The family is currently on a very short weekend vacation in Hawaii. It’s not actually a vacation as Daddy has been requested to sing in a wedding ceremony for a childhood friend. And he just had to do it, even though he had a work convention just 2 weeks ago, and he has another one next weekend. But he committed to this wedding almost a year ago, so we have a very short 4 days in beautiful Oahu.
As of today, Gavin will be 3 years old in exactly 4 weeks. He has traveled on airplane at least 3-4 times, a couple of times to the Bay Area, once to Dallas, another time to the East Coast (flew into Baltimore and flew out of Newark), and now Hawaii.
This trip has probably been the most challenging for all of us.
It is much easier to travel with a newborn-5 month old than an almost-3-year-old. He is just much more curious, much more independent, and there are a million more things that he can get his hands on that he is not supposed to put his hands on. We chose not to bring a stroller on this trip (we rarely do) because we weren’t doing a lot of walking. We brought two carriers instead (a pouch sling and a mei tai).
I think, too, that we were doing a lot of grown-up activities (wedding rehearsal, pre-wedding lunch, shopping at the swap meet, etc.) that a 3-year-old just does not have patience for. Add in the 3-hour time change, and it’s just a recipe for disaster.
I will say that considering the circumstances, our travel-savvy son has been a trouper. He sat in his car seat patiently almost the entire 6-hour flight (loud singing and seat-kicking notwithstanding). Although he loves to touch things and had to be reminded several thousand times “please don’t touch” it’s only expected of someone his age. He is curious. He is 3. He is still discovering the world around him.
There are moments when we would get so impatient with him, but I believe the secret to a trip like this is just to realize that the child is out of his element, and he can’t possibly understand how he is supposed to act. He is just acting like himself. I keep telling myself that when I began to get short with him, and it helps.
The best time so far was when we went to Waikiki Beach so that Gavin could play in the water. If we had had more time, we would have done this every day. Perhaps in the future we can do a Hawaii trip that is mostly for him.
Today is wedding day for our good friend. Between going to church, the wedding ceremony, and the wedding reception, my goal is to find time that is just for kids. They need a couple of hours to just be themselves. I can’t expect him to behave at the appropriate times when he has no outlet for his energy. So hopefully we’ll get a chance to go to the pool.
Aloha!
