Cave Junction Oregon - Out N' About Treesort

We are now sitting in tree house in Cave Jct, Oregon. Our tree house sits approximately 20 feet above ground, and is two levels (technically). There is a bedroom and a living area with a small loft (really quite tiny) above the living area. The three younger kids will pile into the loft, and Nick will grab some floor space near our bed. The deck outside the tree house has a large picnic table, a gas grill and plenty of room for us to hang out in our camp chairs. About 30 yards from our stairs is a natural pool that the owners built. It is spring fed, and is very cold. The 4 kids all went in, but during the first swim only two stuck it out and swam, with blue lips and goose pimpled skin! Eventually all four kids were back in the pool and splashing around happily.
Last night was our second night in the hotel, and we had a good nights sleep in comfortable beds with breakfast included. While we are sleeping in beds tonight, it is quite different and a bit more nature oriented. We may even pull our sleeping bags out and sleep on the deck under the leaves and stars.
The kids have been doing pretty well getting along – in most cases – as have the grown ups. There are areas that we find more challenging, mealtimes being the biggest. Everyone wants something different than what others have, and that makes the others want that instead. The old adage “the grass is always greener in the other pasture” certainly has proven to be true. We are trying our best to be consistent among families, but that too can be stressful as we don’t want to give in to the kids all the time.
Another difficult area is the purchasing of souvenirs. All the kids have their own money, but when one sees a tee-shirt and buys it, they all want to buy something too. And none of the four children have learned the value of a dollar yet. I am not even sure all four adults have either!!
When asked yesterday by Dave how we would each rate (scale of 1 to 10) the smoothness of this trip the answers were 8, 7.5, 5.5 and 5. Tricky game that one, as no one wanted to touch off another, but we all have found challenges with the trip. Losing items on the plane, forgetting to charge batteries for personal electronic devices and what snacks are being served are often the culprits of rearranging moods and behaviors. We have also found that two oldest children with type A personalities are very similar in behavior (just so you know, that is Ian and I). It is similar to Lord of the Flies in that whomsoever holds the conch shell gets to have a say – and everyone else will listen. Until there is a rebellion or mutiny.
Overall, as we end our second week and reach the midway point of our journey, it has been exceptionally fun, with a perfect mix of busy activities and down time. Time with family and time with friends has allowed us to learn even more about each other. Could I do this trip with anyone else? No way. Only the Tewksbury family has the ability to withstand the Szabo traits, and vice versa! Thank God for best forever friends.