What I learned about our family in Spain

 Cyril is extremely adaptable. In England I would never keep him out past his bedtime. In Spain, I hesitated but took the plunge and kept him out until 10-midnight every night, the result... He slept until 10-12 every morning (except the night of the fever) and so did I :)

You can workout on holiday and feel happier because of it. I took photos of my workouts just in case I felt the urge but didn't think I'd look at them once during the 12 day vacation. The first morning, during Cyril's nap, I felt guilty not doing the workout. Even though I had no weights I made the most of what I did have and felt energetic and happier afterwards.

Josh/dada makes everything better. He has such a positive energy, especially on vacations. He left his phone at home, said no to tracking and yes to dancing with a glass of wine after everyone was asleep. Cyril couldn't get enough and was devastated when he flew home.

Grandmothers rock! Not only do they spoil your children so you can save a few euros on pool toys, meals, and tractors but they volunteer to stay home while your baby naps so you can get a few laps in at the pool without interruption. Also they have an endless amount of patience for constant chatter and crying.

Drinking apple juice every night doesn't mean Cyril will never drink water again.

And eating only fruit, yogurt, granola bars and cookies everyday doesn't mean Cyril will waste away and become nutritionally deficient.

Air conditioning is colder than I remembered, bring long jons the next time I go to a hot climate.

Sand still sucks but maybe it sucks even more when you have a baby with endless fat rolls. In the end I chose to ignore it and decided it was exfoliation at its best without the cost :)

Rose wine is particularly tasty in warmer climates and when your hubby is around 1pm isn't too early for a beer because "I'm on holiday."

Putting your baby to sleep in a bathroom is a great idea, no need for blackout blinds.

Always travel with 2 rabbies, but there's no need to bring 15 outfits when you have a washing machine. I only brought 4 outfits for Cyril and he wasn't short on clothing once.

To go with the point above, 8 cloth nappies was excessive, only pack 5 next time.

My DSLR takes significantly better photos than my phone, it really is worth the hassle of lugging it around.

As sad as it was for me to admit it, an umbrella stroller (purchased by amazing grandmother on holiday) was better than the ergo on this trip. I don't know if it was the heat, his age, or the fact that it's really difficult to carry a baby, camera case and nappy bag by yourself, but we were both much happier and less sweaty once we made the switch. 

To go with point above remaining flexible is key. Don't be afraid to look at a situation through someone else's eyes.

When Cyril is misbehaving, especially at a restaurant, take a deep breath, count to 5, look at the situation through a 17 month old's eyes and then decide how you'll proceed. Thanks to some inspiration from a book I've been reading, The Whole Brain Child, I implemented many of their tactics on this trip and stayed calm while redirecting Cyril. 

A young child can't be expected to behave like an adult at a restaurant, never be afraid to excuse yourself for an impromptu adventure outdoors while waiting for the food to arrive. If the misbehaviour continues get your food packed up and head home. We only had to do this once on our trip and we only missed dessert so it was OK I made up for it the next morning with a chocolate croissant.

We don't got out to eat often with Cyril but when we do Josh and I always order the kids meal to arrive with the starters and an ice cream to arrive with our main course. This tactic works well for us as maintaining peace is key in an adult setting.

We've always been rather laid back about Cyril's eating but only because I've done extensive research (surprise surprise) on avoiding battles at the dinner table. I'm not opposed to serving dessert with a main course and if Cyril only wants to eat bananas for dinner that's ok with me too.  I struggled with food for a good portion of my life so I try to encourage him to listen to what his body needs and when he signals he's finished eating by throwing food or shaking his head I take his food away and let him down to play.

Lastly, just because he was an angel on the flight to Spain doesn't mean he'll be an angel on the way back. Side note, bring ear plugs for passengers the next time.