We were able to dodge Santa Claus one more time and run away to Mexico for Christmas.  It’s our chance to be alone as a family and avoid some of the holiday bustle.  One day Charlotte and Johnny will figure out Santa is supposed to bring presents and we will have to make a different plan … or not.

It was our first trip as a family of four.  Johnny did great – slept over 2 hours of the 3 hour flight there.  We didn’t realize how “easy” it was to travel with a baby at this age when it was just Charlotte.  I enjoyed every minute with that sleeping baby on a flight.  Now on the way home, Charlotte and Johnny both decided to cry and scream at the same time for a solid 30 minutes (John timed it).  I guess they were just bummed we had to leave Mexico.  We looked at each other and had that moment of  “yes, we’re that family right now”.  Oh, the humbling joys of parenthood.

Johnny enjoyed his first Christmas with a day at the pool and beach.  He was quite malleable to Charlotte’s schedule and energy the whole trip.  We spent Christmas dinner at a really fun restaurant in town right on the beach.  Charlotte requested “Feliz Navidad” from the local band and nailed it with her dancing moves (as seen below).

One of the highlights of the trip was our excursion to swim with dolphins.  Charlotte about lost her mind.  The dolphin was named Tinda and Charlotte was convinced she actually knew Ariel.  It was a 2-year-old mermaid dream.  She got to kiss, feed, and ride on Tinda the dolphin.  It was a magical day for all of us.

All in all, we had a successful trip with lots of family bonding time.  As a good friend once told me, “the days are long, but the years are short”.  This pretty much sums up our life right now.