About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
Winter Wonderland
silver spoonscanada
(Feb.22.10)
6 of 6
What I Learned on My Winter Mini-Break
No two kids are alike. Sometimes in families, this can be tough. One kid is terrifyingly adventurous; the other, annoyingly over-cautious. There are pros and cons to both. But I'm still learning the balancing act of what we can do as a family with these two different people. (Though when I put it that way, it's not so different from marriage.)
Things that saved the trip:
* Packing lots of snacks. Avoiding stopping by passing a granola bar to the back seat saves time, money and aggravation.
* Packing every kind of medicine. From drugstore essentials like basic first aid stuff and pain relievers, to homeopathic and natural remedies, having a variety of tools to turn to was extremely helpful -- if for nothing else than my own sanity.
* Gadgets. When I was a kid, my sis and I would throw paper out the back window of our station wagon. Car seats are a necessary nuissance and gadgets can help break up the boredom of long drives. LEGO Batman on the Nintendo DS for Nate, Ni Hao Kai Lan episodes on the iPod Touch for Lucy, a bit of a trade in the middle and the BlackBerry for mom (Google Maps and Twitter are my must-haves).
* Capitalizing on nap and sleep times. Car travel at sleepy times means less "Are we there yet?" and more time for mom and dad to connect as a couple (or argue about the accuracy of Google Maps, whatever).
* Gracious and understanding hosts. Everyone from our friends in Ottawa to our innkeepers in Quebec were very accommodating and understanding of our sick kid situation. And you know what? It beat being stuck indoors with a sick kid at home.
We're definitely making this an annual tradition. And if you don't have your Winter Break activities solidified yet, I highly recommend this adventure. And while you're at it, check out our Winter Break Activity Guide!