We are back from out weekend away. This was a trial weekend to see whether we wanted to book more family holidays and travel. The answer is somewhere between a tepid and a resounding YES.
We spent 3 nights in a 3 bed cottage an hours drive away, in the Forest of Dean. We arrived after work/nursery on Friday - around 6pm. There was a bit of faff getting out - we needed to do the shopping, we both had work until 3pm, we had to pack etc.
On arrival we had oven pizza and bedtime, which turned a bit chaotic as Lilah instantly learned how to climb out of the travel cot. Eventually they both slept in the bunk bed - Isaac on top and Lilah on bottom. Double kids in bed and no travel cot will make future holidays much easier.
Saturday was Andy's biking day, kids were a bit shambles. Our friends (who also live an hour away, but in the other direction) came to visit. It was a solid family adventure day and we were all asleep by 8:30pm
Sunday was my ladies mountain biking day and new bike day for me. It started a bit south when the brakes froze on overnight and we couldn't move the car. I went biking, Andy pivoted. Due to timing issues the afternoon became a bit more chaotic with friends and plans than expected, but the evening ended with a working car and we visited our friends for dinner.
Monday morning we went to the trail center as a family. This is the day we will probably remember most fondly, because this:
Future Notes:
- Be more proactive on meal planning & shopping - either order groceries for collection or delivery on the day of departure
- Make the kids a packing list that I can follow each time (I forgot all their toiletries)
- Have far more snacks than reasonable, and then a few more
Holiday Verdict:
- Holidays 1 hour a away are a winner.
- Getting home from holiday at midday is also a winner.
- Having a nap on returning home from holiday is a triple winner.
Yay! Local vacations are a winner. I started taking short trips on my own last year while my family was off at Boy Scout camp. It's dirt cheap, you never have to worry about flight delays or lost luggage, I've stayed in some really cool Airbnb's, and most importantly I've had a handful of experiences that I treasure. I used to think that I lived in a boring place but the problem was really that I'd never taken the trouble to explore it.
ReplyDeleteToiletries are such a problem because you need them the morning you leave, right? So you can't pack the toothbrush and hairbrush and the like until after you have gotten ready for the day and it makes sense that sometimes you forget to throw them into the suitcase!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful. I am glad you had such a good time. I love that picture!
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