Will and I took our first trip to the lake last weekend! It was not a typical trip since it was just the 2 of us since Phil stayed home with covid-positive Paul and it was a short, busy trip since the reason for the trip was going to my nephew's graduation party.
We left around 3pm on Friday and actually made good time getting to the lake. Since Will does not need to stop for bathroom breaks, we got to the lake in 3 hours. But that is the only good thing I have to say about the drive because Will SCREAMED for about 2/3 of the drive. I had given him water and snacks but that only kept him happy for the first 30 minutes and then after that there was just a whole lot of screaming. And there is nothing you can do when you are driving by yourself. It was something to just live through, I guess.
We got there in time for dinner. Will and Maddy got to play together for a bit. They are 3 months apart so very close in age! They look so guilty in the picture above! Unfortunately things went downhill after that. He usually goes to bed so easily, but the combo of a new environment, over stimulation, and probably being overtired meant bedtime was epically awful. Nothing I tried worked and he screamed/cried for about 2 hours until he finally passed out in my arms at 9:40. He usually is asleep around 7! At one point I told Phil I was debating getting back in the car and driving home.
He was of course up at 5:15 the next day because just because a baby goes to bed later doesn't mean they sleep later. Luckily he was in pretty good spirits. He enjoyed playing with some old school toys that me and my siblings used to play with!
After breakfast Abby and I loaded up the babies for a 3 mile walk. I opted to not pack our stroller and used this basic umbrella stroller that my parents have. He was very happy in it, I just wish the handles were taller.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day so we spent lots of time outside on the patio and on the dock. There were tons of fish by the dock so he was very excited about that.
We eventually played in the sand and he got very wet. I should have put him in his swimsuit! So he got a mini bath in a bin before lunch since he was covered in sand!
He took a decent nap that day and I slept for a bit, too. After my niece was up, we headed to the grad party but made a pit stop to visit my grandma who turned 99 last month! I hadn't seen her since last June when Will was just 6 months old. She loved seeing the babies!
Then it was off to the grad party for my nephew/Godson James. He will be going to college at St. Cloud State here in Minnesota this fall and will study nuclear radiology. I actually had a nuclear scan when I had a scare over a cough that wouldn't go away and a small mass was found on a CT scan so I kind of understand what he'll be doing (the nuclear scan was clear, thank goodness!). He is the nicest kid and was such a great host. We took a picture right away but of course getting 2 babies to look at a camera is impossible!
We were there for about 2 hours. The kids did better than I thought they would! It's a lot of work to chase little kids around but the party was outdoors and it was a gorgeous day so it was a good set-up for small kids. Will enjoyed some cheetos and boy did the kids flock to my niece when she opened a bag of doritos. Yes, I clearly get an A+ for my feeding standards, but oh well. He did also eat some beans, pulled pork, and half of a bun.
Bedtime went a little better that night but not great and he was up at 5:15. I took him on another 3 mile walk that morning and then we headed out around 11 after eating an early lunch. The drive home WENT GREAT. Thank goodness. He napped for a little over an hour and then was content after that.
If Phil can stay covid-free, we will be back in 2 weeks and that will be a more typical low key kind of weekend where we barely leave the house. Paul was so sad that he couldn't come to the lake so hopefully that trip will happen. Fingers crossed. So far Phil remains healthy and has been testing negative so I hope that continues!
8 comments:
That sounds absolutely exhausting, holy moly, I forgot what travelling with small children is like. The car seat screaming...well, the only way out is through, I guess. Fingers crossed that Phil stays covid-free!
I cannot go on a three hour car ride without stopping, so I think I've learned something about myself while reading this. Also, if someone were screaming in my car for hours at a time, I would not be able to cope. You are a much better person than I am obviously!
As a Mom who had TWO car screamers, I'm sure you're exhausted, but it looks like (aside from the sleep and car screaming), there were a lot of happy memories.
It can take a lot of extra work to facilitate this when you have a toddler in tow (and I bowed out of lots of events because I just couldn't handle the extra exhaustion) BUT it is so nice to have those memories and I always felt a bit of an adrenaline high when it was over and I felt proud of surviving all the chaos and anxiety (because I never knew when I kid was going to start crying or miss a nap or refuse to go to bed).
Hoping Phil stays COVID free.
Apart from the drive on the way, which sounds like hell on earth, it looks like a wonderful time -- best thing being with family and those you love. I hope you all can go back in a couple of weeks!
OMG, 2.5 hours of screaming? I don't know how you did it. I guess you just HAVE to, so you do. You find a way to cope! And then for him not to sleep that night! Argh. How exhausted are you?!?!? You need a weekend in a hotel room where you can just sleep and read.
There is no way your grandma is 99. NO WAY. I need all of her secrets.
Congrats to your nephew for graduating! That degree sounds intense!
Oof, that drive sounds rough!! It sounds like Will is just kind of at that complicated stage... I remember loving the 6-9 month old age, but thinking like 13 months- 2 years was really rough, because they aren't old enough to actually reason at all, so everything is totally just emotional/ needs based. I'm glad you made it though, and that the trip overall was a success!! Congrats to your nephew! Sounds like a great kid. Fingers crossed for your other lake trip with the whole family.
All good things first: I had that same type writer toy as a kid! and kiddos eating Cheetos is adorable and brave. I feel like my friends with kids only feed them puffs which really are just overpriced Cheetos, right? Anyways, the screaming, the bedtime woes. ouch. I like to think that the more you do it, the easier it gets. But I also need to think that positively because the drive to Jeff's parents if we ever have kids is usually 5 hours, and...my ears hurt just thinking about it.
Oh man, I am sorry this was so exhausting, because otherwise it sounds like such a fun weekend!
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