Back From Vacation!

Well, we're back. I have pictures, lots of pictures, but right now I just don't have time to post them. Our vacation was awesome. Not just because we had a good time and saw lots of sights, which we did, but because Mark and I just had a great time with our boys. We survived, and we survived a lot better than we expected - a 12 day trip, a 2 hour time difference, four different states, three different hotels, 2000 miles on our rental car, a three year old and a one year old - that's a lot of numbers, and it was amazing how great it was.

We actually learned a lot. About ourselves, about our kids. After this trip, Jonathan now eats better. Why? Because we gave him the business. No more drinks, no more stall tactics, no more ploys. He eats, or it gets fed to him. And after two or three meals with tears, he finally figured out we meant it, and now, voila, he eats. Still not great, but when we tell him to eat, he does.

And one day, we headed out to an early morning birding trip. We packed the rental car - toys, binoculars, maps, snacks, drinks, everything you could possibly need when dragging two little guys along on your hobby, and it was only when we got out there did we realize that Mark and I had brought nothing for ourselves: no snacks, no drinks. And of course, we remember only when we were dying of thirst and about 40 miles from the nearest vending machine.....Mark and I had a minor battle over a half-empty bottle of warm root beer we discovered in the car (yes, it was ours from the day before!) but we secretly applauded ourselves for having made sure our kid's needs were met before ours, and that gives me the warm fuzzies.

Am I glad to be back? Absolutely NOT. Am I ready to go home ?(still not home - staying at my mom's until Matthew's birthday on Friday). YES. I feel refreshed, ready to get back into the routine, ready to take my little guys home to their own little beds in their own little rooms. I had a goal on this trip: arrive home afterward with two healthy children. I think I exceeded that goal - I got home with two healthy children, and somehow managed to have a great time! I look forward to our next family vacation! Stay tuned for more vacation stories and some pictures!