Our First "Overnighter"

We took both kids on a little overnight trip to Santa Clarita this weekend, for the Howard Christmas Party on Saturday night, and then Titus's dedication on Sunday morning.  I was so proud of how both of them handled all the new situations.

Joy was a typical baby; she can eat and sleep (and poop) anywhere.  She had no problem sleeping in the hotel; we brought her playpen, so that was a familiar spot for her.  She had a blow out during the Christmas party; Omar passed her off to me real quick when that happened, and I had to change her out of her cute party outfit.  Then during the dedication Sunday morning, as the pastor started praying, I heard Joy start pooping, and she kept going and going, and I figured I needed to get her out of there.  I changed her diaper in the car, luckily it all stayed in her diaper.  She did it again right before we left when she was laying on her belly playing with Titus; she thought it was pretty funny, too.  And then to top it all off, when we got home and I went to change her diaper before bed, I found even more poop!

William impressed me this weekend with his memory and comprehension.  When we were getting ready to leave home, I asked him if he wanted to go see Uncle Adam and Aunt Erin, and he said, "Yeah!  And baby Titus!"  When we got there, he remembered that last time we were there, Erin gave him some cheese, so shortly after we arrived this time, he went and asked her for cheese again.  He also remembered that when he had to poop last time, he hid behind their table.  Only this time, they had moved the table out for the party.  After telling me he needed to poop, William started asking me where the table went.  I didn't get the connection at first, but once I figured it out, we tried to offer him different places to hide, but no luck; he didn't poop until the next day at Red Robin when he hid behind the stroller.

William had a little more difficulty with the hotel than Joy did.  Omar pushed one of the beds against the wall for a safer place to sleep, but William was apprehensive about sleeping in a new place.  While we were getting him ready for bed, someone was knocking on another door out in the hallway, and it really concerned William that someone might be out there.  He kept saying that they shouldn't knock on the door, and Omar had to take him over to show him that he locked the door.  I had to lay down with William until he fell asleep. When he got up the next morning, he said, "I don't like knock on door.  Don't unlock the door, ok?"  Then while we were getting ready, William managed to find the one un-bumpered corner in the room and gave himself a good size knot on his head.

At church the next day, Omar took William to the nursery after the dedication.  William cried when Omar left him, but per caregiver's report was fine once they went out to the playground.  And when Omar picked him up, William was all smiles and told me, "I went to the park. I like it!"  William was so well-behaved during lunch, despite a long wait.  But poor guy was tired after being up so late and all the new things; he fell asleep right after leaving the restaurant, stayed asleep from the car to Adam and Erin's bed, woke up going from bed back to car, but fell right back asleep again.  Both kids slept most of the way home.

Overall, a good experience.  I would do it again, except I would plan to be in the hotel room earlier to give the kids more time to settle down and get to sleep in a new place.  And of course, it was great to see Adam, Erin, and Titus, and especially to see Titus dedicated (or at least partly, since I had to make a quick exit with Joy in the middle).  It's good to spend time with family.