It is fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.  We had originally planned on doing another day trip into Rocky Mountain National Park with the kids, but there’s so much that they want to do here that we quickly abandoned the plan.  This interval was intended for us all to get a little down time, and it’s been pretty relaxing. 

Nadia was happy because she finally got what she’s been waiting for the whole trip: a horseback ride.  We’ve been holding out for here, because unlike most places Lanie was allowed to ride with me so we could all go together.  Unfortunately this was only allowed on the shortest, most beginner-level ride, which was not really what Nadia had in mind – so she decided to spend all of her remaining trip money on an additional two-hour, more advanced ride for herself.

(After going on the one-hour ride with Lanie, I was very thankful we hadn’t been allowed on the two-hour.  Those saddles are not meant for two people, even two relatively small people.  Also, it was a big mistake to have had Lanie wear a helmet – I was expecting to find my chin was black and blue from the constant bumping.  Lanie wasn’t very comfortable either, and showed the most excitement when the stable came into sight on the return trip.)

Lanie was happy because there was a pool.  She’s been swimming every day, sometimes while the older girls have been at other activities that she’s too young for.  This pool is especially thrilling because she’s allowed to go down the water slide with her life jacket on, unlike most places where you have to pass a swim test.  Bob and I are somewhat waterlogged, eagerly awaiting the day when she can go into the pool by herself.

Zoe was happy with the vast array of activities that she could sign up for.  The possibilities are so exciting!  She told me early on that she might spend the rest of her trip money in the craft center, but she ran out of time after merely making a tie-dyed bandana and a mosaic.  She also did archery, and she and I participated in a rousing game of Capture the Flag.  (Three days later, we both still have sore legs from this endeavor.  I’m used to running, but not stop-and-go sprinting.  I’ve found it takes a lot out of you when you’re forty.  But I like to think that I helped our team to victory, even though I was about 25 years older than the average age of the participants.  When I got that thirteen-year-old with braces out of jail, I think I really earned some respect.)             

Bob and I were happy to have plenty of time to relax, in between dropping the kids off at various activities.  (You may have noticed that this resulted in a flurry of blog entries.)  We did plenty of things together too – family adventure games, mini golf, more bingo (our second night resulted in four prizes – and we all chose the gift certificate for a free brownie.  Score!)

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From Bob:

We’re feeling laid back here at the Y, and it might be the mountain vibe or the family atmosphere.  More likely it’s the two all-you-can-eat meals back-to-back that have had let me towards food catatonia.  I looked at breakfast yesterday morning and saw a bowl of yogurt with granola, which closely resembled my typical trip breakfast.  This occupied a tiny corner of my tray, balancing a plate of two pancakes magically rolled around blueberries, two sausages, and a pile of potatoes.  Also there was some fruit and several small cartons of milk (really cold milk seems like a supreme luxury).   If anything, my dinner tray the night before was even more heavily loaded.

                So I’m a little stretched in the middle, which made me a liability in the life raft portion of the Family Adventure (no real life raft included, thankfully).  Babe the horse also suffered – although I showed excellent horsemanship – under my added weight.  Sorry, Babe.

                By night number three, we were back in the direction of our normal eating habits.  The notable exception is the addition of chicken to our Minute Rice dinner.  Our fridge let us extend our list of ingredients. 

                Good old Tonkawa Cabin is an oasis of comfort.  Once we moved over from the hotel – itself pretty plush with its bed clothes, towels, sink and shower – the girls were especially excited.  Nadia burst into the place and was in full discovery mode.  “There’s a utility closet!” she yelled.  Lanie checked out the full kitchen and exclaimed, “We have a BLENDER!”  She was only slightly less gleeful when she was told that what she spied on the counter was a coffee maker, not a blender.

                There hadn’t been such rejoicing in the family since I found my missing deodorant back in Yellowstone.  Happiest of all might have been the van, which one day only drove a mile to pick up Nadia at the livery after her two-mile ride. 

                Laid back with a little excitement is a nice way to spend your time.  Add to it the beautiful mountain scenery that surrounds this place, and it comes out to a pretty nice stop on the trail.