The Flip Side

We ended our time in Jaisalmer by going to see the lake. It was nice and peaceful with interesting buildings. We saw some wild pigs; their snouts are very long and funny!

Then we took a 6 hour train to Jodhpur. The trip was a bit harrowing, as we were tired and Walker was being wild. We arrived with our increasingly heavy bags, to find our pick-up guy not there. But he arrived within 5 minutes in a CAR, and we were extremely grateful as we were freezing on the train. He brought us to the Niralhi Dhani Hotel, 7 KM outside of town. We chose this hotel because the pictures on the internet showed it has a grassy field and a pool and the room looked awesome. Well, it IS very nice-the room is super comfy and it even has a heater-but the grass is dirt and it is too cold to swim. Nevertheless, the service here is over the top. I mean, we are afraid to ask for something because we not only get what we ask for, but 10X more! For breakfast they have an Indian breakfast buffet. So yesterday, they offered us fruit as well, knowing we were not used to Indian Breakfasts. Then today, they brought us fresh fruit, Poori (Puffy round bread), AND boiled vegetables. This is in addition to the Porridge & cereal we already had. We felt obliged to eat what they brought...and now we are STUFFED!



The best part is that we have all been sleeping great....and there is room for this child to run!

Yesterday we went to the fort here in Jodhpur and it was amazing. I mean, it is HUGE. I cannot see how it could ever be penetrated, even today. The walls are super high and thick. It is beautiful also; from the top, you can look down at Jodhpur, the blue city. Gorgeous! We enjoyed ourselves at the fort.



Then we went to the Clock tower, where there was a bustling, colorful market. It was a bit overwhelming...but we also saw some gorgeous colorful stalls. Then back to the hotel for a huge delicious Indian meal and early bed.


I think it is time to talk about what is hard about traveling with Walker. I don't want you all to think I am covering up the hard stuff. It is not all laughs and snuggles. Jamie and I have been talking about what frustrates us being with him here and why we lose patience sometimes with him. We have concluded that all the negative things come back to him being 3 years old (well, next week).


1. His hands are always dirty, dirty, dirty. Then he puts them in his mouth. Then he cries and refuses to let me clean his hands. Then he puts them in his mouth. Then he runs them along a dirty wall, while wet from being in his mouth. This drives me crazy.

2. He only will let certain people change his clothes, change his diapers, kiss him, put on his socks, hold his hand, carry him. Usually this is me, but sometimes it is Pa. This can involve lots of baggage exchange between me and Pa...not enough personal time for the one required to do the task for Walker, and annoyance on our part overall.

3. We never stop watching him. I can't relax in that regard, even when we are inside...unless he is watching a movie or sleeping. Just a few minutes ago, he went through my purse....AND Jamie's bag where he ended up messing with Pa's prescription sunglasses. And he ate 2 mints from my bag and he found his secret present Pa was saving for later. In Jaisalmer, there were lots of high places with no railings. This made me anxious as soon as I saw the opportunities he would have available to him. Eeks!


4. He is heavy. In busy traffic or when he doesn't feel like walking, we have to carry him. My aching thighs! 2ce I have run up stairs while holding Walker, my 50 pound backpack, and 2 other bags. Talk about being out of shape! Jesus! We are really good about switching carrying him...IF HE LETS US. Then when he lets us put him down, he runs off. Sigh.

5. He says he wants food, then when it arrives, he refuses to eat it. The only saving grace to this is that at the most we have spent $2 on wasted meals, per time. I try to think ahead and make sure we have snacks he will eat, and I am learning to jump on opportunities for healthy snacks as we go. Yesterday he ate fresh raisins, cashews, and oranges for lunch. I felt happy about this. Then for dinner, he refused the noodles he asked for and ate only some fruit. So we got a doggy bag for the noodles, which now will go uneaten.

6. He SCREAMS in the shower, as if he is being tortured. No baths here. The whole time he screams, hating it. Then he screams when he gets out, because he wants to get back in. Then he screams because the towel is not the way he likes it. Then he screams when it is time to get dressed.

7. He screams like a monster. All the time. We are sick of it. We threaten him with no movie when he screams and this works.

8. He gets in our space. Sometimes he wants to only sit ON OUR LAP and then we can't do anything but have him on our lap. Sometimes he wants to sit where Pa is sitting and then Pa is uncomfortable. Sometimes he wants to put his face right next to our faces, and it is annoying.

However, I want to reiterate that I am only telling you this so you know both sides of the story. Jamie and I have said over and over how happy we are to have him with us and how lucky we are to have this time together as a family. Despite these things, we are having such a great time. We are aware that these things would be happening at home, too....these behaviors are not related to our trip...they are related to Walker being the age he is. And Oh! How we love him!

Tomorrow we go to Agonda, Goa. We are so excited to go to the beach, as we have been chilly since we got to India. Back atcha later! Hope everyone is doing well.