Terrific vacation!

Hip Hip Hooray! We had a wonderful vacation!

We actually did, I even relaxed a bit. (I am horrible at relaxing, just not good at it) But I did, and nothing bad happened, not one thing...and we all made it home safe!

It was a great trip.

I took the stroller, didn't need to. Guess we are out of the stroller age. I will give it to my SIL that is expecting sometime soon. I loved that stroller...but this trip...the car seat rode in it more than the child. It is out of my garage!

I did a few good things.

I took the car seat and had her ride in it, in the airplane. It was a huge success. She was comfortable, high enough she could see out the window, contained, and did I mention comfortable. We had short flights 1hr20min at the most and she is conditioned to ride in the car seat for long periods of time. Best thing was, she was contained. Yes, we had to lug the car seat all through the airport security and concourse...but it worked out so well and it sat in the stroller most of the time.

We did mostly kid friendly things...or at least one a day. She did great. There was only one day that I didn't let her buy something, and that da...I still feel so bad about it, I still want to drive back to that place and buy the little trinket she wanted. I was so caught up in feeling like I didn't want a kid that expected something at each place that I spent all my energy refusing to buy her a $5 item...Looking back on it...seriously...what was I thinking. It wasn't unreasonable, what she was asking for. It wasn't a huge stuffed animal that we didn't need or even want...it was a little box...it was pretty...I should have gotten it for her. I spent the rest of that day grumpy about how SHE acted, that I didn't even think about how I acted. It is a regret. She is over it, I am not. I learned something on this trip...vacation is about the little things.

When I did let her buy something, she did very well picking. One place she picked 2 pencils. Truly, the child went into a gift shop and picked out 2 pencils and spent $1.50 and told me they were for her school box. She was happy/She is happy. She got them out of the suitcase this morning and put them in her school box. So she can use them everyday...It is the little things.

We went to the aquarium and it was so nice. We all loved it. They had a mermaid show(they girls had to be synchronized swimmers, they did a little routine and waved alot from the tank. It was pretty awesome and it was her favorite part. She wants to be a mermaid for halloween and asked it I could make it look like she had a fin and not legs. I told her I would try.

We rode 2 trains. Kids and Dads love trains, so everyone is happy. We saw dinosaur bones. A tiny town. Husband's college stomping grounds. Visited old friends. Ate dinner and lunch outside. We had a great time.