Hi there, and welcome to another Monday. This post is really a Friday Love{s} situation, but since I was in the middle of our little mini-vacay last week, it's making its appearance today. Last week was Spring Break for NYC public schools, a perplexing phenomenon in that they already had a break back in February. When I was a kid, there was only one break, so this double situation had us scratching our heads. Normally, we like our vacations hot and booze-drenched. But with Zika messing with the heat component and the kids messing with the alcohol component, we were casting about for something to do, until I saw someone post a large cabin for rent on our parents listserv. It was big enough for two families, and we have a family we like a lot: Lou's best friend from preschool has remained a big presence in our lives, even though the girls now go to different schools. They were game, and about a week later we were all headed to Rhinebeck, New York.

We landed on this place, a charming cottage that had a few things we definitely required: two master suites, a washer/dryer and dishwasher, a patch of grass, and a kids' room that came fully stocked with toys.

That last is pretty clutch, because it not only means you don't have to haul all your worldly possessions to the house, but also lets the kids do something new and fun and different on their vacation. There was only one boat-bed, but our girls, Louisa and bestie Catherine, were champs at sharing, while our boys, William and Westley, each slept in a porta-crib. It was still chilly - about 60 degrees on average - so the pool wasn't open, but we still had a lot of outdoor fun, skipping rocks, swinging on swings and climbing one impossibly high and rickety tower to see the sights.

We made little day trips to woods and parks for this fun, and also spent plenty of relaxing time indoors. Another key to vacationing with another family is to have similar adventure and planning levels. We were all up for adventure, but none of us were pressed about planning too far in advance or biting off more than we could chew. We were willing to gauge the mood of all the parties involved and act accordingly. So, sometimes Legos and stickers won the day. Or at least the morning.

We parents switched out date nights, so we each got to take advantage of free babysitting and try Rhinebeck's much-celebrated food scene. Derek (Catherine's dad) and Bret had a bro night where they tried ramen (at the pop up Ramen Shop at the Tasting Room, in case anyone goes) and pork buns that they couldn't stop raving about. I particularly enjoyed our last day's brunch at the Bread Alone cafe. I love Bread Alone breads, and buy them at our local grocery co-op, and the brunch was super yummy. It was also incredibly reasonably priced compared to our New York City Brunch Expectations. For the kids and stayers-in, we cooked simple dinners every night: pasta, pizza and burgers that pleased the crowds and fed the beasts. I really thought it was a great time: easy, relaxed and fun. We took some notes on what could improve the experience next time around, and we really only came up with a better lounging experience in the main room, which in this case was a bit formally and scantily furnished for our brood.

Oh, and those rug tiles weren't stickered properly and kept moving around and creating havoc. Between that and a general sense of dismay at the pattern-that-wasn't, we hated that rug.

Of course, the final tip to vacationing with another family is to make sure the kids get along. In our case, a few emotional outbursts aside, our girls get along swimmingly. They are reasonably good at incorporating the boys (though William is much more incorporate-able than West still), and when you start adding kids to the mix at this age, you actually decrease the amount of work you need to do as a parent. They were pretty happy to just entertain themselves while we fought over the one couch.

So that's our little vacation with another family. I highly recommend this method of spring-breaking. It mixes things up a bit without being a big ol' to-do or requiring passports or anything. Have you ever vacationed with another family? What are your main requirements for doing so? Do tell, and I'll see you soon!