Lessons learned from recent vacation

We're just back from a vacation in the West Kootney region of BC (that'd be almost the south east corner of the province if you're wondering). It really was an amazing trip. The weather was beautiful, we saw lots of wildlife, hung out with plenty of great family and met some great new folks as well. Here are a few important lessons from our trip I thought I'd share with you all:

1. Always check your chosen restaurant's washroom to ensure suitable baby changing facilities. Failure to do so may result in your meal being interrupted in order to change your baby on the bathroom floor in the handicap stall right between the toilet and -- even better -- the toilet brush. To make matters even more interesting, your baby may decide to stick her foot/shoe right into her freshly removed poopy diaper.


2. While enjoying the scenic walks in your chosen vacation spot, ensure your child is adequately restrained in their stroller. The footrest portion of your stroller does not provide adequate restraint. Allowing your child to ride there may result in them taking a face-first header to the ground. Fortunately, you will not easily forget this rule since the resulting forehead and nose scabs will remind you on a daily basis for approximately the next week.



3. Allowing your child to climb stairs is a fantastic way to keep them entertained while exploring your chosen destination spot. However, you may want to stop them at some point before their knees turn bloody.



4. Kids swimming naked in a creek is cute. Cleaning the sand from their butt afterward...much less so.



5. Simply driving past a Dairy Queen is not a good excuse to consume a large cherry milkshake every day. Sorry to be the bearer of such sad news.


6. Driving most of the way across the province is a great way to share the beauty of your country with your child. The impact is lessened if they sleep 3/4 of the way.