I don't know what it is about Greg's parent's house but the second we walk in the door we are both completely exhausted. Carbon monoxide leak, perhaps? I am not sure. All I know is that all of the sudden feel like I just finished Thanksgiving dinner and need to take a 3-hour nap.
Before we had kids this was our schedule:
Day 1
7 pm: Get to their house, bring our bags in and then go lounge on the couch for a good four hours, complaining the whole time about how tired we are.
11 pm: Drag our bums to bed.
Day 2
Around 9 or 10 am: Get up to eat breakfast, usually something waffley or pancakey with bacon.
10 or 10:30 am: Shower to get the syrup smell out. I loathe the syrup smell.
10:45 am: Claim we are both too exhausted to face the day and go back to bed.
Noon: Get up, possibly go out shopping at the very very sad "mall" in their town. Maybe catch a movie at the "The Urine Theater". And no, it's not just a clever nickname.
2 pm: Come back to the house, eat a lot of potato chips and dip, cookies, Cheetos, Doritos, cake, donuts and candy (especially of the chocolate variety). If it is bad for you, it is eaten.
2:30 pm: Claim we are too bloated and tired to move and go back to bed.
4 pm: Get up to see what the plans are for dinner and if we can help. See that everything is covered. Retreat to the couch for more vegging.
5 pm: Eat a spectacular dinner made for 47 even though there are only 8 of us.
5:45 pm: Once again lounge on the couch
8 pm: Return to the kitchen for some type of sinful dessert. Play board games until we are no longer able to keep our eyes open.
10 pm: Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Have some Alka Seltzer to combat the 14 pounds of cheesecake now sitting in our guts.
10:15 pm: Go to bed.
Each day that we are there is repeated with only slight variation.
Doesn't that sound delightful? Lots of sleeping, lots of eating. No responsibilities. A real break from real life.
Bringing children to Grandma and Grandpa's has certainly thrown a wrench into our plans. (or lack of plans) We can no longer lounge and sleep in as long as we want. Instead we are:
Changing diapers
Dressing them
Undressing them
Bathing them
Nursing them
Preparing food for them
Feeding them (also involves trying to talk A-boy into eating something besides marshmallows and Cheetos)
Cleaning them up
Cleaning up the 10 foot radius that food was thrown in
Removing them from pounding on the piano
Bringing out toys
Cleaning up toys
Making sure that their cousins aren't mauling them. (sometimes they love them a little bit too much)
Putting them down for naps
Re-putting them down for naps
Re-RE-putting them down for naps
Taking them outside
Running A-boy all over the hillside
Making sure A-boy doesn't jump in the pond
Ignoring Tantrums
Playing with them
Reading to them
Putting them to bed
Waking up with them 4+ times in the middle of the night
Trying to calm them from being hysterical in the middle of the night because we are somewhere different
Getting up with them at the buttcrack of dawn (5 am and 6 am)
So yeah. Things have changed a bit over the last two years, except for the eating part. We still eat like we are about to gnaw off our own feet due to hunger. What was once a fun, relaxing vacation has now turned into stress. Last night I snapped at Greg. I snapped at my sister-in-law who was politely trying to help. I snapped at my mother-in-law, raised my voice even. At that point I decided that it might be best if I just headed on down to bed before I started throwing sharp objects at people. So I did and Greg handled the screaming baby.
All in all though, it was a good trip, just not relaxing. We did a lot of Easter-y things like dying eggs and easter baskets and egg hunting . (and when this family does egg hunting, they DO EGG HUNTING. Clipboards and prize categories are involved--that is the level we are dealing with here) We had ham. We went to church. (well, some of us did) It was nice to spend time with The Fam. My mom even came for part of the weekend. It was nice.
It is good to be home though. And now I need a vacation from our vacation. I'm told that won't happen for YEARS if it even happens at all. Oh well. No one ever said that being a parent would be wonderful every minute of every day.
Making sure A-boy doesn't jump in the pond
Ignoring Tantrums
Playing with them
Reading to them
Putting them to bed
Waking up with them 4+ times in the middle of the night
Trying to calm them from being hysterical in the middle of the night because we are somewhere different
Getting up with them at the buttcrack of dawn (5 am and 6 am)
So yeah. Things have changed a bit over the last two years, except for the eating part. We still eat like we are about to gnaw off our own feet due to hunger. What was once a fun, relaxing vacation has now turned into stress. Last night I snapped at Greg. I snapped at my sister-in-law who was politely trying to help. I snapped at my mother-in-law, raised my voice even. At that point I decided that it might be best if I just headed on down to bed before I started throwing sharp objects at people. So I did and Greg handled the screaming baby.
All in all though, it was a good trip, just not relaxing. We did a lot of Easter-y things like dying eggs and easter baskets and egg hunting . (and when this family does egg hunting, they DO EGG HUNTING. Clipboards and prize categories are involved--that is the level we are dealing with here) We had ham. We went to church. (well, some of us did) It was nice to spend time with The Fam. My mom even came for part of the weekend. It was nice.
It is good to be home though. And now I need a vacation from our vacation. I'm told that won't happen for YEARS if it even happens at all. Oh well. No one ever said that being a parent would be wonderful every minute of every day.
16 comments:
Glad you had a fun weekend...busy but fun. All the normal daily tasks seem so much crazier at Grandmas than they do at home, huh?
I think i prefer the pre-kids schedule. lol But sometimes kids are just so darn fun...even with all the hassels! I love going away for holidays!
My parents have the darkest basement ever, so when we visited we could never wake in the morning. It was embarrassing because my parents are such early get up and goers. Kids do change all that. Too bad all that sleep wasn't enough to tide us over till they head to college!
The clipboard is killing me!!!! Sounds fun. Exhausting, but fun.
Sounds like a hectic weekend, but fun. What is it about traveling with kids? It is exhausting! I am back at school today and feel the same way you do - I need a vacation from my vacation.
I'm tired reading about your weekend. I can't wait to hear all the details!
I know I am tired when I walk into my parents house because I know that Grandma and pa-pa are going to give me some much needed rest. Your body just knows. AHHHHHH...Free childcare!!!
Sounds like our lives. We went to San Antonio this weekend and saw tons of things we would really have enjoyed had we been childless. And then resolved that next time we go back it will be ALONE!
How can you NOT like the smell of syrup? I think you need to hurry it up and do the 6 weird things meme... very soon. Lol.
Em I am so with you, I want to know when I will get the old type of vacation back...sigh
Right there with you. We went up to Dallas and I am still trying to recover from road-tripin' with kids. I remember college days when a road trip was looked forward to with anticipation .. not trepidation. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon. Ode to days of yesteryear:)
We just returned from the in-laws house as well. I feel the same tired feeling when we get there. I seriously think it is the elevation. It takes me two or three days before I am back up and running around. My mother-in-law is such an excellent cook, and a goodie lover. I think we all gained 10 pounds this weekend. I could hardly squeeze in my pants this morning!
vacations with little kids isn't very relaxing. lol Not to mention that their diapers take up WAY too much space. ;)
Glad it was fun!
I hear ya! And I am right there with you! ALthough I didn't have Chris to help me on this trip...
Take a few minutes to relax and enjoy being in your own element before tackling all there is to do. (that is my plan...)
It's always good to be home, isn't it?
Mary
Sounds like you took a trip, not a vacation. It's not a vacation if the kids are along, lol!
Post a Comment