First Family Vacation
The responsibilities of vacation began for me about a month before we actually went anywhere. That’s when I started thinking about, buying and packing for said vacation.
You’d think we were going to Africa, but really we were going two hours away, down the Jersey shore. (Only people actually from NJ say going down the shore, so understandable if you thought that was incorrect English.)
Even though the shore is so close, and yes they have a Target, I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough of the things my kids need, love and want – like formula, diapers, swim suits, floaties, etc. and honestly I was afraid to find out what would happen if they didn’t have these items. So I meticulously began creating list, after list, after list like so many moms who came before me.
When I started laying everything out, about a week out from the trip, it literally looked like I was taking the whole house. How could two “things” that collectively weigh less than 30 pounds need so much shit?!?
Jeff really couldn’t help me. Between finishing up the school year and work he was swamped and when he had a second off I wanted him to spend time with the babies. So I packed for two adults and two children.
We’re very fortunate and my parents own a Marriot timeshare so we arranged to stay in a Villa. It’s a resort, so it has food on site, a pool, a gym and even a spa – but best of all it has a kitchen. This was clutch (do people even say that anymore?) and I found it to be the most important thing when traveling with two infants.
We were thankful for the full kitchen when it came to heating up their formula, making their solids, feeding them and most importantly, the kitchen had a washer and dryer attached and we could wash their clothes. For the first time we had a washer and a dryer that belonged to us and we took full advantage of it!
It seemed like laundry was the afternoon/evening activity. We tried to go out to dinner once with the kids all bathed and in their stroller, but I think I’ve taught them too well how NOT to sleep in the stroller. Really shot myself in the foot with that one. All the experts say that sleeping in the stroller is not a deep sleep and as a mother of preemies I wanted their brains to develop as normally as possible – thus good sleep is very important. Little did I realize that teaching them not to sleep in the stroller would mean that I really couldn’t go out to dinner with a sleeping baby anymore.
Also, on my vacations in the past we would go exploring – checking out what the town has to offer. This was very different. No dinners out, no exploring. The most we did, that deviated from their normal schedule, was go swimming in the afternoon. It really was the same day, different background.
I did meet another twin mom, who had 10 year old g/g twins. She said that she used to call her husband, when her twins were under 3 years old and say, “today my suicide level is xxx” fill in the blank. I liked that a lot – I’ve definitely stolen it a couple of times. But that after they passed that critical 3 year milestone, they became best friends, great travelers and partners in crime. It’s getting to that point with twins that’ the challenge. One baby is hard, but two – when one stops crying the other starts, one is clinging the next day the other is, there’s really no break. And then when I do get a break, for some unknown reason they both nap at the same time or someone takes them for a walk to give Mommy some time to herself – I miss them. Motherhood is confusing!
But aside from the fact that I couldn’t do whatever I want – which after this long with the twins I don’t know that I’d know how to do – it was a pretty successful vacation. We were able to enjoy our family and be together for more than a long weekend, something that, believe or not, we hadn’t done since they came home from the hospital. With the crazy lives we live it’s hard to believe how fast time is flying! It’s great that we got the time together and the pictures and the memories to prove it.