Remember when? Remember when you were a kid and your parents took you on a trip and you didn't want to go? You pouted and whined and dragged your feet and chose to walk 20 yards behind your mom or dad while kicking a rock? The photo above is a classic in my family. We were living in Virginia at the time, so my mom and dad took us all to Washington, D.C. for a family trip. Look how optimistic my mom was! All dressed up and sassy with her white trench coat and pretty hair. Too bad she had to drag 3 ungrateful children along with her that day. I think this was the best photo my dad could get of all of us in front of the White House. After this picture my little brother and I both started crying.
My time has come. No sooner did we finally get past the diapers, pull-ups, tie their shoes, help them get dressed, hold-them-in-the-pool-so-they-don't-drown phase then we are full-on in the crabby, dragging their feet, rolling their eyes, and walking-20-yards-behind-us-while-kicking-a-rock phase. Eighty percent of our vacation time is awesome. Completely great. But the other twenty percent? Mmmmmm, not so much. While we were in Breckenridge and touring a museum there, one of our kids copped such a bad attitude--pouting with tears running down their cheeks--that a woman on the street actually stopped to give them a hug. (My kids are very adept at pouting.)
Here's to family vacations.
5 comments:
I don't have anything smart to say - just laughing. I was on those vacations - your mom does look rather smart - and I now take those vacations. And will be bringing one of those vacations to your lovely home. Get ready!
I would really like a copy of this picture, your face is priceless.
On my family vacations I would get sick as a dog. Had motion sickness so bad I'd literally get strep throat every time. Good times.
For the record, I'm better now. Shouldn't be a problem in a week. ;)
I love love love this hysterical picture. I think you should seriously consider recreating it for this project:
http://gizmodo.com/5809529/childhood-photos-recreated-as-adults-today
So maybe (probably) I'm crazy, but I genuinely think my kids are a whole lot more pleasant to be around when we're anywhere but at home. Maybe they're in some magical and short-lived phase where the whole world is still exciting to them, they don't mind being with their crazy parents 24/7, and they haven't yet learned to pout and whine about all the "educational" stuff on our itinerary. Regardless, I am cautiously optimistic about this upcoming trip.
However, you may want to ask me again how I feel about family trips once our traveling circus rolls up in Colorado. Are you sure you know what you're getting into?!?
That really is funny! I'm glad it was a hug, I was expecting something else.
This made me chuckle- especially the bit regarding your mom's optimism. And your tears. ;-)
I never would have thought it in a million years growing up, but oh how very much I want to take my crew to Washington D.C. I mean, the history! Surely MY kid will be down with it... right?
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