So- we are back from our Argentinian 5 week adventure. Traveling with two was quite a challenge- especially on a sightseeing/non "veg at the beach" vacation. Naively, I didn't think it would be all that different from our day to day life. On the weekends in NYC, we go out for lunch, spending the afternoon in some type of activity. I was in for quite an awakening.
Things I learned:
In traveling with small children, expect the unexpected and be flexible. There is no routine- things changed from day to day. They won't nap when you want them to- if we got a stroller nap- we would take take advantage of the time to see something you want to see or eat. We found we revised our "schedule" every few days and tried to go with what worked best for the boys.
We were lucky also that Master A was young enough that he didn't require constant activities, museums, etc. just for him. He was at an age that he was happy just to run around outside wherever we went. However, that also meant he liked to run out of restaurants. We tried a lot of outdoor restaurants in our neighborhood but even that proved to be too hard. He's just an age where he won't sit in a chair or high chair. After many meals of taking turns eating and chasing Master A, we learned to go at his "naptime" and just wait until he fell asleep in the stroller to have a more relaxing lunch. If he wasn't asleep when we arrived we would just walk in circles around the restaurant we wanted to eat and pray he would fall asleep. If he did, we went in. If not, we skipped it. Some days were better than other with the boys and we learned just to adapt. Naptimes changed and our schedule was rearranged.
If your child sleeps in a crib at home- and the place you are staying at does not have one- bring one or buy one. Master A tricked us for a week or so- falling asleep pretty easily so we didn't bother buying one for the apartment we were staying. A store to buy a pack & play was going to be a trip to the suburbs that we didn't feel like taking. Once we were about 2 weeks in, Mister R had to lay with him each night till he fell asleep and he would still pop out occasionally. It was a real pain and stressful if we had a sitter. We should have made the trip and bought a crib from the get go.
Babies are the best travel companions. Master L was great- he would sleep in the Ergo for hours while we moved around (thanks for letting me borrow Mama V). I finally mastered feeding on the go. While his sleep was erratic at night- he was very easy and slept well on the long plane rides and while I was wearing him. I wish we had traveled more when it was just Master A and he was a baby.
Go somewhere that kids are not seen as a nuisance. In Argentina, the kids were fawned over and no one blinked if they were crying.
Flights- for long flights- overnight flights are key. The boys slept quite a bit since it was their normal bedtime. On the flight out, they "blocked" an extra seat for us (we bought one for Master A) so we were able to bring the car seat on for Master L- made a big difference. We did bulk head seating on the way back and I don't know if I'd do it again for a night flight. There was room for Master A to get up and move a little- but the armrests don't come up so he couldn't lie down. He was much more comfortable on the flight down. From Buenos Aires, we visited two different areas that required short flights. They were harder- at varying times- had lots of delays. We were happy when our traveling around ended. I would try to avoid moving around if possible. We found that there was also an adjustment to new hotels and Master A became very clingy. Master A became attached to Mister R which was sweet but a pain at times. If he was nervous- he had to be carried around holding on to Mister R in a death grip. We tried to humor him as much as possible and allow him what he needed to adjust- since we were forcing these changes on him. He did not understand that this was a vacation or what was going on.
Renting an apartment was a great way to travel. It was so nice to have two bedrooms and be able to shut the door and still relax in the evening. We got suites in the hotels and would only do this in the future.
A pool was great to have- Master A became a water bug and it was our nightly ritual. We tried to drag Master A out to dinner but he was grouchy and tired if we were out past his bedtime at 7:30 (we had several meals packed up for our hotel room) so we learned to come back to our apartment at night and relax at the pool. I wasn't sure how much we'd use it- but it helped an extended trip feel more like a vacation.
Food- I had a list of nice (not super fancy) restaurants I wanted to go to for brunch or dinners. They were scrapped and our focus became on pizza, empanadas, and helado (ice cream). We started our day around noon or one and would try to go to lunch and one place/neighborhood we wanted to see. In the end, after we saw all we wanted to see, we'd take long walks for food and then hit the park.
Sitters- don't be afraid to use them- once you have someone you trust. We went out a few nights and one full day and one half day. I very rarely use them at home but it was a nice treat and in the end we wished we had started earlier and done it more. Next time, for a shorter trip, I would hire someone to watch the boys while we do some sightseeing- so we'd get more in.
Traveling with two is difficult but fun. The time Mister R spent with the boys was priceless and gave him quite an appreciation into what it takes to just get out the door with both of them. It is doable with a lot of patience and flexibility. Some days you just pack them up, slather on sun block through their crying and wailing and hope for the best. Oh- only send out pictures where the kids are smiling and everyone will think it's a breeze! It couldn't have been all bad, we are already thinking about Italy in September (provided Master R rejoins the working force before then).
