“Travel not to escape life, but so life doesn’t escape you.” -Unknown

I just got back from a whirlwind 5 day trip to San Diego with the boys. We were so bummed that Ken couldn’t join us because of work, but we were fortunate that everything turned out so well. I learned something on this trip about Jude that I’ve known, but was firmly reinforced after several outdoor adventures.

I’ve mentioned before that I sometimes struggle with wondering if I’m doing the right thing for my kids, but this trip taught me a valuable lesson. If every mother, including myself just gave our kids our greatest gift. Our greatest passion, then our kids will have a love of learning something out of sheer joy and not out of coercion or force. Whether it be a love for music, art, engineering, or in my case…people, that’s where our focus should lie. When I lost Jude at Legoland for 30 minutes on my solo day there, I stood there looking at the crowds of people milling around like an army of ants thinking, “What is he doing right now?” What kept me calm for a good 15 minutes, was just knowing he wouldn’t have left without a reason. He knows how to ask for help. He knows not to run in a million directions if he can’t find me and he knows how to make friends. I told myself he was probably talking to whoever it was that was helping him. Sure enough, when the ranger arrived 20 minutes after the initial call, I found out he was just one food stand away from where I was standing. And what was he doing? Talking up a storm with the workers and making new friends. Just like he did, the day before at the beach with multiple kids his age. Motherhood never ceases to amaze me. It brings out the worst and best in a human being and yet, the product of all that hard work is greater than any diploma I could ever receive. It doesn’t matter where this child is, he thrives around human contact and loves to engage in deep conversations. Who knew, that his greatest gift would also be his greatest safety net.

Aside from that scare, it was incredible getting to spend the long weekend with my brother and watching my younger son bond with his uncle in a way he hadn’t before. We may live hundreds of miles away from each other, but honestly, you wouldn’t know it if you look at these photos. The boys have found their lifetime hero in someone they refer to as family. My brother was a trooper, trying to keep up with his two nephews. It ain’t easy living life with my two crazies. 😉 And Jude is already asking to book our next flight, while Roro just wants to see the slideshow of all the photos from this trip on repeat.