The Land of Oz

So we traveled to Texas. It was great to see family and have them meet Tegan. The biggest realization, traveling with a child is not allowed to be called "vacation." That term is reserved for trips involving at least on of the following criteria: a nanny, hammocks/lounge furniture, and/or alcohol. While my mother and Maggie were about as helpful as a nanny and I spent an hour on a gliding chair with my cousin, none the above criteria was actually met.

In my mind, the purpose of travel is to experience something new, or to get away from the daily grind as to avoid the desire to throw yourself of the roof of your office building. Not so much when traveling with a child. You are essentially taking the animal out of its natural habitat, but then spend an exhaustive amount of effort trying to make the new place like home.  Does this scenario sound familiar...a zoo perhaps?

Maybe I'm crazy. I will accept that. Perhaps packing a sound machine and video monitor makes me less of a "go with the flow" mom as I thought I would be, but who want to spend 3 nights sharing a room with a screaming, crying, tired baby...not this girl. 

Essentially I did my damnedest to take home to Texas, and it kinda work...kinda. She still slept poorly, and had some melt downs, but at least I had a mass of experienced ladies to help entertain her just as I was ready to step into oncoming traffic (kidding). 

I know it sounds like the trip was miserable, but it wasn't. It just wasn't the relaxing, sit around and shoot the shit kind of thing I was used to. 

The weirdest thing is that coming home to my much missed partner in crime and our familiar surrounding was what felt like the needed vacation after all that work. I guess Dorothy had it right. 

Oh, and you may be wondering, will we be traveling again soon? No. And that's okay with us. 

(Live-in nanny)