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To quote Dora the Explorer, (who's quoted a lot in our household these days): 'Yay! We made it!'

Yes folks, the holidays were a super hit. The beach holiday was just the right sort of lazy, our time there evenly divided between beach, pool, siestas, drinks, and meals. 

Oh and some spectacular sunsets that had us all awestruck, but particularly fascinated Moppet. So much so that she actually, of her own accord, struck up a conversation with a random woman sitting on a deck chair next to hers, watching the sunset.

Moppet: Do you see the sunset?

Random Woman: Indeed I do. It's beautiful isn't it?

Moppet: (seriously, with an emphatic little nod) Yes. 

This was a holiday in which father and daughter bonded like never before. With me often stuck feeding Munch, and no nanny to call on, Moppet had to let her father help her with stuff, and he had no choice but to figure out how to do it. 

Bath times, bed times, and general keep-her-out-of-trouble activities, he took it all on with wonderful enthusiasm. There were  even a couple of days when I would wake up lateish in the morning and find her pottied, brushed, and breakfasted, wearing, upon her own request, a pair of strange pony tails that the husband had tied for her. They were strange but cute and he was so endearingly proud of his effort, asking me some 10 times during the day, 'How do you like her pony tails?' Well, I like. Very much.

As for Munch, he was his usual happy-go-lucky self. As long as he got his meals on time, he was quite content to doze in his stroller, or watch the world with interest. Having decided I wasn't about to spend my holiday in pokey little feeding rooms, I would just throw a dupatta over myself wherever we were and tank him up - by the pool, in a bar, in a deli, airport lounge, cafe, anywhere would do. Worked fine all round.

He also got lots of attention from assorted bikini-clad babes, prompting his father to remark enviously that that was already more female attention than he himself had got from babes in his entire lifetime. 

For her part, Moppet was the protective big sister to the hilt, dissolving into angry tears at the airport where a girl jokingly declared that she wanted to take Munch home with her. Whether that was out of genuine affection for Munch, or on the general principle of he's mine, don't touch, I don't know. But that first incident did make her a lot warier when other strangers approached him later on in the holiday.

Post a little break back home, we all then went north to the hills for a very different kind of holiday. This was much more tiring since we wanted to do some sightseeing as well, but it was great in its own way. We made a trip to the zoo, which houses the only pair of Giant Pandas in Southeast Asia. We got there at a great time and saw them at their playful best. Moppet was so excited she couldn't keep her voice down, despite the glares of a burly security guard brandishing a huge sign that said 'Quiet Please'.

The rest of the zoo was great too. We got to feed baby elephants and giraffes, and Moppet almost rode on a little pony but decided at the last minute that she was too scared. The zoo is built in a naturally hilly jungle and is very beautiful, with orchids everywhere (Northern Thailand is where some of the best orchids in the world are grown) but it was tough on our knees with a baby stroller and toddler who was very quickly too tired to walk. When, in front of a magnificent white tiger, she threw a fit wanting to see a cow of all things, we knew it was time to head back to the hotel.

The husband and I indulged in some street shopping - Chiang Mai is a centre for great wooden handicrafts, and artists who bring their own designs, art and other handmade items to the famous Walking Street Sunday Bazaar. Moppet spent most of her time perched precariously on the footrest of Munch's stroller, making faces at him and generally keeping him and herself occupied.

We also managed a quick trip to the beautiful hill-tribe village, set in the mountains among lush green terraced paddy fields. The Padong are a Burmese tribe where the women wear rings around their necks to elongate them, starting from as young as 3-4 years of age. It is controversial, this village, and I must admit to feeling awkward and intrusive, walking through their village as they went about their lives. Then we met Manan, a friendly Padong lady, sitting by her house and strumming her guitar (!) who chatted with us, told us about their customs, and cuddled Munch. I'm won't go into the politics of it here, but most residents of the village are refugees from Burma, and this is their livelihood. The women weave and sell authentic shawls along with other touristy items, and Manan at least, appeared to be under no illusions about living in this fishbowl.

Anyway, it was fascinating and sad at the same time. I leave you with a picture of two little girls who will probably lead unimaginably different lives, right now just being two little girls.

A holidaying we shall go

It's been a crazy couple of weeks, with the husband travelling and bringing home some virus that had me and the kids terribly under the weather, luckily one after the other and not all together. He then promptly took off again, leaving me to deal with Munch who broke out in a spotty red rash from head to toe. Turns out it was the same virus, and the rash didn't show up on older, tougher hides like mine and Moppet's. 

Anyhoo, it was a bit freaky while it lasted, but that's all sorted now, and we're off tomorrow on our first family vacation!

What were we thinking?! A holiday with a 2 and a half year old and a 3 and a half month old?! I have no doubts that it's going to be a lot of work, and the sooner the husband realises that, the less shocked he's going to be when his 'do-nothing holiday' disintegrates around his ears.

But I hope it will be fun for all that - we're going to spend a few days on the sunny beaches of Phuket in the south of Thailand. Then we return home for a couple of days to catch our breath and restock before heading up north to the cool hills of Chiang Mai.

It wasn't planned like this. Just some scheduling constraints that resulted in these two north-south trips within a few days of each other. But it's a measure of how much tougher we've gotten as parents that we're willing to cart the whole circus up and down the country in a span of 2 weeks. I remember our first vacation with Moppet was to Bali when she had just turned one. And here's poor Munch, eczema and all, being lugged around from beach to mountain at not quite 4 months. 

Ah well, second child. Tough.  :-)

Have a nice October, and send some good holiday vibes our way. If I haven't totally gone to pieces, or killed the husband or one of the children by the end of the holiday, I may post again by the end of the month. Otherwise, Happy Halloween, and see you all in November!

Home again, home again, jiggety jig!

Guess what? We're currently on an impulsive trip to India, tagging along on one of Moppet's Papa's business trips. He's had to go back, of course (oh the things he has to do to put food into our bellies!), but Moppet and I are here for a couple of weeks.

I'm pleased to report that unlike the last time, Moppet appears to have adjusted quickly and well, and I hope to get a lot more R & R this time around. (Anti-jinx! Anti-jinx! Anti-jinx!).

There have already been adventures galore, not least of which was getting hit by an out-of-control garbage truck while on our way to visit a friend. We were lucky that with Mumbai traffic being the way it is, the truck wasn't going too fast, and our car's boot took the brunt of the impact, so we emerged shaken, but unscathed. The car was in bad shape though, so Moppet and I continued our journey in a taxi, while the driver (and the inevitable Mumbai crowd of bystanders) dealt with the police and the truck driver.

I must admit to feeling rather relieved that we got off as lightly as we did - 'Death by Garbage' wouldn't have looked very nice on my epitaph, would it? :-)

I know there's a cold wave on - Mumbaikars are feeling temperature lows that they haven't felt in a decade, and the nights and mornings certainly are a bit nippy - but I do think it rather funny the way everyone's walking about in monkey caps and mittens in lovely, sunny 22-23 degree day weather. At my friend's place, her poor kids were bundled up in socks and sweaters and here was Moppet in a sleeveless vest and skirt. (Before you accuse me of neglecting my only child, as my friend most rudely did, let me tell you that Moppet refuses to wear all manner of warm clothes, and anyway, it was 24 degrees and sunny that day.)

Ahmedabad is certainly colder - I've been feeling the need for a shawl or a light sweater indoors, and I definitely need slippers around the house. Moppet however, still refuses socks and sweaters, and the only thing I've been able to trick her into wearing is an inner vest under her shirt. It's a good thing I brought her beloved pink slippers along to wear around the house - it's her only concession to the cold.

Actually, it's colder indoors than out, so we're spending a fair amount of time on the lawns, basking in the mild winter sun. 'Ouside' is anyway Moppet's preferred place to be, and more so these vast lawns with birdies and squirrels and doggies and flowers, so she's really happy. Apart from all that running around, she also navigates the stairs inside our house 2 or 3 times a day, and as a result she tires herself out and falls asleep fairly easily.

So far, so good! Posting will be sporadic (not that it wasn't before!) until we're back.

Be good, y'all!

A weekend by the River Kwai - II

So where were we? Ah, the sights.

Our first stop was the Bridge on the River Kwai, made famous more by the movie (a largely fictitious account) than by its own real and fascinating history. Yes, it was built by prisoners of war in extremely hard conditions, and yes, it was a vital part of the rail link (chillingly called the Death Railway) that would have given the Japanese quick overland access to Burma.

But in actual fact, the POWs didn't themselves heroically destroy the bridge before it could be used. It served its part in the Death Railway for almost 2 years and was then destroyed by Allied aerial bombing, with hundreds on POWs standing on it, a last desperate measure by the Japanese to prevent the attack.

The bridge that stands on the River Kwai today was reconstructed from the original spans of the destroyed bridge. Together with the war museum nearby, it offers not only a fascinating glimpse into the past, but also a sombre reminder of the horror that is war.

On then to more cheery sights, like the magnificent 7-tiered waterfalls of Erawan. The picture is of level 3, which is as far as we got, because the climb got steeper and more slippery with each level and while I thought I could still manage carrying a wriggling Moppet up it, I had doubts about my ability to get back down without breaking either of our necks.

So we settled instead on taking in a dip in the lovely green-blue pool at the foot of one of the falls and then walked back through the national park with hoardes of butterflies flitting across our path as we walked.

The last place we visited was the controversial Tiger Temple. Controversial beause while the monks say that their tigers are tame because they've been reared by humans and are simply used to being around people, there are others who claim the animals are drugged and ill-treated and used only for money-making purposes.

I'm no expert, but I thought the temple appeared to have decent facilities, and the 'donation' asked for is supposed to go towards a new sanctuary for the rescued animals which we saw was under construction. We went to see the tigers in the tiger canyon, and were allowed into the tiger pit (for want of a better word) one at a time, escorted by two volunteers. One to hold your hand, ensure that you make no sudden movements and guide you round the tigers, and the other to take your picture.

I went first, and my guide carefully positioned me behind the first tiger who you can see in the picture - a young fellow, little more than a cub really, who appeared to be sleeping (or drugged? I don't know). I laid my hand gingerly on his back and waited. Encouraged by the fact that he showed no signs of wanting to eat me, I stroked his back, feeling his fur, rough and springy under my hand. As my guide took me from tiger to tiger, I got bolder, kneeling closer and stroking them with both hands. None of them seemed to mind.

Except one big fellow, stretched out on a rock with his pal. The guide led me behind the rock (they always position you behind the tigers) and I leant down and gave him a friendly scratch on his hind leg. THWACK! His surprisingly strong tail lashed me on my thigh and I nearly fell off the rock in shock. Thankfully, he wasn't interested in eating me either, and with my hand no longer on his leg, he seemed to have no futher objection to my hanging around. I wasn't so sure though, so I hurried on to the next tiger, and then scooted out of the pit. Moppet's Papa would later tell me that he got whacked by the same tiger when he tried to touch his paw. Maybe he was just in a don't-touch-me mood that day, who knows?

So in summary, we walked the Death Railway, bathed in the pools of Erawan, and managed not to get killed by an irritated tiger :-) Enough for one weekend, I think!

A weekend by the River Kwai

A not unsuccessful weekend, overall. Moppet was surprisingly well-behaved on the drive to the resort. With a steady supply of otherwise controlled snacks at hand and her moos playing over and over again, she was quite happy to sit in her car seat for the 3 hours it took to get there. The measure of her contentment can be gauged by the fact that she only twice attempted to assassinate her father by aiming her plastic shovel at the back of his head as he drove.

The resort was lovely. Small, with only 10 cottages, it is cosily nestled right on the bank of the River Kwai. The Thai-Dutch couple who run the place were just the right level of friendly, enough to make us feel at home, and yet not overdoing it so much as to be intrusive. Their 20 month old daughter shyly came out to meet Moppet, but then lost her nerve and buried her face in her father's legs.

The mom also came by for a friendly chat with her infant daughter in her arms and completely put me to shame by how gorgeously in shape she was, barely 4 weeks after having her second baby. Of course, that meant I spent the rest of my time around her with my face going red from holding my breath and sucking in my jelly belly (Yes, you can say it, I'm pathetic!). Other than that self-imposed discomfort, our stay there was extremely pleasant.

Moppet got into the groove of things right away. Here you can see her as she explores the cottage and pronounces it satisfactory, lounges on the veranda with her Papa, and impatiently bangs the salt shaker on the table while waiting for lunch at the open-air deck overlooking the river.

Since this was going to be my do-nothing weekend, after I had cleaned and changed Moppet, I banished her to the verandah with her father, while I threw myself on the bed and stayed there. Moppet was quite happy to potter around near the cottage with her shovel and pail, chase down some hapless ants, swallow the odd pebble or two, and make faces at me through the french windows.

On our way back to the cottage after lunch, she spotted the pool and decided she had to take a dip. Because I was looking forward to going back to do-nothing mode, I dissuaded her by pointing out that she didn't have her swimsuit on, and was astonished when she quietened down immediately. Wow, this was something - a new and improved, mature and understanding Moppet. Elated, I practically hopped and skipped back to our room, dreaming of a nice long post-lunch siesta.

Ha! As soon as we reached the cottage, the new and improved, mature and understanding Moppet headed straight to the open suitcase and rooted through it, pulling its contents out onto the floor until she found her swimsuit. Waving it in my face, she kept up a constant refrain of pool? pool? pool? at increasing decibel levels until I finally realised that there could be no siesta.

So off to the pool we went and spent a happy hour or so splashing about and waving hi to random passers by. Refreshed and relaxed (more so than if I had had that siesta, I think), we headed back, decided there was no way we could let Moppet's Papa have the siesta we missed, rudely woke him up, ignored his grumbling, and dragged him off to see the sights.

Up next: The sights, and how I got whacked by a tiger.

Gangsta Bunny takes a trip

I believe this is what is referred to as a hoodlum.

Don't let the fluffy white bunny and the girly pinkness fool you. This is a bonafide member of the baby mafia, on a mission to rule the world.

The shovel is to give me a decent burial when I give up the ghost, as I no doubt will in short order, given the accelerated aging that I've been subject to ever since I made the acquaintance of Gangsta Bunny here.

In a bid to reclaim my lost youth, I am taking a trip this weekend to a little resort on the River Kwai. A weekend to relax and do absolutely nothing. Just sit out on the verandah of the cottage, drink in hand, and enjoy the cool river breeze.

Oh, and did I mention what I'm taking along on this relaxing, do-nothing weekend of mine? One small but very potent hoodlum, and one exhausted and therefore highly irritable husband.

Was that a snigger I heard? Stop that! Let an old woman dream, it's all she's got.

Have a great holiday weekend! See you all Tuesday.

Holiday tales

Back home, after a whirlwind weekend in beautiful Singapore. Having travelled plenty with Moppet, I have long since ceased to expect anything but the unexpected. Moppet's Papa however, was rather surprised because the holiday was nothing like the holiday we planned. It was better.

We ended up doing very little sightseeing, but got to meet up with several friends, many of whom we had not met in more than 5 years. It was a bit strange - all these folks we knew at B-school, now moms and dads, dealing with the madness that is life with young children. It took some getting used to, but it was really nice to be able to talk about babies, parenting survival tips, and spousal quirks and not feel too old, too frumpy, too out of it, or simply weird :-)

Squiggles and her parents graciously hosted us and took us around town. Contrary to my fears, Moppet was rather well-behaved, with only a few minor episodes - repeatedly decapitating one of poor little Squiggles' dolls, objecting vigorously if I carried Squiggles (which I didn't do much of anyway since Squiggles also made it clear that I was not a preferred carrier), running amok at the Borders bookstore, and attempting to poke a waitress in the butt with her spoon while waiting for her dinner - all quite tame by Moppet's standards.

For all that Squiggles is only 3 months old, she gamely came with us as we drove around the city, despite not being a fan of the car seat. She's a strong-minded little creature who knows exactly what she wants and reminds me so much, temperament-wise, of Moppet at that age. She protested strenuously, but once she realised that it wasn't working, settled in and treated us all to some lovely cooing and gurgling.

We also celebrated Squiggles' 3rd month birthday. Please observe the lip-smacking Moppet hovering around the fresh-cream pastry and Squiggles' wary what's-she-doing-to-MY-cake look. After which, Squiggles Mom demonstrated to Moppet the best way to eat cake - stick your finger into the fresh cream and lick it off. Moppet gave it a tentative try, and then went wild! Some of the cake managed to find its way into her mouth, the rest was on her face, hair, arms, and the furniture. Not to mention what all that sugar did to her later in the evening as she whooped and spun around the room until she finally collapsed in exhaustion sometime near midnight.


Just like our holiday, actually. We got a lovely little taste of Singapore and whooped and spun around until we were beat. A big, big thank you to Squiggles' Mom and Dad for making the whole trip such fun!

Whims and fancies

God knows I've complained enough about being unemployed, but it does have its advantages. Like tomorrow, Moppet and I are going to Singapore - just like that! Moppet's Papa is already there, and we'll be joining him for the weekend. Not the kind of almost spur of the moment thingy a working mom could do, eh?

We'll be staying with a brave (some would say foolhardy) friend who I haven't seen in over 6 years. Naturally, I would like to make a fabulous impression, but there's something about the glint in Moppet's eye when I beg her to be good and not embarrass Mama that tells me I had better go and practice my abject apology speech.

Ah well, que sera sera. Leaving you with a picture of Moppet and her current fancies in life:

1. A book called Bright Start, which has lots of photographs of children. Moppet loves flipping through this book, pointing out which kid is crying and showing me how, which one is drinking waatha or joos, which one is sleeping, and so on.

2. Our old digicam. She takes it all over the house and every so often, squints into the lens and says maayil. Since the object being ordered to maayil is usually unable to comply on account of being inanimate, she goes ahead and does it for them.

3. The top obsession of the moment is her pair of hot pink flip-flops. I have a pair of pink slippers that I wear around the house, and Moppet is always yanking them off my feet and attempting to wade around the house in them. So when I saw these slippers, I just had to buy them for her, even though the smallest size they had was too big for her.

She hasn't quite mastered the art of walking in them yet; they fly off her feet as she trots around and I keep hearing exasperated yells of 'chooooooz!' as she runs to pick them up and put them on again. But for all the trouble they're giving her, seeing as she spends more time on her butt, trying to fit them on her feet than actually walking around in them, she absolutely adores them.

I'm going to have to hide them away tonight or she will insist on wearing them to the airport tomorrow, which will be an absolute disaster.

See y'all Monday, folks! Have a nice weekend!

Moppet takes a trip

It seemed like just another normal Sunday morning - until Moppet wandered into her room and saw her diaper bag being packed.

"Baaa!" she squealed in delight. She knows the appearance of this bag always heralds a new adventure. "Bye!" she said happily, waving and blowing kisses to everyone. Then dragging the bag behind her, she toddled off towards the front door. Let the adventure begin!

Having already set off, she did not appreciate being stopped and whisked away for a bath and breakfast. Despite her vigorous protests, we all managed to get ready and one chaotic hour later, we were set to go.

Our destination was Safari World, an open air zoo and marine park on the outskirts of Bangkok. Moppet's Papa had his maps spread out on the front passenger seat, and I was in the back with all the equipment required for my role as Moppet's car jester.

It didn't begin well. We got lost and had to take a huge detour to get back on track. Moppet's Papa got in a bad mood. My attempts to help with the map made it worse. Moppet started screaming to be let out of her car seat. And to top things off, it started to rain. We were literally one tantrum away from turning back and going home. But we finally found the turn-off, and as if in celebration, the sun came out of hiding as well. The light shower had a pleasant, refreshing effect, and all was well in our world again.

Once we reached the park, Moppet was released from her car seat and we went up front to be able to see better. It is a 7 km drive through the park, and has a variety of animals and birds. It was wonderful. We could get quite close to the animals, who were obviously used to being gawked at by humans, and were going about their business as usual. Moppet went crazy, bouncing between her Papa and me, and yelling out 'kaa' to all the birds, and 'dah' to the animals.



After the ride, we wandered through the marine park, grabbed some lunch and then headed to the dolphin show. Moppet had almost fallen asleep in her stroller, but perked up as soon as she heard the music that was being played to entertain the crowd waiting for the show to begin. It was our very own Himesh Reshammiya's 'Jhalak dikhlaaja'. I swear, the man is becoming a global menace!
Anyway, there was a bunch of desi guys swinging wildly to the music, and the crowd was egging them on, much to the bemusement of assorted Japanese and Korean tourists who were sitting around us.

The show was lovely, and Moppet cheered and clapped along with the crowd, and varied it a bit by occasionally poking the lady sitting in front of us.

There was plenty more to do, but we were all pooped. Moppet, literally. So I changed her in Thailand's Best Public Restroom. No, really! There was actually a sign outside that said that. I wonder if there is a Thai Office In-charge-of Lavatory Excellence Testing that certifies these places?

We left the cool confines of Thailand's Best Public Restroom all cleaned up, but really tired. And sure enough, within 5 minutes of hitting the road, Moppet was fast asleep in her car seat. With a smile on her face.

News from the front

So here we are, home and happy.

The journey was fairly uneventful. Moppet gets 9 on 10 for in-flight behaviour. She would have got a perfect 10 but for her trying to pat the flight attendant on the rump every time she bent down near our seat. To be fair to Moppet, it was certainly an inviting behind. (A simple statement of fact, no reading between the lines, please!) Even so, Moppet's unfortunate lack of self-control in its presence meant that I had to stay alert and grab her arm every time the flight attendant passed by.

But apart from that little lapse, she was quite the model travel tot, and we reached home in overall good shape. She took a little time to settle in, but now she's having a ball, chasing little boys, birds, and cats whenever she sees them.

I know the description makes her sound like a little puppy, but that's exactly the image that comes to mind when I see her trotting around on the lawn, trying to join in the older kids' football game, and generally getting underfoot.

My parents live on a campus (which feels more like a zoo), and Moppet and I have already spotted from close range, an elephant, a camel, a couple of monkeys, and most memorably, a peacock and 4 peahens taking a leisurely stroll through our back lawn. I wish I had a picture of her wide-eyed, open-mouthed reaction to these creatures - it's a classic cartoon face!

On one of her morning walks with her grandpa, they saw a chameleon, and she's learnt to mimic its curious neck movement. On being asked, "How does the chameleon go?", she does this funny goggle-eyed head bob.

So now I have the ultimate answer to all those odious comparisons and well-meaning (?) milestone questions.

My baby can go like a chameleon. Ha! Top that if you can!

Leaving you with some pictures of my chameleon child in action.

Checklist

One enormous suitcase, 10 times the size of toddler, packed with everything necessary and unecessary for royal upkeep of said toddler. Check.

One stuffed diaper bag, bursting with snacks, toys, books...what am I missing here? Oh yes, diapers and a change of clothes. Check.

One stroller, which most likely toddler will refuse to sit in, and which will form one extraneous piece of hand baggage, taken in hope nonetheless. Check.

One hyperactive toddler, sensing the excitement in the air and buzzing in anticipation. Check.

One hovering Papa, who will miss toddler and her mom like crazy, but is pretending to be happy to 'finally have some peace and quiet.' Check.

One harried, nervous Mama, wondering if she's taken enough headache pills to last her through the journey. Check.

Steeling of nerves. Check.

Taking of deep breaths. Check.

...And we're good to go! See ya on the other side!

Moppet's first vacation - the pictures

As promised, pictures of Moppet on holiday in Bali.

Come on! Let's explore these temple grounds!

Here's a nice spot, right under the statue's bum!

A girl's gotta eat to keep up her strength! Holidaying is tiring!

Poolside happiness

This was Moppet's first big pool experience, and she took to it like, well, a fish to water!

Okay, so this is a teeny bit bigger than my bathtub...but I'm cool...just don't let go of my hand, Papa.

Wow, this is even better than bathtime!

We're back!

...from the Island of a Thousand Gods.

All too soon, for my liking...we had the most wonderful time.

Bali was like being in a Chinese version of my home state of Kerala. The hot and humid breeze, the palm trees, the banana trees, the gorgeous green paddy fields, the narrow winding roads, all felt vaguely familiar and homely. But dotting the familiar (to me) landscape were these little houses and temples with their pointy red chinese roofs, huge oriental statues, and intricate stone and wood carving that turned the whole island into an exotic wonderland.

The fantastic setting aside, I think what made the holiday really special was that for the first time, it was just the 3 of us, being together without the routine distractions of life and work. Moppet enjoyed herself tremendously and was absolutely fabulous about all the travel, the long drives, the unfamiliar food, and the complete wrecking of her normal routine.

Since she has proven beyond doubt that she is a fun travel companion, she and I have decided that we're going to tag along with Moppet's Papa to whichever exotic location his work takes him. (Ha! No more excuses, Papa!)

More on the vacation once he gets back from Bali (he had to stay on for a conference) with the camera and the pictures.

On holiday!

Back on Wednesday.

Optimist-me says I'll get back all refreshed and relaxed, but realist-me will settle for getting back with Moppet in one piece, and my sanity intact!

Happy Easter weekend, everyone!

Moppet's first vacation

Me: Moppet, we're going to Bali! For 4 days! Yay!
Moppet: (scrabbling about on the floor, dissecting a book called Purple Spotted Oranges) Deh duh!*
*Whatever!

Ok, so Moppet's a well-travelled baby, and is apparently not so excited about this trip. And let's be fair, purple spotted oranges are way cooler than Bali! But this is my first holiday in 3 years, and I'm SO ready for it.

The only thing is, it's also my first holiday with Moppet, and I don't know how ready I am for that! Sure, I've travelled with her before - in India and out, on trains and planes, with and without help - but this is the first time that the end of the journey is a hotel room and not a home.

Would love to hear from moms and dads who've holidayed with their toddlers and lived to tell the tale! :-)