Mexico with the Kids!

TRUTH: vacationing with the kids is no rest and relaxation. As i'm writing this, it's been a week since we've returned, and I feel like I need a vacation from vacation, and from work. I'm contemplating on booking a hotel room for me, myself, and I and just sleep and shop and eat. knowing high strung ME though, i could never relax because of the guilt of leaving kids at home and spending money on just myself. Also, i don't want to not be with the kids, I just want it easy peasy like sleep through the night, eat the food, sit at the beach/pool and self entertain, and that'd be it for 1 week- too much to ask? all in due time (womp womp).

===> Departing:

woke up kids no problem, left the house no problem. all electronics charged night before.

I have an app on an old phone and iPad that allows you to download videos from youtube directly, unfortunately I couldn't find that app anymore to link here. maybe iTunes is doing a sweep because youtube has a license on videos? no idea. anyhow, the VIDEO D/L app allowed me to download a bunch of youtube videos to occupy kids and be able to play the videos without using wifi/on airplane mode. i also signed up for Netflix for the first time, but i find my kids don't watch complete shows/movies/series, they scroll and like short episodes of kids opening up toys, popsicles flying and teaching colours, and watch music videos that get on your nerves after some time.

plane ride there was great because it wasn't a full flight. a huge spacious plane that we were able to spread out.
TIP #1: when you choose your seats, choose the 2 seater ones as there is overall more space and no one sitting  beside you.
TIP #2: i split up gene and I's seat so he was sitting in another row. i had a few moments when both kids were not in my field of vision and were out of my hair.
TIP #3: clean your house, change all your bedsheets prior to leaving so when you come home you come to cleanliness and a clean familiar bed.
TIP #4 WHICH I FORGOT TO DO: make sure when you download movies from netflix, switch the account to the proper one. the movies i downloaded where on my account, and when we got on the plane the iPad was on Max's account and thus couldn't access the movies. DOH!
TIP #5: bring a stroller, it allows you to cut a few long lines
TIP #6: bring the carrier, life saver for Mikkel's naps and Max's fatigue (he was able to sit on the stroller) while she was sleeping on the carrier
TIP #7: Bring an empty water bottle and fill it after security; kids need something to drink often and you definitely don't get enough or as often as you would like while in flight

Max was/is absolutely no problem on flights.
Mikkel, as it was her first time did ok. she was able to sleep for 1 hour. she requested the breast a lot and it was easy yet not that easy to just give her the breast whenever she was fussy or bored or tired or whatever that would escalate into a tantrum if i didnt do it. Food that they ate were goldfish, cadbury fingers, hard candy lollies, sweet tart lollipops (mainly for mikkel because she would choke on the hard candy ones), instant noodles in a cup because you could always ask for boiling water.

TIP #8: ask the flight attendants for a garbage bag (or bring one in your backpack), we accumulated so much crap from the snacks and various entertainment items that needed to be opened. where else would one put them right?

kids didnt touch colouring books or felts, but stickers occupied some of their time. mikkel bounced on my lap and exhausted me from her activities and restlessness.

===> VACATION WEEK!!
we went to Nuevo Vallarta, and it took Mikkel 3 days to like the sand and listen to the sound of the waves. Awesome, not! thank goodness there was a pool because she was used to the sensation from her exposure here and i was able to literally cool off from the heat. Mikkel also wanted to be carried all.the.time so by going on the pool she was near weightless and i actually go to be in the water and participate in the entertainment.

TIP #1: Bring sand toys from dollar store, take advantage of all the sand toys other families leave on the beach because they too had to leave paradise, and pay it forward by leaving the sand toys you have accumulated for another family before you go home.
TIP #2: Natives were the best holiday shoes for kids as they were able to get wet and cleaned/shook off without fuss

i love all inclusives because i just absolutely despise wasting money on food kids won't eat. during our stay, Max ate a little bit of everything- MAX = AWESOME TRAVELLER. Mikkel however is a pickier eater and ate a muffin for breakfast, Fruit Loops for snacks, mac an cheese and lunch with fries, and dinner a piece of bread maybe, more fries, a hot dog with no bun nearly every day. also she was drinking juice all day and every day countless of times. i love that i didnt have to worry about their meals as there was always something to eat and i was able to get just enough without paying for a full priced meal.

Max did all sorts of activities and was easy to care for.

Mikkel's favourite spots were going up and down the stairs that lead to the beach from the pool deck as well as the outdoor shower where you would wash your feet off so sand was minimally being brought into the pool grounds. Conveniently, it was right beside the stairs she liked and that the foot was stations were the perfect height and water pressure for a little toddler not yet used to the vacation stimulation.

For naps, some days i was able to breastfeed Mikkel to sleep under the palapas, most days i had to put her on the carrier and just suck it up. the beach breeze didnt make baby wearing miserable but she was still heavy and i lost beach/pool/R&R time because of it- but worth it to not have a cranky toddler or have to retire extra early at night because someone was cranky.

TIP #1: i gave the kids Kefir nearly every day prior to our vacation. maybe our guts were stronger, maybe the resort food was overall safe, but NO ONE GOT SICK or had diarrhea during the trip and i wasn't that careful with the ice/water business.

For bathing, i showered with both kids as there was no tub. for sleep, we requested to 2 double beds and for a majority of the nights both kids slept with me (and lucky for him, Gene got the bed to himself. the way the layout of the room was that i was able to move the bed against the closet and use one of the room lounger chairs as a barricade. Max didnt fall off, i was in the middle, restless Mikkel was also safe and secure. Tight fit, but i was so exhausted from the days that I was getting some quality slumber.

biggest hiccup of the trip was day of departure was when the bell boy didnt put our luggage in the transfer bus so when we got the airport it was a pain the ass. the Transat staff were amazing and got the hotel to send our luggage on a taxi and 20 minutes later we were reunited. imagine if it was an hour ride from the resort to the airport?!?!
TIP #2: i chose a resort close to the airport because i could not imagine driving for another hour on a bus after a long plane ride, immigration, customs, carousel, plus stuffy heat and high temps ordeal.

====> HOME: 
our flight was delayed because of the tail wind. going home though was in our favour and the tail wind made the 6 hour flight more of a 4 1/2 hour flight.

TIP #1: when you bring food for kids on your trip, double it and pack the other half in your check in luggage. try not to eat it during your stay. repack these snacks in your carry on for your flight home unless you want to pay insane airport prices for (junk) food.

our flight home involved a rinky dink airplane with only one aisle and full to the max. my husband was also extremely irritable which made for a doozy of a trip home (read: i wanted to throw away his passport in MEXICO). the flight home, involved whipping out gummy bears and more candy as i was  reaching my limits of all sorts. my kids really like lipton soup and i brought the Lipton Soup in a cup to bring in familiar foods from home. again, easy to ask for boiling water on a plane! The lineups for food were horrendous at the Puerto Vallarta airport, but alas since they were going to miss a proper dinner i spent a shitload of money buying fries, sandwiches, and milkshakes because the food on the plane is MUCH WORSE. lots of breastfeeding for Mikkel, jumping on my lap, and whining from both of the kids INCLUDING MY HUSBAND. Also, it was the first day of my period which means the heaviest flow and it was just the icing on the cake on my exhaustion.

the best part of my trip though was my period was due to come on Wednesday but didnt come until the Saturday (day of departure)! i love that i didnt have to sacrifice any days because of my period which is so debilitating.  you better believe i willed my body for my period to not come, tried to not stress out over little things so as to not tilt my hormones over the edge, and even prayed to give me a few more days! wow!

Finally, vacationing with the kids was definitely not relaxing but i love that i was able to do it and learned a few things on how they travelled. Im not rushing to do it again, but I'm not appalled at the idea of another trip many many many months from now.

below some pics from our trip!

^^ Max lost his first tooth during our trip ^^

^^ daily set up, we spent 6-7 hours a day here! ^^

^^ crackers and chillin' ^^

^^ endless coconut ice cream ^^

^^ crepes and fried bananas for breakfast ^^