infestation ...

of FLEAS ...

That's how we started our vacation. With a phone call from my aunt and uncle saying they had arrived at the house we had rented for the week and it was infested with fleas. Not exactly how I envisioned our week of relaxation. J and I instantly went into parent mode. Planned our attack on the rental company (who were trying to convince us to stay in that house with the promise of free dinner) and were ready to fight for a new rental (and a more expensive house, obviously).

I mean, come on. Who in their right mind would (knowingly) let their children crawl around on floors and furniture covered in fleas? Or after the fumigation with all those toxic chemicals everywhere? Not us. And thankfully the exterminator agreed and the rental company was essentially forced to move us. (And yes, it was to a more expensive property.)

(Just a note: the rental company SWEARS that the "pet-free" house we rented had not been visited by a four-legged friend, but rather fleas are indigenous to the area. They also opened the door and let themselves in.)

After we got settled into our new house, things calmed down. And became pretty typical of our everyday life, just at the beach. You know how it went. Dizzle freaked out when asked to leave the playground (even though she witnessed Doodle coming millimeters away from a concussion), Doodle made a never-ending plead for more food (wide-open mouth and everything) and I ran. J got to play golf, which kept me busier with the girls than I would have liked, but he more than made up for it on the days weather kept him off the course.

Somehow, we made it through the week without any major drama. And honestly, I'm a little surprised (seriously, we're never that chill.) And aside from the obvious (fleas, the endless 30 mph winds from the Nor'easter, and Doodle's few near misses of serious injury), I did get the peaceful week I so longed for (and I survived no email and no phone - shocking).