Why didn't anyone tell us that going on vacation with 2 14 month olds was not a good idea? Nevermind, that we probably wouldn't have listened to you, but at least you could have said, "I told you so" when we got back.

Clue #1 - the amount of stuff you have to pack. (this doesn't include the diaper bag that is hanging on the back of the stroller.)


Our goal for this trip was to see the sites in Providence, tour around the surrounding cities to see if there was any possibility in us wanting to live here in 3-4 years, see a lighthouse or two, and experience all that New England has to offer.

Here's what really happened:After a pretty non-eventful flight, we land. We load ourselves into our rented SUV (I swear they gave us the biggest thing they could find. The Jeep version of the Hummer 2 - and our stuff just fit in there. Sigh.) We stopped off at Cracker Barrel for lunch (because nothing says New England like some good Southern cooking) and Wal-mart for diapers/wipes/applesauce/Goldfish. We treked to Mystic, CT while the boys napped in the car. Mystic was fine. The weather was beautiful, but it was late in the day and the boys had been strapped into something most of the day. We spent a dood bit of our time letting the boys play on the playground. Once we got to the hotel, Leanne prepared the boys dinner in the room while I ran to Outback and picked up our anniversary meal (our 7th anniversary!) Leanne and I ate our steaks while feigning off a couple of cranky toddlers. By 6:30, we were all in our pajamas. Unbeknown to us, they had a suprise gift in store for us. They BOTH slept till 5:30am in their cribs! At that point, Gray joined us and let us sleep till 7! WHOO HOO!

Here they are in the boat at the Mystic playground. We loved that they were contained and we could both sit and relax while they played.

Mystic lighthouse with Mom

Friday we drove to Newport. The weather was perfect. We went directly to the Visitor's Center where we decided to sign up for the trolley tour. We'd had really good luck on the Duck tour last month and thought that it would be a good way to see the town. We chose a 1pm tour and ran to a local pub where we scarfed down a quick lunch and got back to the trolley just before 1. We found seats at the back of the bus but Carter decided to talk loudly. And I mean LOUDLY. You could feel the other people on the trolley sigh their displeasure. Rather than making 40 people hate us, we opted to get off. No tour for us. We asked where the nearest playground was and headed there. We never did find it, but did end up spending the better part of an hour in the Children's section of the Newport Library while the boys roamed around, read board books, and played with puzzles. We did find Cold Fusion Gelato (for you Food Network fans, Giada ate there on her show to Newport.) It was delicious. Of course the boys were getting tired (aka cranky), so we briefly walked by the wharfs and then took 1/2 of a CD audio tour of Newport (before we took a wrong turn and decided to head back to the hotel thinking we'd come back Saturday morning.)

Saturday we drove to some of the towns that we'd heard/read about as potential living areas (including seeing the house that my parents built in the 70s and where I lived till I was 4), playing on a nice shaded playground that overlooked the water, and then drove into Providence where we went to the mall. I know, I know, I know. But the boys were starving and cranky, we had no idea where we were going and it was the first thing we found. Plus, it was the first time we've ever been to a Cheesecake Factory at noon on a Saturday and no had to wait. We planned on going to the Children's Museum, but since the boys were falling asleep at the table, we opted to get in the car and drive. We ended back and the hotel where we let them run around the room and expend some energy. Around 5, we headed back to Providence to see Waterfire. Waterfire is a sculpture on the river in downtown Providence. There are over 100 bonfires that get lit at sunset and there is music that accompanies it. It was packed. The boys were excellent sports given that they didn't even start lighting them till nearly 9 - an hour and a half after their bedtime. They stayed chipper and alert till we headed back to the hotel. Carter woke about an hour after falling asleep in hysterics. His nose was stuffy/runny and he was miserable. We finally got them to sleep, but we all slept fitfully.

The boys and I at Waterfire before sunset.

The boys watching Waterfire in their jammies (we changed them into their pjs so we could transfer them into bed once we got home.)

Sunday we were going to either 1) tour Providence or 2) take a boat tour that left from lower Rhode Island. Either was supposed to be prefaced by a trip to the Children's Museum so they could burn off energy. But when both kids woke with horrible colds, we knew that a trip to the museum was out (it is jut wrong to take a couple of sick kids to a hands on museum.) So, we drove to another town north of Providence that we heard of so the kids could sleep (for the record it was not someplace we want to live.) Then we headed to the south of RI to do the boat tour (thinking that yea, they were cranky, but maybe the rocking motion would soothe them and being an open air boat, no one would have to listen to shrieking...) Yea, right. By the time we got there, they were both fit to be tied. Lordy. We scarfed down some lunch at an authentic beach town take-out joint (with lots of really fresh seafood) and then decided that even after full bellies we still were not fit to be around people. So we got in the car (again - see a pattern here?) and headed to a playground (see another pattern here?) with a fountain that kids can play in. (At home we love going to Downtown Silver Spring where they have a fountain that has water spraying up from random holes. The kids can run through it and play in it - our kids think it is great.) Well, we found it - and it was nothing like the one we have at home. It was at an old run down playground and it was cold. Really cold. Given that we were already wiping noses every 10 seconds, we didn't think it was a good idea to put our kids in that water (not that they would have gone in willingly. It was cold.) So, we loaded back up and headed back to the hotel where they could run around some more (and yet another pattern?) Both felt horrible, running low grade fevers, and were miserable. Thinking that no one wanted us in their restaurant, we got Outback (again) and ate in our room. Both kids were out by 7:15 with no issues (and it was only that late because our fire alarm went off in the room (no idea why) and scared Grayson to death.

The boys running around our hotel room.

Well, turns out that we should have listened to our gut and driven the monster SUV back home and just paid the fee. Monday brought no relief and the boys were still utterly miserable. Gray was running a fever and was so listless. Leanne woke up with swollen eyes (allergic reaction to something?) and her cough getting worse (she was diagnosed with pneumonia 2 weeks before we left and it clearly hasn't resolved.) We'd hoped that we'd be able to get on an earlier flight, but everything was sold out (and our flight was packed.) We finally got back home around 6:30 and everyone collapsed.

Things that I have learned:

1) Toddlers need to run. A lot. Sightseeing isn't about running. At all. The two don't mix very well.
2) We need to redefine our definition of a vacation.
3) Rhode Island has the cleanest bathrooms of anywhere I've ever been
4) I don't understand why there are no motorcycle helmet laws in that state. That is wrong.
5) Our kids were happier playing in our hotel room with the unplugged phone/collander/spoons/No smoking plaque than doing else
6) You need to either be really adventurous or crazy. I am not sure which category we belong in. I am thinking crazy.
7) When traveling with kids, get a suite hotel. Make sure that there is a door that separates the bedroom from the living room (where the kids sleep). Make sure that said door doesn't squeak and wake aforementioned children after spending 45 minutes getting them to sleep.
8) You know you are on vacation with toddlers when it is 6:30 and you have your pjs on. And it isn't so you can take a "disco nap" before hitting the town. It is because you took your kids into the shower with you and you figure you'll be going to bed soon anways....
9) There really is "no place like home."