traveling to Toronto

Blarg. Hotels are not fun with two small children. The drive up was OK though each stop, of course, took almost twice as long as when it was just Garvin and me - left the house around 11am, got to Garvin's aunt's condo at about 6pm, so not really bad time considering last summer when we made the drive we hit traffic from hell, total stop for extended periods of time, and it took probably just as long even tho we made the rest stops as brief as possible. This is only the 3rd time we've driven to Toronto from Cleveland, so not a lot to compare it to, but the time we drove up while we were in college (for Garvin's cousin's wedding - my first time meeting the extended Yeung family and it had Karioke involved - fun story for another time) it only took 5 hours. I'm not so much about the journey when there are people waiting for us to get somewhere.

Liam and Del both did well in the rented minivan (which, weirdly, has a DVD entertainment system but manual windows and doorlocks), we wound up stopping 3x I think, maybe only twice, to feed Del and streetch and potty. Liam made it the whole way in a dry pull-up (aka "buzz") then wound up wetting the bed this morning. Nice to let someone else change the sheets.

The hotel we're staying in is OK. Took a while to find an acceptable room as for some reason when they went bed shopping for the place they went to the trampoline store instead, to the point that the first room we were in I laid down to nurse Del and the amount of bouncing from just HIS little movements and mine was enough to make me motion sick. No good. Took trying 4 different rooms, 3 of them had trampoline-like beds and the one we wound up picking instead (less bouncy bed) the AC isn't working. But it's on the 10th floor and has a window that isn't low enough for Liam to climb out of easily (he'd have to at least move the chair over) so we opened the window. As much of an environmentalist as I am, I really don't trust the damn screen window to keep my climbing toddler from his doom so I'm really hoping they get the damn AC fixed today like they said they wood (it's noon and no sign of the repair guy yet so I'm feeling a it pessimistic).

Email reply from Prophecy, Liam's not even allowed to go to the wizard rock concert. Good thing he's too young to be disappointed. Garvin doesn't seem to actually enjoy the wrock that much so I may actually leave him in the hotel room with both boys, take my cell with me so he can call me if Del needs me, and go by myself (or take Del in the sling with earplugs). Or, as I suggested to Garvin, maybe Nai-Nai can watch Liam at the hotel at least one day and he can drive her back to Auntie's condo in the evening. I'm really looking forward to the conference, just wish childcare wasn't such a hassle. If I'm ever part of planning one of these, I'm going to insist that they investigate on-site childcare options. There are enough HP fans that are parents with children too young for a conference, time to be inclusive people!!!

Well, I think everyone's ready to head out now so that's it for now. Hotel has free wifi so that's cool at least.