Family vacations involve many things—stress, long hours spent in vehicles, sickness, fun, and needs for time-outs. And they are 100% worth it.
We spent a few days in Calgary recently and took our son to the zoo for the very first time. He loved it, and he was the most well-behaved kid there. It was very hot that day, but we were armed with SPF 60, bug spray, and tons of bottled water. It was a fun and interesting day as we learned about new animals and quietly enjoyed watching the old animals. My son never complained, always listened, and made his mommy very proud!
As predicted, his love of the elephants justified renting the African Theme Room in the Fantasyland Hotel at West Edmonton Mall for a few days afterwards. We had a few days full of fun as we swam in the waterpark, played some rounds of mini-golf, went on rides at GalaxyLand Amusement Park, and shopped at Build-A-Bear and the Disney Store.
After a few days of being surrounded by kid things (who were very good and were a huge factor in my enjoyment of the holiday), I needed a Mommy time-out. I met up with some girlfriends for a relaxing a family-free evening. There’s only one thing to say about friends who live far away—I appreciate my time with them even more! Thank you girls for the wonderfully relaxing night :)
And then there was the sickness. It never fails that someone will get sick while on vacation—this time it was my turn. I rested for one day, which carried me through the rest of the trip. I didn’t feel great, but at least I could function. The 9-hour trip home was pretty much uneventful, except for the cut-throat game of I-Spy that I witnessed between a 3-year-old and a grown man. Nine hours in a car with my boy and my man passed rather quickly because of all of the coloring books, movies, games, and other distractions.
In the end, the trip was a complete success! My son had a great time, my husband was a pleasure to be with, and we, as a family, came together and enjoyed our family time together.
But as I sit here typing, I’m looking over at the four suitcases full of dirty clothes and new purchases, and all I can think to myself is that now the REAL work begins...
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