Have children, will travel..........but not quickly

So- perhaps you have children you travel with regularly- or maybe it's been a day or two since you traveled with little ones- either way, this will make sense.

I literally leap over my children to get in the door of our hotel room first.  When on vacation, I am all about the accomodations.  I love me a great decked out hotel room.  I love high dollar shampoos (even if there is only .5 ounces of it), thick clean towels, flat screen tv's and beautiful bedding that is fluffy and comfortable.  So I look forward to entering said room and breathing in a fresh breath of luxury.

And then my kids run in and trash the joint.

Shoes, cans, candy wrappers, jumping on beds, rearrangement of pillows, emily scouring the place in search of that little pad of paper and hotel pen, fighting over the remote.................meanwhile Dan stumbles in with 'the cart' and unloads a crap load of stuff that we somehow deam necessary for a 5 day trip.

Sam even took it upon himself to redecorate- as evidenced by his baseball trophy.  There was a time when I would go through their toy bags to make sure what they were bringing made sense.  Obviously, that time is long gone.  Hard telling what else these crazy kids had us drag to Michigan and back.  But nothing leaked (this time) so it's all good.

I must say though- this is one of the first trips we've had without a pack n play, stroller, diapers and such.  So I really do consider 'this' traveling light.

But in the hotel- folks were coming in and out with a bag.  One bag.  As in just a bag.

Wow.

Where were their pool noodles, floaties, toy bags, bag of shoes, special blankies and lightning mcqueen pillows that one particular child CAN NOT imagine sleeping without, beach bag, bag packed with snacks, and coolers (because anyone with children knows that you HAVE to travel with a cooler because inevitably when you are all comfortable in your jammies late at night someone will be thirsty and although there is supposed to be a soda machine on your floor........there isn't..........and when you finally find one the 'exact change' light will be on which mean you have to either A.go to the front desk sans bra for change or B.go get redressed for a freakin' sprite..........see a cooler makes sense).

There will come a day when I am traveling with 'just my one bag' and a family of 5 will try and cram onto my elevator while smacking me in the face with their pool noodles.  Their children will be bickering over who gets to press the button and the momma will look a bit worn, even though she's on 'vacation'.  Dad will be grumpin because kids are in the way and won't listen.  Every three seconds one of the kids will ask the worn out momma if they can go to the pool. And I will miss the excitement of traveling with my little ones.

Because they really do make the trip worthwhile.

And I am a blessed woman.