Welcome back — to me that is! We returned on Sunday from a week-long up north getaway. It was glorious and exhausting at the same time. Taking two children two and under on a cabin camping trip requires lots of planning and pretty much constant hands on attention. By the end of each day after the girls were in bed, I would think to myself, “Oh I’m going to have a couple of drinks and stay up so late by the campfire to just soak it all in.” One beverage later and a short while at the fire and I was totally done for it. I’m sure it was a combination of the fresh air, constant activity and peacefulness of the end of day that my body just lulled itself into sleep mode.
The weather was beautiful. Sunny, a little fall-esque a few days, no rain and really not too many mosquitos. We spent as much time outside as we possibly could, besides designated nap times that is. As soon as Maven would wake up she would ask about going on a nature walk, something we did daily. Most often this was an early morning activity while still in our pajamas and something we did again at the end of the day. We would walk through the woods, around a pond and look for any animals or animal tracks we could find. Maven loved squishing pinecones and mushrooms along the way. There’s something about simple activities that toddlers find entertaining and often hilarious.
Other activities included swimming at a nearby beach, deer-watching, hide-and-seek playing, fishing, sitting at campfires and making tasty camping-inspired food. We rented a boat one day, which was a lot of fun. Mark even rented a paddle board for me, which I felt the results of the following morning. {You would think carrying two children would make my arms ridiculously strong, but apparently paddle boarding just put them to a different use.} Maven was very into daily workouts, which is likely why her appetite skyrocketed during our time away. I don’t think she ever stopped saying, “Momma, I’m huuungrrryy.” Considering she was doing sprints, running up and down hills, did about a million jumping jacks and tried to mimic every other fitness activity she saw Mark or I doing, I can totally understand the increased calorie demand.
Sylvie took it all in, just wishing she could be a big kid. She’s in the stage where she pulls herself up on everything and tries to climb, and desperately wants to walk on her own. Given that she still likes exploring the world with her mouth, we had to constantly keep an eye on her and actively keep her entertained. She’s not quite content just sitting on a blanket playing with a few toys these days. So, we did lots of walking, and assisted walking for her, or else there would be dirt or sand in her mouth and all over her body. Nightly baths were a must due to the outdoor activities and daily slathering of sunscreen, but I didn’t really want her crawling in and consuming ground materials.
Mark and I really enjoyed this time together as a family and look forward to taking a week to {somewhat} disconnect each summer. We were both able to take breaks from work and though I kept up with my Instagram {mini-blog, persay}, I didn’t write while we were gone. We both needed this time desperately, after having been scrambling to keep up with life the few weeks leading up to our trip. We laughed to each other at the end of each day when we were exhausted from all of the day’s happenings, saying “Maybe in about four years this will get a little easier”. Raising our girls is such a blessing. Sometimes we feel like we are in the thick of it {particularly mid-toddler-tantrum-mania}, but making memories, enjoying time together and sharing everything love and life is what it’s all about. We are so thankful to have had this week.
I am also very thankful for a few products that seemed to make our lives a little bit easier on our trip, too. As I mentioned, taking two children two and under on this getaway was a lot of work. If you’re taking any kind of up coming trip or simply just taking part in outdoor activities, I think you may find some of these recommendations helpful. Note: Some of the following links are affiliate links.
- The Ergo Baby Carrier. I’ve mentioned here that I’m a bit of a baby carrier hoarder. I own lots of options. But, I have to say, during this trip, the Ergo came to the rescue. I loved the versatility of the back, side or front hold, and the fact that it has a small “hood” to cover your little one in tow and protect her from sun. This was very helpful when Sylvie would doze off. Also helpful was the fact that I could use this as a side carrier, something I can’t do with all of my carrier options. Sometimes she would fuss or try to wiggle out if I had her on my front or back, but for some reason, the side hold just tricked her into thinking I was carrying her on my own. But even better, I had a supported hold and two free hands. {Why don’t I wear this all the time?!} I also have to mention, I did actually put Maven in this! Maven is approximately 30 pounds and when she demanded to be carried while I pushed Sylvie up a big hill, I knew I had to try to get some help. She fit nicely and was very excited that she was in the “baby carrier”.
- The Mountain Buggy Nano Stroller. We purchased this stroller almost two years ago because we were looking for a compact, light weight, simple stroller to use while we were out and about. At the time, we only had the BOB {my favorite jogging stroller}, so we needed another option. I used it a few times, but for whatever reason, it never became our go-to stroller. {Could be because we needed a double stroller shortly after that!} I have to say, though, that this stroller was a dream on our getaway. It folds up SO small, and with an over-packed car and my worry we wouldn’t have room for any stroller at all, I was so thankful that it fit. It also is SO durable. We took this baby on nature walks through the woods and the wheels did great – over sticks, through dirt, through sand, you name it. Both Maven and Sylvie found this to be a comfortable ride. Also helpful is the carrying compartment on the bottom, which is quite spacious for a small stroller, and I think it’s a cool design that it loads from the front.
- Puddle Jumper water wings. Now I know these aren’t the latest and greatest in terms of how to teach children to swim while having some flotation assistance, but these gave us so much peace of mind while Maven was swimming in the lake. She is entirely in Miss Independent mode these days, so allowing her the freedom to jump, play and swim in the water on her own was fun for her and nice for us. She could still work on her kicking and paddling, even with these wings on.
- JJ Cole Outdoor Blanket. This mat is awesome. My sister has this and recommended it to me quite a while ago. We purchased it back then and have used it on the regular ever since. This mat is great for outdoors as it’s waterproof and can easily be wiped {or sprayed down}. We can play on it, picnic on it, or use it in just about any way. It also folds up really nicely and has a carrying strap which has proven to be very convenient. This was a life saver since Sylvie is pretty much still a ground dwelling babe.
- Infant Optic Video Monitor. We love this monitor. It doesn’t need wifi, use our data or connect to our phones at all. While some may view that as a downfall, we find this option to be simple, efficient and effective. The monitor is great quality and spans a good distance. We use this at home and it has allowed us to go outside while our littles are sleeping inside. And on this trip, it allowed us to be at the campfire at night with Sylvie in her crib in the cabin. Highly recommend this to those looking for an affordable monitor option that has video capabilities.
Ending vacation is always a little bittersweet. We were all sad to leave but happy to be back to our home and beds. We strategically planned to have Monday off at home to adjust, but it’s back to the grind for us today. We’ll be using the week ahead to get back on a regular schedule and hopefully getting Maven to catch up on some sleep. Letting a toddler stay up past bedtime to take part in campfire activities isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. ?
I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!
XO