Relaxed…or just procrastinating?

Know what I realized today? My big fly-home-with-the-girls vacation of the summer is a week from tomorrow. Eight days. Essentially, one week. Know what I’ve done? Practically nothing.

Whereas last year I was maybe a tinge bit worried, this year I’ve thought about…then shrugged my shoulders and moved on. I’ve done a few things, true. This past weekend I’ve bought snacks for the plane (because the reality is that even if you pack 293 things for them to do, the only thing that keeps them busy for a minute is if you hand them a snack). I spent an entire morning (and half the afternoon) cleaning out my email because I couldn’t find my itinerary. Last week I actually reserved a rental car (smart thinking, since the airport is an hour outside of my hometown). I’ve emailed a few friends and set up tentative plans. But packing? Meh.

See, last year I went completely overboard – not that I can blame myself. I had a pre-kindergartner and a toddler. It was my first time shepherding the children alone on flights of any kind, never mind connecting flights. My sanity saver was the thought that no matter how badly the first flight went, Auntie Kim was meeting us in Baltimore for the connecting flight and drive to Mom’s house. Backups were waiting. That was totally what I needed this year. And for all the drama and worrying? It wasn’t that bad. Yes, the flights were still long and the kids were still bored (and I was still bored), but it wasn’t the nightmare I was expecting. Turns out, I have really well-behaved kids.

This year, I think as a form of subconscious compensation, my pendulum has flung itself the other way. I’m under-prepared (so far). I’ll pack this weekend. Just – gasp! – three days before we leave. I’ll still bring a backpack full of diversions for the girls – but not two backpacks like last year. I’ll pack their kid-friendly portable DVD player and a few movies. I’ll bring cards and their travel-sized magna-doodles. I’ll have paper and crayons. And lots and lots of snacks, of course. I’m sure because I’m winging it that the girls will be rotten and I’ll swing back to the other extreme next year. Of course, next year they’ll be 7 and 5 and at that age they can practically pack for themselves.

And really, that was my mom moment of the week. I was thinking about why I just can’t work up a panic this year about taking the girls on a looooong plane ride. It surprises me, my non-reaction. As I was thinking about it, I started marveling: did I really have toddlers last year? Toddlers? That word brings to mind such small, itty bitty children incapable of any rational reaction. No wonder that was my state of mind last year! But could one year really make a difference? Could 6 and 4 really be all that much of a difference between 5 and 3? Yes. HECK, yes. Gracie had just turned 5, but she’s always (mostly) been mature for her age. Bee on the other hand, has done so much growing this year she deserves some sort of super-medal. She hadn’t even had her birthday yet last year, so essentially I was taking a two-year-old on a day-long journey across the country. This year I’m taking a much more reasonable (although entirely too-chatty) 4-year-old who has finally caught up to her behavioral age-bracket. (And surpassed it? Fingers crossed!) Sure, Bee can still throw her prime-time meltdowns, but she’s pretty sneaky about when she pitches them. With any luck (and a backpack full of bribes), they’ll hold off till we get to grandma’s. Okay – maybe one thing hasn’t changed. I’m still plotting my way towards my reinforcements!

It will be a good vacation. I’m excited. The girls are over-the-moon excited. Now all I have to do is pack so we have something to wear when we get there.

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