# Travels with a Toddler – an Adventurous MMP **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** mmp\ **Created:** [January 19, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939 "2009-01-19T03:44:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/1 "2009-01-19T03:44:53Z")
It seems like eons ago, but just 5 weeks ago, my husband, 20-month old daughter (aka **HRH** ) and I set off on our long-awaited vacation to Malaysia and Australia. Our annotated itinerary looked something like this: 12 December – fly from Bahrain to Kuala Lumpur (night flight in [Business Class](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291571329155854802)). HRH was way too excited to sleep at her regular bedtime! 13 – 16 December – enjoy the offerings of the [Genting Highlands](http://www.genting.com.my/) in Malaysia. To be honest, [this](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291538908209916386) was the view for most of our visit, and it was quite cool (by our reckoning, anyway). [This](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291571555461602290) was the view we had for breakfast each morning, and we followed that with a trip down to the [theme park](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291571708752280946). Poor HRH was [terrified](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291571858257318178) of the carousel! They had some great [local live music](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291572202451222386) to entertain her though, which put the smile back on her little face! Our last day, we had a long wait after checking out of the room before our car picked us up to take us back to the airport. We filled the time in with [forbidden fruit](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291572327279473938)! **LiLi** ’s SIL would have been proud! 😉 16 December – fly from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney (another night flight). At least [the lounge](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291572592578394818) was comfy, so we could eat something and relax before doing battle to get HRH to sleep on the aircraft! 17 – 20 December – enjoy Sydney (in particular the [casino](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291538979713561554) at Star City). The [hotel](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291572811517024466) was very nice, as were the [docks](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291572698491911506) nearby, and the [views](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291539052899666530) over Sydney are [breathtaking](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291539116502034114)! Hubby and I had a bit of a flutter in the casino, won some but came out losers overall! 20 December – fly to the Gold Coast! 20 December – 6 January – Christmas with my family, then 10 days at the beach. After a week of being true tourists, we settled in at Grandma and Grandad’s [house](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291539574213871762) in anticipation of [Christmas](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291540521625561986)! We all had a nice time, relaxing and enjoying the [views](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291539716980822818) around my parents’ semi-rural home. HRH figured out that Grandad’s dog is [okay](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291539953053336274) and spent some valuable time with [Grandma](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291540055856236402)! Lots of shopping ensued, ahead of some extended-family Christmas [craziness](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291573185155902738)! Once the unwrapping was done, [lunch](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291540795398933634) ensued! HRH had a grand old time [playing](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291574540165459266) with [her cousins](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291540660242199010)! After all of that family time, I think hubby was about to go crazy when we finally decamped to our (almost on the) [beach apartment](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291573853712197106)! We had a lovely time on [the beach](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291573676494587538)!!! On New Year’s Eve, we took HRH to [Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary](http://www.currumbin-sanctuary.org.au/content/home.asp?), near the southern end of the Gold Coast. We saw [kangaroos](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291573982262808482), [emus](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291574101658766786), [lazy sun-worshipping lizards](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291574207283591282) and [koalas](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291574326317121394) galore! Unfortunately, the weather was stinking hot (about 35°C, and 95% humidity), so HRH crashed within maybe 1.5 hours, and we retreated to the café to let her sleep and cool down! And so ended our foray into meeting Australia’s native fauna! After that, we headed back to the apartment to let HRH play [dress-ups](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291574646956313682)! After long days shopping, [sun-worshipping](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291541723496688466) and playing in the park (and Mummy and Daddy hiring a babysitter to run off to the casino for New Year’s Eve), our time in paradise was up! 6 January (another night flight) - We said out tearful goodbyes to Grandma, Grandad, uncles, aunties and cousins, and flew our from Brisbane back to Kuala Lumpur! Now, it’s really time to [SHOP](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291574913488285362)!!! We spent three days helter skelter in the malls of KL, but mainly in the SOGO department store near our (less than wonderful) hotel, and in Berjaya Times Square – 14 (yes, FOURTEEN) levels of shopping madness! Pashminas for US$4, nice leather handbags for US$10, shoes for whatever price you want to pay. But the one thing I wanted to try, the highlight for me of 4 weeks of vacation was the 30 minutes I spent in the Fish Spa! I let a pool of little fishies [nibble](http://picasaweb.google.com/nmphil/MalaysiaAustraliaTrip2008#5291542194463281890) at my feet for half an hour, cleaning and chewing off all the dead, dry skin and returning my feet to a pristine, never-been-walked-on state! It tickled like nobody’s business, but the end result was fantastic! If you ever get the chance (and have a spare US$10), you must try it!!! 10 January – finally, after 4 weeks of madness and early mornings and late nights, we rolled back onto the plane in KL, to fly ourselves (and 100kg of luggage :eek: ) home to Bahrain! So tell me, how was your Christmas and New Year??? P.S. There are plenty more pics in the online album – feel free to browse! ---
**Author:** ![mmouse9799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mmouse9799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmouse9799)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/2 "2009-01-19T04:28:43Z")
Wow! Such a neat trip. I can’t believe I read that, looked at all of the pictures, and am still **First!** What’s going on with all of you slackers tonight??? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/3 "2009-01-19T04:47:46Z")
Two days in a row my left leg has begun hurting badly in the evening, for no reason, and tonight my left hip, right calf, left hand, and left elbow also briefly hurt. I’m making an appointment at the clinic whenever I have time and they’re open. Oh, the best part? The pain barely responds to medication, and then only after about an hour. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/4 "2009-01-19T05:12:43Z")
Great pics, **Dotty**! Nothing like a family vacation. **mousie** , sorry I was drinking Guinness, and watching Hulu(It’s Teh Evil!):eek: hope you can fix things, **Cap’n**. Been there, doing that. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/5 "2009-01-19T05:19:16Z")
Great photos **Dotty**. It looks as though a good time was had by all. We also did a [beach Christmas](http://www.stayz.com.au/13647) this year, further south near Forster in NSW. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/6 "2009-01-19T07:18:07Z")
Most excellent photographs, ma’am! HRH is a total ham sammich around the camera, ain’t she? So cute… Glad you had a good time, and you can complain of the heat all you like but right now I could use ten days on a hot beach! ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/7 "2009-01-19T07:45:01Z")
Hello MMPers, it is I, sturmhauke, infrequent recipe contributor, with not one but two scallop recipes for your amusement. First, some general notes. I used a bag of small frozen scallops, thawed out inside a Ziploc because the original bag turned out not to be waterproof when submerged in cold water. If you can get good fresh scallops use those instead, but frozen is fine too. At any rate, the scallops should be relatively dry before cooking. I spread them out on a kitchen towel and patted them down. Also, ingredient measurements are approximate. So, here we go: **Sautéed Scallops** a pat of butter 1/2 lb. small scallops\* 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the scallops, salt and pepper. Cook until most of the liquid boils off and the scallops begin to turn more opaque, stirring gently but frequently, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pan to cool for 2 minutes. Serve on a rectangular plate with chopsticks and present them to your pregnant wife with a flourish (or eat them out of the pan, whatever). \*Note: I used small scallops partly because that’s what they had at the store, and partly because I used the other 1/2 lb. for the following recipe, which requires the small ones. But for this one you can use large ones, just cook them a little longer and only flip them once. **Scallop Fried Rice** 2 tsp. sesame oil 1/2 lb. small scallops 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. onion powder 1 egg 1 quart container of 2 day old leftover Chinese takeout white rice\* 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce Heat 1 tsp. of sesame oil in your wok over medium-high heat. (What, you don’t have a wok? You can use a large pot instead, but it may be difficult to cook this properly.) Add scallops, garlic, pepper, and onion powder and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Move the scallops to the side, crack the egg into the wok, and scramble it, stirring as it cooks so as to make little scrambled egg bits. Stir everything back together. Add the rice, the rest of the sesame oil, and the soy sauce. Stir rice until heated through, adding more sesame oil or soy sauce to taste. The rice should be a light tan color. Sesame oil and soy sauce are both fairly strong flavors, so don’t add so much that it overpowers the scallops. Serve yourself a bowl and eat next to your pregnant wife who is still raving about the other scallop recipe you just made (or, you know, eat them both yourself). \*Note on rice: Freshly cooked rice has too much water in it, so if you try to make fried rice it will get mushy and not be as good. But when it’s been sitting in your fridge it gets nicely dried out and the individual grains can cook properly. On the other hand, rice can solidify into a brick while it’s drying. You can knock it apart in the wok and turn the heat down while you do it (which is what I did), but I thought of some other possible solutions: break it up in a large bowl first curse strenuously at it beat it with a bar of soap wrapped in a sock put it in a strongbox and throw it off your roof OK, so maybe the first alternative suggestion is really the only practical one. Anyway, there are my two scallop recipes. Enjoy! Oh, did I mention my wife is pregnant? That’d be **available light** , although she doesn’t post much. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/8 "2009-01-19T09:10:07Z")
_Looooooove_ the vacation pics, **Dotty**! **sturmhauke** , I’ve got to try those next time I’ve got guests: that first one sounds simple, delicious and appropiate for coeliac Sheboss if she’s in. The coworkers were pressuring for another “house party” at my digs, which I guess confirms the last one was a success although it was more like a house dinner. I don’t have a TV and didn’t even remember to put music on. Oh, and did we say CONGRATULATIONS, **STORMLIGHT**? May everything go great, great, great. Gotta go email to Sheboss “what did I do last week and what do I expect to do this week.” Brings me back to those essays about “the cow” (gives us milk, although I never got that one in spite of being the classic example in Spanish) or “the book I read this summer” (only one in the whole summer? sheesh!) **kai** , I haven’t read updates since Friday if there’s been any, but I want you to know you’re in my thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/9 "2009-01-19T09:41:41Z")
We had a similar adventure with our two girls aged 9 months and 3 years. We spent two and a half weeks driving 6000 kms from Broome down the west coast of Australia, through the Margret River region, across the Nullabor and finally into Adelaide. We snorkeled at Turquoise Bay; fed the Dolphins at Monkey Mia; stayed with friends in Geraldton (where we had some emergency maintenance done on our Corolla); heard of another friends miscarriage :(; got lost driving into Perth; fed ponies, watched kangaroos, imitated kookaburras, and collected fresh eggs at Dunsborough. We suffered tantrums in Albany, and had a lovely meal in Esperence. We regretted staying in a shithole called Belladonia, but perversely loved driving the longest straight stretch of road in Australia (146 kms.) Eucla was a real oasis in the middle of a vast expanse of nothing, and Streaky bay was a nice stop before reaching true civilisation. All I can say is thank you Base for making a cheap portable DVD player with a car kit, and thank you Wiggles for being so entertaining for our toddler. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/10 "2009-01-19T09:47:28Z")
[Some photos](http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=54310&l=4ab2d&id=526637542) ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/11 "2009-01-19T12:03:15Z")
Mornin’ Y’all! Great OP **Dotty**! Looks like tons o’ fun! I haven’t seen all the pics but I will go back and look. I promise. Right now I’m all but mainlinin’ caffiene so I can get through the day. Speakin’ of which, I need to get a move on. Gotta be there by eight o’clock eastern Amurrkin whether I want to or not. Oh, **Cap’n** … Yikes! You need to get that seen about soonest, ok? Howdy to all our Australian dropbys! Don’t be strangers! Later Y’all! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/12 "2009-01-19T13:03:03Z")
**Dotty** , I loved your pick of your daughter plucking up the courage to pat the dog. My eldest is quite timid and it always takes her so long to do things like that. Unfortunately she was recently involved in an incident with a pony, a camel, and a rope. We don’t hold out much hope of her wanting to ride a pony again any time soon. (she had a similar problem with cats after an incident involving an old angry cat, herself, and a claw.) ---
**Author:** ![criminey.jicket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@criminey.jicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminey.jicket)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/13 "2009-01-19T13:06:13Z")
Well, huh? What on earth did I do to my post on Sunday? I tucked **kaiwik** in a fuzzy blankie and put a chocolate fondue of strawberries, bananas, and mandarins oranges in her lap. I marveled at **MamaT’s** finework crochet skillz and ooOOooh-ed at the conflagration fire in **gt’s** neck of the woods. So, this is really the FOOD PRON thread, isn’t it? You just call it ‘mumping’. Last week it was ribeyes, lasagna, Mediterranean and tandoori chicken, couscous, and veal stew. So far today, it’s scallops. People, I’M SO WEAAAAAKKKKK. I waaaaaannnt. om nom nom Maybe I ate my own post? Also mentioned in my ghost post was my elation that the fog had finally lifted, and that my eyes were watering staring out the window at such a bright blue sky. The fog. It’s back and I have a pout on about it. FABulous photos and OP, **Dotty**. HRH is adorable–I love her beautiful curly hair. I’m sorry but I must squeeeee. Also, “fish spa” is now on my bucket list. Yay! for a new Doperbaby. Congrats to you both, **sturmhauke and available light**! Your recipe sounds delish, btw. **Cap’n** , I hope you get some answers soon. I enjoyed the holiday photos. I was stuck at the most beautiful place on earth with the worst weather on earth. To add to my no photo holidays was the really bigwig who called mr.j on Christmas Day and suggested it would be really nice to have pictures of the resort while the snow is falling. HAH! I spent a day and a half learning their super duper camera, and the rest of the time being stymied by extremely cold winds or blizzards of snow/sleet. If you want to see where we were, go [here](http://www.sonoraresort.com/). (Darn it. I’ve hit my mousepad with my thumb, which clicked on Submit Post.) ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/14 "2009-01-19T13:12:37Z")
\ It looks like such fun. I remember traveling with toddlers (and one trip with Daughter aged not quite 2 with me 6 months pregnant). It looks like you all had a wonderful time. Sydney is gorgeous! #1 son really liked it there last year. Am off to work soon. 14 outside with an unknown windchill. This is silly, but I feel so good in my grown up clothes. Working in either a uniform or scrubs my entire adult life has not been all it’s cracked up to be. Then again, it was cheap and I “missed out” on the whole “what do I wear today and I can’t wear THAT because I wore it twice last week and boy, these clothes are expensive” stuff… Scallops sound yummers. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/15 "2009-01-19T13:18:59Z")
What a fun vacation, **Dotty**! Looks like all three of you had fun. And I’m sure Grandma and Grandad and the rest of the family loved having HRH there for Christmas. Congrats on the impending baby, **Stormy** and **available light**. Great photos, **Ray**. Your daughters are both cuties and you’ve captured some lovely photos of them. Hope the docs figure out why you hurt, **Cap’n**. Am awake, I guess. Need to make a list of everything I want to do this week (I’m off today, tomorrow and Wednesday). Need more caffeine. Back later. GT ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/16 "2009-01-19T13:24:07Z")
Oooh, **Dotty** , such pretty pics! Noor is so unfairly cute, and **Smarty’s** right]- a total ham. It looks like a great Christmas. We’re up, doing laundry, and Nat has a cold, seems sleepy, but is right now telling me No Early Nap, so I’ll go fish him out. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/17 "2009-01-19T14:44:19Z")
Nice pictures, **Dotty**! I must admit, as a North Hemispheran all those sundresses and short sleeves on Christmas made me go :dubious: at first. **HRH** is an adorable little ham. Congratulations **sturmhawke!** And may I say that I’ve adopted your chili recipe as the Only Official Chili of the Spaz? Finally, I’ve found a recipe that doesn’t disappoint! I have a day off today! 😃 Hopefully Former Mehe Roommate will come by and pick up the rest of her stuff before I start eBaying it. There’s talk of snow for tomorrow. Dare I hope for a North Carolina Snow Day? (That’s the kind of snow day that shuts down NC but makes midwesterners laugh and laugh and laugh.) Time to put up today’s Aunt-Agonistic post. You know where to find it. If you don’t–ask someone. ---
**Author:** ![tarragon918](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@tarragon918](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tarragon918)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/18 "2009-01-19T14:55:20Z")
Oooh **Dotty** , what a wonderful vacation that sounds like, and such gorgeous pics you shared too. Thanks so much! **HRH** just seems to get cuter and cuter, if that’s possible - she is adorable. 🙂 So glad that you had a good, long vacation and were able to enjoy spending time with your family. Congrats on the baby-to-come, **Stormy**! And thanks for the scallop recipes. Hope your wife enjoyed them. 🙂 I don’t know what I’m going to feel come Wednesday - I’m already dreading going back to work, though. 😃 I know, that’s just awful, and I should be totally ashamed of myself. Ah well, at least it’s only a three day work week. _ducks and runs_ ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/19 "2009-01-19T14:58:05Z")
Good morning! Love the pics, **Dotty**! I’m soooo jealous. A trip to Australia is on MY bucket list. I’ve heard of the fish spa thing - but it kinda squicks me out! Fabulous beach house, **Cunctator**! More fab photos from **Ray**! Congrats to **sturmhawke** and **available light**! The scallop recipes look fantastic. I only have to work a half-day today. I have a dentist appointment at 3:00 - so I have to leave at lunch time, right? 😉 Have a good day, Mumpers! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939/20 "2009-01-19T15:08:30Z")
Does anybody have some enthusiasm for work I could borrow? Usually when I call Mom, she bends my ear for more than half an hour (her record was four hours) explaining in excruciating detail the last offenses she’s suffered (“I crossed Mrs A on the street and she didn’t greet me!” U-hu Mom, and you just called her by her husband’s lastname which you hate when people do it to you and by the way I’m reasonably sure that she got home puffing about how you didn’t greet her), her friends’ lifes, her medical issues, etc. Two Saturdays ago, she had the flu and was so off I couldn’t even understand her words, we had to drop it after ten minutes. My aunt and her husband (who’s got cancer and is ambulatory but on palliative care, i.e., nobody at the hospital expects to be able to give him a clean bill of health ever) spent a few days last week visiting. Saturday’s call lasted less than half an hour, but what a half hour. On the day they left, Aunt saw one of Mom’s feet and told her to “call your daughter in law or I will, are you crazy woman?” - she’d hit it a few weeks ago and hadn’t taken proper care of it, the nail is infected. Note that Mom is a diabetic. Lilbro (who eats with her) is being his usual unhelpful self. She talked about assisted living (she used to talk about moving there at 65, then moved it back; now she’s 68 and complains that “I’m not even 70!” but the thing is, if she is ever going to do it I’d rather do the paperwork with enough time and everything than have her moved there in an ambulance with a judge’s orders declaring her “non compos mentis”); I told her that she can look into what would be needed and she said she’ll ask her friend who used to work there. I don’t know how objective the friend can be, in this specific case, though. I’m thinking one of the reasons I can’t concentrate worth shit (not at work, just on anything) is simply that I’m worried about her. The husband of my Jamaican landlady (this was in Miami) was an alcoholic and diabetic and ended up double-amputee. I know there’s no way Mom will go like Dad’s mom, who lived on her own until age 85, then started getting attacks of dizziness, announced to her children that she was moving into assisted living when she’d already been given a spot, then six months later was found on her freshly-made bed, fully dressed and holding her rosary, when she didn’t go down for breakfast. It’s going to be painful and messy. I’ve called Middlebro to ask when will it be a good moment to talk, we’re talking tonight. And I think I’ll email social services asking what’s needed to move into assisted living, medically and financially. I just suck at doing nothing, and right now I have problems remembering what’s the right way to use the ingredients for a fried egg (ok, not that bad). Still nothing compared with some of the things here, and I’m sure grateful to have a well-paying job and generally-good coworkers, but dang I need to get this as solved as I can before I can go back to worrying about who the bloody hell thought that using five tables for what you can do in one was a Good Idea… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travels-with-a-toddler-an-adventurous-mmp/481939.md?page=2)