I'm not the kind of Mom who worries too much about her kids watching television. Some days they watch more than others but on balance we try not to overthink the whole thing. So it was just a happy accident that the weekend cabin we just returned from had neither wifi nor television. How did this highly-connected family fare? Brilliantly (or as brilliantly as possible when accompanied by two preschool-age boys celebrating their 4th and 5th Birthdays).
After hopping on the Internet and doing a quick search for a town that was no more than 1.5 hours from home and was somewhat accessible via commuter rail from New York, I happened upon Warwick, NY and a little log cabin on VRBO. I contacted the owner via e-mail. His welcoming response told me I had the right place with the perfect balance of creature comforts (i.e. insulation, heat, hot water, dishwasher) and simplicity (i.e. no 7 ft flat screen tv that takes a thick manual to operate or fancy Teppanyaki grill that requires the occupant to take out extra insurance - you know who you are house in the Poconos!).
Best of all the owner and his family retreated to their cabin for much the same reasons as we wanted to rent it -- to escape apartment-style living and let the children run around (inside and out) without fear of bothering or being bothered by a single other soul. Here on the other side of the weekend I can confidently quote George W. Bush and proclaim 'Mission Accomplished'*.
* Like George, there is a post script I'd like to enter into the public record. The kids had their moments and they did ask why there was no television but they only inquired twice and the subject was quickly dropped. They were allowed their Leapster games (see first paragraph) and we were allowed our iPhones and I brought my Kindle but we spent far more time playing with each other than we would have at home.
After hopping on the Internet and doing a quick search for a town that was no more than 1.5 hours from home and was somewhat accessible via commuter rail from New York, I happened upon Warwick, NY and a little log cabin on VRBO. I contacted the owner via e-mail. His welcoming response told me I had the right place with the perfect balance of creature comforts (i.e. insulation, heat, hot water, dishwasher) and simplicity (i.e. no 7 ft flat screen tv that takes a thick manual to operate or fancy Teppanyaki grill that requires the occupant to take out extra insurance - you know who you are house in the Poconos!).
Best of all the owner and his family retreated to their cabin for much the same reasons as we wanted to rent it -- to escape apartment-style living and let the children run around (inside and out) without fear of bothering or being bothered by a single other soul. Here on the other side of the weekend I can confidently quote George W. Bush and proclaim 'Mission Accomplished'*.
* Like George, there is a post script I'd like to enter into the public record. The kids had their moments and they did ask why there was no television but they only inquired twice and the subject was quickly dropped. They were allowed their Leapster games (see first paragraph) and we were allowed our iPhones and I brought my Kindle but we spent far more time playing with each other than we would have at home.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment