My neighbor Kendall says that a vacation with kids is not a vacation, it is a trip. And for a long time I thought she was right. I spent so much time packing, the airport was stressful, watching kids was a nightmare....
But then something amazing happened this month. We were at Ke'e beach in Kaui, playing with the kids in the surf. And I realized I was having fun. I was actually having fun. Not only that, ALL FOUR of us were having fun at the SAME TIME.
I'm not sure what it was. Our condo was big and baby proof, with a kitchen and washer and dryer. My Mom and step father were right down the street, and actually willing to go to the beach with us. Even to watch the kids one day so we could go for a day hike on the Nepali Coast. Or maybe it is just that the kids are getting older. (My friend Stephanie has boys in kindergarten and second grade and swears that she had fun on a ski trip last spring).
But whatever it was, the kids felt it too. Two days after our return, as we drove down foggy San Francisco streets, Miles said, "I want to go back to Hawaii." Join the club, buddy. Join the club.
