So we took some time out in the Corommandel - a really needed break and the gift of free accommodation tipped us out of our vacillation. Holidays with kids though are different to how you remember them:
1. Holidays usually involve sleep ins. Here's the problem: kids don't sleep in, so you don't either - especially not when you're the husband of a breastfeeding wife - there is an unwritten law to say that you get up with the kids in the morning unless you want to start some hormome therapy and take over the night feeds...
2. Beach holidays mean you can spend time reading on the beach, sleeping on the beach, walking on the beach. Not with kids. The beach becomes a potential deathzone more chilling than any D-Day landing site. There are things to eat, places to drown and areas to wander off into. Reading? Sleeping? Not a chance. Walking - well you can walk with a kid on the beach for about 2 mins - then you have to carry them.
3. Holidays normally mean endless games of backyard or beach cricket. So imagine my delight when the local dairy was selling a kids cricket set (real wooden bat) for $12. This is something of a miracle if you stop for a moment and reflect on the price gouging that goes on in these places. A 1kg pot of yoghurt was running at $8.25...And so Rhys learned to play cricket in a yoghurt free environment. He mastered the terminology of bat, bowling, stumps and bails. He watched with interest as we sawed the one piece bail in half. He manfully attempted to swing the bat and even began to hold it correctly. One particular shot showed great hand-eye for a 3 year old. He showed more enthusiasm for bowling than batting and took his first wicket in backyard cricket. The batsman was out played on. It was a fine shot, believe me. Most of all he loved fielding, chasing the ball. The only problem? The length of these games. Most of them were over within an over (6 pitches for you American readers). There were too many other distractions - amazing things like stairs, or trees, or hitting trees with stumps...I was glad we made a start though and it was fun Dad stuff.
4. I like to journal when I'm away. In fact for me holidays are good reflection times. I got to write two words this time. On sand using a stick. Rhys. Brett. Rhys loved this journaling.
When we got home, we talked about what we liked on our holiday. Rhys was full of stories. One thing stuck out - he remembered our beach writing: "Mama," he said, "Daddy and Rhys' names both have a "R" in them".
Holidays sure have changed.
