Caves... It's All Good

I feel like I've told this story a million times since we got back from our vacation to Oregon, but I thought I'd share it with ya'll. Sorry if you've already heard it.

On the way up to the caves.

About ready to go in.

Billy and I decided that it would be fun if we took just the boys to the Oregon Caves. Well, I can't speak for the them, but I had an unforgettable time. Two steps into the cave Zane (6) started freaking out. He started shaking, his heart was racing, and he was so scared that we were going to get lost in there. Poor little guy, I felt so bad for him. He kept saying that he wasn't serious about going in, but I told him it was too late, we can't go back. I also told him that our tour guide has probably been through there at least a thousand times. The next chance we had, I asked her, since "we" were scared of getting lost, ya know what she said, "About eleven hundred times." I'm a pretty good guesser!

Anyways, the tour is an hour and a half long. And oh, by the way, all four of us went to the restroom about one minute before the tour started, so all was good, until....

About thirty minutes into the cave, Zane's relaxing, but now he's doing the pee-pee dance. Oh crap! I told Billy that if we had to, I would take Zane out at the half-way point and would forfeit the rest of the tour. When we got to that part, we explained to him that he and I would not be able to come back in. "Oh, I can hold it, I don't need to go anymore." And immediately stopped doing the dance. Okay, it's all good again, until....


Yeah! More cave!

About five minutes past the only chance of getting out besides the end, guess what Zane's doing again? The pee-pee dance. And this time he's really jumpin' good. We looked at the tour guide in despair. She said that she had an emergency bag for such an occasion, BUT, we'd have to carry it out ourselves. "Sure, no problem, after four kids, I'm sure I've carried much worse than a bag of urine." So she gives us the strange little bag, and in order to give us a little privacy, she takes the rest of the group, including Riley (7), whom I told to stay with us, but apparently can't hear very well in a solid granite cave. In the dark, with a little-bitty light off in the distance, we try to figure out this contraption called a bag. You wouldn't think it'd be that hard, but Billy and I couldn't figure it out and Zane was about to burst, so I just took the bag and had him go into what we could get open. Phew, it's all good, until....

I realized, as I'm holding the bag there for him that it's leaking! This is a place where they don't want you to touch anything except for the railing because the oil on your hands can damage the caves, so I can't imagine they'd appreciate urine very much. And we still have about forty minutes left in the tour. I told Billy to run and catch up to the others and tell her what happened and ask for another bag. Oh, and to make sure he finds Riley, 'cause by this point, I'm panicking about him being in a cave and wandering off by himself and getting lost! By the time I make it to her, she's got a quart size baggie that she had first-aid stuff in. (Riley was there too, asking a question... that's another story.) We get the leaking bag into the trusted Ziploc. Zzziiiippppp, aaaahhhhh, I can enjoy the rest of the tour, it's all good, until.....

I was telling Billy that this didn't work out so bad after all, the bag of pee in my sweatshirt pocket was keeping my hands warm! Right on! It was only like forty degrees down there, so it was pretty cold. But then I realized, "Wait a minute!" Shoulders drooping quickly, "It's leaking out of the Ziploc!" Ooooh no. So for the last 35-40 minutes of the tour, Zane "pee-ed in my pants." I was completely soaked from my waist down to my mid-thighs. It was dripping off of my sweatshirt, it was just lovely. So lovely, that Billy took pictures of it. As soon as we got outside, I threw what was left, into the trash can, yep, there were maybe about two tablespoons left.

I took the sweatshirt off and we hiked back down the hill, made it to the hand-drying machine in the bathroom, and then, finally, it was all good.

Here's a pretty waterfall on

the way to the caves.

I should mention.... I love my Zano so much. He and Riley were oblivious to what happened until we got outside. It was pretty funny.... now.