Photos. How hard could they be?
Turns out, pretty hard. Well at least they can be if you’re trying to co-ordinate two unruly kids in the sweltering midmorning heat of Bali. A couple of the other in-laws had already had some pictures done and they’d turned out great so we figured why the heck not. It’s the first overseas family trip we’ve taken and having a few professionally done photos would be a nice keepsake. Plus all the other photos we’ve had professionally done, mostly from daycare/school, turned out great so it was worth a roll of the dice.
The morning routine being a mostly settled affair helped things a bit although I’m not sure I want the crawling into our bed in the morning thing to continue once we’re back in country. We then brought the kids back to the room to get them ready for the pictures which included such daunting tasks as choosing clothes, washing faces and unbraiding my daughter’s hair. That last one is quite the doozy as my daughter is very sensitive with her hair and the slightest tug in the wrong direction will get you a pair of hands in the face and a scream that could shatter plate glass. Still we managed to get ready with time to spare so we let the kids chill for a bit with their tablets before braving the heat.
It became quickly apparent why they had a spot for us at 10AM on such short notice. The heat was already at its peak and so before we even got started most of us were already feeling it. The photographers did a great job regardless, making sure to stick to shade whilst still getting good light on us. The kids were good up until about halfway when the boy, suffering from his usual lack of sleep (due to waking up early and not going back down) started to refuse to do anything even with the promise of endless treats should he comply. This did lead to a few rather amusing shots of him but far more were ruined. Our daughter on the other hand took to modelling by herself with one of the other photographers with gusto. She can certainly take instruction when she’s properly motivated.
The photo shoot was supposed to last for a bit longer as they wanted to take us down to the beach. We had to cut it short though as there was just no way the boy was going to survive that, even after I’d tried hydrating him and fanning him down a bit. So instead we decided we’d take him back to the room to cool down and have a nap. He fought us of course but it wasn’t long before he was passed out and looking far happier.
We chilled in the room again for a while and it was lunchtime before we knew it. We were also just about to wake the boy when he roused himself, making it a good time to grab some food before we dropped them off at the kid’s club for the rest of the day. Lunch went well too as the kids mostly know what they like to eat now and can usually be enticed to experiment slightly should the offer of ice-cream make an appearance. With the kids properly fed and sugared up we dropped them off and then went to have another massage.
Which I’ll say felt somewhat decadent, given we’d only had one just a couple days prior. Then again though I did enjoy the time it offered me to think through some plotlines for one short story I had and, this time around, to begin outlining a potential sci-fi novel that came about because of said short stories. Like most things I’ve got the world, it’s technologies and all sorts of other fun worldbuilding stuff but the main thing is still missing: the plot. There’s a few ideas of course, but nothing that quite sits right yet. Maybe I should just start writing a few of the ideas I’ve got and the plot will come…eventually.
My massage ended before my wife’s treatments so I headed back to the room and figured getting a few more words down on the short story I was working on would be a good use of the time. Once she got back I realised the time and asked about the potential plans we had for a sunset down by the beach with the rest of the family. That didn’t really eventuate to anything then but instead we headed over to the big pool to chill with everyone who was around until it got closer to sundown.
Once it did we quickly got changed and headed down to the local beach. One of the in-laws had found some sun loungers that the resort sets out for this thing and we made that area our own as we watched the sun go down. It’s a good time to chill, chat and enjoy some good visuals. A cocktail or two wouldn’t have gone wrong either but it seems the resort’s bar service didn’t extend that far.
Indian was the dinner of choice and it was a good one. It was just across the road from the resort and despite it being completely empty when we got there the food was great. Whitey-hot for every dish though, including the vindaloo, which was a little disappointing but not unexpected given we’re in the place where Australians tend to visit more frequently than anywhere else.
We checked in on the kids on the way back but both of them this time wanted to stay to see the movie out. So we left them there for a little while longer before bringing them back home. Our daughter unfortunately tripped and hurt herself on the way back which made her entire day terrible, something which I wasn’t able to solve with cuddles or my usual daddy silliness.
Tomorrow is our last day here and it honestly feels like about the right time. We’ve done a lot, had our ups and downs, and now feels like the right time for one last hurrah before we board the plane back home. The day will certainly stretch well beyond just 24 hours though and I’m not looking to the fun that is Sydney airport at 7AM on a Monday. Still though I’m somewhat looking forward to getting back to our normal routine. This has been a good break. Not a great one but compared to every other family holiday we’ve had to this point? It’s definitely sitting at #1 for a while, I think.
