I posted this on my local board since they have more toddler mommies, but I'm hoping some of you can help too.
My husband can't go with me to this wedding I'm in this weekend (my brother is getting married) b/c he has to work. So, I'm on solo travel duty with the toddler.
Here's my schedule and plan. Trip is 5 hours if I drive straight. Plan on the way there is to leave ~ 4am so he will continue his sleep and stop at a friend's house (~3hrs from here) for the morning (breakfast, playtime, lunch), then leave about 12:30 for the remainder of the trip ~(2hours) during which I'm hoping he'll sleep. Go to hotel, unpack (I'm seriously hoping they have one of those carts I can put everything on and lug into the hotel), get changed and ready for rehearsal/dinner (I'm thinking this will generally be fine). I"m figuring this will be past his reg bedtime, so go back, bath/bedtime routine, sleep until he can.
Get up in the morning, eat bfast at the hotel, go to bride's very small apt to get ready (hair/makeup/dressed) - he will be with me. I will have to try to keep him entertained during this time and not touch my face or hair or dress after I'm done up. Likely he will not have a chance to nap, which does not bode well for the rest of the day. Drive to wedding (starts at 2), hopefully he will sit with my parents after they are seated and I can walk down the aisle sans toddler, but I'm not hopeful. After the wedding (not a catholic wedding, so I'm hoping it'll be short), we go for pictures - she wants to do the family ones first, so hopefully he will then go to the reception with my parents while I do the bridal party shots. Reception should be fine after bridal party introductions. Since the wedding is at 2, I'm figuring the reception will be over earlier rather than later and we can go back to the hotel and hopefully he will be so tired that he will fall asleep.
Next day we will eat breakfast at hotel again, play for awhile while I pack up and then drive 1.5 hours to my parents for early Easter. Then drive 45 mins to different hotel after dinner, bedtime, then bfast at hotel with some playtime in the morning. Not sure if I will stay there for lunch or not. Drive 3+ hours home.
What flaws do you see? What am I forgetting or not thinking about.
My shower schedule will be before we leave Friday morning, wash up Saturday morning, shower at my parents on Sunday and then when I get home Monday.
Thanks for reading and helping!
Re: XP: weekend solo travel with toddler