How were your Holidays?

Any time you go away on a vacation, or holiday as it is in Australia, inveribly when you come home some asks you, "How was it? or Did you get a break" This is always difficult for me to answer because I find if I'm too truthful the person asking gets disappointed or if I lie then I'm sure we both know I'm not being honest. However, let's be realistic. I went almost 3 hours away to a cabin in a caravan park with my husband and 3 children. The kids shared a room with 2 sets of bunk beds so every night, 1 had to sleep on the bottom bunk. Do YOU think I had a restful time?

Not to say there weren't some really great moments. There were. Teddy got surfing lessons and had a blast. All 3 kids loved playing on the beach. Sand castles, shell collections, wave chasing, swimming - yes it was great. Tessi actually swam with her face under water! Phenominal! Connor went into the water and while wearing a swim vest (Thank God for Penny for lending them to us!) she was able to swim by her self...meaning away from me...actually more than 5 feet away from me! Loved that part.

But, a quiet, restful, relaxing vacation? Be serious. We drove for 3 hours with 3 kids sitting right next to each other...TOUCHING EACH OTHER. The first argument came before we had gotten the car turned around in the driveway. The last one was as we were pulling up in front of the cabin. Never underestimate kids abilities to fight. There is nothing, and I do mean nothing, that children will not fight over. My kids will fight over trash. I pop Panadol (Tylenol) like M&M's.

I marvel sometimes at how some parents do it. I see lots of parents who are not as frazzled as I am and I wonder how that's possible. I hope against hope that they are just drunk and good at hiding it. I just don't see how rational people can be sober and raise kids. The logic is just astounding sometimes. Connor yells at me that the pool is ugly, that she hates her dress, that I picked out the wrong shoes and that the hot chocolate is too hot. Then she turns to me and asks me to do something for her. Um,

Hel-lo? I'd cut my fingers off with your hair clips before I'd do something else for you! If I tell her this then the sobbing starts about how mean I am to her. This is where my stress blinking really comes in handy. As she's standing in front of me bellowing at me I start blinking really hard and she disappears for a second or two at a time. What I need is some sort of stress deafness. Maybe I'll start practicing walking around with my fingers in my ears. I keep stealing Connor's ear plugs from her but she keeps taking them back.

It was a good break in the routine, I'll say that. The kids really did love the pool and I have learned that the life vest may be my savior for taking the kids to the pool. I've never been brave enough to take all 3 kids to the pool myself but now I think I'll be able to go. That will help a lot as Ted is now working a million hours a week and the heat is climbing. So it was a learning holiday as well. But restful? I think not.