What Keeps Me Up At Night?

Before every trip, there always seems to be something that has me worried, and this short trip to Whistler is no exception. Sometimes I fixate on the logistics, like what I'll feed the kids or whether our vacation rental will be what I expected but more often it's about the latest "developmental milestones" the kids are going through, and how I'll deal with them on the road.

We've been working with E on potty training, and after months of using the potty when it suited him (like 20 minutes after lights out) he's finally decided to get serious. We're in that early stage where I find the restroom each time we enter a new room, carry spare clothes everywhere, and keep a mental clock ticking each time he has something to drink. We're both feeling proud that he had his first dry day today, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking about how we'll make it all work when he's busy sledding, playing in the snow, and exploring a new area. Normal parents might say "put him in a Pull-Up," but my fastidious child has never once agreed to wear one and I'm not about to loose the headway we've made by putting him back in a diaper.

While you're picturing what I'm picturing, imagine, just hypothetically, that you also have an 18 month old daughter who has to do everything her big brother does. Then imagine how much enthusiasm we've been showing each time E uses the potty. It might sound glamourous to have an 18 month old who wants to potty train herself, but poor D spends half her day trying to use the potty just like big brother, isn't nearly as independent about it, and she's often inconsolable if things don't work out. At least she will wear a Pull Up (just do be different, she refuses to wear diapers)

Well, at least all that running to the bathroom will wear them out and make them sleep well, you might think. Maybe. I've finally weaned D (at 18 months, I've hit the sweet spot where I can simultaneously be judged by half of the world for nursing too long and the other half for cutting her off way too soon). Up until now, I've let her nurse to sleep whenever we travel so that she wouldn't disturb her brother. Nighttime might be interesting...

If you think I'm feeling sorry for myself, you're wrong. I'm super excited about this trip. We don't get much snow in Seattle, and I know that the kids are going to be beside themselves playing in so much snow for so many days in a row. It's never a breeze traveling with two little kids, but I'm not willing to forgo the amazing experiences we can have together by waiting for them to grow up enough to make things easy on me.

0 comments | Posted on April 13, 2008 | Save to del.icio.us

 Subscribe to our feed