A Mammoth/Catalina Trip

How is it mid-April already? We have been doing long weekend trips while it’s still ‘easy’ with the three of us and it has been wonderful!

Last weekend, we went to Mammoth Lakes, CA. I used to snowboard back in the day- back when I didn’t have a herniated disc, back when I wasn’t pregnant and back when I didn’t have a little 2yo little BFF glued to me.

I packed for Jacob and me on Thursday because I had to work all day Friday. I left a checklist of things for Jeff to bring when he picked me up after work. I knew it’d be a challenge to do all the things he needed to do (pack skis, get the car ready) while keeping an eye on and entertaining Jacob. He left out a few essentials- Jacob’s taggies, nighttime sound machine, Ergo carrier. I don’t think that missing those items were what contributed to Jacob’s wacky/lack of sleep schedule.

It rained all night Friday night and Saturday day. Weather was cool, upper 40-50s at night and sunny upper 50s. Jacob and I played at the Village, rode the gondola, oh and he had his Top 2 tantrums EVER thus far in our lives there. Oh yes, the first one was because he wanted to keep drinking coconut water instead of leaving the hotel room. He rolled around the ground, kicked the ground, cried, screamed, was not open to any reasoning whatsoever. Luckily we were in our own little cabin separate from the rest of the public. His tantrums could’ve stirred up an avalanche.

This is for 18mo but I kept it! Whew! It fits!

The next tantrum was because he wanted a coconut water box when I had already purchased a coconut water bottle. He was SO pissed. I had to carry him out of the store, try to carry a kicking/crying/screaming child to the tantrum. With my back issues, emerging belly and sherpa status (carrying diaper bags, etc.), I couldn’t carry him for very long/far. When I put him down, he ran back to the store! People were staring at me like I was trying to kidnap him. This was my first public tantrum. I got him into the gondola where the tantrum continued- he tried to kick the door, he rolled around on the ground (dirty ground!), hit the door. I had to grab him and remind him that the gondola was moving and tried to hug him tight and keep him safe.

Let the tantrum begin (he also wanted this lighter)

Twenty plus minutes later, he calmed down in the gondola. He put his head on my shoulder and was quiet the rest of the gondola ride up. My mind went a mile a minute- what happened to the all the notes I took from ‘How to Talk to Little Kids,’ how can I be so impatient, will Jacob hate me forever, should I have just bought the coconut water box, how am I going to handle 2 kids and years of tantrums, etc. Jacob seemed to forget all about the tantrum when we got to the top but it still weighed on my conscience. What about this gentle parenting I wanted to do? Will his tantrums get worse with age? I wanted to cry… Sigh. Parenting is so hard. Saying no is hard.

I ate my way through Mammoth since there wasn’t much else to do for me. It was cold enough to remind me to be thankful we lived in sunny San Diego!!!

He ran to the ‘Beeach’ to look for ‘Fiiiish’ as soon as we got back to SD

I had a short work week before we left for Catalina Island. I’ve lived in SD for 8 years but have never been there. I couldn’t believe what a cute little town it was. It reminded us a little bit about Positano and the south coast of Italy- a small town, harbor with lots of boats, lots of seafood restaurants, cute shops, tourists galore. The food and scenery wasn’t the same but we had a great time. Jacob had fun at the beach, enjoyed the open air and driving around town in a golf cart sans car seat. We survived the weekend without any serious tantrums. Hallelujah!