Warning: some of the following material may not be appropriate for parents of newborns and/or toddlers. Proceed with caution.
There are less than two weeks left until school starts, and I have to wholeheartedly admit, I’m totally not ready. This has been the Summer of travel and discovery and living like I haven’t experienced in close to eight years.
And why is that?
Because, I’m now the proud Mama of two children. Honest to goodness little adults who are embracing the joys of travel as well. A stinkin’ dream come true. Hubs and I were practically giddy playing a new roadtrip game called – “what we no longer have to worry about while on vacation.”
It went something like this.
Me: bottles
Him: diapers
Me: bedrails
Him: pacifiers
Me: sippy cups
Him: pack-n-play
And it went on and on, through Louisiana to Mississippi and Alabama, finally arriving in Florida.
Then the fun really started.
All six of us playing miniature golf – grandparents included.
Go Karts with me/Oldest vs. Hubs/Youngest. (two races, split results)
Snowcones without spills and tears.
Ocean swimming with splashes and laughter.
Beach reading (oh hell yeah I did) with Youngest digging in the sand. Hubs and Oldest terrorizing crab.
No naps.
No schedules.
No problem.
It was finally a familyvacation, not Mama-ing in a different location. And it was as delightful and delicious and refreshing as a piña colada in a hollowed-out coconut. Plus the pink paper umbrella and pineapple chunk.
I look forward to the next four to five years before my seven-year-old becomes an obnoxious tween and no longer wants to go tripping with his parental units. Then, those of you with younger ones reading this right now may give me a smile and the finger from your comfy beach chair.
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Enjoy it while you have it. It honestly flies by and once it’s over, it’s really over!
Welcome to the Other Side!
My eldest, a newly turned 14 yr old, actually loved being on vacation at the beach with the family so perhaps your desires for the future can be imagined for another 7 or even 8 years!!! Of course an Ipod is needed for the road trip part to not have to listen to the siblings.
P.S. Let me add another item for the future. Packing their own duffle bag!!!!!
“oh hell yeah I did”
I love the way you write!
Amen, sister! I had the reverse way of discovering this stage of life was upon us when my sister drove up for a visit with her three kids (ages 5, 3, and 11 months) back in June. The amount of *stuff* she had to haul with her (and that was with me providing things like my kid’s old Pack and Play so she wouldn’t have to bring as much stuff!) and then the naps, the diapers, the sippy cups, the endless “watch the baby”s. Oy.
There’s something to be said for being beyond that point in parenting. I too look forward to the next few years, before my 7 year old morphs into a surly t(w)een that hates her embarrassing parents…
And I’m bringing a *stack* of books when we go on vacation at the end of the month, because I can now read by the pool while she and Hubs splash around and go down the water slide. Oh, yeah!
LOL…yes enjoy these years because they do become tweens and teens….feel free to look me up when they reach this age by that point (if I’m not in jail) I will be a PRO!
Yes time does fly with youngn’s. It will just be a blip on yours and their lives and you will wonder if you really lived that part of your life. Enjoy.
Oh baby! We’re headed Lakeside in a few weeks – to make up for the lost vacation when the boys and I were on the Cape and Andy was in TX – and everything you mentioned is exactly what I have in mind! I’ve got three books picked out already!!
And yes, we play the “what we don’t need” game too! Swimmy Diapers!!
LMAO!!!
At least you know I’m giving you the finger.
It’s just my youngest that we have to worry about at this point. My 4 and 5 year-old are okay to take places, but the 2 year old is still high-maintenance.
My sister’s girls are little whereas I have the teens. And believe it or not, our girls will turn down fun with their friends to come with us every time. But it’s not because they totally love us or anything. It’s because we do fun stuff. Only reason– I am convinced.
Anyway, we live about 90 minutes from Disney so unfortunately, that means we have Disney passes. Can you tell I’m a big fan? We’ll go spend the weekend there sometimes. Last time, I called my sister to talk. I mentioned that the kids were at the park while my husband and I were at the hotel, having some wine. I thought she was going to have a heart attack at just the thought of such freedom. I told her every year it gets better and better.
You think you’ve got it made when you don’t have to bring the pack n play, but then they can babysit themselves and then one day, they can go stand in the ungodly lines all by themselves. It’s a great journey.
As a mom to a 10, 9, and 7 year old I wholeheartly agree! We’ve done lots of traveling this summer and it has been great. I even took the kids on a road trip without hubby. Our drive back was 7 hours straight but my kids did fabulous.
My friend just got back from vacation with her 12 month old twins and she said it was fun but really hard. I wanted to tell her, don’t worry it gets better!
You’re not wrong. The day you no longer have to take the entire house with you on a vacation is when vacations really begin.
Also, when you can take trips alone – without kids or husband – this has been the thing I’ve enjoyed most since the kids are older and on their own. I’m still not sure I ever really went through that whole “empty nest” syndrome. I was too busy drinking and partying.
I hear ya. I hear ya. Now, if my ovaries could just see the light, we’d be all set.
I’ve got 3 that are done with the baby-ing, but it doesn’t stop them from “MOM where did you pack my toothbrush?” “MOM can I have computer time?” “MOM this is boring.”
At least the baby can’t give me any back talk. *sigh*
Hubs and I had a similar discussion on our vacation… ours were the only kids in the totally out of diapers… and we gloated.
“Oh hell yeah I did”??
I cant believe how crass your blog has gotten.
Im truly uncomfortable.
And I’m truly uncomfortable that you can’t seem to find the apostrophe key.
Love you. Missed you and your male-representin’ self. Such as it is
Aw, how sweet.
And here I am rejoicing that school starts tomorrow!
Yippee! Hooray!
For me, not you.
*grin*
That was the meanest thing I have ever read! My youngest is only 9 months. Will I really have to wait all those years before I can read again.
You give me hope! So no finger, just a thank you as I look forward a few years in the hopes of having a vacation again as opposed to a trip. It is fun being on the beach with a toddler and seeing them build sandcastles and hunt for shells. But the packing to get there and doing the same thing over and over every day is definitely a trip not a vacation. Glad you had a wonderful time.
I can not wait until this happens to me.
Next year, baby. Next year.
I got three words for you:
I. Can’t. Wait.
P.S. I’m genuinely happy for you. Really I am.
Uh huh.. yeah..
I have got to add: 3 of my 4 can now put on their own sunscreen. Yahoooo.
The downside is they want to plug their iPods into my charger while on the drive. Thank goodness minivans have elec. plugs in the back. I always wondered why it was there when we had babies (did people need to light up in the trunk? Drink yes, but light up?) now that we have tweens I get it.
On the road again…. just can’t wait,
NavyWife
PS: I ordered a Kindle for the rest of the Summer, I had no idea I was going to get so much reading done ;0)
It’s great when they turn into little humans. And then you start thinking about how your time with them is limited . . . and, well, I must sign off now and grab some tissues.
Sounds like this is a great time to travel. Sorry to hear that school starts way too soon for you. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
And to think, I was just happy for my friend when they came to visit and there was no need to bring baby food anymore – ha!
Mine are only three and five but this is already happening. Sometimes I want another baby and then I wonder if I’ve lost my mind or if I just really love mothering? Perhaps it’s both.
I’m glad you had such a FREEING post-baby/toddler time.
and then you hit the teenage wall of surly facial expressions and rolling eyes at mom because she wants to take a picture in Times Square – “do you have to look like such a tourist? Gah!”
*snif* you know what? I miss changing diapers.
I hear you! Mine are only 3 and 4, but we are already feeling a big difference. We go camping on the Oregon coast every year at the end of summer (starting when they were 18 months and 4 months) and this year we are completely elated that we will actually be able to walk around our trailer without tripping over all of their gear, and our scedule no longer revolves around nap time (both my girls stopped napping right after 3rd b-day, now it’s just 30 minutes of quiet time). As far a reading time goes, that’s always been non-negotiable for me when on vacation. My husband hangs out with them in the morning (breakfast and cartoons) while I spend an hour in my little chair outside, drinking multiple cups of coffee, kindle in hand. He gets his break in the evening, vegging with a movie while I handle dinner & kids. The best part about this year though, is that the kids actually know where we are going. They remember bits and pieces of the previous trip, and all I’ve been hearing about for days is ‘When we going to Or-gone?” I love it! Ahhh, only 3 1/2 more weeks to beachside cocoa and coffee in the forest.
BTW Ashley, I came to your blog a couple of months ago from SheWrites. I’m not usually a blog reader (especially mom-blogs) because after a while they mostly start sounding the same, but I am totally hooked on yours. It makes me laugh every time.
ah, bless you and your sandy relaxed self.
no finger from me, but definitely a little sigh.
i do envy the no diaper thing. it was nice having a fully potty trained individual for a whole year until baby made his debut. it made the 3 a.m. changings that much tougher to accept.
what i love: EVERY stage of life has its precious (along with the tedious)… it’s all part of this crazy experience called motherhood and i wouldn’t trade it for the world!!! enjoy these happy golden years.
I’m so with ya!
This will be our first family vacation that everyone can swim, everyone can cut their own food, and everyone can wipe their own a**
So darn exciting
I am jealous. While we SHOULD be at that stage with my twins, because of Will’s disabilities, something tells me he’ll always be my baby I have to watch like a hawk.
I will say, having just one child who NEEDED me every second of our cross country trip was refreshing.
My husband and I had the same conversation this summer!! How much we love the fact that we are past the baby/toddler phase, and how much easier everything is! Woo hoo!!
I have a 7 year old. Two months from being 8. We’ve had a good couple years full of trips of this kind.
I’m also 35 weeks pregnant.
Well, it was nice while it lasted . . .
Great post!!!
Sounds like you guys had a wonderful time! We are almost there…each year gets easier so I won’t give you the finger;) Next year…we will pretty much be there and boy, oh boy…I can’t wait..this Mama is going to get her vacation on. I love how you say “Mamaing in a different location”….so true.
I was there too this summer, it was so easy with the boys being 3 and 6 and capable of helping! But, alas, I am pregnant and will start all over next February when this lil’ one’s due;)
Oh yes! The days of REAL family vacations. When you don’t have to watch every second and everyone is having fun MOST of the time! I miss those days! I have 4 kids ages 17, 19, 22 and 28. The oldest has 6 kids of her own now, the 22 has none yet.
The 19 and 17 live at home still, the 19 yo son is due a baby girl any day now. Last 2 vacations we took both of their signifigant others with us. Grrr. That meant taking 2 cars, renting a bigger condo, trying to please everyone, basically 6 adults trying to make decisions for the group. The alternative to taking them with us would not have been much better as our 2 would have been miserable and on the phone the entire time we’re gone and asking “when are we going home?”
I remember when daughter was 14 and we spent 4 days in a beach house for new years. She found that she could get a cell signal to talk ther bff by standing on the very top floor of the house in the back corner. That is where she spent most of those 4 days. lol!
Enjoy while you can!
Bernice
http://bernicewood.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/so-what-is-good-enough/