Operation Grandmother Roadtrip: Summerville Leg (7/16-7/18)

We wrapped up our big roadtrip with a couple of days of downtime at my parents' house. The boys LOVE being in Summerville, hanging out with their Gram & Pop. They love playing with all of the "vintage" toys and books there; playing the piano, the keyboard, and my mom's old trumpet; walking down to the neighborhood playground; watching classic disney movies that my parents have had for decades; coloring on the screened-in porch; making mischief in the hose and sprinkler; and so much more. I'm certain, though, that their favorite activities involve just being together with my parents....playing chase, tickling each other, anything that draws them closer together. I love that their hearts and minds are being imprinted with loving being at their grandparents' houses (including Mike's parents' house), just like my mine is.











(Griffin counting all of his favorite things to do at Gram & Pop's house....).
We LOVE you, mom & dad!


***
This trip was a summer-must and I'm so glad that we did it, but unexpectedly, it completely exhausted me (mentally and physically). As spontaneous and up-for-any-adventure that I am, this trip confirmed for me that things just flow better when Mike's in the mix. We had a GREAT trip, but it was not without hiccups. When Noah drew a spider web on the rug at my parents' house before we left (that thankfully came out), when all 3 boys were insanely antsy at the restaurant in Deland, when Noah accidentally broke a lamp in the room we rented in Deland, when Miles went crazy when we were trying to leave the beach in Pompano (b/c he was sandy and wet and ready to clean and dry), when the kids could not go to bed at night without me sleeping in the same bed with them....well, I just realized that I really needed the balance of Mike (with discipline, encouragement, fun-factor). Our kids love routine and on big vacations, everything is new. Sleeping schedules are off (and each day compounds the impact of the previous day), the rules of play (what to touch, how loud to be, etc..) can be unfamiliar, and they don't always get the downtime that they need to recharge (even when they are just hanging out watching tv, they are still keyed up because they are so excited to be on vacation in a new place). With all of these factors in place, they don't always behave as well as they do at home, which catches me off guard, and then I feel anxious that their manners aren't what I expect of them (and what I know of them) and I find myself going through the day on "discipline watch" versus just settling in and playing with the kids like I normally do. Are these feelings self-imposed? Probably. Do I understand when my kids act like normal kids at home, yet wish that they'd act perfectly when we're at someone else's house? Yes. Is that realistic or fair to them? No way. Next trip big road trip, I'm bringing Mike....and if he's not available, my yoga mat (even if it means a 2-3am session). :)

With that said, it was AWESOME to be on a trip with my sisters. I love these girls like no others and feel truly blessed that they are also my best friends. It was such fun to be able to talk-wedding-talk with Dana engaged and I love that my kids had so much everyday-hanging-out-time with their aunts. These girls keep me laughing, too. My funniest memory is from a gas station in FL. Dana hopped into the car from her bathroom break, wide-eyed, and said, "I just missed the door for the bathroom and found myself in the trucker-shower section!" Her experience was G-rated, but its still a very funny visual for me.

All-in-all a very memorable, successful road trip!