Thanks to a soon-to-expire, free airplane ticket , I semi-spontaneously dashed off to Idaho last week for a quick visit with my sister and her family. What else was I to do with a looming deadline for my dissertation proposal, an article still not submitted for publication, and a bunch of student work waiting to be graded? That's right. Escape. (Besides, I hadn't seen the kids for nearly a year!)
All interested parties were happy with the idea. ("Aunt Anny, it's so much better to have you here in person than just hearing your voice!) However, my brother-in-law reminded me that I always seem to visit at the wrong time of year. People flock to Sandpoint, Idaho (population 624, not counting wildlife) in the summer for glorious biking, hiking, and boating or in the winter for skiing. But in October when it's too cold to be pleasant outside, but not cold enough for the snow to fly, you're left with few options.
Undaunted by the scarcity of conventional recreational opportunities, we managed to have a rip-roaring time nonetheless. Here's a list of the top 11 ways to entertain yourself in Sandpoint in October. (Yes, we did every single one.)
11. Watch a kids' soccer game in freezing, windy weather
10. Change diapers for a very darling, wiggly 11-month-old
9. Practice the piano with a very darling, dramatically stubborn 8-year-old
8. Build super cool lego ships with a very darling, smart 6-year-old
7. Read books and cuddle on the couch with a very darling, adorable 3-year-old
6. Eat 100-calorie snack packs at midnight with a very capable, interesting, and exhausted orthodontist and his equally capable, interesting, and exhausted wife
5. Decorate a haunted cookie castle
4. De-junk a closet
3. Play a cut-throat round of "Duck, Duck, Goose" for Family Home Evening
2. Spend an hour with the kids dancing to a fuzzy version of "Lawrence Welk" on PBS (a regular Saturday night tradition)
1. Cheer as the baby takes his first steps
October in Sandpoint works just fine for me!
3 comments:
Anny,
A great account of October fun in far northern Idaho! But --- didn't anyone warn you to beware of wild games of Duck, Duck, Goose as a guest in FHE? So glad you survived the experience better than I did three years ago when Josh and I tangled feet. "Grandma goose" hit the wall and a shattered humerus ball in her right shoulder was the not so humorus result!
Thanks for sharing your good humor with all of your admirers -- I love reading your blog. Keep it going! Love, Aunt Jean in southern Idaho
How fun! It sounds like Rosy and her family are doing well and enjoying what Idaho has to offer, especially in the off season.
It was fun to have you here. Now if we can get you to come and ski during the holidays...
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