#familyvacation2016

There's rarely a day I don't have at least one fleeting thought about vacation. Where to next? Should we go there again? Kids or no kids? These questions have been frequenting my mind more so than usual lately. Maybe it's because...I just got back!

The fam dashed off to Kansas City where we 1) witnessed an MLS soccer game for the first time in 150 degree weather, 2) cheered on the unlucky world champions known as the Royals, and 3) took a sprint through the Plaza that could hardly qualify as shopping. While the trip was short, it was meticulously calculated to ensure a little something for everyone. For the most part, we achieved that goal. And I found myself contemplating how to ensure a successful family vaca. Here are some thoughts:

• Mediators (aka moms) are a necessity and must have the skill set to offer quick and multiple options for recreation. E.g, bar with cold beer, theater with funny movie, the modern jazz museum. (Always throw in that one thing you know your family will reject. It will make other options seem grand.)
• Kids have vastly different room standards than parents. Apparently in the eyes of the youth, all hotel rooms are penthouses, no matter how much hair decorates the bathroom.
• Shopping, even in its most basic form, can be achieved as long as the following statement is issued with conviction: "Ooh. I need to stop in Sephora. I'm out of ________." Fill in the blank with any phantom product. (zitsbegone. makemesmellgood. mickjaggerlipbalm.)
• You can never have enough phone chargers.
• Sleeping in the closest of quarters is one of the greatest tests of a family's love for each other. And love doesn't reflect itself as you stake your place on a bed made for 1.5 people.
• Workout clothing are appropriate for any event. THIS IS THE BEST FOR SURE! As a GenXer, I still require my kids to bring one set of nice clothes. For Cole, this means a shirt that isn't from a sports camp.
• You will never, ever pack everything you need. But pack your necessities first: migraine medicine and Breathe-Rights.
• Immediately locate the Best Buy when you need to purchase a new phone charger. Pokemon Go sucks...an alarming amount of juice.
• Someone is going to get cranky. In the words of Elsa, let it go. Let it go quickly and don't forget that oh-so-important bar option.
• Make sure everyone has the Snapfish app, so you can all download the pictures each of you took on your separate phones. (Wow! A real tip.)
• Vacation is the best time to allow nostalgia to set in. Listening to your kids retell memories of past trips gives you just a wisp of comfort in that perhaps you aren't such a bad parent.

I do love vacations. But I must confess. One of my favorite parts of traveling is coming home. I love the security of our comfy abode, and the fact I will undoubtedly sleep comfortably in our king-sized bed. I love picking up the dog from boarding to discover he does have the ability smell good. I love coming home and realizing how much I love coming home.

Siblings on vaca now.

Siblings on vaca then.

Wicked Awesome!

Just got back from vacation last weekend, and I have a great idea for a short story. It goes something like this:

An Iowa farmer sells all his ground to buy a lobster boat and relocate his family to Boston. The farmer befriends an old fisherman at an Irish pub. The old fisherman decides to bequeath his Red Sox tickets to the farmer.

The end.

I think the telltale sign of a good vacation as that we're already nostalgic about our trip. It seems that the Boston accent hasn't quite left our brain yet. (Get in the cah! Wouldja! We're wicked late!)  We've already scanned the hundreds of revolutionary and not-so-revolutionary photos on our camera and iPhones. Doug, who has been a staunch Bud-liter for years, bought himself some Sam Adams already. And, of course, we watched Fever Pitch.

You always worry about vacations turning out to be more work than what they're worth. This vacation just happened to snap into place. It was the perfect combination of history and fun.  (The kids might argue we overdid the history tours and didn't quite do enough swimming, but I think the ratio was just about perfect.) We all agree we could've taken in one more Red Sox game. Our walk to Yawkey Way was certainly the highlight. I'm not sure the team could've set up a more exciting game for us. Trailing 7-2, the Red Sox came back to win in the bottom of the 9th. We didn't wanted to leave Fenway as the Drop Kick Murphy's continued to blast through the speakers. Thirty minutes later, we finally decided it was time to head back to the hotel...(Usually we always try to dodge out of a stadium as quickly as we can.) I swear my husband was converted that night.

But the Red Sox aren't everything there was to Boston. Beyond all of the history that revolves around the city (the USS Constitution–"Old Ironsides," the Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill...), you couldn't help be caught up in their spirit of education! Apparently, half the population is made up of students. Like Hahvahd. Where they make you smahtah. And MIT are comprised of a bunch of clever pranksters–who convert buildings into awesome droids like r2d2. These same students are recruited by some of the most noteworthy companies in the country. That's who I want working for me!

Now, we're back and it always feels good to come home and look over the pretty fields of Iowa. Looking back, I can't say, there isn't anything we didn't do that I wish we would have. Oh, except for maybe one...we didn't get to glance at the Patriot's quarterback. That would've been nice. Maybe next time.