Paris, city of lights, city of history, city of culture...
When I bought tickets on a whim to come to visit our family, I had a list of everything we wanted to do. I had visions of me cuddling my brand new niece while all the older cousins played. I saw myself having heart to heart conversations with our brothers, sisters, and close family and friends, and watch my kids enjoy time with their grandparents that they adore.
In the real world, however, things are never as they appear in your dreams.
I never would have dreamt that I would be cuddling my new niece at her 24 year old auntie's funeral. I didn't imagine that our family heart talks would be amongst funeral planning and mourning. I forgot that kids fight and pee and make giant messes, especially when there is a large group of them ages 5 and under.
And I couldn't have possibly imagined the thankfulness I felt toward God that I was here during this delicate, amazing, but very painful time in our family's life. I never would have envisioned the sheer awe I felt at our Creator when our camping trip on an island on the Atlantic Ocean resulted in some of the most breath taking sun rises and sun sets I've ever seen, and that my kids not only had some of the best times of their lives with their grandparents, but also with their great grandmother too.
I also never thought I would believe in magic, but hearing my 3 year old scream with delight on a roller coaster, "I'm jutht thoooooooo happy!" made my heart almost burst with joy and had me believing, for the day at least.
I couldn't have fathomed the sheer relief that washed over me when I walked through the exit doors at Vancouver airport, knowing that helping hands were just a minute away to help me wrangle 3 sick kids and all the luggage.
And just in case you were wondering, here is some travel advice when voyaging with small children.
1) Do not think about germs when your child decides to have a temper tantrum by hurling themselves on the floor of the carpeted airport, face first. Or when they drop that sucker on the ground and put it back in their mouths before you can stop them. Or when they drag their blankies all over the airplane and then bury their face in them. If you do, you will be convinced just 15 minutes into your flight that you will need emergency services and be quarantined and need biohazard suits upon landing. Come to think of it, maybe you should just dress your kids in a biohazard suit for the trip, just to be safe.
2) Night flights do not always ensure that your children will doze off. In fact, it may cause them to be even more awake and hyper.
3) Even though it seems like a good idea while camping to have 2 kids in a bike trailer and one on the back of your bike to pick up your take out dinner, don't do it. Your pizza will fall cheesy-side-down in the sand, and you will have to face the wrath of 3 hungry kids.
4) Even the lightest turbulence can cause a child's tummy to hurt. Bring 3 extra plastic bags per passenger. One to puke in, one for your clothing, and one for your neighbors' clothing should the vomit be projectile. Oh, and bring cash to pay for their dry cleaning bill.
5) Expect the unexpected. Always.
6) Do not forget baby wipes.
7) Bring a change of clothing. For yourself. You will be grateful to have it after that bean and onion salad falls into your lap and another's diaper leeks all over you. Just saying.
8) Be very, very, very nice to your flight attendants (and teach your kids to be too!). They will then bring you oven-warmed cookies, sneak your kids extra cheese, crackers, and fruit from 1st class, and hold your baby while you go to the loo. They can make or break your flight, so remember to treat them right.
9) Know that if your children have acted like perfect angels for 3 weeks, you can expect the temper-tantrum volcano to blow when you are finally alone with them on your return flight. That bean salad didn't just fall in your lap. And that diaper didn't leak because it was faulty... angry kids throw things and babies can only handle being held on your lap for so long before they lose it and thrash and twist and do everything they can to get out of your death hold on them during turbulence.
10) Enjoy your kids. Remember that it is a fun adventure for them if you make it one. Let the 5 year old take the baby for a walk around the airport on her leash--er, baby harness. Treat the scary airplane bathroom noises like a spaceship that's blasting off. Pretend to be secret spies sneaking through security and that you just got caught when they want to do drug testing on you. And the best advice I could give is: Just grit your teeth, don't stress, and take what comes minute by minute. There are many kind people that will help you. Don't be shy in accepting their offers to take a bag or take the suitcase off the baggage carousel. When things go awry, keep your cool and just go with the flow. And you'll see that not only will you survive your trip, but you might even find some moments where you have fun. And the icing on the cake is that in the end, you will look back on that trip and have a good belly laugh when you think of your idiocy in traveling alone to Europe with 3 babies.
Fin
