Last week Hudi and I went on a quick jaunt to visit my family in Chicago, where we met up with my sister and her little babe as well. My sister Shterni had a baby girl 4 months after I did, and my Bubby hadn't yet seen either of the little ladies! I booked my ticket with some R&R in mind, but I knew essentially this trip was more about the babies than the mommies. (Though, packing up in my teeny-tiny DVF weekender suitcase proved to be a vacation in and of itself! Traveling solo with an 8-month old was pretty wicked on the supplies front - I remember having to bring tons of crap when I would travel with Freida as a baby, but somehow I slowly streamlined my goods and now traveling with a tot is a snap! But more on that later.. :)) Anyways, I absolutely relished in spending time alone with Hudi and really focusing on her and all her little gloriousness! I know that sounds obnoxious since I spend time with her everyday while Freida's off at school, but seriously, getting away with her (like last time!) taught me so much more about her!! Just being with her like that, away from everything else, lent me the calm to witness her incredible character development without any distractions. And those few days of un-interrupted togetherness were just precious!
Do you ever notice that when young children travel they seem to learn something new or grow in a huge way? I always feel like when we take a trip, going away for a holiday or something like that, somehow the babies seem to master some new skill or learn to do something ridiculously adorable! So I'm always left wondering if it's the clear mind that enables me to notice these things, or if they are, in fact, new. Truthfully, it's not at all about her big sister being around - I honestly believe that older sibling give so much more to the development of a child than parents can offer alone - it's more about being away from everything else. Being away from the phone, the dishes, the carpools, the jobs, projects, and deadlines. It's being at one with each moment, and being available in entirety because there is nothing else to do. It's lying alongside her all night long (and not caring that we're deviating from the sleep-training), waking up before sunrise to her sweet little voice (and not freaking out that I'll be too tired later while trying to get work done), taking her with on our shopping/lunch date (and not minding that she'll be missing a nap or two). It's just about being with her, and loving her, and learning her. It was mostly just the fact that those few days were simply about being. And not at all about trying...
And when we arrived home, after a 3-day breather, it was all that much easier. Hudi took to sleep training and night-weaning in such a trusting and easy-going way, and I really feel like it was due to the few days spending a concentrated amount of time with her mama. Once the sleep-training was in order, so was the napping. And while that leaves me home-bound for a few hours of the day, it re-introduced me to what a solid napping routine lends the mom; the amazing tranquility and productivity that we get from those daily quiet hours! Plus, that teeny-tiny little trip helped me so much to re-group, that arriving home afterwards had me feeling so much more in control of my life, and of my work/life balance in particular. Thanks for trekking out with me, Hudi! Looking forward to many more one-on-one vacations from life - be it one-on-one with my husband, my daughters, or myself. :)
Fall tends to bring with it a myriad of colds, flus, and generally runny noses. My kids have been sick non-stop this season! Freida's teacher keeps telling me it's because it's her first year in preschool, subject to so many different germs and bugs etc. but when it's late at night and the coughing ensues, again!, I find myself wondering about her immune system capabilities... And Hudi naturally picks up whatever big sister is carrying. It's been messy. And while they've been on a constant round of Vitamin C, Sambucus (thanks Rachey!), Multi-Vs, Echinacea, and Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark Syrup :) the sniffles are still as elusive as ever. So we've been trying some "healing through food" via organic autumn garden bounty.
