Well we finally did it...a weekend trip away with both kids!
Not going to lie (and I'm sure no one is surprised), I was anxious and nervous about the 5+ hour car ride each way, getting the kids to take naps and go to bed in a foreign place, and just the general jitters of wanting them to stay safe and healthy (no one wants to be away from home when someone gets sick or hurt!).
Packing was a treat. Good thing we have a large vehicle because we about packed up our whole house. A few days before when I started packing, John said, "It's not like we have to pack that much, we are only going to be gone for 2 days. A couple of pairs of mesh shorts and t-shirts for Rudy and a couple outfits for Avery, and we should be set." If only it were that easy! Clothes were simple, no doubt. But the double stroller, Avery's bouncing seat, high chair, 2 pack n plays, Avery's bath seat, bottles, formula, baby food, all the bath stuff, diapers galore - swim and regular, swim suits, swim devices (water wings, tubes, etc)... plus the distraction devices... laptop, iPad, toys, snack... we were full to the brim!
But having said all that, it was well worth it! Traveling with young kids is never going to be easy for us. But we were up for the challenge and prepared for just about anything. It was nice to have a few days together, a break in our day-to-day routines, and especially nice to spend some time with family!
The kids did great on both car trips... only spending 20-30 minutes fussy easy way. We timed our departure times as best we could, hoping to get naps in, not mess up their schedule too much, and get there in as few stops as possible.
Avery did incredible throughout. She slept, ate, etc no different than when we are at home. That girl knows how to go with the flow! Rudy did much better than I had hoped, not great, but pretty good. He went to bed late both nights (which was to be expected and, hey, it's vacation afterall!) and it took us awhile to get him to sleep, but he slept in a "big boy bed" both nights, and only woke up during the night on the second night. He woke up around 5:30-6 both mornings and had no interest in relaxing/playing in bed until 7 like he does at home. His nap had to be taken while I drove him around for a couple hours in the car. Needless to say, he was one tired boy when it was time to leave! But he was happy throughout! Rudy is tricky. He loves people, he loves to entertain, he loves to be on the go, but he does not love to sleep in different places. When we have moved... the first few days are rough -- lots of "crying it out" and grumpy days to follow... but after a few days he is fine. But it's not like we can follow that same method on a weekend trip. It's not worth the upset for Rudy... so we just do what we can and it worked out ok. And Rudy had SO much fun!... which is the most important part :)
Rudy and Avery enjoyed some time in the pool with their cousins...
Our little dare devil wanted to be just like his older cousins and jumped fearlessly off the diving board (into Dad's arms, of cours)... over and over again.
And Rudy has offically developed a new obsession with baseball...moving right along through whichever sport is in season.
Jack had a couple of baseball games that we were able to go to and Rudy was, and still is, so impressed.
Since being home, we had to get Rudy a helmet and tee, he sleeps with his bat and immedately wakes up ready to play "ball-ball"... we have made trips to the store and elsewhere wearing his helmet and carrying his bat. Air Bud has even been replaced with Sandlot. Every time "Jack" is mentioned or he sees Jack's picture, he talks about him playing "ball-ball." And thankfully (and surprisingly) I think he's only had 1 timeout for hitting something or someone other than a ball.
No comments:
Post a Comment