Vacay!

I used to think of vacation as an escape from the routine of the fast-paced life we lead.  Instead of work, we would lie perfectly still on a beach for hours, nap whenever we felt like it, and casually stroll to dinner at whatever time we felt like waking up and going. 

Now that I have a child, vacation is no more than just a transfer of activities and routines of our busy life to another location, with very little down time, after packing and lugging five suitcases full of "kid stuff".  There is no suntanning on the beach; we dig sand, build sand castles, and splash in the water.  There is no afternoon nap before dinner; we shower and get ready for the rest of our day.  And there is no casual stroll to dinner at any time of the night; we hit the family-friendly restaurants around early bird time to avoid the crowds and feed our hungry child before he turns into the boogie man. 

Our A/C broke yesterday.  I have had the pleasure of staying at my in-laws' house while our house cooked itself at a balmy 85 degrees.  They were ready to babysit at any moment, played with Reese while I got things done, prepared a filet mignon and shrimp dinner, insisted on doing the dishes themselves, offered up their guest room in which I watched cable (which I don't have at home) and ate chocolate ice cream bon bons.  Literally, bon bons!  I have to say this was a mini-vacation of the mostly pre-baby kind.  I got to lay around a bit (just like I would on a beach), I had some relaxation time during Reese's nap, and dinner was served at a more adult hour. 

So although vacations with a toddler are quite different than those from just two-and-a-half short years ago, I can say that I've just had a refreshing mini-vacation just ten minutes from home.  A/C, you may feel free to break at any time. 

(Special thanks to my fabulous in-laws, Diana and Fran!)