The pros and cons of family vacation

We recently returned from long trip to Utah and over many snowy roads. Here is the recap and my personal rating of each item…we will see what the total score ends up as!!

Pro: Days off for Christmas!
Savannah had no school and Paul got some days off work. (+5 points)
Con: Doing laundry and packing on Christmas
What were we thinking? Leaving the day after Christmas requires a not very relaxing Christmas day. (-3 points)
Pro: Safe arrivals and well behaved kids
Driving in the winter can be much worse than what we experienced, but we saw many cars that did not make it safely, so we are thankful that we were able to travel in safety. The kids were exceptional passengers. Even the wiggliest baby on the planet did not have trouble with any of the driving until the last 15 minutes on our way home. We don’t really blame him. (+10 points)
Con: Twenty-three hours total driving time
Our longest driving stretch was an 8-hour block. It was supposed to be 5. A section of the freeway was closed because of snow, so we had to go the long way. (-4 points. Even with the added time, it was still half the travel time from our California home in the best of conditions.)
Pro: Cousins
We sure do love to play with cousins. We spent some time with cousins from both sides of our family and it is amazing how well these kids behave together considering their quantities and ages. We are thankful for awesome cousins who are our best friends!! (+10 points)
Con: Cousins
WOW can they get loud. Part of our vacation included a stay in a cabin that had very poor acoustics unless you would like to have a rock concert or a yelling and screaming competition there (vaulted ceilings and wood and tile everywhere—hardly anything that absorbs sound). I think the combined effort of the cousins running around would have won the yelling and screaming competition hands-down, so maybe next time we will go for the rock concert! (-2 points, although the noise-induced hearing loss we all received is job security for Paul +10 bonus points!!)
Pro: Dinosaur museum
The kids LOVED the dinosaur museum in Price. Austin was the loudest kid there and everyone in the building could hear his excitement. It was AWESOME! (+100 points for Austin, but my scale is only to 10.)

Con: Back pain and pounding headache
I apologize to all who had to put up with me at the dinosaur museum and afterward. I was in serious pain and was completely exhausted. I tried to hang in there, but I am sorry that I was having such a hard time. Thanks for putting up with me. (-10 points. This was the hardest day for me, but one of the best for everyone else)
Pro: Alligators
One of the employees at the dinosaur museum told us he was going to see if he could get the alligator to come closer to the window so we could see him better. He threw food in the water by the glass and the alligator swam toward us. This was enough to really get Austin excited, but suddenly there was a splash and the alligator was GONE. The person had actually reached in and plucked the alligator straight out of the water so he could show it to us. We were all shocked and it was awesome being able to see the alligator up close and even touch it. Austin wanted more than anything to hold it and kept trying to get close to its head for a closer look, which was definitely not allowed. (+9 points)
Con: Austin wanted to let the alligator free and/or “have it.”
I don’t think a pet alligator is the best idea, but it was really cute. (-1 points)
Pro: Playing in the snow
There was plenty of snow to be had while we were at the cabin. The kids loved playing in the snow and spent some quality time decked out in their snow gear. Thanks to those who provided the gear to my deprived children. (+10 points)
Con: Playing in the snow
That pile of snow stuff was wet and stinky and we sure had tired kids! (-3 points)
Pro: Snowmobiles
Many people had lots of fun on the snowmobiles. The kids loved their short rides and I can now say that I have been on a snowmobile even if it was only for a very short time period. (+8 points) Con: Snowmobiles
I thought I was going to die. (-5 points)
Pro: Games, Games, Games!
We like to play games and we definitely played enough games to last for a good while. Thanks to those who gave us new games for Christmas and thanks to all the winners and losers!! (+9 points)
Con: Sleep deprivation
Playing games late every night sure catches up to me. I think I am still recovering from lack of sleep. (-8 points)
Pro: Having help with the day-to-day routines
“I love you, Paul!!” Thanks to everyone else who helped out with my kids. (+10 points)
Con: Being sick while on vacation
Blah!! At least I had help with the kids and I was still able to function for the most part. (-8 points)
Pro: Coming home
It seems so much easier to appreciate home when you have been away for a while. (+10 points)
Pro: Family
Both Paul and I have awesome families! We love you guys!! (+10 points)

And the grand total is….67 points!
It is a completely arbitrary scale, but that equates to one awesome vacation!!
I did the scale mostly for Paul’s benefit—it’s a bit of an inside joke.