And Then We Found Olaf

Our first 24 hours away in Fredericksburg were admittedly a bit rough. It's amazing how much of our experiences ride on the coattails of our toddler's moods and temperament!

Happily when Iyla awoke from her nap on day 2, the clouds parted, the rainbows came out, and she was in the sweetest, happiest, most joyful mood. We decided to take advantage and head downtown- where lo and behold, there was a life sized Olaf cavorting in the downtown square! BC says this might be one of his favorite moments ever with Iyla- watching our child's face light up as one of her story book characters magically was brought alive.

We then had a fun dinner downtown complete with live music:

And returned back to our cabin for a cozy fire and s'mores:

It was definitely a welcome and wonderful conclusion to our getaway!

"Vacation" With a Toddler: Fredericksburg 2014

When we returned from Kansas, BC mentioned he'd taken a few days off of work in December to provide for a 4 day weekend, and that he'd love us to stay in Texas' Hill Country. He asked if I could take the reigns to plan it?

My honest first thought was: that sounds like a lot of work. 

Call me a curmudgeon, but instead of feeling excited I felt overwhelm at the prospect of planning all of the to-do's that a weekend away would necessitate. All of the food and supplies to pack for Iyla. All of the research to find the right spot that could accommodate us comfortably and allow for a toddler. BC thinks I over-plan things (guilty) and is known to say "let's just wing it." Ahem. If I 'winged' it our child probably wouldn't have milk, snacks, her pajamas, potty, toys, etc. You get the idea.

In the vein of acknowledging this could be fun and relaxing once there, I pushed past my initial reservations and did the research- finding what seemed to be a perfect little cottage community on 200 acres just outside of historic Fredericksburg Texas. We were off!

And now I bring you a series of photos I'd like to call "Image vs. Reality."
Subtitle: "No Matter How Much I Plan, I Cannot Control the Outcome."

 IMAGE: Darling, idyllic private cottage in the country. 

NOT PICTURED: The loud partying group of 10+ people in the cottage immediately beside us. And their yapping dog.

IMAGE(S): Iyla communing happily with nature. 

NOT PICTURED: Deer poop EVERYWHERE (and of course smeared all over the bottom of Iyla's shoes). The fact that all of these photos were taken in a 10 minute period, after which Iyla was instantly fussy and bored again.

IMAGE(S): Happy family playing in Fredericksburg's center square. 

NOT PICTURED: Iyla's repeated tantrums & food throwing at breakfast, my endless yawning.

IMAGE: Iyla peacefully relaxing under the cottage Christmas tree.

NOT PICTURED: Iyla's refusal to do ANYTHING other than watch videos at the cottage.

Here are a few shots that show a bit more of reality:

Pacifying Iyla with snacks

Iyla spitting out her snack

Iyla refusing to cooperate

Iyla having a meltdown

Iyla giving me the side-eye

"I will ruin your getaway!"

Suffice it to say we are all pretty exhausted and I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things in Austin. We have one more night here in the Hill Country, and luckily two bottles of wine…. wish us luck!