Travel Changes

This isn’t about changes we had in our travel plans today—those went off exactly as planned.   We left home, took two flights, had no delays, got to Florida, picked up the rental car and have just finished a nice dinner with my in-laws.  

What’s changed is our travel complexity over time.  I’ve had a folder called, “Travel Packing Lists”  since my children were infants.   And before I go any farther in this story, you need to know I have a bit of an OCD, over-organized, anal-retentive streak going, because it will make this sound less crazy when I explain it.

I have a list of everything I need to remember to pack for trips out of town.   This doesn’t include things like, “shoes, shits, hairbrush, underwear” because those things I wouldn’t forget.   It’s all the things I need to remember to take for the children and anything specific I might need to take for that particular destination.

For instance, I want to remember my boat license when we go to New Jersey every summer.   When we go to Florida we need to bring swim suits for the children.    But if we’re flying to Florida, we don’t need toothbrushes and floss because my mother-in-law has them waiting for us when we arrive.

Initially we needed to bring special spoons, cups, bibs, enough diapers to fill a suitcase and all sorts of other things small children need throughout the day.   As they’ve gotten older the travel packing lists get shorter and shorter and the trips are getting easier and easier to prepare for.

Just last night I was amazed I was completely packed by dinner time and didn’t have anything else to do but watch a show and go to bed after the children were asleep.

The Big Boy Update:  My son wanted help with an app on his iPad while we were in the airport today.  He walked over to my husband, placed the iPad on his lap and said, “daddy, since you’re bored and doing nothing, I have something for you to do.”

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter was working on her iPad earlier today with her headphones on, I wasn’t sure what was happening until I heard her say very clearly, “Siri, what are you doin’ right now?”   I’m not sure what Siri responded, but it made her laugh.