I am heading off to Laughlin this weekend with my family for a river trip. Although I am excited, I realized that I have to adjust my thinking of "vacation" now that I am a mom.
The first thing I noticed is that I really don't matter in the grand scheme of things. We are leaving when I get off of work today and my kids' stuff and my husband's stuff is all packed and ready to go but...what about me? Well, my laundry is piled high and I have no clean clothes to take. I look like a French Hippie who does not believe in shaving and who is sure to scare everyone who gets a glimpse my unsightly under arm hair. My toes have a 2 month old pedicure still lingering and I might as well wear my Frump Girl sign.
Then, as I was pondering our sleeping arrangements, I realized that this vacation means that I will get a total of ZERO sleep. Isn't vacation supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation? Not for a mom. You see the 4 of us will be sleeping in one small hotel room. Since Noah is too big for a pack n play he will be sleeping on the hotel bed which means that each night will contain at least 2 falls off the bed which will result in loud crying which will lead to the startling of Maia which will turn into 2 kids crying hysterically in the middle of the night. Not to mention that they will both be unable to fall asleep when we first put them to bed because mommy and daddy are in the room with them.
As for my third child, my husband Ricky, he is like a little kid on Christmas when it comes to this trip. To be able to wake up early and spend the whole day on the lake wakeboarding is his Heaven. Thus, I must be a good wife and make this trip as enjoyable as possible for him by handling the kids when they wake up at night and during the day when they are whining because of the 113 degree weather.
By the picture I have painted, you must all be asking why I agreed to go on this "vacation." Well, some little part of me thinks it will be fun and hopes that the kids will be so tired they will sleep through the night and be angels during the day... and I know that this will make for some great blog material...what can I say?...I am committed to my craft!
2 comments:
You said it!! Very well put. Our little family went to Bryce Canyon last summer - nightmare! I had no idea that "vacation" didn't mean "relaxing trip," but that it meant "no sleep." We ended up having a good time overall, but I need my sleep. Our only trips for the next few years will be to visit grandparents, who can watch the boys while I sleep. Have a great trip!
I remember those days! With my oldest now 15, and youngest 10, it has been many years, but seems like yesterday. Scott, Tyler (then 10 months old), and I spent a "vacation" at Parker (Colorado River) sharing a motorhome with my parents and brother. Tyler did not want to sleep, cried what seemed like all night long, and had me fretting constantly that he was disturbing everyone and no one in my family would ever invite me on another vacation. Scott and my brother still talk about taking him outside in the middle of the night to keep him from crying.
Well, those years did pass, and he is a great kid now.
Hang in there. You are a great mother, and you're right, if you keep your consistency, it will all turn out right in the end.
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