Vacation

We just got back today from our vacation to Newport, RI. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to show you, because the very first day we were there, the camera (which was in the beach bag) got sand in the autofocus mechanism and no longer works. I'm so sad about it, because I now don't have any photos of this vacation except for a few random shots on andy's cell phone. Which is ok, I guess, because although we went down there with grand plans to do all Newport had to offer, including packing our bikes and gathering data about local kid friendly attractions, all we really did for 4 1/2 days was go to the beach. So all of our pictures would have looked the same anyways. But the longer term issue of the camera being broken is a bummer.

Last summer, as you may remember, we went to Smuggler's Notch in Stowe, VT for a week. That was totally awesome, although it definitely fell on the once-in-3-or-4-years end of the price spectrum for vacations, and that was with both our kids being able to stay free and going during a "off" week to get a reduced rate. This year, we spent aa little less than half as much and rented a condo from a friend in Newport. And what did we learn? We learned that it's not how much you spend, it's the quality time that you spend with your family that makes a great vacation.

ha! Do you really think that's what we learned? no! We learned that you get what you pay for.

that's not to say the kids didn't have a great time - they did. But the bottom line is that whether you're doing it at home or somewhere else, taking care of a preschooler and a toddler is a lot of work and coupled with the threat that one or both or them might drown if you drop your guard, totally exhausting. Andy and I have decided that it would be more accurate to call it a "family experience" than a "vacation". I mean, it's lovely to spend your vacation at the beach. It's slightly less lovely to arrive at the beach at 7:45 am because your kids have already been up for two hours begging you to take them there. Pros: at 7:45, you have the beach to yourself, and the chances of getting a sunburn are significantly reduced. Cons: you're already at the beach at 7:45 am. Which means you're in for a really, really long day.

Both kids had a lot of trouble with thier behavior and also with sleeping the whole trip - I'm guessing from the combination of excitement of being on vacation, over stimulation, and being in a strange place. The first day, Eli refused to nap entirely, resulting in epic crankiness all afternoon followed by him passing out face first on the floor at 4:30 pm, and then proceeding to wake up at 4:15 am the next day raring to hit the beach again. Both kids were up multiple times each night, to the point where even I, the queen of all night waking suckers was ready to baby gate them in their room and put in earplugs. Owen's behavior could have been a lot better, and that's a charitable understatement through the rose colored glasses of motherly love. I also don't think it helped that the condo we were staying in had significant noise transmission issues to other units and we were on the top floor. We were constantly following the kids around hissing "don't jump! don't yell! no banging!" etc. I think it probably stressed them out a little bit.

We did do a lot of fun stuff - we rode a carousel, went to an aquarium, took the kids on a boat tour of Naragansett Bay (the point during the vacation at which the chances one or both kids would drown peaked), walked the cliff walk, went to see a yacht restoration shop, went out to lunch,etc. but overall we just beached it. I worried the kids would get tired of the beach after the first couple days, but it turns out there's no amount of beach that's too much.

As we were leaving this morning, Owen said "we have to go home? I want to stay on vacation forever!" which is high praise, I suppose. But Andy and I couldn't pack up the car fast enough. we've had enough family vacation, and we now need a vacation.

and I think we're opening a savings account for another trip somewhere like Smuggler's Notch in a couple years. Somewhere where part of the vacation experience includes babysitters.