Notes from the Desert

We had a great vacation.  Everyone needed a break from our routine and I think we got one! Some take away tips/facts/thoughts:

1. To ride on a plane as a lap child, you now need proof of age.  That would be in the form of a birth certificate or passport.  Did not know this.  We almost always purchased a plane ticket for Charlotte when she was of lap-child age (under 3).  And in the few instances when we didn't, we were never asked for any form of identification for her.  This was a lesson we would have preferred to learn BEFORE we left for the airport.
2. Palm Desert is a neat place.  The air is clean, the weather is nice, and the environment is laid back and slow.  This is in large part due to the overwhelming number of "old" people in Palm Desert.  Old wealthy people if you judge by the shops, and other surroundings.  Despite the old folks, we found fun things to do with our kids.
3. All you need is a hotel with a swimming pool when you're in the desert in March with kids.  Best. Thing. Ever.
4. Dragging a 10 month old and 3 year old to two days of professional tennis is not fun for kids.  There was no bouncy house, face painting, or anything else remotely kid fun.  We enjoyed collecting desert rocks (or landscape rocks if you want to be specific).  Number of times a 3 1/2 year old said, "But I dooooonnnn'ttt liiiiiikke tennis."?  I lost count at 50.
5. Roger Federer is more awe inspiring up close than he is on TV.  He carries himself like a Greek God.  I was in awe (almost like a teenager) when he walked right past Charlotte and I after an inpromptu photo-shoot and then hit the practice courts.  Charlotte was taken by Roger, too.  Mommy... I like his red headband!
6. Abby appears to be a tennis fan.  She was pretty content to watch tennis and loved the people and activity.  She did grow tired of it after about 20 minutes, though.  I attribute her love of tennis to the countless hours she played in utero. 

5. We splurged on tickets for Saturday and our awesome nieces Kristin and Kami drove to Palm Desert for the day to play with Charlotte and Abby.  They were our saviors!  Celebrities to Charlotte and allowed for us to spend a whole day watching tennis without hearing any whining or fussing.  We were treated to a lot of great tennis and a truly relaxing day.
6.  Four nights isn't long enough away... though it was long enough at the Embassy Suites Palm Desert.  Sort of a dingy hotel to be honest.  Luckily we used points so it didn't cost us anything.  But how on earth can a hotel in the desert smell like MILDEW?  That is just wrong.
7. Vacation is a great place to experiecne day-light savings with kids.  Their schedules are so off that coming home and making all the adjustments seems pretty easy really.

8. Finally... traveling with two kids is TEN times harder than traveling with one!  But worth it, oh so worth it.