Winter Reset

Funishment. It’s not a term I created, but I like it, and we will use it often from this point forward in our house.

What vacation looks like to three small children. 

Last weekend I innocently mentioned to Mr. T. that I felt like we should be in Duluth. We’ve gone there for the past two winters for a weekend getaway for a couple of different reasons.

1. It’s pretty. Really really REALLY pretty right now, if you like that snow-everywhere-frozen-woods look.
2.  It’s inexpensive. Who wants to go NORTH in the midst of the coldest season of the year? Deals abound as a result.
3. We have (crazy fit) friends there, and we see them about once a year.

Shortly after this offhand comment, I received a text from Mr. T. simply saying, “I ROCK!” When I responded with inquiries, I received the same response. “I ROCK!”

Mr. T.’s well known among our friends to have this knack for finding a deal—wetsuits hundreds of dollars less than retail,  shoes significantly reduced in price, and (my favorite) a bicycle for less than half the price of retail have found their way into our house. In fact, I don’t believe we’ve ever bought a major piece of tri gear at retail price.

What vacation looks like to the parents of three small children. 

So I wasn’t too surprised when he finally revealed the reason for his newfound greatness: he found a last minute deal on an indoor water park attached to a hotel in Duluth. We decided immediately to tell the kids about the trip but to leave out this particular detail. They only knew we had a swimming pool in the hotel. Mr. T. may have even told the six-year-old that she needed to prepare herself for a teeny pool.

He’s mean like that.

Parents who have ever planned a surprise for their kids know that there’s nothing like the look on their faces when the surprise smacks them right in the face. Big eyes and plenty of gleeful giggles rewarded us after a 7-hour trip together.

This trip served, as other vacations have, as a great way to push the re-set button. We both recently read Jesse Thomas’s column entitled “Family First” in the most recent issue of Triathlete. We love Jesse Thomas. He’s smart, witty, and honest. He’s a pro-triathlete, CEO of a small business, husband, and dad. So we value the wisdom from the lessons he learns and shares. His particular column talked about the value of having goals for family and putting them first.

Nothing quite tests the bonds of a family of five like staying in a hotel room together, sharing beds, and traveling 360 miles together with three kid-sized bladders and two highly caffeinated adults. This weekend felt like we took a big step in the right direction in preserving our family and making some fantastic memories.

And we had an extra bonus. As stated earlier, we have some uberfit friends near Duluth, so when we take the family trip, we spend time with our extended triathlon family. Friday night we fueled up with two of our favorite couples, and then Saturday afternoon Mr. T. and I took turns watching kids and running with a couple that’s notably faster than we are and engaging in the aforementioned funishment.

1. We both walked away from the weekend having accomplished some important goals.
2.  We made some great family memories.
3. We tested an element of our fitness and walked away sore but accomplished.

Breaks matter. Time away from the normal routine matters. I remember once reading that family vacation is an important part of family life because kids can see Mom and Dad in an environment than the normal routine. They see us having buckets of water dumped on our head at the waterpark and navigating a city together or snoring next to them in a bed seemingly built for one and a half adults.

Mr. T. has a bigger week of training ahead, and we get to celebrate a 7-year-old’s birthday. But we can handle it. We’re driving home tired but revived and refocused. Mission accomplished.