He Packed, She Panicked? – #MomsIntuition

I am an avid traveller.  Given an idea for a trip, a big plan, or just the seed of an idea I will run with it.  I will not turn down an excuse to hit the road.  The key to road trip survival; the prep!  I am Queen of the lists and Master of the packers.  Err sort of.  After all I am also the Mother of two teen girls, a very spoiled rag-doll cat and a giant great dane pup.  As much as I would like to be able to say I can drop everything and be ready to leave at a moments notice, trips of any length take a little bit of prep and a fair amount of planning before I can get my family out the door.

Unless you’re my Husband???

Recently as I was preparing for my latest family trip; a revelation.  While I was running around scratching things off a mile long “To Do” list, frantically cleaning the house, prepping the dog, barking orders to pick up cat litter, water the plants, finish homework and double check if underwear had been packed,  my Hubby was sitting down watching a Hockey Game?  What was going on!  How was he so cool and collected while I looked nothing like the Leave It To Beaver Mama I wanted to be and more like the Mom from Home Alone who just realized they were about to miss the plane.  A wreck.

Questions started to run through my already rattled mind;

How it had become my job to make sure the kids packed their bathing suits, that the school was notified of absences, that we had US dollars, and insurance paid?

Why was I the one creating teeny bottles of shampoo and purchasing three different kinds of sunscreen for every skin type in this house?

Just what was going on here?  It’s certainly not because I thrive on the stress.   Stress makes me super grumpy.  It might be a little bit of that Type A personality slipping through, but that couldn’t be it.  My conclusion, I think it was that good old fashioned Moms intuition kicking in.  That innate need to make sure everyone is looked after, that while we travel everyone will have what they need.  To do everything I can to be help create warm fuzzy memories.  To do, to love, to help, to Mother.  As with everything we Mamas do, we put kids first, Husbands second, ourselves last.

So I will continue to be the Mama who shakes her head as Hubby watches just one more period of Hockey before he quickly throws his suitcase together in 5 minutes flat.  I will continue to be the list maker, and midnight packer stuffing suitcases with all my family could ever need for a perfect vacay because sleep is overrated, and one day my girls  will look back and thank me for these incredible road trips, vacations and fairly tale getaways we had together.  Even when I do forget the toothpaste.  However, from now on….I will also be the Mama that gives her Man his own “To Do” list, because you know, fair is fair.

 

 

When you pack for your next vacation don’t forget to throw in all the little essentials for yourself; a good book and sunscreen, moisturizer, lip balm, dry shampoo, and of course your Schick Intuition razor.

One lucky reader of How To Survive Life In The Suburbs will receive the fun Intuition products pictured with an average retail value of $25 and a $50 Visa gift card so you can take care of you!

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