I packed in approximately eleven minutes. Maybe twelve or thirteen but certainly under a quarter of an hour, which is precisely how long it takes me to defiantly fold and pinch and tuck Leo's pack n play into a size fit for travel. The essentials in my bag included objects used for hygienic purposes, four t-shirts, two pairs of pants, six pairs of socks, one sweatshirt, a David Rakoff book of essays, a bulky camera, wallet, passport, several cords and one winter hat (it is August, but the trip is also to Canada, which means that according to my stereotypes regarding those to our North, it may possibly snow). I place the 26 liter backpack next to Kari's and together they barely cover one golden couch cushion.
Immediately my thoughts turn to everything else that needs packed. The aforementioned pack n play, a diaper bag filled with diapers and wipes, an assortment of food that will accommodate both a four year old and a one year old, two sippy cups, one of which will contain a 60/40 ratio of water to orange juice and the other which will be closer to an 80/20 split. From there we will pack a smaller bag filled with children's books, crayons and paper and a few carefully selected toys that I practically pray to in order that they might distract the kids long enough on the plane that they forget about their ears popping and their cramped conditions. The car seats will get pulled out at the airport. An additional bag will contain a weeks worth of diapers, and at six diapers a day that means close to fifty of them neatly stacked next to several containers of wipes, emergency medicine, baby monitor and several cans of coconut milk for our boy with the dairy allergy. The final bag, or sixth bag if you are counting, will contain their clothing, which actually ends up being lighter and more manageable than all of the rest of the luggage. The luggage together now looks like a barricade of sorts, stacked all over the floor and couch, the kind you have to haul to your car in several trips and then puzzle piece together just to make it fit.
My mind now turns to problem solving, particularly on how we are going to get all of this out of the car, into the terminal and onto the plane without losing children or breaking our backs. There are also important questions about whether or not we should bring a baby carrier for hiking or if we need black out curtains in case the room where Leo sleeps is too bright. All of these discussions and packing complexities may or may not lead to an argument between Kari and I.
Of course, at least on this trip, all of my thoughts about what needs packed for the kids can drift idly by without me having to do anything at all. It's just my girl and I.
And this cabin in the woods.
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Immediately my thoughts turn to everything else that needs packed. The aforementioned pack n play, a diaper bag filled with diapers and wipes, an assortment of food that will accommodate both a four year old and a one year old, two sippy cups, one of which will contain a 60/40 ratio of water to orange juice and the other which will be closer to an 80/20 split. From there we will pack a smaller bag filled with children's books, crayons and paper and a few carefully selected toys that I practically pray to in order that they might distract the kids long enough on the plane that they forget about their ears popping and their cramped conditions. The car seats will get pulled out at the airport. An additional bag will contain a weeks worth of diapers, and at six diapers a day that means close to fifty of them neatly stacked next to several containers of wipes, emergency medicine, baby monitor and several cans of coconut milk for our boy with the dairy allergy. The final bag, or sixth bag if you are counting, will contain their clothing, which actually ends up being lighter and more manageable than all of the rest of the luggage. The luggage together now looks like a barricade of sorts, stacked all over the floor and couch, the kind you have to haul to your car in several trips and then puzzle piece together just to make it fit.
My mind now turns to problem solving, particularly on how we are going to get all of this out of the car, into the terminal and onto the plane without losing children or breaking our backs. There are also important questions about whether or not we should bring a baby carrier for hiking or if we need black out curtains in case the room where Leo sleeps is too bright. All of these discussions and packing complexities may or may not lead to an argument between Kari and I.
Of course, at least on this trip, all of my thoughts about what needs packed for the kids can drift idly by without me having to do anything at all. It's just my girl and I.
And this cabin in the woods.
