I used to think Christmas vacation went by quickly. You know, back then when I was in school or in grad school when we only had a month off. But now that my vacation time is also toddler time, things really go quick. Which is too bad, because I love being with the boy-o right now.
But now, on the eve of our last day of vacation I am definitely not ready to go back. I have been off since the Wednesday before Christmas, and Ali even longer, having a break from rotations since Thanksgiving. It will be rough for all of us!
Usually vacations are a break with a rigid schedule (school, work) and the time is spent luxuriating in the freedom of not having one. But life with a toddler is all about schedule, where deviations can upset everything and can turn the sweetest little boy into a cantankerous meltdown machine.
So this is our vacation this time around. We finally got Connor's sleep pattern straightened out and on schedule. Sometimes we have an occasional wake up around 3 or 4 am but he can be quickly put back to bed. This whole vacation he has been sleeping consistently sleeping until 7 to 7:30 when he is ready to go (translation: get up Mom and Dad).
We play and eat sometime over the next two hours then we try to get out for a little adventure so he (we) don't get cabin fever. A trip to the zoo or botanical garden, the park, maybe out shopping for groceries (he loves the grocery especially Trader Joe's with their small shopping carts). We have been going to Explora a lot this vacation, which is always guaranteed to tire him out. Another nice thing to do is go and visit Granny and Oupa at their condo, where they have been at for most of the month of December.
Then it is home for lunch around noon, with nap time around 1 pm. He has been sleeping anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, usually on the longer side. (He had two days of a 3 hour nap and it was wonderful.) Then we play some more, and try to get another excursion somewhere. Dinner around 5:30, with more play after. We start bedtime around 7, with sometimes a bath tossed in. Usually he is down by 8 pm. Granny has been putting him to bed a lot this vacation (story time with him is usually the only time he is quiet and snugly all day), which has been really nice, but also she is a softy and his bed time has been slowly drifting later and later. Of course, his wake up time does not shift similarly, but everyone seems to enjoy it.
And then the cycle repeats. Wake up at 7 am regardless. So no late nights for us, no break with routine. But it is a fun time. I was chatting with one of my good friends, about how we were both nostalgic for our Christmas vacations during college. Lots of hanging out with friends and family, lots of shenanigans and exciting stuff to do. But then it occurred to us, that there will come a day when we are really nostalgic for these golden Christmas vacations, when all our little guys want to do is play trains with their parents and go to the park.
Usually vacations are a break with a rigid schedule (school, work) and the time is spent luxuriating in the freedom of not having one. But life with a toddler is all about schedule, where deviations can upset everything and can turn the sweetest little boy into a cantankerous meltdown machine.
So this is our vacation this time around. We finally got Connor's sleep pattern straightened out and on schedule. Sometimes we have an occasional wake up around 3 or 4 am but he can be quickly put back to bed. This whole vacation he has been sleeping consistently sleeping until 7 to 7:30 when he is ready to go (translation: get up Mom and Dad).
We play and eat sometime over the next two hours then we try to get out for a little adventure so he (we) don't get cabin fever. A trip to the zoo or botanical garden, the park, maybe out shopping for groceries (he loves the grocery especially Trader Joe's with their small shopping carts). We have been going to Explora a lot this vacation, which is always guaranteed to tire him out. Another nice thing to do is go and visit Granny and Oupa at their condo, where they have been at for most of the month of December.
Then it is home for lunch around noon, with nap time around 1 pm. He has been sleeping anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, usually on the longer side. (He had two days of a 3 hour nap and it was wonderful.) Then we play some more, and try to get another excursion somewhere. Dinner around 5:30, with more play after. We start bedtime around 7, with sometimes a bath tossed in. Usually he is down by 8 pm. Granny has been putting him to bed a lot this vacation (story time with him is usually the only time he is quiet and snugly all day), which has been really nice, but also she is a softy and his bed time has been slowly drifting later and later. Of course, his wake up time does not shift similarly, but everyone seems to enjoy it.
And then the cycle repeats. Wake up at 7 am regardless. So no late nights for us, no break with routine. But it is a fun time. I was chatting with one of my good friends, about how we were both nostalgic for our Christmas vacations during college. Lots of hanging out with friends and family, lots of shenanigans and exciting stuff to do. But then it occurred to us, that there will come a day when we are really nostalgic for these golden Christmas vacations, when all our little guys want to do is play trains with their parents and go to the park.
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