I have always dreamed of a Tahiti vacation, so when I was looking for a new blog background this travel one with Tahiti huts over the ocean was perfect. A perfect retreat for those moments when the chaos is overwhelming and I can escape to blogging - at least until the next distraction!
Well, we are going on an actual vacation. No, it is not an escape to Tahiti. If fact hubby is not even going on this vacation. Nope, I am packing up the chaos and going to visit my family. I have booked four flights to Canada and will be heading to my parents for nearly 4 weeks.
Somehow as I am writing this it all seems kinda backwards. I think that it will be hubby that is getting the true vacation - he will have peace and quiet and plenty of time to finish unpacking all those boxes that we never got around to unpacking from our last move! Meanwhile I will be taking most of the chaos with me - upsetting carefully scripted routines and perfectly executed bedtimes. Oh wait - that is part of Tahiti dream world. I'm sure that routines and bedtimes will be just as chaotic at my parents house as they are here. The only difference is that here it is either just me or just me & hubby. At my parents we at least have even numbers most of the time - one kid per adult!
I grew up living within a few miles of both sets of my grandparents as well as many aunt, uncles and cousins. It is still hard for me to be so far away from all of them, especially now that we have kids. I often feel like our kids are missing out on precious family time and experiences. However when we live so far away, it is very expensive to get all of us where we want to go but I have always wanted to be able to take them to Canada at least once a year to visit with my family and also to take them to Phoenix at least once a year to visit with hubby's family.
I know what Canada is like in the winter - been there done that! I also know what Phoenix is like in the summer - been there done that and done that while pregnant YUCK! So I figure summer vacation in Canada and winter vacation in Phoenix is about as perfect as we can get considering circumstances!
Last year we moved from California to North Carolina so we already had to drive across the country. I took my mom with me and we took an extended detour through Phoenix and Canada and so I was able to get the kids to both places! This year I was starting to debate driving, but this time it would just be me. I wasn't sure if I was ready for 5 or 6 days in the car with no help! That was when I looked into flying. The day I looked was the final day of the seat sale. I booked!
I could never picture flying before now, it was just too scary to think of being in an airport with only me to watch out for three toddlers!! For a very long time they literally had me running in three different directions. I still took them places but it was always somewhat controlled - generally by putting them all in a shopping cart! I knew that I had to keep taking them out or they would never get used to how they were supposed to behave in public. I see other mothers completely frazzled by their kids and I was determined to not be that mother.
I have been lucky, often an outing to the grocery store and/or Wal-mart is fun for the kids and they tend to behave much better in public than at home - if I don't push it too long. In the last few months we have started to see a real change in the kids, I thing mostly due to taking them out alot. They are pretty used to being out with just me, they know to stay close and to hold hands. They even know when to let go so that I can open doors, and they know to step through the door and wait until everyone gets through so we can hold hands again.
We can go shopping and do well once we figure out whose turn it is for the seat in the cart. We can go into a restaurant and get through a meal without too much noise or mess! We can even go to the library and do okay - we are still working on quiet voices and sitting still for more than 30 seconds. So yes, now I can actually picture myself flying with them. Although I will be desperately praying for helpful people, especially to help me through customs with three kids, suitcases and carseats!
Somehow this became a much longer post than I intended! I really just wanted to let my Canadian friends and family who haven't heard, know that I was coming home next week! See you soon!
I plan to continue blogging while at home, other than the days we go camping at the lake!
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