REALITY

Okay, now that I have wowed you all with our amazing, smooth, luxurious travels, I am about to give you the real story (dundundunnnnn).  Okay.  The real story isn't all bad.  But it certainly isn't all good either.  My friends, I have learned why people don't go over to Europe with toddlers.  I have experienced first hand what happens when you take a 2.5 hour European lunch with a two and a three year old.  I can tell you first hand where every public restroom in these fair cities is located.  And I know what it is like to travel on a train where everyone is seemingly on their way to important business meetings and your two kids just won't. shut. up.

Because although there were moments like this...

 

There were also moments like this...

 

And you saw a lot of pictures like this....

 

Which were probably followed closely by moments like this...

 

And brotherly moments like this....

 

Often ended like this...(did you know they have a "naughty chair" in every city?)

 

And even though there were moments like this...

 

There were also a lot of moments like this...

 

this....

 and this.

 

Things went much better than I had imagined - I'm learning how to travel with toddlers.  At least this time I didn't have mall security called on me, and my fellow passengers on the plane didn't want to vote me and my family off the island.  Those are both vast improvements friends.

There were a lot of things that we didn't do and didn't see.  Someone laughed when I told them I didn't go into a single museum in Amsterdam, nor did I spot a tulip even though it is tulip season in The Netherlands.  I didn't climb the Belfry in Brugge, and we didn't even leave our hotel on the last day.  

But I'm glad we went.  I'm also glad to be home.  I'm glad I have my bed back and I'm glad that I finally stopped eating so much food.   

After telling someone about our trip yesterday they asked me... "Do your kids know how awesome you are?"  (I'll assume they meant D-train as well, but one can only guess.)  I'll tell you this.  I will probably spend my entire life reminding them everyday how awesome I am.  And if that doesn't work, I'll have them phone my friend that asked the question in the first place.  And if that doesn't work, I'll make them carry my luggage.