The Mad House of Cat’s & Babies is going on holiday. Our first proper holiday in nearly five and a half years. We might be a bit exited.
To show you how excited we are, I thought I would treat you to a little snippet of what was one of my Mother’s favourite movies (I remember watching it with her) and no, LSH will not be serenading us like Cliff Richard, and the car already has petrol in it!
Basically, we haven’t been on a proper holiday, the four of us, away, out of the country, since I was very newly pregnant with Little Man. We spent two weeks in Scotland, when I was 8 weeks pregnant, and frankly, it was hideous. I was very ill, with the start of another pregnancy filled with sickness and nausea (hello HEG!) and we either spent days being able to do very little, when I felt well enough, or I spent days in bed, because horizontal was the only position that didn’t induce bouts of vomiting and hideous nausea. We managed to do a few day trips (I remember lying on a beach, under a towel on St. Andrew’s beach, feeling more sea sick that if I was actually on a boat) and we were able to see my family.
After Little Man was born, we did go away, locally for a few days, and then the sleep issues, followed by behaviours issues, kicked in, and whilst we did again, go away for a few days, to a cottage in the Cotswold’s, it was not a holiday. His sleep issues were worse away from home. Holidays with children, are not that relaxing and restful, add two tired parents a non sleeping, anxious, clingy toddler, who screamed a lot, and you have a recipe for disaster.
I basically have refused to contemplate travelling anywhere further than a couple of hours away from home, because of the sleep and other issues. The thought of being on a long haul flight, or in a foreign country with a high needs, sensory sensitive non sleeping toddler, was frankly, my idea of hell. Not a holiday, not fun, not relaxing. in any shape or form. He really was that bad. Our ENT actually said that flying with his ears, the way they were pre grommet, would have been agony for him. I imagine the screaming and upset on an aeroplane, with limited ability to help, or do anything, and I shudder and feel slightly sick. I cannot imagine how horrible it would have been for him, and it would not have been a pleasant time, for any of us.
So, forward to this year. We are doing better. He is a different child. He can cope with life, and whilst he is still not the best sleeper on the block, he is pretty much a normal four year old, and any sensory issues he has, we have a handle on. We decided to book a trip to visit Long Suffering Grandad in Thailand at Christmas, this year, so very excitedly booked that trip, but then realised we needed a break, between now and then.
Folks, we are exhausted. Worn out. Pooped. We both work pretty hard, we still have a little boy who likes to throw a sleep curve ball or two, and we need this holiday. We are ridiculously excited about going abroad (I haven’t been abroad for nearly 9 years – hence the passport drama, it needed renewing) and this holiday will be a big first for us.
Two weeks of nice weather, in a lovely spot, with no social media (except Instagram, I have negotiated that) and lots of relaxing and family time. We can explore, eat lots of cheese (apparently we are going where Roquefort is made, bingo, it’s cows milk free, we scored well there) and hopefully we will come back relaxed, refreshed and ready to face the next season in our life.
So, that in a nutshell (albeit a rather rambly one) is why we are BIT EXCITED about going on holiday. A proper holiday. It’s a huge novelty, which we hope we will enjoy!
(PS anyone thinking of raiding our house, whilst we are away, we do have a house sitter, and two slightly psychotic cats, I wouldn’t bother, unless you are going to clean & tidy it for us 😉 )