A Working Vacation

Remember when you were a kid and vacation was the coolest time of the year? You would play until you dropped, ate junk food until you felt sick, got sun-burned, drove for hours and hours at a time?

Who made those priceless, childhood memories possible? Your hard-working parents.

We are on vacation this week in Wisconsin. We are here at my parents' house with my parents, brother, and niece. When I was a kid, we used to come up to Wisconsin all the time with my cousins, aunt, uncles, and dogs as well. It was a blast when we were kids. I have very vivid memories of all the fun. I don't remember the 8-hour drive. I don't remember my parents cleaning up all the time or scrambling to keep us entertained and somewhat clean and rested. I don't remember what my parents did at all actually. Probably because they were busy being thoroughly exhausted.

Honestly, I was ready to go home before we even left Illinois. We had come up early and stayed at my parents' regular house for two days before heading up. So with a teething baby, a moody two-year-old, and a overtired nine-year-old, we were done after that. But we got in the car and did it. The ride was actually ok. The baby only screamed for probably an hour or so (reaching his hands out to me with a look to break my heart). I didn't get car sick--a usual occurance. My map-loving brother navigated us passed a terrible traffic jam. Our two-year-old actually ate lunch when we stopped. So all is well. But what makes you so tired while driving. We were just sitting and talking for 6 hours.

I know why I was. It is hard to entertain two kids for that long. I used every toy I brought and found in the car, plus anything else babysafe I could find. Fed them animal crackers, teddy grahams, juice, water. Sang songs, played peek-a-boo, read books. Let the baby poke me in the eye--since it made him laugh. Tickled them, carassed them, ignored them. Finally, we made it.

Then we had to make sure they safely explored the new place. Remembering if everyone ate, slept, has clean clothes. Are the doors locked? Did the baby eat the dog food? Are the cousins fighting again? Why won't the two-year-old wear a lifejacket? Where is the three-year-old?

It is just so much work to go on vacation with the whole family. My husband and I just want to sleep, really. My mom keeps asking me what I want to do this week...and I reply 'nothing'. I just want to relax a bit. So we are trying to relax and have fun--in between the overtired tantrums, dehydrated kids, and wet dogs.

At least we are with family...the kids will love that they got to go on vacation with their cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents. It will build loving relationships for life. Just as our parents did for us. It is worth it in the end (I am close to all my eighty-plus family members who we still vacation with regularly).

But my husband and I are thankfully going out of town next weekend without the kids. Its to a wedding but I'll take the excuse to go overnight without the darlings. Its our vacation from the vacation.