I took last week off (well, mostly off) and snuck off to Calgary for the better part of a week with the family. Mostly for fun, partially to do a little recon and get the kids excited about our upcoming move.
Boy, there’s nothing more relaxing than a holiday with the family, is there?
This is an important sentiment to remember at 7 a.m. when you are nearly ready for a road trip – and one of your kids throws up. And not just once, but twice. With a whole lot of laying around pale and feverish in between. How does that even happen?
Let’s just say we left late that morning. But leave we did – we let him lay around and rest, we dosed with small amounts of Gravol and cool water, and fervently crossed our fingers. Within an hour or so, he was looking a little better and able to get up, so we decided to make a run for it. We figured if he felt better, we’d all be happier to have made it to our destination and be able to start fresh the next day. If not, he could rest there until he felt better. The room was paid for anyway, so why not just try? He desperately wanted to try – what a brave kid.
So we packed the car, put the kids in, gave him a blanket and a bucket and hoped for the best. I’m not sure what possessed us, but in the moment it seemed rational. The first hour or so was nerve-wracking, as he stayed pale and did get sick once more before we left town. But the rest of the trip was smooth going – save for the rampant summer colds my husband and daughter were sporting. Do you have any idea how much I jumped every time someone coughed, thinking my son was getting sick again? Let’s lowball it and say two or three hundred. Ugh.
Within a few hours he was looking much better, munching on a few saltines and sipping water. Whew. And weren’t we happy we hadn’t postponed a day?
While we’re on the topic of holidays, let me just say I love packing for the road far more than for flights. We each had a small suitcase or bag, then I packed two laundry baskets full of stuff like pull-ups, wipes, blankets, swim gear, jackets, extra shoes. We packed a small bin of toys between the two carseats, gave each kid a pillow, hooked up the DVD player and we were golden. A cooler was within my reach for drinks, and a bag of movies was stowed near my oldest so he could change out DVD movies. Word to the wise: you will need far more movies than you can imagine. Take plenty and don’t feel guilty if you pick up one or two. Consider it an investment in your sanity…
I’ll have more stories from our holiday trip to Calgary…stay tuned!
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