Heading Home

We are starting home this morning. It's seemed like a long vacation, and while I had a great time, I am also ready to go home and sleep in my own bed. And suitcase living is not the fun part of vacation.

We've had a chance to visit with family and friends, go to the zoo, play lots, and shop. What's not to like? I've learned a few things along the way too.

• No matter how much you think you have packed everything, there is something missing. It wasn't until day 3 that I realized I meant to have the Ergo to carry Liam in.
  
• You'll always bring more than you need. I thought we needed a baby gate for my Aunt's house, but as it turns out, her stairs are in a way that wouldn't work with it so we had to chase Liam down the stairs anyway.
• Someone will get sick. Liam and his mysterious fevers struck on our second day. We kept going anyway and just pumped him full of tylenol.
  
• Someone will get hurt. Xander has two skinned knees to prove it!
• Sometimes a 3 and 4 year old will need time to warm up. Braeden and Xander were like this, despite their many visits in the past. They spent the first few days having moments of friendship, but by and large driving all of the adults crazy by fighting over Every.Little.Thing! The last 2 days they've been the best of friends.
  
• You cannot expect a 16 month old, 3 year old, and 4 year old to sleep in the same room when it is not the norm. Even if they BEG for it. (Only the 16 month old ended up sleeping in that room peacefully. Irony, considering he normally doesn't.)
• Sometimes a change is what you need to break a bad habit: Liam has had us up in the night to eat/drink his whole life. It's not for lack of trying though; I've nightweaned him about 5 times since the 6 month mark. This week, he gave it up on his own. Monkey!
• Coloured sand can make a lot of mess. Trust me.
• Losing your cell phone generally means you've stuck it somewhere you normally would, but in the chaos of life in suitcases, it is "lost". For me, it was in my running belt.
  
• If you go to buy shirts, likely you'll end up with everything but shirts. LOL!

We'll have more to say about vacation when we get home, and a few more pictures to share too, but for now, I have to sign off until we get home. Hopefully on Sunday night. And hopefully without getting lost in Buffalo on the way back.