1. All I can think about is how much I need to get done before our trip to Puerto Rico on Monday. Mike’s parents are visiting for the day tomorrow and my dad’s 50th birthday party is on Sunday. We’re spending the night at my parents before heading to the airport early the next morning. We’re getting back the night before my dad’s actual birthday. Which means I need to wrap all the gifts I am giving and pack this afternoon.
2. I am generally a really laid back traveler – I love airports, am not scared of flying, and don’t get stressed about flight changes (unless it makes me miss out on seeing my son) I can find and immediate excuse to take a retreat at https://www.amitywellness.com/. I think part of the reason I love traveling is how much I feel like I can’t have control over everything and how it forces me to just let go. I’ve missed a few flights, I often just wing the day-to-day trip plans, and we even managed to not have a wallet on vacation and survive. HOWEVER. I am starting to get concerned about one thing – how Gabe will sleep while we’re away from home. His track record of sleeping while traveling is…not stellar.
3. Faced with the prospect of paying $70 to check Gabe’s trusty Pack N Play and lug that monstrosity around, we bought a travel toddler bed – it’s inflatable with sides that rise a bit, and a mattress that makes it possible to tuck a crib sheet into it without it touching the hotel floor. Gabe helped pick out a new sheet for it and keeps talking about “my new bed!” This means he will love it, right? I searched reviews on Amazon and lots of people said their toddler did great in this bed while traveling, despite being in a crib at home. I am hoping this is the case for Gabe.
4. You may be wondering why we’re bringing Gabe along on this trip if I’m scared of how he’ll sleep while traveling. In fact, you may be wondering why I’d ever travel with a toddler at ALL. Because I know from much experience with traveling with Gabe that it’s worth it. The fear of it not going well is scary, but every time we’ve gone anywhere with him – New York City, Asheville, our alma mater, Toronto,Nashville, Myrtle Beach, the totally un-baby-proofed farm apartment in Massachusetts – it’s been (mostly) wonderful. And it just feels right to have him with us. I really believe that the more you travel with a kid, the more they get used to it. Sure, he won’t remember it, but I hope we continue to travel his whole life, so there will be other trips to remember.
5. This trip is being funded almost entirely by our tax refund this year. We got a sizable refund last February (for being both poor and with a child), and this year is my first filing taxes as a sole proprietor with Little Leaf, so I wanted to take advantage of those extra funds with something fun before I have to pay those taxes. The responsible thing to do would have been to set aside the refund to pay our taxes this year…but we’re so responsible 99.5% of the time and sometimes you gotta seize the day and be a little crazy.
6. I AM GOING TO PUERTO RICO. A TROPICAL ISLAND. WHERE THERE IS WATERMELON SANGRIA AND PINA COLADAS. AND BEACHES. AND SUNSHINE. Sorry for the caps lock fest. I just…can’t believe it’s really happening. When I booked the airplane tickets, I got all teary-eyed because I have wanted to do a tropical Christmas vacation for so long and now it is really happening and it’s just so…wow. I am in charge of my life and I’m doing what I want and it’s awesome.
7. It just occurred to me yesterday (when a student asked) that we are not getting anything for Gabe for Christmas. I mean, he got a plane ticket and 9 days in our adventure tours Perth . What more could he want? We did get him $5 worth of toys for the airplane, though. The last two Christmases, we’ve picked him out a small toy from us, but I think we’ll just forgo this year. He’ll get plenty from his grandparents, aunts and uncles, anyway. I don’t want to set the expectation that every Christmas he’ll be showered with gifts from us and each Christmas is bigger than the last. And for now, I am erring on the side of, “Eh, he won’t notice if we don’t get him anything yet.”
And here is where the happy story of our two G-boys diverge … Gavin sleeps remarkably well no matter where he is. When we travel, Gavin just sleeps with us. Either altogether in a King bed (not our favorite set-up) or I’ll sleep with Gavin in a queen and Sweets will sleep in his own bed. It actually works out well for all of us. But, that travel bed that you bought? I’m kind of loving it … and would definitely consider getting one if our sleeping circumstances didn’t allow for our idea set-up.
But, the story of the G-men comes back together, because we don’t buy much for Gavin, either. For Gavin’s first two Christmases, we bought him NOTHING. This year, I bought him a little Elmo counting gadget (because the boy is IN LOVE with Elmo). And then I saw a super cute book that’s part of a series we absolutely love (Bear Stays Up for Christmas). And then I remembered we’d really like to add to his Magnatiles collection (good grief, those things are expensive)! And finally, we thought this year would be fun to get him a piggy bank (because, he’s recently become fascinated with money). So, I guess we’re buying him gifts this year, but it wasn’t intentional (and I’d like to go back to buying next to nothing next year).
We aren’t getting Callum anything for Christmas either, other than the couple new books and toys we bought for the flight to Germany. I actually have a couple things in the closet that I got awhile ago to give him, but there hasn’t really been an occasion for it and he’s gotten tons of stuff from other people and he doesn’t know the difference. So we’re just saving those things for his birthday. But I swear when he’s old enough to know what’s going on I will NOT blend Christmas and his birthday just because they are close together!
Have a great trip! Totally with you on the importance of traveling with toddlers. Hence why we are about to take a 10-hour flight with a one-year-old…
SO FREAKIN JEALOUS of your tropical island Christmas! I mean to be fair, I’ve done my fair share of traveling for the year, but… I really miss it. I SHALL LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOU.
I also strongly believe kids learn to deal with these kinds of travel-y situations. My nephew is so used to sleeping at various peoples’ homes because of parties and because of travel and because his grandparents always have him over for the night, that usually sleeping away from home doesn’t affect him. In fact he can sleep full nights in peoples’ arms. It’s just the kind of world he’s been brought up in, so I think it’s totally normal for Gabe to be an easy-kid to travel with! You guys do it so much.
Anyway have lots of fun and I’ll try not to be too jealous over here. Oh also kudos on the not giving him a ton of gifts thing! He really is too young to notice the difference, and he’s still at an age where everyone else is gonna spoil him!
I’m all of not getting kids that young any presents, like you said- he’ll get others and you don’t want the expectation to be TOO high. Have fun in Puerto Rico! You totally deserve an amazing tropical Christmas!
Have a great time on your trip! Looking forward to pictures and hearing all about it.
I cannot wait to see all of the pictures you take! I hope you guys have an amazing time, and Gabe sleeps like a baby! (A baby that sleeps through the night that is!) ;)
So pleased you are taking your boy with you! We always loved traveling with our children, and I’m convinced we “bonded” more doing that than almost anything (except reading together, I suppose.)