By Jen Adair, Blogger at Slightly Tilted, Entreprenuer, Homeschool Mom to two fab kiddos
Eighty-four is about the number of pinã coladas and strawberry daiquiris my kids have consumed in the last 7 days. There was no alcohol, of course, but the amount of sugar running through their veins will take a blood transfusion to remove. On top of that, they had donuts and French toast for breakfast every morning. Yes. Every morning.
Vacation. It’s a great thing.
The air is different. The food tastes better. No one has to make up a bed, do school work, or check their email every fifteen minutes.
It always takes me a few days to relax and get into “vacation mode.” I have to turn off my brain and wean myself away from work and school. I have to get over the fact that I’m not a supermodel (which I’ll never fully get 
over), but that I’ve never heard, “Lady, we all voted and you need to put your clothes back on.”
I did have a very nice man ask me, “You no like to tan, senorita?” I had to explain that my glowing family of albinos doesn’t tan. We freckle. It’s just our thing.
We did manage to sneak in some educational moments for the kids. We are never on vacation from being good parents, you know. Among the highlights:
- At Tulum, the Mayan ruins near the Riviera Maya, they learned that Mexico is hot. They also learned that the other archaeological site, aka the holy temple of Starbucks in the Tulum parking lot, is where iced Mayan mochas were invented about a billion years ago. Or that’s what our tour guide told us.
- If you are surrounded by people from various countries with different languages and customs, get in the pool and start throwing a ball around. Everyone is happy. Everyone knows how to play. It’s really the path to world peace – water and a ball. Try it.
- “Hola” and “olé” are not the same thing. The proper response to “hola” is not olé. Hola means hello. Olé is something you say at a bullfight.
This particular trip was interesting as a parent. The kids are no longer young enough where I have to watch their every move. Getting older has its advantages – your kids are older, too. They can use the bathroom all by themselves!
Watching the young parents of small children handle crying, potty breaks, and nap time made me nostalgic. Remembering back to those days, I felt nothing but empathy for these parents. I remember the exhaustion and frustration of dealing with little people constantly. This is why I had my tubes tied.
The parents of tweens, I was relieved to see, were just like me: cautiously trying to navigate the waters of being an involved parent while also trying to be invisible so that your child doesn’t withdraw totally. This in itself is exhausting. Add in the patience required not to smack said child upside the head because the eyes have rolled at least 20 times in the last ten minutes, and you have a bewildered adult desperately flagging down a waiter for another order of wine and French fries.
I also learned that some things you can’t afford to do, but some things you can’t afford not to do. Connecting as a family and making memories is something you really can’t put a price tag on. I’ll choose an experience over designer clothes or handbags every single time.
But…we are in sugar detox this week and I could use some prayers. Or another vacation.
By myself.
Hey. I’m Jen Adair. I’m an entrepreneur. Homeschool mom. CEO of organized chaos. Ok – it’s really not all that organized. Some days are great, some are not, some days I feel invincible, some days I can barely get out of bed. BUT…it’s my life and I’m living it. Browse my collection of random thoughts, humor (well, I think I’m funny!), images, links, whatever…at my blog Slightly Tilted. Sharing is caring, people! 🙂
