The kids did not enjoy the hotel experience. I don't know exactly why not, as I thought they would be happy to be sleeping in the same room with us, but Tino complained mightily that he did NOT want to sleep in the big bed. Victoria woke up repeatedly throughout the night and even though her portable crib (provided by hotel) was inches from our bed, we ended up having to sleep with her anyway. She kicks in the night and sleeps horizontally across the queen bed, so Dave and I are squished over to one side and we don't dare move her, lest she wake up and throw a screaming fit.
On Monday we drove to where Dave's family lives, about 2.5 hours. The visit with his dad was wonderful! We had been communicating with Grandpa Bob via Skype on a weekly basis for the past several months, so it was like the kids already knew him. When we pulled into the driveway, Tino saw his grandfather and exclaimed, "Grandpa Bob!" and held out his arms to be picked up. Within a very short time, both children were on his lap reading stories. They seemed happy and comfortable in his home, and were warm and friendly to Dave's sister and her family too.
Leaving today was bittersweet. I always feel somewhat relieved to come home after a vacation, but it is hard knowing I will go back to work tomorrow. Although I have been missing certain aspects of work (interaction with other adults, the feeling of accomplishing something... and of course getting paid...) there is a twinge of sadness that this particular adventure is over now. No more mornings of waking up and wondering, "What shall I do with this day? Oh, I know- we'll go to the zoo!" No more wondering, "What day is it today?" And I won't see my children for long, long periods of time.
So I spent Mothers Day traveling. The drive from Grandpa Bob's house to Pittsburgh took a little over three hours, with only two stops and really good behavior from the V's. Then about 2.5 hours in the airport and about 5 hours on the plane. The children were (understandably) tired and at times cranky on the plane, but overall did really well. I actually received compliments from strangers on how great a job we were doing with them! Next time I will figure out a way to pack less. We had five carry-ons, a double stroller which we gate-checked, two car seats, and three large checked suitcases. Oh, and two small children! We will have the chance to see if we can shrink it down when we go to Hawaii in July.
So... Mothers Day. I'm pretty cynical about what I call made-up holidays. Take Valentines Day, for example. If you are in a happy relationship, you don't need a special day to tell your person you love him. If you are in an unhappy relationship, or not in a relationship at all and wanting to be, the day just serves to make you feel bad. The only real beneficiaries of Valentines Day are the greeting card industry. I've been a tad more tolerant of Mothers Day, just because my own mother is so dang wonderful and I'd never pass up the opportunity to tell her so. When IU desperately wanted to be a mom, I managed to somehow ignore the day. And now... I am a mother. Two little people call me Mommy. But sometimes I feel like an imposter. When I talk to other moms, I feel weird. This mom on the playground a few weeks ago was telling me about her daughter's milestones (she was a late walker, she didn't walk until 13 months, etc) and I realized there is a lot I don't know about my children. This makes me sad.
And I am also grateful. I love my babies. I miss them right now, as they are sleeping. I am their mommy. They belong to me. They are my family now, and will be part of my life forever and ever. So... was it a happy Mothers Day? Yes, it was. And now it is past 1 a.m. according to my body's clock (east coast time.) So good night, dear readers. I'll try to be a better, more frequent, picture posting blogger in the month of May.
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