Over the marshes and through the woods to western N.B. we go! Our hectic home is taking this show on the road, to visit family for a week and a half of glorious lake-side and pool-side vacation.

The funny thing about vacation, when you have kids, is that you have to really work hard and do lots of advanced preparation in hopes that you can actually reap some of the relaxing benefits of time off work. I’m not suggesting that I don’t love my downtime with my family and, specifically my busy toddler, but I think most parents out there will agree that sometimes the amount of packing and planning that comes with family travel leaves you needing a vacation from your vacation.

This year, I started early. Last week, exactly one week before leaving, I laid out suitcases on the laundry room floor so, as we compiled the clean clothes we wanted to take, we could stash them into the appropriate bags, saving me from my habitual up-until-midnight-the-night-before-leaving frenzy of organizing and inevitably forgetting something(s).

And you know what? It worked like a charm! We are still T-minus two days from departure, and we are ready! The car has been cleaned and organized, the bags are packed, and a list of last-minute to-dos and to-takes is sitting on the kitchen counter. How satisfying!

Since we’re left with a couple days to prepare, I’m going to spend the next two evenings dusting, vacuuming, changing bed linens and washing windows, then when we return I can completely relax, post-vacation, in a home that’s not so hectic.