Vacation Plans

I have been driving myself mad over the past few weeks, trying to put together a summer family vacation for the members of the Rowe household.  While in the past we have taken trips, as a family, to exciting places like Austin and Atlanta, with airfare prices being what they are and our summer already filling up with various activities, we decided a simpler trip, by car, to another New England destination would be more suitable this year.  After agreeing upon the particular week and the location, Ethan and I put the matter to rest for a few days.  It wasn't until I began looking for hotels that I really started to go bonkers.  I have never had trouble finding lodging in the past for our family trips, but if you consider the last two places we went, we were New Englanders heading south during the summer time.  Meaning the time of year when all the southerners are heading to New England to beat the heat for their summer vacations.  It turns out, even planning for several months in advance, there were already many "no vacancy" responses at the various hotels, motels, and cottages I looked at.  Finding a place that had the amenities that I thought would be important (a separate sleeping area for the kids so that Ethan and I could hang out after their bedtime, a pool, proximity to various kid-friendly attractions, etc) was easy, but finding a place that had those amenities, was affordable for us, AND happened to have vacancy during the week we were looking to travel was hard.  Tonight I came to the conclusion that something would have to give.  Either we'd change our travel dates, or give up on some of the particular amenities we were looking for.  During dinner, I asked Julia what kinds of things she would be excited about in terms of our hotel.

ME: Julia, when we stay in a hotel for our summer vacation, what kinds of things would you want the hotel to have?
JULIA: Um... I'm not sure yet.
ME: A pool?
JULIA: (lukewarm) Well... I haven't seen what KIND of pool it is yet.
ME: Okay.  How about a place that has separate rooms so that you and Madeleine can go to sleep at night without Daddy and I keeping you up?
JULIA: Well, what do you mean?
ME: I mean, like, if Daddy and I are going to stay up and watch tv, there's a different room we can do that in, so that we're not keeping you girls awake with the noise.
JULIA: Well, Mama, um, I WANT to be kept awake hearing the tv that you and Daddy are watching.

Okay.  Clearly my attempts to excite her with the things I found important were a bust.  Instead I tried to phrase things differently:

ME: Okay, well, tell me, what would you be excited about having at our hotel?
JULIA: Well, I would be excited about having PINK WALLS in our hotel room!

Of course.  Who wouldn't?!?  Seizing her opportunity, she then further modified her request:

JULIA: Actually, Mom, I want SPARKLY pink walls!

A few moments later, deeper into her reverie, she expanded upon her vision of her dream hotel room:

JULIA: And Mama, I want our hotel to have doors that SLIDE open!  Not just like elevator doors, but the doors to the room that you can just slide open and closed.

Needless to say, her input was extremely helpful.  I mean, as soon as I knew her criteria I was ready to book the room.

Luckily, Ethan could see I was getting stressed, and he took over, calling one of the hotels that had given me a "no vacancy" response when I tried to book our trip.  Thanks to the helpful woman on the other end of the call, he was able to reserve us a suite for the exact week we were looking to go, and, oh happy day! - our trip is now booked.

On another note, Madeleine and I had the following conversation as I snuggled her before bed this evening:

MADELEINE: (holding both hands up in the air)  Are you my Mama?  No, you're not my Mama!
ME: I'm not your Mama?!
MADELEINE: (pointing to one of her hands) No, SHE'S not the Mama.
ME: Oh.  Okay.  But who's YOUR Mama?
MADELEINE: YOU are my mama!  And... Auntie Caitlyn is my Mama.
ME: Auntie Caitlyn is your Mama?!?
MADELEINE: Yup.  TWO!  Two Mamas!
ME: Auntie Caitlyn is your aunt, you silly goose.  And Auntie Shannon is your aunt.  (I then went through the list of all her aunts.)
MADELEINE: But... Clara is not my aunt.
ME: No.  Clara is nor your aunt, you're right.  But do you know who your cousins are?
MADELEINE: (brightly) Uh-huh!  Julia is my cousin!
ME: No, sweetheart, Julia is your sister.  (I then went through the list of her cousins.)
ME: Do you know who your uncles are?
MADELEINE: Uncle Dave is my uncle, and Uncle Mike.  And Daddy!
ME: Daddy's not your uncle, you silly!  Who's your Daddy?
MADELEINE: Daddy is my Daddy!
ME: Right.
MADELEINE: And Uncle Mike, he's-he's-he's-he's-he's-he's... I don't know I can talk!
ME: Yeah, you're having trouble getting that out, huh?
MADELEINE: I said he's-he's-he's-he's!  (bursting into giggles.)

I definitely think I might have to steal that phrase, and next time I have trouble recalling a word, I'm going to announce that I don't know I can talk.