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One of my favorite things to do is travel with the kids. Yes, it’s incredibly stressful at times. But I find that the memories that we make (as corny as that sounds) outweigh all of the temper tantrums and stress that come with doing it on my own. So much, in fact, that I have another drive down to Florida planned for just the kids and me.

The kids always love going down to my parents house because they live in a climate that is warm for 90% of the year. It’s particulalry fun to go when it’s freezing here in Connecticut. This past spring break I flew with the kids down to visit them for the week and we had the best time. It gives me a little bit of a break and my kids love spending time with my parents and my brothers.

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Most of our time is spent outside by the pool. Perhaps it’s because she was born in Florida, but Harlan is a little fish and wants to be in the water every chance that she gets. Avery and Macks are a bit more hesitant and just watch from the sidelines. But all three love being outdoors and playing with water.

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One thing I always try to do when we are down in Florida is take the kids to Disney World. It was a staple in my childhood and I want to make it just as special for the kids. We did a two-day trip and stayed at Fort Wilderness in my parents toy hauler (that’s the official term for it, I just call her Deena) which was a treat for all of us. It’s definitely glamping at it’s finest. And such a fun way to enjoy Disney World.

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Our first day was spent enjoying the camp grounds and the pool.

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The kids also enjoyed my parents new puppy, Dolly, that took the trip with us too.

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Our evenings were spent singing songs by the campfire and making s’mores with Chip and Dale.

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We spent our last day enjoying Magic Kingdom. It’s always our go-to park at Disney World because it has rides that everyone can go on, no matter what their age. All three kids had the best time.

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My dad took Macks back to the camp ground while the girls and I had some time to ourselves.

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It just so happens that one of my best friends from high-school is dating “Belle” and she was at the park that day. He set up a private meet and greet for us and the girls could not have been more thrilled.

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And in Florida fashion, it happened to rain on our way out of the park. Har and I managed to get soaked while Avery was dry as a bone under the canopy in the stroller. It made for some laughs on our boat ride back to the camp ground.

We have another trip planned with just the four of us this summer and we will get to spend a couple of weeks enjoying the Florida sunshine! It’s always such a treat to be able to share my love of travel and adventure with my kids who seem to embrace it just as much!

 

 

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I took Macks to the doctor this morning. Not only did I want to ask about his sleeping issues, but also about this hacking cough he’s had for weeks. I’ve spoken openly about my anxiety before and one of my triggers is my children not feeling well, so you can imagine the stress that I had as I was walking into the doctor’s office.

Good news is Macks is healthy! The doctor confirmed that they are night terrors, he has allergies which is causing the cough, and he did give me more insight on the allergy test Macks had a couple of weeks ago (we found out he’s allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, and eggs,) which I’ve been stressing out about. But the bottom line is that he is healthy. And I am so very thankful for that.

I am also happy that I have an amazing community that comes in and is willing to open up when I have a question or concern. You have no idea how grateful I am for every single one of you that takes the time to read and to comment and interact. It’s truly a wonderful community!

That’s what makes me happy.

Now tell me something good. Something that’s made you happy. It can be big, it can be small, just something that has put a smile on your face. You can participate by sharing a photo on Wednesday with the hashtag #WhyImHappyWednesday and tagging me @amommyinthecity or feel free to write it in the comments below. I do read them all and am happy to reply back on your good news! You can also join in the conversation on my Facebook page!

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I awake to the screams nearly every single night. I’ll wait impatiently in my bed to see if they stop. Not only do they continue, but they escalate as well. Last night he yelled “mom” in between the screams. I rush in to find him in his crib with his little bum in the air screaming. I immediately pick him up but that only makes it worse. No matter what I do, the screaming and cries continue. I’m usually always the one he goes to to be consoled, but this time there’s nothing I can do to make it better.

I usually just lay him in our bed and let him sleep with us the rest of the night. He’s not the most composed sleeper and usually ends up perpendicular to us, with his feet in my face. And when MacKay wakes up for work at 5am, he thinks it’s time for him to get up as well, making it a very early morning for all three of us. And with these happening almost every night, that means that I am going on very little sleep every single day.

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Honestly, I don’t mind getting up with him every night. Yes, I’d rather be sleeping. But after being up with him all the time during his first year, I feel like it’s just like riding a bicycle again. My body is used to it. I just hate seeing him in so much turmoil. And knowing that there is absolutely nothing I can do to get him to calm down. The only silver lining is that he wakes up in a happy mood with no recollection of what happened in the wee hours of the morning.

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While I’m self diagnosing him with sleep terrors, I have an appointment with his pediatrician in the morning just to be sure. I’m the type that would rather be safe than sorry and I always tend to worry about things until I have an answer for them. While there may be nothing that I can do to help him with these sleep espisodes, I’ll feel better getting a proper diagnosis from his doctor.

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While the girls aren’t perfect sleepers, we’ve never really had anything as significant as this. Yet again, I’m in pareting territory that I’ve never experienced before. I know that night terrors are common in young kids and that they eventually grow out of them, but have you had any experience with them? I’d love some advice!