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Holidays with the kids. Now there is an oxymoron if I ever heard one. (For those of you have forgotten your high school English, an Oxymoron is defined as “ A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist ”[dictionary.com]). It's like putting the word “diet” in front of “chocolate”. Kids and “holiday” just don't go together. Don't get me wrong – I love going away and spending time with the family at a new location, but holiday it is not. It's not like I leave “mom / chef / nurse / cleaner / bottle washer” at home and go on holiday to be a sun goddess, oh no. I still carry on doing pretty much most of what I do at home, I just do it somewhere else. It is great having hubby around to lighten the load a bit, but that mother bit just never goes away entirely! I am in Langebaan at the moment – we have been here three days now and last night was the first night that I actually got some sleep. The first two nights were a nightmare – I think Megan felt somewhat disorientated and woke up too many times to count before eventually ending up in our bed (something we usually avoid) – only to eventually discover a fine rash on her front which the doctor diagnosed as roseola. So some Stopayne and a little antihystamine went a long way to a peaceful night last night!
And travelling with a kid is something else. By the time you are finished packing you need a holiday. And when you get home and are finished unpacking you need a holiday from the holiday! I remember some time ago my hubby phoned me from work one Friday lunch time. I had just sat down with a sarmie, all ready for my hour's peace and quiet having just put Megan down for her nap. “Hey,” he said. “Feel like going to Langebaan for the weekend?” Well of course I did - anything for a weekend away. But what hubby didn't realise was exactly how much preparation is required to go to the local supermarket, never mind my parents' holiday house ninety minutes away! It was now 1pm, and I promised to pick my hubby up at 4:30. I eventually arrived at his office just past 5 – having spent the entire afternoon packing – for two days. A non parent would not believe the amount of stuff that travels with children! And I was particularly impressed with myself for fitting everything, including two dogs, into the car, and not packing the trailer (purely because I didn't have the strength to hitch it up myself!). Of course the joy with going to a fully kitted holiday house is that pretty much everything is there – we just need to bring clothes, toiletries and baby stuff. There is a great Spar down the road so we buy everything when we get here, so it's not too much of a train-smash if we leave something behind.
So don't ask me what possessed us to book ten glorious days of sea, sun and sand in April – for all three of us. Maybe it was the thought of ten glorious days of sea, sun and sand (and being served pizza on the beach by the local island boys…) We are staying in a pretty decent resort where we will be waited on hand and foot (well 6 month pregnant belly in my case – I don't plan for any foot of mine to leave the deckchair) – and Megan will be fully taken care of by the kids club. But oh the stress already. I am already making lists in my head of everything that needs to go with – after all there will be NO local Spars where we are going – just a big expensive hotel. So I need to make sure I have enough nappies, formula, sunblock, in-case medicine, plasters, clothes, baby shampoo – everything, to last us ten days. And lo and behold we forget Mr Puppy – then none of us will have a holiday! But we consider it out last bash before baby number two arrives in July – and I am really looking forward to making the most of it! Counting down the days as I write! I think she will have a ball and we will have a nice rest. Anyone with any tips on air travel and holidays away from the familiar would be appreciated!
It is now a few days later and I am back at home, missing the holidays already! I realise exactly how much help I did have now that hubby has gone back to work and I am back at home by myself – okay I embellish a little – thank goodness for domestic workers! The ironing pile was a distant haze during the holidays and I just couldn't bring myself to face it. My house is at last clean and tidy, toys packed away, floors washed and scrubbed… and Megan is down for a nap. Bliss. It is only day one of being back in the swing of things, and yes, I am counting down the days to April! Long live family holidays!
© Sally Hetherington .
