camp tschetter: seattle 06

There is an unspoken (okay, pretty loudly spoken) rule in our immediate family when it comes to visits... especially family visits. Whether hosting or visiting, we (I) have a strict five-day limit. I know... it sounds silly, sterile and anal - especially with a family like ours that is spread out all over the country - but hear me out.

Five days is sufficient time to catch up, delve deep and feel like you've spent quality time. More often than not, you not only part on a positive note, but you leave hungry for more. At the same time, five days is brief enough that you can easily jump back into the cadence of "real life." And more, you've said so long just before the quirks and idiosyncrasies that go hand-in-hand with family really start to grate.

We just returned from our trip to Seattle. It's been nearly two years since our entire family has been together in Washington, so to my reluctance, we broke the cardinal rule when planning for this trip: we decided to stay for a week.

It was slated to be a big week and weekend for our family: Friday - David's high school graduation. Saturday - Cole's first birthday. Sunday - Father's Day. I can't articulate all I expected out of our trip, but I can say that things didn't go as I imagined. Nearly every aspect of our trip was... surprising.

As we expected, our first few days in town were great. We played and spent ample time together. We shared stories and laughs over sushi then lasagna. David and Great-grandma Vi opted out. We posed for our first family portrait since the kiddos - Maya, Cole, Max and Ava - joined the team. The guys - Paul, Jason, and Richard - got in an early round of golf, and the kids delighted in each other and basked in the affection of their grandparents. As an added bonus, Paul and I were even able to catch up with his former teacher turned dear friend, Michael and his wife for the first time since we've been married.

Cole (1) and Ava (1)

Then came the unexpected.

David was our primary reason for being in Washington that particular weekend. If he wasn't graduating, I ordinarily would have opted to be in our own home for Father's Day and the monumental first birthday. I digress. It turns out, we didn't actually see much of David. HE'S 18! He had people to see and places to go. After 13 years of schooling, he had sleep to catch up on. He, like every other 18-year old out there, was in and out of conflict with his parents and waging the pervasive war toward independence. Of course we would have loved to spend more time with him, but we've been there too. Surprisingly, it was okay.

Graduation was cool. I've never experienced one like it before. The two days preceding it were cold and rainy, so the rain contingency was in place. The clouds parted just in time for us to enjoy an outdoor celebration on the football field. The ceremony was casual, light. Everything and nothing you would expect. Countless caps were ornately and tackily adorned. Beneath the gowns of faculty and students alike were t-shirts, flip-flops and shorts. The musical selections were all you would expect from a high school graduation, and the speeches - all the sppeches - were good. REALLY good. As the event reached its conclusion, and the graduates of Bellevue High enthusiastically tossed their caps into the air, I was struck by the genuine elation that wove its way throughout the event. It was more than graduation or commencement. It was a party. I think it is the best high school graduation I've attended.

David with his big brothers and sisters - Liz, Jason, Paul and me

We returned home to discover that Maya had vomitted while under the care of sitters. Perhaps this was a sign, a warning from "the bug" - the omnipresent nuisance that reared its little head for the last half of our stay in Washington. By the end of the evening both Elizabeth and Paul went to bed with upset stomachs.

By morning (Cole's birthday) Paul and Grandpa were laid out on the couch, David returned home from Grad Night feeling under - way under - the weather, and out in Snoqualmie, Liz was also feeling a little blue. The day was monopolized by aches, pains and the U.S. Open. Cole's birthday... his FIRST birthday... quickly became just another day. No cake. No fanfare. Nothing. Just a cloudy Seattle day when the family wasn't together and "the bug" was king - not at all what I had hoped for. But the kid kept smiling. Surprisingly, it was okay.

Our only picture from the big day

Sunday morning (Father's Day), we all woke up feeling great. I went for a run, Jason, Liz and Ava drove in, and we made plans to enjoy the sun (which had finally come to visit) on the boat in Lake Washington. By mid-morning, however, it became painfully obvious that Jason and I would become "the bug's" next victims. Rather than celebrating the fathers in our family on a boat on Lake Washington, Jason returned to his bed in Snoqualmie and I spent the better part of the day in bed in Kirkland - emerging to sip soup and Sprite. Surprisingly, it was okay.

I don't golf, and previously, under NO circumstances would I actually sit and watch golf on television. But this Father's Day, my father-in-law and I bonded in a way I NEVER expected... over golf. I caught bits and pieces of the U.S. Open throughout the weekend, and I actually woke up feeling better after a long nap dying to find out who won... huh?!? To my delight (huh?), Dick recorded the final round, and we stayed up late with eyes pinned to the TV to watch the suspenseful conclusion... OGILVY?!?!?

Unfortunately, Karen was unable to escape the wrath of "the bug." By Monday morning, she was camped in bed, and we had not yet connected Paul's Grandma Vi. Since Cole has never met his great-grandmother and Maya has only seen her once before, I was especially excited for the opportunity to spend time with her. For fear of passing "the bug" on to her, however, she was sequestered. Sadly, we left Washington without seeing her.

You would think after a weekend of of sickness and thwarted plans and especially after exceeding our visit limit by two days, we would have been ready to high-tail it out of Seattle on Tuesday morning. You would think... but we weren't. Surprisingly, it was okay. It was better than okay, it was amazing. We left Washington with full hearts - overflowing for our family. We saw with different eyes than we ever have. Words cannot describe the delight of watching your kid sister become a mommy. There is nothing like watching your little brother become a graduate. The emotion that comes when witnessing someone else - a grandparent - love your child as much as you do is indescribable.