Vacation Redux

Why does vacation have to always pass by in a flash? Back to reality tomorrow - back to work, back to the grocery store, back to the routine. And in exactly on month Hannah will be starting her first day of school - yikes! Makes me want to back track 16.5 months to when this journey began. Ok, maybe not go back in time but just freeze frame where we are today.

So where are we? As I write this we're in Jeffersonville, VT, making the trip homeward. We had a great 3 days in Rockport with beautiful weather all around. Two beaches, two Targets, lots of sand, a poop in the indoor pool at the hotel and a ride home that took an accidental detour to Maine (leaving the States in one day count at 4).

Hannah's behaviour didn't improve terribly. Like I said in a previous post, partly to blame on 4 new teeth, a break in the routine and many hours in the car. But the minute we returned to Stowe she was her usual old self with just a little extra steam to burn. I think the go go go vacation mentality had her wound up. Major lesson learned: bring the stroller everywhere. Otherwise she runs around while a caged animal set loose and falls are inevitable. After an exhausting trip to Target and the amazing Nordstrom Off the Rack (2 new pairs of shoes for Hannah under $30), and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory where we both ate alone while the other walked her around the restaurant, we caved. We rented a stroller in the attached mall. But not just any stroller...

For 45 minutes Hannah joined the North Shore Mall security patrol. A break for mom and dad with lots of beep, beep, beeping from the team's newest member.

Another potential vacation flaw: food. Our hotel served a very nice continental breakfast and we had a fridge and microwave in our room but restaurant food for a 16 month old is pretty limited. Hannah is used to 3 meals a day consisting of 3-4 food groups each plus 2 snacks. This vacation's menu primarily consisted of: chicken fingers, grilled cheese, French fries, milk and watermelon. Not the healthiest of foods, also probably a contributing factor to the blimp in her good behaviour chart.

Back to Stowe for 3 days we settled into a good sleeping, eating and playing routine which will hopefully put us back on track for a regular week.

So after all is said and done would I do it again? Definitely! Already looking forward to a week long trip to Rockport next summer, and with the lessons learned from this adventure, it can only get better. Even if we're toting a potty in tow.