I was a good person. He's not a good person though because he's a little mean-his words, not mine.

The next morning, after a bad continental breakfast and a disturbing bathroom incident in which my potty-trained son's pants became soaked with pee and sent Hubby into a rage, we were on our way. On our way to where, you're no doubt thinking. We were headed toward Stearns, KY with a little detour to Cumberland Falls, KY. The hubby had never been and I thought that since it was just about 45 minutes away from our final destination, it would be a good side trip. It was. It was beautiful. Cumberland Falls in one of only 2 water falls in the world that boasts a moon bow. We were there at 9 am so we didn't actually see the moon bow although it was so cold I could see my breath. The other water fall is Victoria Falls in Africa but, if I'm not mistaken (and I'm not googling this to verify my info so you may feel free to), Victoria Falls collapsed some time during the 1990s and no longer holds that distinction.

We tromped around the falls for an hour or better. It was chilly and it was lovely. The boys had a ball. They went in caves and walked through a very sandy beach. I tried to come up with a way that I could smuggle some silver drift wood off of the beach, to my car and then to my house. I was unable to formulate a plan but I'm certain that, had I put the task to my Big BK, I'd have a giant silver tree branch in my yard right now. We stopped in the gift shop to pick up a souvenir, which we didn't get. We did walk out with a box of chocolate covered pretzels, a bottle of super sour apple tongue spray which my son had to have then refused to actually allow me to spray on his tongue because it might be sour, and a piece of grape super bubble gum that my clepto of a baby tried to sneak out of the store in his mouth but was foiled by a wrapper he couldn't chew through. We paid the 1 penny for the gum. I don't think the baby learned a lesson by us bailing him out because he tried to grab a package of hubba bubba from a shelf on his way out. I worry about that one.

Finally, we got to Stearns, KY in time for lunch. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Stearns, KY, their main claim to fame is the fact that they are a refurbished coal and lumber town with their own private scenic railway. The town itself is part of Whitley City but it is super cute. All of the buildings are original to the early 20th century, refurbished and lovely. There were restaurants and an original company house full of offices and professional spaces. The train depot itself hosted a gift shop and a restaurant that called itself Suzanne's Fine Dining. Apparently in Stearns, KY fine dining means frozen catfish, frozen chicken strips, frozen fries and frozen fried pickles--all fried to order. That's all I'm going to say about that.

After lunch, we boarded the Big South Fork Scenic Railway for a 1 hour m/l trip through the wilds of southern Ky. The boys were so excited. Well, Big BK was excited. Baby BK really had no idea what was going on. We rode in an open train car because it was a beautiful afternoon. Almost before the trip had begun, Baby BK was asleep in his mommy's arms. About 1/3 of the way into the trip, Big BK was asleep in his daddy's arms. So, needless to say, the train ride was quiet. It was nice. Sigh.

The absolute cutest part of the entire trip was, when we were waiting to board the train, walking around outside, seeing the sites, Baby BK made me let go of his hand. He went over to his big brother and took his hand. He and Big BK walked along the train depot holding hands. Baby BK was so happy and proud that he was with his big brother who he alternately idolizes and tries to murder. Seriously, the cutest thing you ever in your entire life saw. I'm sure that, shortly thereafter, someone hit someone else and there was a big row but it was lovely while it lasted.

To round out the weekend, Big BK threw a hissy fit Saturday night followed by a doozie of one Sunday morning because Mommy asked that he put his socks on so we could go to Sunday School. He was grounded from swimming in the in-door pool during his cousin's birthday party that night. His response was, "If I can't swim, then I'm not going." So, he didn't go. He went to church instead. That was probably where he needed to be.