Family Togetherness at Montebello

It always feels like a miracle when we're actually able to drive away from the house at the start of a family vacation. There are always so many obstacles on the path to success. It`s Chateau Montebello this weekend for a rendezvous with Mike who lives in Montreal. This has been our annual tradition for the past 11 years.

The Beamer, me, Mike, the Daughter, the Adolescent

However, first we have to get out the door. The Adolescent and his bacteria impede our progress. I won't go into the reasons why at the last minute the Adolescent is scrambling to get his biology project done. How my oven was used to incubate the bacteria. How we must bring the now flourishing growth with us on our trip like a fragile family member. The car must be preheated so the bacteria doesn't die. It must be protected and cushioned. It cannot be jostled. Bacteria.

Siblings

Our annual weekend at Montebello is an opportunity for idyllic family togetherness. The day always starts with The Negotiation. Invariably whatever one family member wants to do another is vehemently opposed. Like the other day. The Daughter wants to snowshoe. Well she doesn't actually WANT to snowshoe but it's the lesser of evils. The Adolescent HATES snowshoeing. He wants to go cross country skiing. The Daughter ABHORS cross country skiing. She refuses to come. The Adolescent refuses to snowshoe. We barter. We wheel and deal. Whining and general sulkiness abound. From me. I'm living the dream.

Snowshoes

An unplanned pleasure this year is that Sabina and Paul are here with their extended family.  Each family does its own thing during the day but after dinner we get together and  Euchre Rules. Their daughter Clara has to be watched closely for her self-professed propensity for cheating. And the Hubby is still most annoying.

Paul, the Hubby, Sabina, and me playing euchre

However, we don`t have to worry about the Beamer. He has the best babysitter ever. Stephen`s Guys are watching out for him! Just like last year (see The Hubby and the Prime Minister), our rooms are across the hall from where Prime Minister Stephen Harper is supposed to be staying. Everything is ready and waiting. But Stephen is nowhere to be found. The bomb sniffing dogs have declared the rooms safe. The command post has been set up in a room down the hall. We're pretty sure our names have been checked and cleared. There is always at least one of Stephen's Guys standing guard outside our room. We are either in the safest or the most dangerous place in the entire hotel. Although Stephen has not yet materialized, his Guys still keep watch. Just in case, I guess. In the meantime they are proving to be very excellent babysitters! The range of our baby monitor is not strong enough for us to hear the Beamer when we all gather down the hall to play euchre. So we put the monitor just outside the room door. If the Beamer makes any noise, Stephen's Guy on duty in the hall alerts us. The Beamer always attracts the nicest people!

Clara, Adriana, the Adolescent, and the Daughter hanging

Happy Family Day!