March Break in Mexico

Posted byAbPosted inADHD, adoption, FASD, Mexico, Parenting, travelTags:, , , , , ,

For March Break last week, our family returned to Cancun, Mexico and had a blast.

The week leading up to the trip, T’s excitement was palatable.

On the Friday before the break, I picked T up from school at lunch, to let him relax in the afternoon, as we had to get up at 2 a.m. the next day for our flight.

I dreaded a meltdown at the airport or during the flight, but despite very little sleep, he did well.

One reason for this was we did not give him access to mobile games this time, which bring out the raging and cussing worse in him.

This was our third March Break in Mexico and we stayed in the same resort, because it’s familiar and T loves the amenities, which include a waterpark, lazy river, gym and indoor trampoline park.

We kept it very chill all week; lots of sleeping in, late breakfasts, morning swims, afternoon naps and down time in our room.

I had to do a bit of work each day, as I’m gearing up for a project launch, and I joked with colleagues that an hour of work each day in between a swim and a long nap is my kind of work-life balance!

The hubby and I enjoyed more time to ourselves, as this trip was the first time we left T by himself in our room – with food, TV and Internet – while we enjoyed dinner at the resort restaurants.

We reminded T to not pick up the phone or open the door while we were out and we were never gone for more than an hour and a half.

T was in heaven by himself, with his tablet and a plate of chicken tenders, chips and fruit.

It was a sobering reminder T is getting older.

Melancholy aside, it was truly nice having time to just the two of us, something we so rarely get as special needs caregivers!

Travelling with a child with FASD – and one who struggles so much with impulsivity and regulation – can be quite challenging.

I am thankful T did very well this trip, in the big picture, and that I only genuinely wanted to murder him once at the resort.

In addition to no mobile game privileges on the flight, we also did not give him access to a device during meal times, which were a struggle last year.

“But what am I supposed to do?” He whined.

“Talk to your parents,” I deadpanned. And we had lovely chats. He is, as the photo below captures, quite the funny guy – when I’m not trying to strangle him, because he’s driving me crazy.

Mobile games bring out the worst in him and make him a raging, cussing and disregulated asshole. I say that both seriously and with loving humour.

It truly is so embarrassing to sit through a child constantly screaming, “Fuck you stupid bitch“ to a screen – or at us! – because a stranger in an online game had the nerve to kill him when the objective is to kill each other. 😆

Oh, how I miss the days of Paw Patrol, Magic School Bus and Peppa Pig.

So we limited mobile games to our room, where yes, there were disregulated moments. Life is not about perfection; we’re all a work in progress.

While T did overall well at the resort, he had a full blown meltdown at the airport during boarding the flight on the way home yesterday.

I’m still processing the incident and will reflect on this in a later post, as it’s still raw and tender, but it’s a reminder to focus on the big picture and the many happy memories instead.

And T had so much fun, was so relaxed, slept so well and we let him sleep in late each morning.

His favourite memory was encountering three feral cats on the resort grounds.

He was so gentle and kind to them that they warmed up to him. The hubby and T took some canned tuna – shhhh – from the resort buffet and fed the cats on a twice daily basis.

Another highlight for our animal-loving and potential future vet was taking photos with tropical birds!

When our bright kid heard that a toucan was on the grounds, he took this box of Froot Loops cereal with him for his photo.

He had a big beaming handsome smile in the photos with these beautiful parrots below.

On our last night, T cried for quite some time, because he was sad to leave the feral cats. He was worried they would not be taken care of and die.

I reassured him that other guests will take care of them just as he had during our stay.

We were up early this past Sunday and left the resort at sunrise for the airport.

While we waited for our airport shuttle to pick us up, T and the hubby went for one final walk in the resort to look for the cats and say bye.

47 thoughts on “March Break in Mexico”

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  3. Fantastic photos of you guys on vacation! It looks like a great place. And the feral cats are fun — it can be tricky to predict the highlight of a trip, right? Also, the birds look like a neat part of the trip, too! 🌞

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    1. Thank you Dave. Yes, it’s always hard to predict the highlight and makes it fun to go in with an open mind. Feral cats always seem to find us wherever we go, though, and are most certainly a welcomed highlight. 🥰

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  4. Pingback: This Grateful Heart – My Life With T

  5. Ugh. Online games are the worst, aren’t they? It’s like a love/hate relationship. There have been times, many times, sadly, that I have texted Hubby a warning that his son might not last the day. Or that I might not as a result of our son. So, I get you–not just regarding gaming, just, in general.

    I’m glad the trip was overall nice. Love the cats. I’m sure I can’t be the only one commenting that maybe you should get a cat for T? Very sorry to hear of the meltdown. Good that you’re taking time to process it. And glad that you all, I’m assuming, survived.

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    1. Thank you Betsy! We’ve really had to watch and limit his consumption. And for good reason.

      We have two cats at home. They are absolutely terrified of him because of his loud and hyperactive nature. 🙃 We think when they are gone one day, we will get puppy for him. He is so good with animals and a fresh start will be good for him and us! 💕👍

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      1. Too bad about the cats. I guess being feral outdoor cats makes a difference. Can you swap the cats for a puppy early? Though I wonder if anyone would want two older cats? I really don’t know. And maybe you don’t want to get rid of them. I wouldn’t blame you. It would be hilarious if you got a puppy that was too hyperactive for T! 😛 Okay, or maybe not.

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  6. I loved every bit of this blog—even the @#$% parts! I am so happy that you all got to enjoy a wonderful vacation—even with the bits of battle. And yay for a night out alone!!! Thanks for sharing the joys of your vacation and parenting – V

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    1. Thanks Vickie! 😊 I am able to laugh about the @@@@ parts a week later now but it sure didn’t feel that way at the time. 😂 Having the dinners by ourselves was a nice bit of respite each day!

      Hope you, Jess and the family are doing well. Such strange times we are in!

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  8. While this sounds pretty much a success, I’m sorry to hear about the meltdown toward the end of the trip. But every win is a reason to celebrate, despite the rougher seas ahead. It warmed my heart to see the photos of you and your husband. Both of you look definitely happy while T was busy with his tablet in the room. 😆

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    1. Thanks Bama. You get it! It was a great trip and I miss it already. And I can laugh about that awful meltdown now, almost a week later. Those time alone was so nice but I am also glad we had those many fun moments with T as well.

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  10. Glad to hear that you and your family had a wonderful March Break in Cancun. The nice thing about returning to the same place is that you know what to expect, which is kind of nice. It’s too bad you still had to do a bit of work each day, but it still sounds like you found time to relax and even get some alone time with the hubby. Love the family pictures!! T sure knows how to make friends with the wildlife!

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    1. Thanks Linda! Greetings from my early morning commute on the TTC to work. I sure miss the sleeping in toll 9:30 I had last week. 😂 It’s a great resort and if you’re interested, I can share the info with you. It’s perfect for families with young kids. Even has a kids care program. But in our case the animals provided the real care and attention for T.

      It was annoying to have to work while I was on vacation but it made reentry this Monday much smoother. I am hoping people in GTA, such as yourselves, will hear about our project once it launches in the imminent future. It’s an exciting one! 🙂

      PS. We should do coffee this Spring once you’re more settled in. Enjoy the rest of your week. Getting in the train now.

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      1. That would be awesome. A resort that’s geared towards families with young kids would likely be something we’d want to try as M gets a bit older. I imagine she’d have a blast, especially if there are water activities involved!!

        Your project sounds exciting. I’m intrigued!! It’s too bad that you had to work, but you’re right, I imagine it made your return to work way less stressful. Best of luck getting it launched.

        And yes!! We should definitely go for a coffee. We’re heading to Vancouver and New Zealand on Wednesday. So it’ll have to wait until we’re back in May. By then all the snow will be gone and the weather should be warmer 🙂

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      2. Vancouver and New Zealand sound just amazing. I cannot wait to see your updates from this trip. Safe and fun travels and look forward to maybe a coffee meetup in the Spring! 😊

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  11. Those pictures are spectacular, Ab! I love your loving humor. And the quip about being mad that people kill you in a game where that’s the objective — OMG do I get that. Hilarious – and frustrating!

    Love how T builds relationships with animals wherever he goes. And that you and Hubby got some time to yourselves. That you all have found a place worth going back for is so cool – it’s great to have that familiarity even when traveling.

    Here’s to work life balance this week. Hope reentry is going okay!

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    1. Thanks Wynne. I know you can relate with finding those sweet spots that your kids and family love and that you can return too. Those traditions and places of familiarity are so important. 💕

      The bad sportsmanship at games runs in our family. It is just especially hard to deal with when the child is also one that really struggles with regulation and impulse issues. 😂 He’s never allowed to do axe throwing or archery tag with us or anyone!

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  13. Oh my goodness….a delight on so many levels, Ab! Thank you for taking us along and sharing all the glimpses of growth in T. Impressive….and even with a rough patch at the end, it sounds magical and memorable. And cheers to dinner — just you and the hubs. So good! 🥰❤️🥰

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    1. Thanks Vickie! It was a really wonderful getaway for our family. The rough patch was so awful but I can laugh a bit about it now. But it is those glimpses of growth that I will hang onto. So thanks for picking up on that! 💕

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    1. Thanks Jane! 😊 It was a wonderful getaway and yes, a family tradition in the making. T wants to go back next year.

      There was a bit of a long wait for the luggages at the airport when we arrived in Mexico. So I joked they also slapped a 25% longer wait time for Canadians. 😂

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  16. Looks like another excellent vacation all around Ab! Right now I’m stuck on the beach pic of T and how much I would love to be playing and/or lounging in that spot! Also so sweet to see animal lover T in action with those kitties. His love for animals make my heart happy 🙂

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    1. Thank you Deb! It was a very nice getaway and the beach was lovely indeed. 💕 T is such an animal lover and they generally respond well to him as he is very calm and loving around them. Such an irony considering how disregulated he can get around humans, including us his parents!

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  17. I’m so glad to hear that your whole family was able to gain a bit of time alone/together on this trip and each find more independent time. you set it all up well, with the prep for the trip, familiar place, calm before leaving, good sleep, no games, etc.

    it sounds like there were so many good moments and wins for all on this trip and there are always the fails, but try to remember all of the successes when you look back. I’m sure it’s like walking on egg shells at times, but you’re all learning how to best navigate the world together and sounds like you’re headed in a good direction. how sweet and loving about the cats, and because he loves animals, maybe consider having t volunteer at a humane society, (here with a parent at 13, and solo at 16), or working with therapy horses. I’ve seen incredible benefits for children with challenges who I’ve taught in the past, the animals and children have a special bond and teach them compassion, patience, trust, responsibility and unconditional love without judgement. just an idea and so glad you had a wonderful getaway.

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    1. Thanks for the kind and thoughtful comment, Beth! The independent time was an unexpected gift and we’re glad it worked out well. It bodes well for future trips!

      The wins and happy memories were wonderful and really made the few painful and explosive moments worth it. Walking on egg shells is really the best way to describe that awful feeling in public. 😂

      I appreciate the suggestion for working with animals. T was introduced to horse therapy and dog therapy through the organization we worked with. We’re trying to get him paired up with a paw therapy mentor but it’s challenging and the wait list is long. I love the idea of a humane society volunteer gig and I will look into it when he’s older. I bet he will do well and it may even inspire a longer term career goal for him. 🙏💕

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      1. I’m so glad that’s he’s had those experiences with animals already and hopefully it can grow into more over time, he may find a way to his future through these experiences, but even if not, he will have gained so much from them

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      2. If he ends up pursuing a career working with animals, it would be a dream for us all as he could so thrive. I’ll keep you posted on the humane society idea. I love it and will pursue it when he’s a bit older.

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    1. Thank you, Guida!

      I know you’ll appreciate this, because of your blog, but the hubby and I are not alcohol consumers not even socially. We only drank orange Fanta and virgin cocktails. I think seeing the daily impacts of FASD on our son made us even focused on not drinking, not even socially.

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