pack a bag or two

I consider myself to be the traveling type. I don't mean that I'm a pro at backpacking or even remotely close, but I like to travel. I like flying. I like going places. I like leaving the house, leaving the city. Most of the time I get excited just going to the airport, because it contains the lure of faraway places... the out of the ordinary experience.

Well. Now, with two little kids... everyday is an out of the ordinary experience. And traveling has become a whole new word in the English dictionary. Truly, there should be a different word for "traveling" when you do it with little kids! I think I still like traveling, but I'm not so sure about the other word... the one that's not yet in the dictionary.

If you've ever been a parent, then you know that packing a stroller for the park is a mini chore. More then likely, within a few weeks it's worked out to a science for you. You know, we keep check lists in our head, like - Kleenex? Check! Wipes? Check! Extra diaper? Check! Etc. Etc. If you're traveling to a cottage for the week-end the list multiplies by 10 or so. If it's a week in a different city, again, we're looking at a few more things we'd have to bring along. Well, how about traveling for three months? You see what I'm getting at? It's crazy! And then there are things like extremely fast growing children. Yes, I'm talking about a four month old Stella! Three months from now she'll be wearing a whole new wardrobe. So, do I pack all the things she fits into now or do I pack half of her next size items? And then there is the May, June, July weather issue, too. In Latvia May can be absolutely gorgeous or absolutely miserable. I'm not talking just about sunshine or rain, but temperatures anywhere between +2 and +32. In fact even June at times can be cold enough to wish for gloves and a scarf, but the next week hot enough to sit on a beach in a bathing suit all day. I would have probably needed a week to figure it all out, if I was to pack wisely. Instead, I just dumped everything in a suit case and zipped it up. I'm only beginning to find out what I did manage to forget, like the baby monitor, for instance. C'est la vie! I'm finding out that everything can be borrowed, bought or begged for...