A Sunday Outing

All three us ushered in this lazy Sunday in a very unhurried fashion. The cold wind and icy wet snow rushed into the valley from the canyon just a few miles above where our little home is perched. Feeling the brisk chill which filled our abode as we slept did not encourage us to abandon the sheets so willingly, or to pry open our sleepy eyes without some struggle. Turning over and embracing the warm white sheets and blankets for just another hour or so sounded just fine to all of us, which is exactly what we did. Eventually we did slip out of bed for some breakfast and hot showers.

 

It was a slow drip of a day here at the Navas home. Violet and I dabbled in some watercolors and washable markers during the afternoon, while listening to ocean waves courtesy of YouTube. Cristian curled up in a cozy blanket and caught up on one of his favorite TV shows. Lunch was snacks here and there of apples, orange juice, left over salad, and some roast beef sandwhiches made on the fly.

 

I'll be honest, none of really wanted to go outside while it was so cozy and warm inside. However it was decided we could use a little fresh air and exercise so we hopped in the car for a late afternoon Sunday drive. We found ourselves out in Bensen looking at horses, cows, geese, and ducks. We splashed in puddles, saw seagulls dive bombing the dam and scooping up fish, and an abandoned container of wiggly worms which Violet was absolutely fascinated with.

 

Try as we might we could not get her to touch one, but she stared and pointed and became quite upset when her daddy threw one into the dam, only to be clasped up by one of the birds a nanosecond later.

 

Shivery, wet, but rosy cheeked and refreshed we headed home a few hours later, for warm dry clothing, hot drinks, and snuggles on the couch. I hope your Sunday was as rejuvenated and wonderful as ours.

 

Roam Away// Australia-Arrival-Ballarat

Spending the whole day together with Cristian and Violet down in Ogden before our departure was perfect. We savored our last hours together wandering in the bright sunshine, spoiling Violet with a trip to the TreeHouse Museum, and snacking on speciality treats from 'Ye Old Cupcakes". Nothing became real until we said goodbye to our main man at the airport. I cried. I tried not to, but I did. Violet didn't know what was going on. And Cristian was feeling sick. After saying our farewells reality set in and all of us were suddenly ravenous. Nothing a good fix of Greek food couldn't solve and we were on our way. My goal for the traveling part of our trip was to be as calm and collected as possible. Go with the flow, don't get to uptight. Not worry so much. Of course I was stressing out about worrying about stressing out to much. Did you get that?

Anyway.

The flight portions of the trip were as perfect as could be, at least for Violet which was who I was most worried about. Traveling for 24 hours straight is no small feat for an adult, let alone my 1 1/2 year old. She was a champion to put it VERY lightly. She slept for 12 hours on our main flight from LAX to Melbourne Australia (a 16 hour flight). I did not sleep at all as every hour or so my arms would give out, or my shoulders would spasm from holding her THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. 3 days later (when I'm writing this) and my arms have yet to fully recover. If there was one indelible moment from the flight it was when Violet awoke after her 12 hour sleep and Ma handed her some trail mix. She sat for a few minutes chewing and relishing the nutty chocolate flavors then clamored back over onto my lap, got right up in my face, opened her mouth and sighed. Horrendous morning breath + half chewed trail mix + dark chocolate drool spilling over her lips is not something I will forget quickly.
At least I hope not.

After finding and munching at the nearest Fish n' Chip shop (of course!) we checked into our condo (which by the way is absolutely gorgeous)and headed to my Uncle Richard and Auntie Cheryl's house. Low 70's, shorts, and a family BBQ with some catching up was the perfect way to start off our adventure.
Violet had the most fascinating time sampling spicy cheeses on crackers, meeting their cat Nelly and dog Rommie, and feeding the maggies out on the deck with "Grumpy" (U.Richard). Stuffed full with grilled chicken, salad, cakes, and good company the jetlag was beginning to catch up and I was ever so anxious to speak to Cristian, so we headed back to the condo.

After tucking Violet into bed, which she had absolutely no objections to, I tried and failed for an hour to get a hold of Cristian. The result was me crying myself to sleep, it had been such a LONG trip and I was missing him so much. Also note this is the first time Cristian and I have been away from each other from our very first date. 21 days apart might kill me, but exposing Violet to my Austrailan family and taking photos to secure memories was very important to both of us. This may be the last time we get back and we couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was just an unhappy coincidence that Cristian had started setting himself up for his new job the week before we were leaving.

I did get a hold of Cristian the next day, and talking to him calmed me down and filled me with joy. He was so happy we had made it safely and is wondering what to do with himself because our home is so quiet now (he says). We both are counting down the days until we can be together as a family again.
Our mornings here have consisted of fresh fruit, taking the ducks some breakfast on the lake (we have 45 acres here), working out and watching Bananas in Pajamas ( a must!).
Yesterday we visted my Auntie Susan who has been locked in her facility because of a gastro virus going around. But it was good none-the-less to talk to her through the window and have her see Violet for the first time. We are hoping before we leave everyone gets better and she is able to have a cuddle with Violet and spend more time with us. We had another great day with my Aunt and Uncle going down to a farm to show Violet the pigs, chooks, goats, calves, and alpacas. We all shared a couple of meat pies and hot cross buns then headed back up to their house to chat and relax before we started making the preparations for tea.

Tea. Oh my goodness. It was delicious. Potatoe salad, fresh tomatoes and carrots, different soft drinks, and the star of the meal...swordfish. It was to die for. (and that means a lot because I'm not particularly a large fan of seafood). Everytime I see Violet having a good time, or we eat something delicious, or see something funny or new I can't help but think about Cristian and how the experience would be a hundred billion times better if he could be here with us.

Today we started our morning with a nice swim followed by milo and crumpets and now we're off to Skipton to see where my mum grew up. 

Checking out Nelly the cat.

 Making ripples

 Exploring the grounds.

 Chillin with the chooks.

 It's a big world little one.

 Goats!

Getting a closer look with Grumpy (U. Richard)

Australia (Travel Tips)

First of all, I thought a lot about how I would document our experiences in Australia. The idea I left the states with, was I would blog every day we were there. This turned out to be less then realistic as there was little to no down time the whole month. And the teeny tiny pockets of time I did manage to find I felt were important to fill with some one-on-one time with Violet. That, or we took a siesta.

I also left with the intentions of taking photos every day. This idea also faded out as I found myself more concerned with capturing the "perfect" shot then just sinking in and embracing this occasion with Violet and my parents. As a result, about half way through our trip my camera found itself tucked away in my purse more and more often. I did however take some photos with my phone so...there's that.

I also decided it would be easier to get this down by focusing on specific events, places, and family members we saw as opposed to a running commentary of our holiday.

So for this post, I learned some important things about traveling with a toddler:

1. You really don't need to worry about getting a lousy seat if you've got a baby with you. Every plane we stepped on from here to Australia and back the flight attendants treated us like royalty. They shuffled other passengers around and freed up seats next to us for more room, gave us extra attention and care, and made it fun by interacting with Violet as they scurried about the cabin seeing to their other duties.

2. If your doctor recommends a sedative and you plan on using it as a backup (which I did) be sure to test it out before you leave. The sedative did not work with Violet. If Violet is usually a cheerio, the sedative made her a fruit loop by comparison. My back up was useless, but at least I knew that going into it. Can you imagine the nightmare the plane ride would have been if I hadn't tested it out first? Lucky for me Violet slept without a sedative for 12 out of the 16 hour flight. She is a champion.

3. Walk around the airport and the plane. I considered bringing an umbrella stroller and am SO grateful I chose to forego the idea. Not only would it have been another thing to lug around, but the walking around was good exercise and entertainment for Violet. And me to. Also walking around the cabin of the plane you just might find some other babies who need some distraction. Violet found and played with several which was a good way to break up the monotony.

4. Make sure your baby isn't hungry! And make sure YOU are not hungry also! If you run out of snacks, just ask for some-your flight attendants WILL find something for your child. Don't stress to much about diapers and such either, they've got those too.

5. Whatever your baby is really into, bring just a few of those items. I worried a lot about Violet being happy and content. She spent most of the flights reading a few books, and drawing in a little notebook with a pen (and roaming around^). I didn't need to tote all those little toys and such which just ended up filling and weighing down my carry on for no reason.

6. Try your best to stay cool as a juicy green cucumber. I struggled with this one a few times, but your baby reads and mimics your mood. If you're relaxed, chances are your baby will be too.


Travel is a big thing for me, and my travel bug is not so easily squashed. Because of this trip I think it's safe to say I would take this girl on a trip with me anywhere. Anyone planning on traveling with little ones, I hope some of my experience and tips can help and bring you confidence.


Next up, our crusade down under.

Transitions

It's been hard dealing with Violet's jetlag, mostly because I'm dealing with the same thing and the struggles which have come because of it-getting back into some kind of routine, for example. We've been slowing putting her to bed earlier, and waking her up earlier to try and ease back into it.
It's really easy to become irritated and fed up when she's still crying a half hour, and hour, an hour and a half later. It's been hard for me to not have her sleeping right next to me also. And hearing her wail "mommy" over and over again is really hard on my determination to get her sleeping happily back in her own room. And in a lot of ways it strains all the tender spots in my heart for my girl.
As you can imagine, we're in a hot mess over here.
It's even made me wonder if going to Australia was the right decision. Because when Violet is upset, Cristian tends to get upset also, which makes me upset. And around and around it goes.
But then I start thinking about how one day she might be to prideful to call out to me for help. Or to scared. Or something. And I give in, go pick up my little girl who is struggling so hard to get used to the time change and being back home (which I am also), and appreciate that my kisses on her cheek, or my fingers wiping away the puddles of tears on her cheek and sweat soaked hair have to ability to instantly calm and soothe her.

It may take longer then I imagined to get over the challenges with traveling overseas with my almost 2 year old, but I've decided while she's still crying out to me and needing me to stop the stream of tears at 10pm at night, I'm going to do that for her.
My baby is no longer a baby, and I want to take advantage of every moment she wants to spend with me, as inconvenient as it may feel and seem sometime.
There will undoubtedly be PLENTY of time for growing up later. And I'm happy to slow that down a bit.

I've been thinking a lot about her, and some changes I would like to make within my family. We need less. I want to simplify our life, and really focus on creating experiences in which we are more creative, more resourceful, and more present. I started a few days ago by going through all of Violet's toys. I noticed in Australia she was perfectly content with just a few toys. At home she has TONS of toys and often gets frustrated (in my opinion) by having too many options. This is just one of the things I've done so far to achieve my other goals for a more simple life.

Over the next couple of weeks I plan on continuing to edit our belongings, and concocting ways to keep Violet challenged and learning and content with life. Our lack of sleep, and struggle to get back into a routine has hurt both of us the last couple of days. We haven't been as healthy, we having been as creative or adventurous, and we haven't been as happy. Things need to change, and I will work no putting my plans into action.

Since Being Home

This sums up how Violet and I feel after coming back from our month long trip to Australia.
More on that later though.