Well, we have just returned from our trip. After taking two longer vacations last year, there was just no way that we could take a real holiday this year. However, our former neighbors have since relocated to a small town close to the mountains and invited us to come for a visit. We actually had visited them two years ago but had skipped last year as they were expecting a new baby.
I was a bit anxious about the trip. My six-year old and their son are almost the same age. When we were still neighbors, the kids played together pretty much daily. However, two years are a long time and I was a bit worried that they would no longer get along. I needn’t have worried about that. They got along great. Unfortunately, I think Jonathan was so determined to get along with J. that it put a lot of stress on him. Let’s just say the boys behaviour was not what it should have been. Added to the stress of staying in an unfamiliar environment it made for quite a volatile time!

Getting ready for our train trip

We travelled there on the train and the journey, though a bit long, went fairly well. Actually, travelling with a six- and a three-year old is much better than with a four- and a one-year old. A new kids magazine kept Jonathan pretty busy, and Benny was happy enough munching cookies. By the end of the 4.5 hour trip the mood wasn’t quite as upbeat anymore, but finally getting there lifted everyone’s spirits.

A highlight of the trip was seeing our friends’ new baby (new to us that is as she is already almost a year old). She has bright blue eyes and coppery red hair. Benjamin was torn between enthusiasm and some fear as far as she was concerned. It was definitely quite an experience for him and since the visit he has spent quite a bit of time “playing baby”. We ended the day by grilling sausages over an open fire.

The next day, we visited the nearby lake. All the kids (but for the baby of course) enjoyed splashing in the water. However, Jonathan was rather shocked to find real life fish swimming in the water. You could tell he was only used to the pool so far. The lake also had empty mussels shells, and the older boys had a blast collecting those.

The boys at a small water mill.

Tuesday, we took the train to a small town from where we went on a very nice walk. There was a lot to see: a model of a small water mill, a barefoot path, an icy cold mountain stream to wade in, and a spectacular gorge with small waterfalls. The hike through the gorge was just barely manageable for a three-year old. Some of the steps/rocks/roots were quite high, but Benjamin was a real trooper about it. Afterwards, we had lunch. The boys weren’t too interested in their french fries after all the snacks they’d had, but luckily there was a playground at the restaurant. Thanks to that, the grown-ups got to finish their meal in peace for once. On the way back to the train station we stopped at a wading pool which the kids loved and at a very nice playground. All in all, a very successful excursion.

This being the third day, I had finally learned my lesson and made sure that the two older boys were separated a bit when we got back to the house. Giving Jonathan a bit of time to himself and letting him to some cutting/coloring really helped to keep the behaviour from escalating again (though I have to admit it still wasn’t great).

The next day we started pretty early in the morning on our return trip. Unfortunately, the trip was just as long as on the way there (wonder why it hadn’t shrunk in the meantime). Still, eventually we arrived back home.

It was a nice trip, but also quite exhausting. For some reason the boys really had a hard time keeping a check on their behaviour. I think for Jonathan it was mainly the excitement of seeing his friend again, and the desperate need to get along with him even if it meant constant compromise. I think next time I would make more of an effort to give everyone some alone-time.