Family Vacations

I love vacations, regardless of the fact that my life is pretty much a vacation. I love getting away from the city, finding new things to explore and taking the boys on adventures. This year we decided to do a week long vacation, dividing our time staying at my grandmother's cabin and my in-law's cabin. This seemed like a wonderful (inexpensive) idea, and all in all it turned out great, except for one thing. I found out that when you allow your children to hang out with their grandparents for 10 days straight, it has a similar effect as to you giving a heroin addict black tar. Half way through the vacation I was no longer referred to as mom or Tara but only as mean. It was justified after all, you see I was the only person who dared to tell my children "no". "No, you may not drink a case of pop in one afternoon", "No, you are not allowed to pee freely", "No, you may not eat all the cookies before dinner", etc. The list goes on and on but instead of my "No" being firm and solid, it was met with the attitude that I'll just ask Grandma or Grandpa because God only knows that none of them would dare to talk to a child the way I had. Obviously, I didn't have a clue. Of course children should be indulged with their every want and whim. Of course. However, I'm not even upset about these events because I have a plan. I know that one day they will have children of their own and God cannot even help them stop the vicious cycle that I promise to continue. I realize all too clearly that grandparents are allowed to indulge their grandchildren because there are no repercussions to them only to the parents and in 30 years or so to my children!