We had ourselves a grand time in the east coast. We flew into Charlotte, North Carolina to stay a few days with my sister-in-law and her lovely family. I hadn't seen them in over a year and it felt like forever, because seeing how big my niece and nephew had gotten, was overwhelming. Micro was inseparable from his older cousin, and who could fault him, she's cool and gorgeous. Which left Micron feeling like her partner in crime had left her. Micron was a bit more fussy than usual when it came to playtime, but eventually, she found her groove and accepted that her kuya was interested in hanging with the big kid. Micron and her other cousin 'Tony' had yet to really "play together." Give it a few more months and by Christmastime, those two will be soulmates.
Charlotte is beautiful. Mr. Fliz had grown up there for a few years during his childhood, so it was a walk down memory lane for him. Also, Mr. Fliz's favorite childhood snack of biscuits and gravy from BoJangles didn't disappoint. We headed to picturesque Asheville, North Carolina (about 45 mins from the border of Tennessee) towards Maggie Valley, where my cousin and her new baby live. It's a bit in the boonies, with the Applachian and Blue Ridge Mountains flushing us. The Vanderbilt Mansion (The Biltmore) is located here, and unfortunately, with a one night stay, we didn't have enough time and energy to make the trek. Our drive from Charlotte was 3 hours and by the time we got to my cousin's house, we just wanted to hang out with her and her family. It was a great time spent catching up with her and meeting my newest niece. My niece is precious and thriving. A bigger treat is knowing they're moving to California soon and will be closer to us. We did drive through downtown Asheville on our way to Virginia. It was charming and if given another chance, I'd love to stay one night there.
Our drive to Virginia took us through a bit of Tennessee. Rolling green hills and lush covered mountaintops graced us on each side (Great Smoky Mountains and Applachian Mountains). It was beautiful, scenic, and peaceful. Snapshots of postcard perfect images of the countryside still swirl in my head. Though initially anxious about our long drive with the kids, they were rockstars. Most of the time they behaved themselves and slept; an occasional fight and a few tantrums did ensue, but we handled it quite well, given that our traveling companions were exhausted and tired of their car seats.
We made good time to Virginia in nine hours. My in-laws welcomed us home with a big sign out on the lawn. It was great to finally arrive.
As with any long drive with young kids, parents have to bear in mind to make more frequent rest stops to allow the kids to wonder about aimlessly and exude their energy. We made four stops during our drive and no stop was longer than about 30 mins. We borrowed my sister-in-law's portable dvd player and that kept the kids entertained most of the time. Books and small toys also preoccupied them. I made sure they were well hydrated, never too hungry, and did their bathroom breaks during the stop. If you're wondering how Micron did with her potty training--INCREDIBLE! She pooped and peed in the public restrooms and during the airplane rides (both ways, mind you!). She kept up her potty training during our entire vacation, with a couple of accidents.
We hit a few road bumps with Micron's sleeping. Because we moved around a bit, she would wake up disoriented and wondering where she was. Both my kids are excellent sleepers and fall asleep on their own normally. We tried to have Micron and his cousin share a room, but due to the excitement, the first night they didn't fall asleep til midnight. I had to eventually break them up and have them sleep in separate rooms. But on our last night in Charlotte, after an evening of swimming, they both managed to have a slumber party and dozed off easily. As for Micron, she insisted we sit in the room til she was almost asleep and then crept out as quietly as we could. Normally, we turn on our dream machine and lay her down. But given she was in new territory and potty training, I didn't want a big calamity on our hands. By the time we got to Virginia, our week stay proved much better as the kids settled into a normal routine. Now, being home it took about two nights for Micron to get back into her normal sleep habit.
It was an amazing vacation and can't wait to see our family again during the holidays. But the familiar pull of my bed was a welcome feeling when we got home.
