Diaper Bag Excursions

Patricia Rodriguez discussed in a Tuesday column the difficulties and pleasures of travelling with children, as opposed to adult travelling. Since I haven't posted but once since my own newest arrival on the first, it seemed like an appropriate way to jump back in. Forget about dipping my toes into the waters of travel; it's daunting enough just to dip back into blogging, on an average of 5 hours a night of sleep.

That's total, folks. Occasionally I get up to 7 1/2, in 2 hour increments; but usually, it's more like 4. And that, too, is segmented. Last night, we paid our eldest to babysit so flu-ridden hubbie and I could sleep it off. Sleep feels like such an incredible luxury.

Nevertheless, life goes on, and so do blogs. The kids still want food daily (Pshaw! Where do they get these spoiled notions?), and the city still wants us to pay the water bill. As much as Ms. Rodriguez' ideas appeal, it's hard enough to keep up with the requirements of homemaking, let alone globetrotting with a diaper bag. Yet I applaud her attitude. Having a family isn't the end of living, but an addition and an adjustment... and despite sleeplessness and changing attitudes, it's a positive one. I can't imagine either travelling or homemaking, and getting as much satisfaction, if we were a family of two. I miss the occasional breathing space of time alone with my groom, but it would seem meaningless if that were all there were.

One day we will have the time, money, and energy to travel. And when we do, I hope we'll still have kids with us that we can share it with. I look forward to seeing our youngest's reaction one day to meeting Mickey Mouse, as I have enjoyed watching the older kids light up at good photo ops.

Even as I type, I postponed Sunday's planned trip out of town to the Tridentine Mass. I wanted to go, but I dreaded trying to meet a deadline while having to pull over and nurse. I worry about feeding the baby too many bottles and running out of milk, and I worry about simply not having the energy to dress quickly enough. But it won't be long before I have the courage to share other parishes with Davy and the other kids. I may never get a chance to traipse around the world with the ducklings in tow, but I do know this: I'd rather have all my ducks in a row here at home, making short and infrequent excursions with them, than have constant grand adventures without.