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!

Richmond

We left for Richmond Friday morning. Elinor was perfect on the flight. We meet up with Garvey as soon as we got there, rented a car and headed to the hotel. We stayed at the Omni which was a couple of blocks from the venue. Perfect for Ellie and I to come and go if she wasn't into being at the show. She probably could have stayed all day watching bands and people but I didn't want her being around constant music the whole time, even with her headphones on. In between bands I would take the headphones off to give her a break and every time she would jump and look around super wide eyed like she was hearing for the first time. We need to take a video of that soon. 

 watching planes and playing on a blanket trying to wear her out for the ride

we were upgraded to a penthouse

 she liked watching the kids dance and the lights on stage

 taking a break at the hotel

 she found her thumb this weekend

 just wearing a sleeping baby and trying to make myself look decent

 watching bands sound check

 dancing on the bar with other cool kids

 hotel room break 

 family elevator pic

 she was so smiley right before and after this pic but I kept missing it (also since we were out of town we used disposable diapers. Of course she had a huuuuge blowout as soon as we got back to the show. She had to be stripped down and changed outside before we went back in!)

 sleeping under the merch table on shirts. She took a 3 hour nap like this!

 on the way home

It was such a good trip. I thought her and I would end up sitting in the hotel room the whole time. We have a couple of other fests to go to this year so I hope she still likes going as she gets older. 

The headphones Elinor has are baby banz.

United Blood Fest

I'm home! Well we got home early Sunday morning but I took a couple naps yesterday, unpacked and went to work with Dave. I'm feeling kind of sick now. My throat it  super sore from the dusty venue or maybe I picked up something from a generous friend. Here is a little of my weekend....

 After leaving the venue friday night we got to the hotel room super late. For us at least.

 I got up Saturday morning to get ready and then woke Dave up.

 jacket-fred perry skirt-forever21 tights-target shoes-urban outfitters

 Breakfast at Cafe Gutenberg. Super delicious vegan waffles and tofu scramble

Fixing up our table before doors opened on Saturday

We had a lot of fun. Got to see a lot of good bands and friends. I'm hoping to get to bed early tonight to catch up on some sleep and try to avoid getting full on sick. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I have so many blogs to catch up on!