Viva Las Vegas: The Debriefing

As you know,  I love to be debriefed about big events.  Our first family trip with Tessa, to Sin City no less, definitely counts as a big event.  So here you go:

Why in the world would you take four young children on a road trip to Las Vegas for a week?

Well, we didn't exactly choose the details of this trip.  Carter found out that he had to attend the NAB Conference in Las Vegas for work several months ago.  This was in the middle of the bleakest winter of my life, so a week alone with the kids at home didn't sound attractive.  I thought it might be fun for us all to get away to a warmer climate and enjoy a change of scene after being stuck at home for so long (because of all the ear infections and surgeries, etc).  Carter's company was really nice about the idea of us going along with him.  Since he volunteered to drive to Vegas (saving them the expenses of plane fare and car rental), they got us a lovely suite right on The Strip.  I figured that with a full kitchen and a pool, I'd be able to handle the kids even if Carter had to work for most of the trip.

And did it work out like you expected?

"As hard as you think it's going to be, you end up wishing it were that easy."  That's from Terms of Endearment and it has always summed up my feelings about parenting so well.  It totally applied to this trip.  I don't think I've ever worked harder in my entire life--mentally AND physically.  Lugging around strollers and kids, logistically packing diaper bags/pool bags/snacks for our outings and planning the best routes, and keeping tabs on four excited little girls in really big crowds was definitely a challenge.  At least one out of four kids was always crying or unhappy with what we were doing.  Getting around was tough, too.  I only had two seats in the stroller, so I had to beg, bribe, threaten and cajole the walkers along.  We did two or three outings each and every day we were there and I usually don't even do that in a week!  So yeah, I'm definitely calling this a trip and NOT a vacation.  I came home completely and utterly exhausted.  But we did have a great time and we did a lot of fun things.  So in the end, I think it was worth it.

Some cute little grumps

What was the most unexpected part of the trip?

I saw some pretty strange things in Vegas:  a Gene Simmons impersonator in full KISS regalia (including a mechanical tongue), a showgirl with a giant feather headdress and a diamond studded bikini, and people having cocktails at 7:30 in morning.  But apparently I was the weirdest thing on The Strip.  Every day at LEAST 20-30 people would come up to me and make a comment about how many kids I had.

What sort of things would they say?

Some people were nice and said my girls were cute (one man said that even the Mommy was very cute, which made me blush).  Lots of people would just say, "God bless you!"  or "Wow, you've got your hands full!"  The fact that I had all girls was also a source of interest.  A smaller amount were either dumb or rude or both.  The creepiest was when a man came up and said he would take one off my hands.  On the last day we were there, a man came up and said the old standard: "You've really got your hands full!"  Chloe just glared at him and said, "WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THAT?!?!"  I had to chuckle at that.

Where did you stay?

We were at Polo Towers, which is situated right between The Miracle Mile Shops and the MGM Grand (right behind the Hawaiian Market).  It was a good spot because we could walk to the most interesting things for kids.  Polo Towers was pretty kid friendly--it had a rooftop pool AND a little kids' water park.  They also had free washers and dryers to use (and we were right across from a laundry room).  I did my best to keep the kids quiet, but we didn't see a whole lot of other families there.  I can only imagine how many people asked to change rooms because of us!

What sort of things did you do?

We hit the pool every single day.  Sometimes twice.  I did a lot research before we left and found hotels that had attractions that the girls would like (for example, The Flamingo has a little wildlife preserve that is open 24/7 and the MGM Grand has a lion habitat that's open from 11-11 every day).  Lots of things were free and every place that did charge generally let kids 5 and under in for free (which is quite a boon for our family).  I made a map that listed all the free things and the hours we could do them.  We hit most of the things on that map over the course of the week.  My kids ate it all up.  So yeah, if you can stomach hardcore pornography lining the streets and strangers making comments about your reproductive choices, Vegas is a great place for families!

How was Carter's conference?

He learned a lot and enjoyed all his classes.  He was gone most days from 8am-6pm, so we didn't see him a whole lot.  We missed him.  But it was a lot better than having him just be gone for the whole week!

What did the girls think?

Like I said, they had a ball.  They saw all kinds of animals and fountains (both are things they adore).  They got to eat ice cream a lot.  And by the end of the trip, I had them well trained.  They took turns in the stroller (or held on to it if it was time to walk without being reminded) and pressing elevator buttons.  They knew not to look at the ground or take anything from strangers.  They also learned to hold doors open for me, which was great.  They also thanked me for taking them fun places or to the pool every time.  They have their moments, but they are good little girls.

So, overall, you're counting it as a good experience?

Yes, absolutely.  Everyday life feels much easier after all that crazy hard work!  Also, I got to go out on my own a couple of times and the shopping there was amazing.  The girls really had a great time.  And I even got a little tan.  So yes, it was worth it!  But I won't be taking a car trip with four kids any time soon . . .