Oh, not the visiting. I have a great time with Seth's side of the family - all eight million (eighty) of them. What I was not looking forward to was chasing after my two (very) mobile children in a place I've never been, and trying to keep them entertained, well-behaved, and alive while simultaneously keeping track of my admittedly (and gratefully) immobile three month old. Oh, and getting them all to sleep in the same room as us.
Turns out, I learned a lot, most of which is already more than obvious to the rest of the world.
Lesson one: give the kids a pack of other kids to run with, and they'll entertain themselves with only very occasional requests for water or snacks.
Lesson two: most normal people aren't offended when two year olds act like two year olds and almost four year olds act like almost four year olds. No one came away from those four days thinking that Oscar was unforgivably rude for not saying goodbye to every single person there and not handing out hugs and kisses indiscriminately. (I might have bribed him with treats to hand out a few.)
Lesson three: tire a kid out enough (see lesson one) and they will sleep anywhere. Even on a mattress on the floor. Even if one of them has never slept out of his crib before. Even if one of them drops a plastic echo microphone on the cement flooring the middle of the night (not. quiet.)
Glad we went. Glad to be home.
Not dreading next year.
This time last year: We Interrupt This Blog
