traveling to a music fest with a toddler

I keep having longer and longer breaks between posts. This time I was actually doing something. After my parents left I went to yoga classes everyday and got everything ready to make a trip to Richmond VA. We go to a music fest there every year (well we did skip last year). The last 2 years, Elinor has done great at shows/fests. She always surprises me with how easy going she acts when we aren't home.

I think we have got pretty good at packing a special bag of activities for her along with the iPad and some dvds for the ride. This trip we left right around bedtime. It worked out great at first. She fell asleep pretty quickly but woke up confused and screaming. I had to climb in the backseat and try to hold her while she was still buckled in. She cried off and on for the last 2 hours.

We promised her a pool. The second we got to the hotel she somehow knew that was where the pool was. She started walking down a random hall telling us she was going to find the pool. She had to wait awhile for swimming but she did great, patiently waiting while Dave set up his table. Her little backpack was full of coloring books, stickers, games and little toys. Most of them were brand new that she picked out from the $1 section at target. Oh and don't forget the other bag just of snacks. Her favorite have been veggie straws, seaweed, peanut butter cracker and always fresh fruit. Usually if we have starbucks, she needs a "smoothie". Really it's the puree fruits in a pouch that they sell.

We stayed at The Omni. Wow this hotel is awesome and so kid friendly. As soon as we checked in they handed Elinor a backpack with little things like a ball, magnify glass, crayons and more. There was also a frisbee that we ended up using as a plate the whole weekend. I wish I asked them more about what they offer for kids. On the last night I read you can borrow a backpack full of coloring books and games. I will have to remember that for next year. The hotel was walking distance to the venue which made it so easy to walk back and forth when Elinor needed a break. We ended up getting to swim a ton. The best part of the pool was not only it was indoor but it was heated. Not just a little warm but almost like bath water. I don't like swimming too much but that made it easy to bring Elinor.

It also helped that so many of our friends are so good to Elinor. She loves all the attention. There were also a few other little kids there. She made buddies with a little girl that is just about a year old than her. We got to go swimming together a few times too. Elinor asked to go play with her this morning. Hopefully we will get to see them again at the next fest. Her other buddy was a little baby. Since then she keeps asking us for a baby! We told her she has to wait to hangout with the baby again or play with her babydolls haha.

She wasn't too into watching bands. Maybe because we were on the stage and people were going crazy. It could be a little scary.

As soon as we got home she asked Dave to put her headphones on. She laid down in our bed and passed out right away. Getting her down for bed is always a struggle. Maybe we need to try that more often!


If you have time, please help us win a trip to Disney and click VOTE on this picture of Einor!