Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program

I didn't fall off of the face of the Earth. Well, actually, I guess I kind of did. For the past week, the family whiled away our time in picturesque Deep Creek, Maryland. The town is actually McHenry, Maryland, but who's heard of that? (Okay, not a lot of people have heard of Deep Creek either, but it sets the scene a little better). Here's what it looks like:

Pretty, right? We rented a place with three other couples, two of which have three children among them. Shockingly, all of the kids got along pretty well (the Boy was calling the little girls his "sisters" by the end of the week). I expected way more meltdowns over some of Playskool's finest, or some tussles about watching TV. So, I was pleasantly surprised that way.

My only quibble? I'm clearly completely ridiculous when it comes to my clutter threshold. It's as low as a limbo pole. But man, toys, shoes, cups, beer cans, and cigarette packs were EVERYWHERE. It drove me bonkers. That's right. Bonkers.

How bonkers? One of my most satisfying mornings was the one where everyone went to a playground and I spent an hour putting stuff away. Since I was the only one compelled to tidy up, I recognize that I must have a small obsession. Still, though, I think leaving steak knives on end tables might not be the best child-rearing technique.