Benefits to Family Vacations
We took a small trip to Galveston because I wanted to take Chalupa to the beach this year. It was important. So I drove down Friday and Lewis caught a flight and we picked him up at the airport after work. One benefit to traveling for business is he has lots of airline miles now. And I would rather drive the five hours by myself and get in at 3 versus wait for him to get off work and get in at 11.
Prior to this trip, we had not taken a vacation just "us." All of our vacation time (and vacation money) is usually spent going to visit family. I'm not complaining. It's what happens when everyone lives so far away. So this trip was a one off.
It wasn't fancy. We stayed at a hotel that we got a cheap rate through travelocity (moody gardens) they have lots and lots of kid stuff there (including a water park that was included in our stay). The best part of family vacation is the forced family time. Daddy can't be tempted to log in to his email (computer left at home). I didn't even take many pictures. I took a handful on my phone, and some at the beach. But mostly we all just hung out together. We even all took a nap. It was nice but they napped so well I had to wake them up because I was hungry.
I love Galveston. Actually ... let me correct ... I love the ocean. I don't care what it looks like or that it isn't Destin or Mexico or that it's surrounded by refineries and chemical plants. I see that as commerce. And Galveston actually has a very interesting history of piracy, and is really worth investigating.
It's still not Destin. I get that. It's not San Diego. But I'd put it on par with Venice Beach or those other really over crowded LA beaches.
But there is literally, no scenery in Dallas. None. I love where we live. I love our standard of living and the amenities and our access to health care and education and sports events and concerts and even theater. I love it. We get movies first as a test market. Lots and lots to love.
What is not to love is our scenery. Concrete. Flat. Wierd desert with a few trees. And in our suburb of course they plowed all the trees before they built so that is unfun as well. No mountains. No natural rock formations. Nothing. Even our lakes are manmade.
So driving five hours south to the ocean seems like a really cool thing to do.
Another thing ... I had to live in the largest state in the contigous US? Really? There are not many states you can spend five hours driving in and still remain, in that state.
I was talking to Lewis yesterday as we went out on our weekly date because we trade off babysitting with our neighbors; we have a good life here. It will / would be very hard to move.
Do I think my kids will graduate high school from here? Hmmm ... I can't see that far. I've lived here 8 years and that's the longest I've lived anywhere times two.
But to the point ... family vacations are well worth it. And it was nice not to have to run our day around others schedules or keep kids up past nap time or plan nap time or bedtime around what a bunch of grown ups wanted to do. We let them sleep when they were tired, we did keep them up late, and we let G watch a movie in his bed and fall asleep. It's his favorite part of traveling ... getting to watch shows on the ipad.
He also loves staying in hotels. Loves it. Asks all the time if we can go stay at the hotel. I was wondering when that started for him and I can't remember. Maybe this past May? When we stayed in Houston for brother-in-laws graduation? I don't know. But then we stayed in Austin and he liked that too. And he's sleeping in the big boy beds. I know for many that's not a big deal but I still freak about him falling out of bed.
Expert travel tip ... do not bring his own pillow (he will want it). But bring his pillow case. Smaller to carry.
Chalupa is also a rockstar traveler, like his brother. He does cry (almost always on the way home) but usually he's manageable. He sleeps pretty good. The first night is always the roughest because it's new and different and he gets scared. But just like G used to do, if I go in there and soothe him a bit (keeping in mind he's also exhausted) he goes to bed.
In other Chalupa news ... he's standing solo for a few seconds and looking like he wants to move his feet but he doesnt, plops down, and crawls to his destination. He's releasing his hands prior to having a grip on the new piece of furniture for "cruising." He's probably two weeks from independent steps but months from walking being his preferred mode of travel. He just crawled over to the stairs and climbed up the first two steps. Need to put the baby gate back up.
On that note ... I hate baby proofing. Hate it. So I usually don't. I just say "no" a lot. But Chalupa is not as intimidated by me as G was. Not sure how to handle that. I know you have to parent kids differently ... but um ... I don't really know how to parent different? Gonna have to learn I guess.
Prior to this trip, we had not taken a vacation just "us." All of our vacation time (and vacation money) is usually spent going to visit family. I'm not complaining. It's what happens when everyone lives so far away. So this trip was a one off.
It wasn't fancy. We stayed at a hotel that we got a cheap rate through travelocity (moody gardens) they have lots and lots of kid stuff there (including a water park that was included in our stay). The best part of family vacation is the forced family time. Daddy can't be tempted to log in to his email (computer left at home). I didn't even take many pictures. I took a handful on my phone, and some at the beach. But mostly we all just hung out together. We even all took a nap. It was nice but they napped so well I had to wake them up because I was hungry.
I love Galveston. Actually ... let me correct ... I love the ocean. I don't care what it looks like or that it isn't Destin or Mexico or that it's surrounded by refineries and chemical plants. I see that as commerce. And Galveston actually has a very interesting history of piracy, and is really worth investigating.
It's still not Destin. I get that. It's not San Diego. But I'd put it on par with Venice Beach or those other really over crowded LA beaches.
But there is literally, no scenery in Dallas. None. I love where we live. I love our standard of living and the amenities and our access to health care and education and sports events and concerts and even theater. I love it. We get movies first as a test market. Lots and lots to love.
What is not to love is our scenery. Concrete. Flat. Wierd desert with a few trees. And in our suburb of course they plowed all the trees before they built so that is unfun as well. No mountains. No natural rock formations. Nothing. Even our lakes are manmade.
So driving five hours south to the ocean seems like a really cool thing to do.
Another thing ... I had to live in the largest state in the contigous US? Really? There are not many states you can spend five hours driving in and still remain, in that state.
I was talking to Lewis yesterday as we went out on our weekly date because we trade off babysitting with our neighbors; we have a good life here. It will / would be very hard to move.
Do I think my kids will graduate high school from here? Hmmm ... I can't see that far. I've lived here 8 years and that's the longest I've lived anywhere times two.
But to the point ... family vacations are well worth it. And it was nice not to have to run our day around others schedules or keep kids up past nap time or plan nap time or bedtime around what a bunch of grown ups wanted to do. We let them sleep when they were tired, we did keep them up late, and we let G watch a movie in his bed and fall asleep. It's his favorite part of traveling ... getting to watch shows on the ipad.
He also loves staying in hotels. Loves it. Asks all the time if we can go stay at the hotel. I was wondering when that started for him and I can't remember. Maybe this past May? When we stayed in Houston for brother-in-laws graduation? I don't know. But then we stayed in Austin and he liked that too. And he's sleeping in the big boy beds. I know for many that's not a big deal but I still freak about him falling out of bed.
Expert travel tip ... do not bring his own pillow (he will want it). But bring his pillow case. Smaller to carry.
Chalupa is also a rockstar traveler, like his brother. He does cry (almost always on the way home) but usually he's manageable. He sleeps pretty good. The first night is always the roughest because it's new and different and he gets scared. But just like G used to do, if I go in there and soothe him a bit (keeping in mind he's also exhausted) he goes to bed.
In other Chalupa news ... he's standing solo for a few seconds and looking like he wants to move his feet but he doesnt, plops down, and crawls to his destination. He's releasing his hands prior to having a grip on the new piece of furniture for "cruising." He's probably two weeks from independent steps but months from walking being his preferred mode of travel. He just crawled over to the stairs and climbed up the first two steps. Need to put the baby gate back up.
On that note ... I hate baby proofing. Hate it. So I usually don't. I just say "no" a lot. But Chalupa is not as intimidated by me as G was. Not sure how to handle that. I know you have to parent kids differently ... but um ... I don't really know how to parent different? Gonna have to learn I guess.
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