melbourne getaway & home

It was a nice short getaway, managed to meet up with friends and family. Most importantly though, we achieved what we set out to do. It's amazing how a short weekend trip like this can be so productive - although we only spent 3 full days in Melbourne, I must say it felt longer than that.

Food was so good in Melbourne. Weather was not too bad - except that you'd think it'd be warmer since it's summer but we still needed our jackets. Flight was bad though, the seats on Air Asia X sucked real bad! I remembered it to be ok but this time round, it was just extremely uncomfortable! And we couldn't really sleep on the plane. On the way there, we were seated in front of a group of Cambodians who couldn't stopped yakking on the top of their voices despite it being a late night flight. On the way back, we were seated behind a couple of Australian teenage backpackers who couldn't stop talking and laughing non-stop despite it being an early morning (i.e. 1 am) flight. Hubs was really irritated. Now I can understand how others feel when our kids were on the plane cos they must be just as noisy.

Missed the kids so much. When we got back, L was clingier than ever. She wouldn't let me out of her sight. As soon as I stepped away, within split seconds, she'll be crying "mommy mommy where are you? I want mommy...". And she wouldn't nap for fear that we'd go out and leave her at home. Her brother on the other hand was perfectly fine. I guess he's old enough to understand that mommy and daddy will always come home to them, and probably also used to us going away without taking them along. Are we such bad parents? We know of many parents, in fact most of our friends with family, they would and have never left their kids behind - everywhere they go, they'd lug their kids along. We always get 2 very distinct of responses whenever we tell our friends that we went on holiday without the kids - one is of disbelief and disapproval (how can you do that?!!), one is of envy (how we wish we can do that too!).

Would you do that, i.e. leave your kids at home while you go out or go holidaying? We used to sneak out without informing the kids, but as soon as they realise you're gone, they would start screaming and yelling. I guess it also builds 'distrust'. These days we find it better to just tell them that we'll be going out. Prep them beforehand. Tell them exactly where you'll be going and what you'll be doing (i.e. something boring that only adults would want to do and that they're better off staying at home) and bribe them (i.e. tell mommy what you want mommy will get it for you). It's easy to bribe kids this age, or at least mine aren't that demanding. It's usually the food they are crazy over at that point in time. E.g. when we went to London last year, H asked for donuts. This time round, L asked for yoghurt :-)