Last week, we threw caution to the wind and bundled into the family Mazda for a fleeting trip up North to take in the best that wine country has to offer. Well, Cam would…strictly no wine tasting for me during working hours (i.e. 7 am – 7 pm).
To say I was nervous about our expedition would be an understatement. We’d only just recently implemented a sleeping routine for Ethan and now that he had finally gotten the hang of it, were we risking it all by changing location and trying to take a break? Time would tell…
Being the project manager that I am, I made a list of what to pack and when to pack it, including a nifty ‘check’ column. The thing about making a list though, is that you actually need to read it. And check it off. More on this shortly.
Prior to leaving, we made the big decision to turn Ethan’s car seat around from the rear-facing position. We’d delayed for some months, with recommendations to maintain the rear-facing for as long as possible, however, Ethan's size meant he was getting rather cramped and justifiably cranky with the backwards view of the world, so what better time to try a new direction than on this momentous occasion?! Ethan’s excitement was evident – big smiles as Cam pulled out of the driveway. We were off to a great start!
Packing Oversight #1
In an effort to minimize space, I chose not to pack Ethan’s bowls, rather just bought along some sippy cups and spoons. As I ferreted around in the kitchenette however, I discovered that the smallest bowl was the size of a large dinner plate and thus, attempted to serve Ethan’s pureed dinner on a small plate. Note to self: it is very tricky to collect all the food with a baby spoon, off a plate.
After Ethan had devoured his dinner, it was time to prepare for bed. Sticking as closely as possible to the bedtime routine from home, his bath was followed by a feed, a little bit of ‘In the Nightgarden’ and then a story…hang on a second….
Packing Oversight #2
On my carefully constructed packing list, at the top of the column headed ‘toys’, was the all-important item of ‘books’. How had we missed that one? Cam, ever calm and collected, quoted Tom Selleck “It’s not what you read, it’s the tone you use”. Hence, Ethan’s first bedtime story in the Hunter Valley was the Tea Tree Spa brochure (subsequent stories would include such classics as ‘the children’s Menu’ and ‘Facilities and emergency numbers’.
By this time, my positive veneer was all but gone. Thank goodness for room service, a glass of Shiraz and some Bradley Cooper (on TV…not as part of the room service, unfortunately).
As the sun streamed in through the windows the next morning and I realized Ethan had slept for the majority of the night, I rose with an attitude of a glass half full (of a non-alcoholic beverage, of course).
Meanwhile, Ethan was also having a great time exploring our 2-bedroom villa. So much room! So many things to crawl under! I momentarily interrupted the intrepid explorer to put him in his play clothes for a day of wine tasting.
Packing Oversight #3
No spare socks for Ethan. Thank goodness he isn’t walking in mud yet and that, the day before, he neglected to chew on this sole pair. Moving right along.
I took an hour out in the morning to enjoy a relaxing massage before jumping back into the car to visit some estates. Three wineries and several cases of wine in the boot later and we found ourselves ready to enjoy a late lunch.
Packing Oversight #4
I also neglected to pack a travel food container, should we choose to dine away from our holiday room and its dinner-plate sized bowls. Fortunately, I met a mum in a parent’s room recently and observed her squeezing the Organic Bub’s food from the squeezie pouch directly onto a spoon, so knew what to do in such a bowl-less situation. Crisis over.
Ethan was rather irritable by this time – possibly bored by the in and out of the car routine that comes with such a day, particularly given there was not much for him to do other than bounce on the bars and crawl the cellar floors. With Ethan down for a nap and Cam now enjoying his massage, I found myself alone and in silence. Without a book or an episode of Dawson’s Creek to enjoy. All Words with Friend’s games up to date. Limited signal to check facebook or my email and see what my friends back in Sydney were up to. This relaxing thing is a forgotten art it would seem!!
Our holiday drew to a close and the next morning we were heading out of the Hunter as several cars were heading in – buck’s weekends, business conferences. As Ethan drifted off in the car, I concluded that this first Family Holiday – albeit short – was a successful one and perhaps now, I can contemplate planning a stay of more than two nights for our next family getaway.
Just so long as next time, I actually read my packing checklist.
