Vacation Lessons

I think I learn something new every time we take our boys on a trip. Some good things, some not so good, but I have to say, this past weekend was probably the best I could have asked for. Sure we had a major dilemma when I couldn't get the DVD player to work and it caused an almost panic, but we made it through by actually......wait for it........looking at books, talking, singing, coloring....GASP. It's amazing, isn't it! We made it 4 1/2 hours with no movies, with NO crying. Nope Jay and I handled it just fine ;) Seriously though, I couldn't have been prouder of my boys. They really traveled well and were so well behaved, even at meal time DOUBLE GASP! I have to admit, that's what I was most nervous about because let's just say that meal time has been a wee bit of a challenge here lately. Yes, Will was his typically messy self, but I can handle that over the throwing food, banging utensils.....

So what did I learn?

1) Troy needs very little sleep. Period. Sleep has been a common topic for me and I have been stressing about it forEVER. However, I realized just how little Troy needs to function. We didn't get him in bed until midnight Friday and he was up at 5:45AM. Yes, you read that right. We tried to get him back to sleep, but nope. And no, no nap, no falling asleep in the car, no bad moods, no grumpiness...nothing. We all went to bed the next night by 9:00 and he slept until 7, but the next day, another short short night. That was my fault though. "Let's wake him up to pee so he'll sleep later" HAHAHAHAHAHA good one. It worked the night before, but Monday, he was up at 3:30AM and never went back to sleep. See, lesson learned.

2) I have the absolute best family in the world. My cousins we stayed with and visited are the nicest people and the most comfortable to be around. We see them rarely, but yet, when we visit, it's like we talk all the time. My boys were even comfortable in seconds (which is rare). And Jay's family is just the same. We saw his sister and nieces and the boys just made themselves at home (again, a rarity). Now, if only they were all closer.....

3) My boys are a lot more flexible then I give them credit for. Not that I have a strict schedule I follow, but we are on a schedule of sorts. When you go on vacation, that goes right out the window and it used to cause me so much stress. This time, we just went with it and everyone survived and had a blast. No meltdowns when naptime approached and went by while the boys were still playing. Yep, they just went with it and fell right back into routine today. Nice.

4) I am seriously addicted to my morning coffee.

5) I have become seriously addicted to exercise. I needed the break from my routine, but I was so jealous of all the people I saw running and taking walks. Let's just say, I was back up at 5:45 this AM ready for Bob and Jillian to kick my tail

6) You can eat healthier at fast food restaurants (not that I chose to everytime, but there are decent options)

7) Back to the kids for a second. I should've learned my lesson on our last trip in November, but I didn't. When Mom picks up a book or something to do in the car, the boys always want or need something. When Mom is driving and Dad is in the passenger seat, they need nothing. Why is that (see Why Do They Do This :) )

8) Lastly, I always need a vacation after my vacation. I am exhausted.