We made it back from Seattle, more specifically Mukilteo/Everett area. It was fun to see my parents and brother. However, it was a short LONG trip. The time change and being pregnant combined with an almost 3 year old kicked my butt!
We had great weather for Seattle this time of year (or so we were told...) It only rained on Sunday but otherwise we had breathtaking views of the snow capped mountains and the sound.
I have to rave about the hotel we stayed at. It was right in Mukilteo and called the Silver Cloud Inn. It was lovely. The rooms were big, clean and practically brand new with great service overall. It was right on the border of being a bed and breakfast but not quite. The views were breathtaking and we were right on the beach with the trains going by behind us and the ferries coming and going all day long in front of us. My son's dream location basically! Okay and I was totally wooed by the Aveda products they had in the room!
We visited a park/farm in Bellevue, the Children's Museum and Seattle Aquarium and took a drive onto the ferry out on Whidby Island on the rainy morning. Otherwise, we hung out with the parents and my brother. Matthew got to color eggs at Oma's house and my mom cooked a yummy meal. Matthew had not one but two egg hunts on Easter morning and was thrilled to find out the Easter bunny could visit a hotel room! My dad cooked a big meal for Easter and we just hung out at their house the afternoon. All in all it was a good trip but I definitely glad to be done traveling for the duration of this pregnancy.
I was pretty sick on the very bumpy plane ride into Indianapolis yesterday afternoon (it was really windy apparently...) I never get sick on planes and the only other time I have felt this sick on a plane was flying when I was first pregnant with Matthew so pregnancy and flying do not mix well for me. It was good to come home, get the dogs and try to get some rest before coming to work this morning. I still need to get groceries and do a ton of laundry but whatever we will eventually. I will try to post photos tonight or tomorrow night.
Oh and we bought a laptop and what we need to network the laptop to the desktop from my brother's computer shop! We are excited to get that in the coming weeks! I cannot tell you how nice it will be to have easy access to a computer that we can move around especially while I am out on maternity leave and will be trying to do some work.
Today, I have an OB appt. - mostly I am nervous to step on the scales after the non stop junk food fest we had while in Seattle. UGH...
Coming up, Kevin and Matthew will be traveling without me in two weeks so Matthew can see his other set of Grandparents in a couple of weeks. I am staying home to have a weekend on my own. I had little desire to do the trip esp. since supposedly his parents are also planning to drive down for Matthew's birthday two weeks later (grumble grumble grumble...) I am sad to miss traveling with Matthew which seriously I love - he is great at it and has such a great perspective on things that we as adults never see! Plus I will just miss my boys tremendously.
On the bright side, I have a hair and acupuncture appt. planned! And I am considering a pedicure as well! I am hoping to get to the big city to do some summer maternity clothes shopping (as well as little girl clothes shopping!!!) After talking with Kelly this morning, I think we may hit up the local theater this weekend to see a movie.
Other than that we are back! Hip hip hooray!
* The line is from Sleepless in Seattle in case you are wondering...
Showing posts with label traveling with a toddler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traveling with a toddler. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, September 17, 2007
A Summary
We are back from our week LONG Canadian "holiday". All went well really. The plane rides with Matthew are actually a lot of fun these days. Matthew was a trooper to the 10th degree, if that is possible. I think it is the fact that we ply him with junk food and juice. He calls the stewardess, the "juice lady"! We had three hours to kill in Minneapolis which was not as bad as it might sound because I had all the Caribou coffee!
Once in Canada we froze our asses off... Yeah, it was cold. 30s at night/morning and 50s during the day. It was misery to go from sandals and shorts to full winter gear for Matthew. He does not like socks... or jackets... or pants... Okay really clothes are a pain the ass! Each time we ate out, the 1st thing Matthew did was take his shoes AND socks off. Nothing like some toddler feet to get your meal started!
Kevin & I had some time to go out on our own sans Matthew which was great. Grandma and Grandpa were happy as larks to see their grandson. Of course, no one mentioned to me that Grandma has a scheduled biopsy on Thursday. Ummm, yeah (not to be too snarky - I do hope the biopsy does not show anything seriously wrong.)
I was probably ready to get back to my own home around Friday. Matthew slept on his cot in our room with us. He did well the first few days but I think Matthew had also had it by Friday. In his defense, we did leave him with his grandparents a lot, in a strange house, in a strange land without any of his usual stuff. Friday night, we went out with some friends & I came home early. I was pooped but as usual could not sleep so I finally made myself go to sleep at 11:00p Kevin came in around 1:00a and around 2:00a my son woke up... for the day. Yeah, I said 2:00a It was hell. I made Kevin get up with me at 5:00a finally because I was starting to see double. By that time, I just gave up and found some odd Canadian children's TV and fell asleep (Kevin basically got up, came downstairs and fell back to sleep after I woke him up...) for about 2 more hours. Needless to say Saturday sucked mildly...
We had to get up, visit with Great Oma, get home & dressed for the wedding, sit through the wedding, go home & wait four HOURS for the reception and attending the reception. It was not as bad as it could have been which I can only assume this means I am used to sleep deprivation - oh hip hip hooray for me.
Also, we do not drink. much. Kevin & I decided to have some drinks a few nights and holy cow I now know why I do not drink any longer. I mostly had wine but Kevin drank beer. Canadian beer is different from American beer. Stronger and far more potent. Yeah, we paid the price for drinking at all (and I am not talking copious drinking - like a glass or two of wine or 2-3 beers...) Needless to say, I do not plan to drink anything for a long long time. It is like hell on earth to feel yucky from a few glasses of wine with 2 yr old...
It is also in the 80s here so I am back to flip flops and capris and Matthew is much easier to dress (or undress for that matter!) I dread winter but we did buy some kick ass Roots winter gear for Matthew!
I must say that what I am learning more and more is that I am always glad to be home, in my own home & bed. I like that my house has our stuff and our lives contained within it and as my colleague said a few weeks back, your home is always better after you have been away from it. Plus our house still has that new house smell which is pretty nifty!
Once in Canada we froze our asses off... Yeah, it was cold. 30s at night/morning and 50s during the day. It was misery to go from sandals and shorts to full winter gear for Matthew. He does not like socks... or jackets... or pants... Okay really clothes are a pain the ass! Each time we ate out, the 1st thing Matthew did was take his shoes AND socks off. Nothing like some toddler feet to get your meal started!
Kevin & I had some time to go out on our own sans Matthew which was great. Grandma and Grandpa were happy as larks to see their grandson. Of course, no one mentioned to me that Grandma has a scheduled biopsy on Thursday. Ummm, yeah (not to be too snarky - I do hope the biopsy does not show anything seriously wrong.)
I was probably ready to get back to my own home around Friday. Matthew slept on his cot in our room with us. He did well the first few days but I think Matthew had also had it by Friday. In his defense, we did leave him with his grandparents a lot, in a strange house, in a strange land without any of his usual stuff. Friday night, we went out with some friends & I came home early. I was pooped but as usual could not sleep so I finally made myself go to sleep at 11:00p Kevin came in around 1:00a and around 2:00a my son woke up... for the day. Yeah, I said 2:00a It was hell. I made Kevin get up with me at 5:00a finally because I was starting to see double. By that time, I just gave up and found some odd Canadian children's TV and fell asleep (Kevin basically got up, came downstairs and fell back to sleep after I woke him up...) for about 2 more hours. Needless to say Saturday sucked mildly...
We had to get up, visit with Great Oma, get home & dressed for the wedding, sit through the wedding, go home & wait four HOURS for the reception and attending the reception. It was not as bad as it could have been which I can only assume this means I am used to sleep deprivation - oh hip hip hooray for me.
Also, we do not drink. much. Kevin & I decided to have some drinks a few nights and holy cow I now know why I do not drink any longer. I mostly had wine but Kevin drank beer. Canadian beer is different from American beer. Stronger and far more potent. Yeah, we paid the price for drinking at all (and I am not talking copious drinking - like a glass or two of wine or 2-3 beers...) Needless to say, I do not plan to drink anything for a long long time. It is like hell on earth to feel yucky from a few glasses of wine with 2 yr old...
It is also in the 80s here so I am back to flip flops and capris and Matthew is much easier to dress (or undress for that matter!) I dread winter but we did buy some kick ass Roots winter gear for Matthew!
I must say that what I am learning more and more is that I am always glad to be home, in my own home & bed. I like that my house has our stuff and our lives contained within it and as my colleague said a few weeks back, your home is always better after you have been away from it. Plus our house still has that new house smell which is pretty nifty!
Monday, September 10, 2007
My little travel bug
Matthew is a wonderful addition to our lives in so many ways but with regards to my massive travel bug, it has felt 'mmm, not so much'. I was thinking today after our usual morning meeting at work how completely myopic my world has become. It sort of made me sad. I love to travel but for years my travel wings were clipped because I was always so broke I hardly had the chance to go anywhere. Now we can go where we want but some times it feel like we cannot because we have Matthew.
Let me explain why our morning meeting brought this up - every morning we have a meeting (I know total OVER KILL but whatever - it is what it is...) On Mondays, we usually ask what every one did over the weekend or on their vacations. Two co-workers came back from these lovely sounding very non stress filled vacations without kids or spouses/so to places that did not include an in law Then our boss announced that next year, she is offering all of us a stipend to travel to one location to learn more about the area in order to write better scripts about those areas. I was excited and thrilled to learn about this addition to our office
However, travel with Matthew changes everything. Matthew is actually a very good little traveler as far 2 yr travelers go. When I was pregnant, we went to Hawaii, Seattle, Gettysburg PA & Washington DC. After he was born, we drove the 16 thousand hours in a mid sized vehicle to Winnipeg. Matthew has traveled from B-town to Detroit to Toronto to Rochester NY and back all in a car and what a trooper he was. Matthew has been to Indianapolis and back several dozen times. He has been to various locations around Indiana including Fort Wayne and various state parks. Matthew has taken the plane to Winnipeg and Seattle to see family.
He is a traveler but travel is still so very different with a 2 yr old then on our own. We certainly do not do many of things we might have done were we alone. You end up at a lot of zoos and children's museums. Which is really cool but very different then going to MOMA and seeing the latest Warhol exhibit or to see a more adult attraction like say a play or something related to history like Gettysburg. All things I loved to do when I went to new places. Also, I am not saying I could not take my 2 yr old to MOMA but I also appreciate that he is TWO and will not appreciate Warhol as much as I do. I am not mad about not being able to travel as much or to see the above mentioned things - one day I will have all of that back if I want (save the talk of a stinky recession that might cramp every one's style...) - I just miss doing some of that stuff. The freedom to decide on a whim to go somewhere, to camp in the Smokies in the rain or see Elvis' cheesy home in Memphis.
Then after thinking about this much of the morning I came to this conclusion (I am slow like this...): While traveling with Matthew at this age changes our travel plans to some degree, it is also really cool. Matthew is totally fascinated by things we as adults would totally ignore - the construction of a new wing to the airport for instance. It is actually really fascinating to see and I would hardly stop to look at it if I did not have Matthew or the huge Snoopy statue in the middle of the Minneapolis airport - I swear I have been in the airport more then any other in the nation and I have NEVER noticed Snoopy!
He is wide eyed to see new things, he takes things in stride that I never thought he would (the time change between EDT and PST... more so then I did! HA) and he loves to fly. The kid tromps onto a plane and stares out the window the whole time, chattering about the clouds, the OJ the nice lady delivered to him, the other planes in the sky, the people around him.
Okay so yeah there was that time in Minneapolis/St Paul that he dumped my entire Caribou coffee on the floor and started screaming at me all at the same time. And there is that feeling like I have been run over by the same plane I just traveled on to get to the location when I arrive. And finally, the shit we have to drag to and from our location - that part sucks. No more ancient backpack that has everything I need for a week somewhere!!
As much as I think my travel wings are clipped, writing this reminds me that my wings are only as clipped as I allow them to be. My brother and sister traveled to Holland and Bermuda and all places in between by the time they were Matthew's age. Kids can travel and see the world and while Matthew may not remember it all, he will grow up the way I felt I did - with a wide view of the world and experiences that will help him grow as a person. After all this thought and consideration, this coming year, I have big plans to drag Matthew to as many places as I can within reason. A renewed sense of travel - a different view of the world and not just because Matthew is 3 feet tall! No more myopia for me!
I am excited for our upcoming adventure on the plane to see grandma & grandpa this week! I hope Kevin & I have a chance to plan more adventures this coming year before baby #2 becomes less of a concept and more of a reality... A whole other adventure that will surely turn my world on its ear...
Let me explain why our morning meeting brought this up - every morning we have a meeting (I know total OVER KILL but whatever - it is what it is...) On Mondays, we usually ask what every one did over the weekend or on their vacations. Two co-workers came back from these lovely sounding very non stress filled vacations without kids or spouses/so to places that did not include an in law Then our boss announced that next year, she is offering all of us a stipend to travel to one location to learn more about the area in order to write better scripts about those areas. I was excited and thrilled to learn about this addition to our office
However, travel with Matthew changes everything. Matthew is actually a very good little traveler as far 2 yr travelers go. When I was pregnant, we went to Hawaii, Seattle, Gettysburg PA & Washington DC. After he was born, we drove the 16 thousand hours in a mid sized vehicle to Winnipeg. Matthew has traveled from B-town to Detroit to Toronto to Rochester NY and back all in a car and what a trooper he was. Matthew has been to Indianapolis and back several dozen times. He has been to various locations around Indiana including Fort Wayne and various state parks. Matthew has taken the plane to Winnipeg and Seattle to see family.
He is a traveler but travel is still so very different with a 2 yr old then on our own. We certainly do not do many of things we might have done were we alone. You end up at a lot of zoos and children's museums. Which is really cool but very different then going to MOMA and seeing the latest Warhol exhibit or to see a more adult attraction like say a play or something related to history like Gettysburg. All things I loved to do when I went to new places. Also, I am not saying I could not take my 2 yr old to MOMA but I also appreciate that he is TWO and will not appreciate Warhol as much as I do. I am not mad about not being able to travel as much or to see the above mentioned things - one day I will have all of that back if I want (save the talk of a stinky recession that might cramp every one's style...) - I just miss doing some of that stuff. The freedom to decide on a whim to go somewhere, to camp in the Smokies in the rain or see Elvis' cheesy home in Memphis.
Then after thinking about this much of the morning I came to this conclusion (I am slow like this...): While traveling with Matthew at this age changes our travel plans to some degree, it is also really cool. Matthew is totally fascinated by things we as adults would totally ignore - the construction of a new wing to the airport for instance. It is actually really fascinating to see and I would hardly stop to look at it if I did not have Matthew or the huge Snoopy statue in the middle of the Minneapolis airport - I swear I have been in the airport more then any other in the nation and I have NEVER noticed Snoopy!
He is wide eyed to see new things, he takes things in stride that I never thought he would (the time change between EDT and PST... more so then I did! HA) and he loves to fly. The kid tromps onto a plane and stares out the window the whole time, chattering about the clouds, the OJ the nice lady delivered to him, the other planes in the sky, the people around him.
Okay so yeah there was that time in Minneapolis/St Paul that he dumped my entire Caribou coffee on the floor and started screaming at me all at the same time. And there is that feeling like I have been run over by the same plane I just traveled on to get to the location when I arrive. And finally, the shit we have to drag to and from our location - that part sucks. No more ancient backpack that has everything I need for a week somewhere!!
As much as I think my travel wings are clipped, writing this reminds me that my wings are only as clipped as I allow them to be. My brother and sister traveled to Holland and Bermuda and all places in between by the time they were Matthew's age. Kids can travel and see the world and while Matthew may not remember it all, he will grow up the way I felt I did - with a wide view of the world and experiences that will help him grow as a person. After all this thought and consideration, this coming year, I have big plans to drag Matthew to as many places as I can within reason. A renewed sense of travel - a different view of the world and not just because Matthew is 3 feet tall! No more myopia for me!
I am excited for our upcoming adventure on the plane to see grandma & grandpa this week! I hope Kevin & I have a chance to plan more adventures this coming year before baby #2 becomes less of a concept and more of a reality... A whole other adventure that will surely turn my world on its ear...
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