Solo Mumma Travel Tribe

On Tuesday 13th September 2016 at 5am, Eric carried my bags and escorted me and the three into the airport. He narrowly avoided a tow away...
was armed with overnight oats in jars, vegemite crackers, cliff bars, cut up vegetables and fruit. I had activities including a magnetised mermaid, colouring and stickers. Though I didn't plan to make our entire trip screen free, it was! So the first flight was fine and in our Sydney stop over I found Bonsoy coffee and was able to entertain the mini people with food, a workout and some yoga. We didnt look that odd...
On our second flight into Ballina all three children slept, I felt so so so lucky that I had some peace and quiet to rest my busy mind. 
Byron Bay is quite child friendly, especially if your little wildlings know how to swim and not run off on you. The weather was less than optimal and on those days I was glad to have my little sister and brother in law help entertain the kids. Each night they were in bed before 7pm and awoke between 5-6.30am. 
I was able to get into CrossFit Byron Bay twice and the last two days were totally ripper weather. So I literally chilled on the beach while the kids roamed free.
There were a few hairy moments, like when I left getting coffee too late. Then there was the time I was carting all of our bags, carrying Reef in the Tula, had just purchased a Naked Treaties smoothie, and Raine desperately needed to poo...we found a public toilet just in time!
The flight home was difficult because Reef had napped on the beach earlier and REFUSED to nap again. There was no stop over, and I was desperately underprepared for food whilst also not interested in carrying any more shit. Cue cranky mumma and kids.
Hubs picked us up and drove us straight to Vegie Bar before bringing us home to our seaside abode.
Travelling solo, was definitely a challenge though I felt really connected to the kids, proud of them for (mostly) listening to me, and pretty stoked that E managed to move us in to our new place.
This is the first time I travelled alone with three, and I doubt it will be the last.
y take away message is simply to relax into the circumstances and enjoy an opportunity to grow.

On Friday 14th July 2017 I did it again! This time I packed the car, the kids and a bestie and drove to Byron Bay...
It's now the 4th August, so it is safe to say I don't want to go home! Steph stayed with us from Melbourne to Bondi (almost!), to Byron and then she jetted home the following Thursday. I then picked up another bestie and her two beautiful kiddies. Hubs arrived on Friday and we partied through Splendour In The Grass like a bunch of responsible adults that carted their kids around. Sarah managed to very cleverly bring her pram while Eric and myself carried our lot :I and I was quite envious, looking back!
Sarah and her tribe left after Splendour while hubby and I moved in with my sister, her husband and their newborn, Solomon <3 we stayed most of the week before driving back down to Sydney for the Hay House Writers convention and then I drove back to Byron alone while E flew home to work.
Since Tuesday I have been living in a beautiful house right off Jonson St and it has been awesome. I've trained every single day, finally getting muscle ups on the rings, I've caught up with my instagram bestie, enjoyed a lot of coffee and a little time and space to get my shit sorted.
I am writing the script to my 8 week program (which will be available online in September) branding all of my Mumma Movement and Doula offerings, writing a book proposal and trying to stay on top of the CrossFit admin. I get maybe an hour in the morning between the kids first and second breakfast, and if I can stay awake after they fall asleep I utilise the time between 8-11pm. 

It's Tuesday night, I'm not sure if anyone can tell how hard I am finding this. I've been alone with the kids since Sunday afternoon (thats nine days), have three days to get through before I am back in Melbourne. I will be exhausted, I am competing in our Gravity Wars Weightlifting comp on Saturday and will be coming off minimal sleep. Training here has been amazing, the kids have really thrived in a big space, we've been super lucky that mid-morning open gym has been quiet, and I've gotten most of my workouts done. There has been LOTS of poos and bottom changing in the middle of my WODs haha.
We have stayed in the most amazing place www.byron-bay.com/seadriftone/ and I've only lost my shit a few times (sorry neighbours!).
I have successfully weaned Reef down to one breastfeed each night to get him to sleep, though he wakes usually at least once for a feed which I refuse and is up for the day at the crack of dawn. As he didn't nap today, he fell asleep in the car driving home from the beach so I have not fed him since yesterday!!!!!
Sometimes being a peaceful, present, work-a-holic mumma on a holiday is completely impossible for me...but one of my fantastic girlfriends reminded me of how hard I do work and how lucky my tribe are to have this holiday experience. 

Last night I had a full breakdown...I let my anxiety about driving home get out of control. I had had a great day, taking the kids horse riding and catching up with friends as well as saying goodbye to Loz, Jake & Solomon, but full loneliness took over at night. I am also reading a book called Parenting from the Inside Out, which asks us to understand our own childhoods with self awareness so that we can parent our children with loving understanding and connection. Prior to becoming pregnant with Reef, I never questioned my parenting. I knew I was doing my absolute best at all times and I enjoyed parenting immensely. The stress of having three and figuring it all out left me constantly on edge, and not being able to talk about how I am feeling left me a little isolated. It came to a head last winter and I was so anxious about feeling hopeless again that I let my worry of the future and my fear of not wanting to live anymore cloud the past year. It meant I wasn't fully present with my children, nor husband and only felt like myself when in motion. I also stopped blogging because I believed that no one would want to hear how sad I was.
Most days I feel really good. My children are wonderful, the community we have built at CrossFit Croydon has completely uplifted me, my husband is the greatest man on the planet and 99% of the time he ticks all of my boxes ;) and of course, I just became an Aunty and feel very connected to my sister, brother and nephew. We worked our bums off for 11months so that I could take some time off coaching and physically being at work and I truly have enjoyed the majority of my time in my favourite place.
The kids are being beautiful today, and I will train and beach it up before driving back to Melbs.
hankyou, dear readers, for your support and love xxxxx