I am exhausted and struggling to recover, but I don’t think my life will be in order until later this weekend. On Sunday we returned from a 6 day road trip, I went back to the office on Monday, and my husband is heading out of state until Saturday night. On top of all this, Wednesday and Thursday are gymnastics and dance nights for my daughter. Nothing like carting two kids around town and waiting in a small cramped room with an antsy baby and 75 other parents. Of course, I am still trying to get the house in some semblance of order and tackle my favorite chore of all…laundry.
Traveling wasn’t always such a tiresome and overwhelming experience. I vaguely remember the days when our trek from Stillwater to San Antonio was relaxing, enjoyable, and when 8.5+ hours in the car with my spouse was a time to reconnect. There was a time when flying to Columbus was an opportunity to finish a good book and maybe sneak in a little nap. And I can’t forget about vacations…I am sure that one day I will go on one again and maybe even sleep!
My daughter has traveled so much in her 3 short years that she now has her own frequent flier numbers. The little professor would have his own too but for now he can still fly for free. Over the last 3 years, I have had more than my share of travel experiences. I would like to think that I have travel gear and packing down to a science, but every trip I inevitably forget something. Packing for a 3 year old really isn’t too bad. I get together her clothes and toothbrush, and she is responsible for her toy bag. I still have to modify the contents of her backpack, but overall it is a pretty good system. Now that I have a baby thrown into the mix, my whole routine is off.
My little man has already logged 3 car trips to Texas, a flight to Ohio, and another plane ride to San Antonio. This is about 4 trips more than I had planned after his birth. In fact, this was supposed to be a “no travel” holiday season but obviously that didn’t happen. There is just so much STUFF that a baby needs. The running list of necessities includes: clothes, diapers, wipes, bottles, pump, pacifiers, socks, a few toys, baby food, baby snacks, blankets, teething items, and a partridge in a pear tree. As I write this list, I am positive that I have already forgotten something. Then you have to think of all the things you might also need if your destination doesn’t have them: a play crib, sheets, mattress pad, baby proofing items (if mobile), carseat, stroller, booster seat/high chair, stoller, baby carrier, larger play items if you are going to be there for quite some time. Whew…
The first time I traveled, my daughter was 6 weeks old and I packed HALF of her wardrobe. I wish this was an exaggeration but sadly it is not. In my head, she needed at least 3 outfits a day because she would likely go through that many with accidents. So for a 5 day trip, there were 15 outfits plus a couple extras (like 10). I may have forgotten that washing clothes was actually an option. Then, we were going somewhere relatively cold so she needed a snowsuit. I BOUGHT MY BABY A SNOWSUIT! Please consider how ridiculous this was. First, you don’t put the darn thing on the baby before you put them in a carseat because that just isn’t safe. And after you get to your destination, are you really going to take 10 minutes to wrestle it on in the cramped quarters of the tiny car you, your in-laws, hubby, and baby have all crammed yourself into…no. Needless to say I returned it without even trying it on, but it made the trip just in case. I also packed 6 bottles….just in case. She was primarily nursing and we hadn’t even introduced a bottle yet, but I didn’t want to be caught unprepared. In the case of baby travels, too much preparation can in fact be a very bad thing. I would also like to think that hormones also played a large role in my irrational thinking. It takes quite some time before us new moms can even remember what we had for breakfast much less formulate rational thoughts!
So even though now I still pack at the last minute, at least I have a pretty solid routine. The kids share a carry-on rolling suitcase with one outfit per day plus one extra (if we are going somewhere with a washer/drier). If no washing facilities then I throw in extras based on how many days we will be gone. When it comes to my own suitcase, I go as low key as possible. I’m not trying to make any fashion statements so a few pairs of jeans, leggings, cute but comfy shirts, and a couple of pairs of shoes. I want to be cute, but all of my items must be functional. I choose clothes that can be casual or dress up easily. I promise that this works! I only take the jewelry I am wearing as it minimizes lost items or having to keep up with a little bag of jewels (ha ha). When it comes to all of the “extra stuff,” I collect it all in a central location so I have a visual of what might be missing before I toss it in my suitcase. (Important note: always leave plenty of extra room in your suitcase. You will inevitable return with way more stuff than you expect.) If I’m really on top of things (which is rare), I make a list. Yet, somehow my lists never seem to be complete.
Worst case scenario…you forget something. In most situations, it won’t be anything too major. So this week I will continue with travels, packing, baby gear, etc. These are the things that are most on my mind these days especially because in a few months we are going on a MAJOR family vacation. While we aren’t leaving until April, I think I need to start planning now!
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