Traveling with Kids

We did the unthinkable and DROVE 1000 miles to Texas and back again with two kids.  It was actually pretty awesome.

Traveling with small children does present some challenges.

Of course, we hadn't been on the road long before the 'mommy, I was a juice....momma, moooweee beez?'' started.  Out came the snack and on went the movie, just to clarify what Trent was asking for.

There is the ''I have to go potty really bad!'' and you just happen to be in the middle of nowhere Mississippi.  You drive down the road trying to ascertain the cleanliness of gas stations from the signs posted at exits.  We were NOT catching a virus and taking the plague to Texas again this 4th of July.  Garmin has a fabulous feature that can 'mark' places you pit stopped.  We took note of the good, bad and ugly of them.

I think there were many fervant prayers for car naps so we could get that few extra miles down the road before the next stop.  The naps were SHORT, most likely do to the inactivity of the car.  More fascinating is a child's ability to stay awake late into the night.  Nora road as Rich's sidekick until 11pm the first day we were driving to Texas.

Watching your toddler walk into the hotel at 11:15 at night bow legged from sitting in a carseat most of a 12 hr car ride.   He collapsed into the bed with his sister and they snuggled together.

WHat?  Wait!  WHY are you awake!  The 7am wake-up call from Nora the next morning honestly just made us angry, in that grumpy road-weary parental way.  Lesson learned on what all that running around during the day does for kids...it makes them SLEEP!

Patience will wear thin for no reason other than the fact of being trapped in a car.  Emotional claustrophobia of the worst kind because mommy and daddy can't take a mental break.

That all said, trips with the kids will get better.  They won't need breaks as often.  They will be able to get  into the snacks on their own.

Mommy and daddy will get better about coordinating ideas and responsibility for travel and packing.  How does it happen that the wife mommy gets to pack for everyone, including daddy?   Oddly, my sister in law and her husband have the same issues.  They get in horrible arguments while packing up the car for trips.

This is the problem.  The MOMMY has to have access to all the items to insure happiness to each child. Invariably, daddy doesn't know about some of these because YOU are the mommy and it comes with the title.  Do you have Trent's bebe?  Yes.  The green one?  No the blue one.  Ummm, we need the green one, he likes that one better.  Daddy getting frustrated that what he did isn't right.  Insert another dozen discussions like that over sunscreen, shampoo, car toys, snack selection, etc.  What do you get?  Mommy and daddy on the verge and not one mile has been traveled yet.

Even more fantastic....get on the road.  ''Do we have everything?''  Yep.  Have your sister call and randomly ask, ''Did you bring Rich's suit?''  &*@*&#@$@*#$  Not three miles from the house and we had to turn around!

Try to remember that anything forgotten can be bought while you are on the road, most likely for a high price at a seedy gas station!