Well, we took our first official road trip with kids this last weekend! I was looking forward to this weekend because we were going to Austin to see my Daddy and Diane, but also so they could meet these adorable boys we have had with us for the last almost two months. But the other reason I was looking forward to this weekend was being able to have our own "family road trip" stories to share. With my grandparents in various places around TX while I was growing up, we always had fun stories about road trips, songs we sang (I wish I could remember them all!) and those ever so numerous stories about "he's touching me" and "I have to go to the bathroom" a million different times over and over again! :)
So we got on the road about 4:30. I thought I had everything we could possibly need for the trip down and back. We had toys, movies, the cool DVD player Fern and Meg got us, all kinds of treats and juice and pillows and blankets. We were going to be well taken care of. Except, I forgot the little things, like a trash bag and I packed WAY too much food and too many toys - go figure! :) We stopped for dinner in Hillsboro and had some wonderfully healthy McDonalds (listen, you do what you can!). With both boys fed, we proceeded to the car to continue our journey southward. That's when we realized our first major "oops" of the trip was not making a bottle for the youngest one instead of making a sippee cup. So 30 minutes later we pulled in to the Czech Stop in West and bought some water and milk to make a bottle - the screaming was instantly ceased! Amazing! :) Then about an hour later, we had to stop for gas - and diaper changes - and don't even think I was about to take those boys into those restrooms for diaper changes - nope, we did it in the car right there at the pump! I am a diaper ninja!
About 9:30, we pulled in to Daddy and Diane's driveway! Whew! We made it! We came in for a few minutes of introductions and some unavoidable playing and getting riled up before bed. Patrick magically figured out how to put the pack and play together for the youngest and we put the boys to bed by 11:00 - a bit later than usual...but that usually means they sleep longer the next morning. We all retired to bed for a restful nights sleep....well, everyone else did. I was up all night with a stomach bug. A stomach bug that still hasn't gone all the way away. So it turns out I was pretty much useless all weekend long. Patrick played Super Daddy all weekend chasing the boys and keeping them entertained with Daddy and Diane and family. (I still haven't figured out how to pay him back for all he did this weekend - he was simply wonderful!) But the boys seemed to have a really good time.
Deeda (that's the grandparent name my Daddy chose) and Diane kept those boys busy with all kinds of "country" entertainment - watering the garden, running around the yard, playing basketball and skating in the garage to feeding the cows and watching the birds eat out of the birdhouse. Of course they also got to watch whatever they wanted to and had plenty of pancakes, hotdogs, mac and cheese (homemade - not the boxed kind) hamburgers, strawberry shortcake and milk and juice! After two days of all this goodness, I am surprised they will even consider eating my cooking - or the food i get already prepared I mean. :)
We made sure to wear these little ones out as much as possible all weekend long and got on the road to come back home about 11:30. The youngest had a family visit that night and we needed to be back home in time for CPS to pick him up. So we said some tearful goodbyes to Deeda and Diane and head out northward. We expected a similar trip home to the one we had coming down. But God was truly with us because both boys slept all the way through to Waco (mommy did too!). We stopped in Waco for some lunch and were home by 3:30! The trip back home was MUCH better!
So we learned a few good lessons about road tripping with kids and we get to start our own list of road trip stories where I am sure there will be many more to come! :)
Many blessings to you all as you have been to us!
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