Mini Weekend - Rocky Gap State Park

To celebrate Valentines Day and public schools getting off for President's day, we decided to do an affordable mini-getaway that was close by and had things to do for both the kids and parents.   We chose Rocky Gap State Park in Cumberland, Maryland.

Lots of perks.  First, was the price.  Buy 2 nights ($99.00) and get the third night free.  Nice!  Here's the serene view from our Lake view room! 

Not bad....Second great motivator, it was only a 2 hour drive away. Third, they were having a special.  Kids eat free.  Yes!  Every meal at the hotel.   The food was actually very good and well...if you didn't like something (ahem...Tristan!) it was free.

Parents also got a special deal.  Dinner was pre-fixed - 2 for $30 which includes a salad, entree and dessert!  Filet Mignon and Creme Brulee, even!  We were pretty happy.  The perfect mini-waffles for breakfast were my favorite.

Fourth, the kids got to see the town of Cumberland known for it's canal and trains.  One of my fave moments was when daddy heard a train and followed it.  Tristan is just NUTS about trains.  

Favorite photo when I told them a train was coming and they were going to get crushed like bugs.

They do train rides in May, but for now there was just a museum and old train station you can check out.  You could climb up on old trains, or old baggage carts. 

The resort is known for the hiking and trails.  Since it was 30 degrees, we REALLY bundled up---little boys or Ninjas - you decide?  Tristan was always trailing behind.  So adorable.  Boys trying to crack frozen pond with rocks and sticks.  Limitless entertainment.

Okay, I have to admit the price was good. The trains and hiking, etc were good.  Eating delicious food----moreover, not cooking it---Um, great!   But hands down, the number one reason was: On-site Spa!  My Valentine gave me a stone massage and an organic facial.  What a treasure he is.

Love the iphone...you don't have to miss a moment!

If you ask Micah and Caelan what they liked best about their vacation, oddly, they would say the hotel room.    They had one box of hero factory toys, two big beds to jump on and a radiator for driving cars on.  I love kids who know how to make their own fun. 

For movie night, it looks like we had them watching something eerie......not.  It was Max and Ruby.  They are bunnies.

After the kids went down, we couldn't really go anywhere, so we ordered some champagne and watched Netflix off my computer! Again, gotta love the iphone.

The downside to the trip was that Micah and Caelan got a nasty cough the first night which kept me up most of the night, (death to mommy!) and then Tristan got sick on day 3 so we decided to head back early.  But that's okay--- better they get sick on a cheap, local trip than an expensive, far away one! We'll try this again next month, but we will bring some antihistamine with us. :-)

Think CAVEMAN.

So Micah had a VERY whiny, lazy, moment yesterday when he didn't want to help clean up after playing for oh...six consecutive hours.  I felt resentful and angry when he went into "whine mode" when I asked him to actually do some work.  I found myself giving a very lengthy and emotional talk about how I need to eradicate laziness from my firstborn so that one day he could grow up and be a young man who has a good work ethic. 

Somehow when I got that glazed, seven-mile stare, I realized one of the epiphanies about raising boys.

One thing my little men don't have is thousands of emotional states, as I do and as little girls do.  My boys tend to feel one of three emotions: mad, sad, happy.   I'm learning quite quickly not to project my complex emotional life on my son. His issue of the moment might not be that complicated.  He wants to eat, poop, or run.  On a really bad day he wants his toy back after some other kid took it from him. He doesn’t want to stare out the window and have lengthy discussions about the meaning of life.

Instead of a lecture demanding behavioral change, I shifted quickly to:
"Micah, is lazy good? Yes or no?"
"No."
"Okay, don't do it again."
"Okay."
"Now clean up.  Go."
(and he did it!  With fervor and even asked, "Mom, what do you want me to do next??")

 Mission Accomplished.  Laziness eradicated.  For this week. :)