Upbeat Family, Life & Living Best Vacation Ever! even I by Gabriel A. Fraire of Healdsburg, CA ~ gafraire@comcast.net


used to hate vacations. I was 35 years old be- fore I took


my first one. Of course, my wife is quick to point


out


that I was also 35 years old before I had a job long enough to qualify


for


one but that’s an- other story. Being a parent one day off is considered a vacation and I was in line for a day off. My wife had plans to take


the kids for an overnight adventure with her and grandma. I planned to go to the library


and


walk right past the children’s department. I planned to go to a bookstore or actu- ally


any


store and not have to worry about


buying something just be- cause someone else needed it.


around


I planned to walk without my head


on a swivel, my hair full of sticky stuff and my arms full of kids. And the ultimate fantasy: I planned to go to sleep when I am tired and wake up when rested. Any parent will tell you what a dream that can be.


People without children tried to convince me to go, “do something.” I gave up trying to explain, that in our house with two working adults and two small chil- dren, we are always “doing something.” There isn’t one waking moment when your body isn’t in motion with your mind about a half a step behind. I was set. I was ready. The day came. The kids dressed,


the car packed I waved as they drove down the road and disappeared over a hill. I went inside, lay down on the couch to think of what I would like to do and fell asleep and slept most of the day. Best vacation ever.


Jokes & Humor # 2


At the mall, my five-year- old grandson joined the other children in line waiting to sit on the Easter Bunny’s lap. When it was his turn, he didn’t move; he just stared.


Gabriel A. Fraire has been a writer more than 45 years. He has written fiction and non-fiction books, plays, po- ems, music lyrics, and news articles. But, he writes about his children exclusively for the Upbeat Times.


“Don’t you want to sit on the bunny’s lap?” I asked.


“No!” he shouted. “There’s a man in his mouth!”


Upbeat at Glen Rose, Texas!


Elizabeth Childers at Fossil Rim Park in Glen Rose. They rescue endangered animals! You can see them roaming wild in the Texas Countryside! Baby cougars, rhino's and so much more. We hope you publish this because it's a happy and upbeat thing! Kimberly Childers(she writes the column in the garden) shares this with us sent to her by her daughter (Lizzie) More at www.fossilrim.org/


Pg 8 • JULY 2019 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. Around every corner, always protect the engine that powers you. ~ Dwayne Johnson


Gabriel


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