The soft summer breeze tickles my bare bottom, it's hot and I hate to sweat so there goes off the clothes, I strip as exasperated Nanny fails miserably for the umpteenth time to keep me clothed. Well the house is a buzz with activity, the parentships are in high spirits, Mum's constant frown on her forehead has relaxed a little and Just Dad has managed to avert his eyes from his laptop to hum a tune whilst he packs the car. Yep you might have guessed it, the dear but utterly gullible parents have decided to engage in a bit of summer vacation. Gullible I say, because  ONE they are taking us and TWO they forgot what a miserable time they had last time with two children under the age of five!!!! BUHAHAHAHA I laugh with evil baby laughter.

For the dear readers who are are a bit confused, maybe the sun is getting to you or your might be those funny characters who don't have children or who Just Dad calls the lucky ones. Holidays with kids are hard and not for the faint hearted I'm afraid. Anyway, so let me fill you in with all the gory details of last years holiday, packed the car with 20 pieces of luggage - 2 cases for the parents and the rest was for us children of course. Big Sister HAD to take the whole Frozen doll collection with her of course, they needed a seaside holiday as well.

Initially we were all in high spirits we had the nursery rhymes CD on full blast and had just sang “Wheels on The Bus” for the sixteenth time. Mum and Dad did look a little feeble around the edges, but they were playing along like good sports bless them.. and then all hell broke loose.. Big Sister who was been awfully quiet decided to throw up all over without any warning, since she was sitting right behind Just Dad. Her projectile 90 degree arch of spew conveniently settled on the back of his head. Car stopped, massive clean up, naughty words uttered by both parents, I have super hearing parents you forget. We all set off again smelling of a mix of air freshener wipes and eau de cologne.. the combination was revolting... so revolting that I realized it was my turn to vomit unannounced.. not as impressive as Big Sister's but I gave it my best shot. Parents did not look pleased at all. This made me cry, then Big Sister cried, we both inconsolably cried the rest of the two hour journey... and so began the lovely summer holiday.. AND we get to do it again this year YAY. Happy holidays!

Expert Advice – Babies in Hot Weather 

Babies and young children are very sensitive to the effects of high temperatures and can quickly get stressed by heat. As they rely on others to take care of them it is very important to watch them closely and to keep them from getting hot or dehydrated. Signs to watch for are:

· looking unwell,

· being floppy or more irritable than usual,

· having drier skin, refusing to drink,

· having fewer wet nappies than usual.

The soft spot on top of a baby’s head (fontanelle) may also be lower than usual. Seek medical attention immediately if it gets worse.

Babies and Car Sickness 

Try these tips to help your baby feel well on the journey:

· Plan your journey for times your baby may fall asleep

· You could put your baby to bed before you depart, and then transfer him into his car seat.

· Try not to give your baby a full feed just before travelling.

· If your little one vomits, give him sips of breastmilk or formula milk, or cooled boiled water. This will prevent him becoming dehydrated.

· Keep the car cool and don’t overdress your baby.

· Don’t try to distract your baby with toys or books as these can make travel sickness symptoms worse.

· Put a sun shade on the car window to protect him from the sun and to help him look forward.

By Mayuri Jayasinghe