A month in the UK with twins & a toddler

The best holiday ever

That was the BEST holiday ever.  I saw a post the other week and the first line was “I’m just going to say it – holidays with kids is fucked” 

I felt sad – sad that that’s how she felt.  Ok – so I’m the exception not the rule – but literally – we had the best time.  Was there stressful moments of course – you’ll hear about them – but all the tories and adventures we will be talking about for years to come.   To share – to laugh about.  Memories we will have forever.  

So I’m going against the grain – holidays with kids aren’t fucked – it’s what you make it – it’s your expectation and I think it’s fucking fabulous.

So there we were at the airport

• 3 kids (or 4 including Chris)
• 5 suitcases
• 3 carseats
• 2 porta cots (Phil and Teds – except I left them in the Cotswolds over New Year damn it)
• 2 travel prams – we ended up getting 2 Silver Cross Jets – and they were amazing -fit in the over head locker – folded super easily and were fab in the hire car.  
• 2 carriers – Ergobaby – the best from The Stork Nest (use thefigure15 at checkout)
• 3 backpacks – 1 Nappy backpack, Chris’s and Harpers 
• And a partridge in a pear tree

We must’ve looked like we were moving outta town – the looks we got – I mean someone just help – pleaseeeee, and so 2 lovely Qantas staff did – my faith in humanity restored. 

So IN OUR BAGS

We were going for a month – so in our suitcases we had

• enough nappies for a week, and we would buy more over there
• winter clothes
• foot muffs for the prams from Baby Luno
• winter sleeping bags from Love to Dream
• babies plates, forks and spoons, bibs, all from Birch and Elm (use danni20 at checkout)
• movicol in case of any consitpation
• beanies
• Ugg boots
• Matching Christmas Pyjamas from Peggy Road use thefigure15
• more books but would buy cheap toys over there and knew they would be getting things for Christmas.  

The first flight wasn’t too bad – they had had a nap that morning – so stayed awake and happy and playful on the way there.  In our heads – we would get to the lounge – chill out there and then they’d fall asleep as soon as we took off for the second flight – right.  That seemed logical.

Logical.   Babies don’t understand that word AT all.  

ONe flight down:

So we board flight 2.  The equivalent of 10pm Melbourne time – with 3 very tired kids.  You know how I know they were tired.  Coz I was fucking tired and I’m 37 and didn’t have a nap earlier in the day.  Harper was and is always a dream on flights.  Set up herself with some colouring- started watching a film – then took herself off to sleep.

The twins on the other hand…….decided sleep was overrated – and wanted to see how many passengers they could annoy with their screams.  It felt like they screamed the entire flight.  That patience we both had – yeh that was almost gone.  They did sleep eventually – for a good 8 hours thank the gods and we also both got a little sleep – not 8 hours – but maybe 5-6 broken sleep. 

We made it

Once in London at 5am – we got our 5038473774 pieces of luggage and checked into the on site hotel at Heathrow.  We couldn’t check into the airbnb until midday so figured everyone could have a nap before we got our transfer.  Apparently naps are also overrated – so after unpacking the portacots – having a shower – oh that felt so good – we turned out the lights and no one slept.  Fabulous.   Back up we all got to go downstairs and get some breaky and hang around the airport for another 1.5 hours. 

Our airbnb in Chelsea was fab.  I love London, I love that area of London.  We had a 3 bedroom townhouse so we had the kitchen and living area to chill. We felt at home.  

London was amazing.  We got the kids straight back into a sleep routine and from there the holiday started – I finally took a deep breath.

Preparation

My 6 p’s were with us the entire trip – Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.  Which meant I had to have kids food prepared, routine prepared, incorporate mine and Chris’s training for each day – a non negotiable for our own sanity…I mean mental health, and what we planned to do each day. This meant we didn’t walk away going “oh I wish we’d done this or that” which happens so frequently. 

To some this may sound not fun.  Overwhelming maybe.  But here me out –  for us – this actually ensured we enjoyed every moment of our holiday.  It ensured we weren’t stressed.  We weren’t wasting time finding things to eat for the kids, weren’t wasting time deciding what to do each day.  We were (for the majority of the trip) all in good spirits.  So each afternoon/evening before we went to bed we planned the next day.  Who was training at what time, tag teaming so we could both go shopping, see our friends, have some alone time.  Plan what meals I would make for the kids and us – if we were eating out – where were we going – what time things were happening.  I tell you what – it was the BEST.  

London town & snow

We had 4 nights in London. The kids adjusted really well. We go straight back into our routine as per Happy Sleepers. (Sleep blog here) Wandering the streets wth the kids, getting our Santa photos done, strolling down to Buckingham Palace. Although cold, we had a wonderful time. I’d forgotten our Skip Hop Thermos’s but got my hand on some for the kids risotto for the trip so they always had a hot meal. London holds a special place in my heart. On night 2 it snowed.  I lived in the UK for 3 years and have been back almost every for 10 years and it’s never snowed. It was magical. 

We hired the worlds biggest van – ok it felt like it – a VW Transporter.  After spending a good 45 minutes getting the car seats in to the isofix – which resulted in 8 broken nails, dropped yoghurt, risotto all over the road and a broken phone – we were on our way to the Cotswolds.  We always left when he twins were due a nap so they would sleep in the car.  Snacks – always a necessity on car trips – so I’d made 2 batches of my pancakes, we had berries, bananas, a sliced avocado and 2 Thermos of risotto I’d made – oh wait – one – I’d dropped one on the road.

Boy was it like a winter wonderland travelling to our next stop. There’s just something about the English countryside covered in snow, the small winding roads and trees sprinkled with snowflakes.  

off to solihull

On to Solihull where Chris was born and grew up to catch up with all his friends.  We arrived a nice 3 bedroom airbnb after another Tesco stop of course.  There was a gym 700m down the road, which meant I would run there and back, but also run the neighbourhood as the snow melted.  In most airbnbs we stayed in only 1 high chair was able to be provided – it wasn’t ideal.  In hindsight we should’ve bought one when we left London – as we ended up buying 2 up in Manchester anyway and would’ve made meal times much easier.

ON TO MANCHESTER

3 nights in Solihull and it was up to Manchester for 2 weeks for Christmas with Chris’s family.  We would be able to settle in more and would be able to do more things as we would have help from Chris’s family – thank the lord.  Our 6 P’s remained.  I prepped the kids food so there was always either Risotto, Tuna Mac and Cheese, Bolognese ready.  Pancakes or flapjacks were always done and there was always plenty of avocados, beetroot (Harlow is a huge fan haha), fruit, berries, yoghurts in the fridge.  For Chris and I it was planning with the family what meals times look like.  I’m a big believer being open about food and meal times.  Chris’s family know what we are like and know how we like to eat and always were happy to either make delicious meals (out of my recipe book too) or I would cook for everyone.  It was so nice to be able to leave the kids with family and do things together as well during our time in Manchester.  We don’t have any family in Melbourne so it was a real treat. They all got to meet the twins and Christmas prep was in full swing – as well as my Mince Pies.  

NEW YEARS IN THE COTSWOLDS

We spent New Years back down in the Cotswolds in a different airbnb which was super small but super cute.  This airbnb had provided 2 high chairs and baby gates which was awesome.  We did a food shop before we arrived but waiting at the cottage was a bottle of wine, fresh local milk, beautiful fresh local eggs, mince pies, local tea and some gorgeous cookies.  It’s the small things right.  

We spent a morning at Cotswolds Farm Park which Harper and the twins loved – feeding the animals.  We tried to make sure we scheduled in activities wherever we were.  We also had friends around and caught up with family again. 

Flat tyres

The day before we were meant to leave to drive to London to fly out Chris’ mum, Lisa, wanted the kids to go and see the horse and for Harper to have a ride.  30 mins into the countryside the twins got to feed the horses and Harper had a trot around the field.  We hope back in to the car and Lisa say- you have a flat tyre.  Stop it…..it was 4:45pm, dark, I hadn’t brought enough snacks for the kids and it was cold.  Chris and I also had dinner reservations which were looking less and less likely to be happening.  After trying to put the spare tyre on himself with the help of the farm owner with no success – I made the call to VW road side assist with an estimated time of 6pm arrival.  I couldn’t keep the kids there that long, they were getting cranky, hungry and tired.  We packed them all in the back of Grandma’s car and left Chris to wait for roadside assist. 

quick stop

We got off in Perth and went to the lounge.  Had something to eat – regroup before another 3.5 hour flight to Melbourne.  

As soon as we boarded the plane the twins fell asleep – surprise surprise.  They must’ve been exhausted.  The slept for about an hour – then we all had some food before landing in Melbourne at 8:35pm. 

Bags collected – homeward bound – the kids all fell asleep in the car so I thought – fab we’ll put them straight to bed. It was 1000pm when we got home – and yeh no one was sleeping.  We got everyone up – had some toast, a little play and put everyone to sleep at 1am.  After a couple of small wakes they all slept until 8:30am when I got them all back into routine straight away.

holidays aren’t fucked with kids

This trip was the BEST ever. I got so emotional the days after we got home thinking about how much fun we had, creating memories with the kids, for us.  I LOVE that I set the expectations around what it would look like, was planned, prepared and looked after ME so that I could enjoy it to the full.   I love that Chris and I both tried not to sweat the small stuff and looked after each other as well.  

Holidays with kids aren’t fucked.  They’re actually amazing.  I’m so so grateful we can do things like this, and of course there will always be times that are more testing, it helps you grow, learn and creates stories for down the track.  

Another amazing chapter of our lives we can talk about for years to come.