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Parenting
WWYD..... travelling
Okay, one of my BFFs is having a baby, and I want to go visit while she is on maternity leave. Which of the following would you do:
1. Take entire family by plane, rent a car (minivan/lg SUV) for while we're there. Keep in mind it would be DH and I, and 4 kids - 4, 3, 1,1. AND lugging 4 carseats thru the airport (especially an ordeal if we have a layover/connecting flight). About $1400 just in airfare/car rental.
2. Drive. About 1000 miles, so we'd split over 2 days....which means 2 hotel nights - much more flexible, but 4 long days in the car and only with friend about 4 days. Travel would be about $500 for gas/hotel, but many more meals on the go.
3. Just Nat and I go. Friend has a 3 yr old (about 6 weeks younger than Nat). We'd fly, but Friend has a lg SUV, so someone could pick us up/drop us at airport and no rental needed. Then Send H and Ben on a local weekend away (like Cincy or L'ville) and the twins go to the grandparent's house. So this would be about $450 for me, plus whatever H's getaway is.
Any thoughts? I think Ben would be sad not to go, but he would have a blast with daddy all weekend - they could go see a show, aquarium, etc and get some good quality time. I like the idea of driving out there - but 4 days in the car is daunting, and it would be March (going to CO), so weather could be a mess, and I'd hate to get stuck somewhere between here & there.
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Re: WWYD..... travelling
Christmas 2011
#3.
I don't mind long car rides and we do 2000+ round trip mile road trips with the kids a couple times a year, but honestly? If your friend has just given birth the last thing she needs/wants is a family of 6 descending upon her- even if she's too polite to actually admit it to you, LOL.
Just you and maybe one of the kids can visit now and then maybe plan another trip in 6 months to a year for the whole family to visit?
#3.
If it were family... I'd say #2. We travel over 1200 miles each way to visit our families each year. I did it with just me and the kids for a funeral last year. 2 full days of driving , stopping overnight once. it's not so bad... the kids are usually pretty cranky by that last day of driving (coming home) though.
but I will say, if it were me, the bff who just had a baby, I couldn't imagine my bff coming up with her husband and 4 kids to stay with me while I'm on maternity leave and exhausted. (I assume by the post you're staying with her???) I just wouldn't want to entertain that many people who are not family. a good bff of mine came to visit after I had my dd... alone. it was nice... just the two of us catching up... her helping me with baby. it was relaxed and comfy.
FWIW - she's the one that is initiating this. Her, her H, and DD came to visit for about 4 days after I had the twins. They arrived about 3 days after we got home from the hospital (which we really couldn't plan due to being a twin birth - we just hoped babies were here and we were all home when they got here). So, I'm not worried about us imposing on her - this is what she wants. She came and cooked up a storm and stocked our freezer for us. It was great. And her entire family is there - so it would likely be her mom or brother that would taxi us to the airport, about a 20 min drive.
I'm just leaning toward #3 because that will give her DD her 'own' visitor, friend's H will be back to work, so we can just chill, hang out with baby, and I can really help her do whatever since the girls would be pretty independent - not worrying about what the twins are doing. H would like to go to CO, but I think he'd be bored stiff, as we wouldn't be planning/doing much.
Also, we're planning a big family beach vacation for Summer 2012 for our families and one other family (getting a beach house for a week).
Thanks ladies!