How *Not* to Take Your Little One on Vacation

We took a trip up into the mountains this weekend with Eli. It was his first overnight trip and the little guy did great! Ben and I though... well, let's just say we're still learning how to do this whole parenting thing. Here's a few tips we learned not to do next time:

1. Carry your child around outside at high altitude on a sunny day for a few hours with no hat or sunscreen. That little red nose is something every pediatrician loves.

2. Try to put your child into your new hiking backpack marked "for children who sit well" when he hasn't even sat up yet. When he screams, just try again. It's bound to work eventually, right?

3. Realize your mistake about the sun the day before, so dress him in a jacket, pants, socks and a hat to keep out the sun. When he cries, just keep walking.

4. Lay your child down in the grass to get some wiggles out, noticing only after he's coughing that he has been shoving handfuls of grass in his mouth. Protein anyone?

5. Forget that hotel rooms are cold and put your child to bed in a onesie with no socks or pants. Although the two-chair makeshift crib was pretty awesome (it really was!), the fact that he's freezing all night was not.

6. Stick your child in a creek up to his knees. If he looks grumpy, just do it again. That means he loves it.

7. Forget to clip you child's nails for a few weeks, and then wait for him to give himself a nasty scratch on his face that bleeds for a few minutes.

In all seriousness, keep your child safe and happy, and enjoy your trip. Traveling with kids can be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun!