The Beer Traveller

As anyone who keeps up on my blog knows, the places I stay are even more entertaining than the brewpubs I make it to.  Rick too had attended Geekapolooza back in NY, but I had never met his wife or kids.  I had arrived, in Pace, FL late Sunday after driving from the wedding in Bama.  I felt bad about arriving rather late, but Rick & Sheila are about as laid back as they come.
The next morning I found that their kids (a 3 & 7 yr old) are about as extroverted as they come.  Two adorable little girls that will (& did) provide a week’s worth of entertainment.  The youngest (Chloa) is anti-apparel & the oldest (Maggie) always has something to show ya.  My background is sales & I have no prior experience in kids 101.  Admittedly I was a little ‘deer in the headlights’ when Maggie was at the table filling me in on everything & Chloa was in the living room doing the same at the same time.  My experience has taught me to always make eye contact when listening to someone…it is physically impossible w/ 2 people talking at the same time in 2 different places.  Sheila may be able to confirm this but I believe I had the bobble-head look going on.
The kids don’t know it yet, but they have the coolest mom ever.  Everything from launching bouncy balls throughout the house, throwing the inflatable ball into the running ceiling fan, & turning the tiled kitchen floor into a slip & slide made me want to be a kid again.  Yea that’s right, the little ones are allowed to dump glasses of water onto the kitchen floor & than spin & slide until their hearts content.  Other activities included swimming, drumming, & tie dying (kitchen floor again).  Thanks to digital cameras, photography also took place; the pics were interesting…lot’s of out-of-focus butt shots!
The kids are smart beyond believe & Rick will surely have his hands full.  My 1st morning was me @ the kitchen table on my computer; I looked up to see Chloa, the 3 yr old, standing on the kitchen counter reaching for a glass glass up in the cupboard.  I was unsure of where the boundaries lied, but my time in the paper industry told me that OSHA probably wouldn’t approve.  I asked if she was suppose to be up there & she said…”mommy said I could be up here as long as an adult is watching me…and your an adult & you’re watching me!”  Who was I to argue…everything she said was correct; I just didn’t know that I now had responsibilities.
It was one of the more enjoyable weeks I’ve had even though I looked forward to Rick getting home every night.