Fun and Chaotic: Our Epic Family Road Trip Adventure

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children, kids, mommy, motherhood, parenting, play

We did it! We actually did it! We packed up our tiny humans, loaded up the car, and embarked on a road trip that will go down in history as the most epic adventure ever (or at least that’s what we’re telling ourselves).

Here are the highlights (or lowlights, depending on how you look at it):

– We only got lost 2 times (both of which ended in seeing cool stuff)

– We survived on a diet of cashews, crackers and drive-thru fries

– We made it through a bazillion hours of ‘I dropped my toy! Can you get it??!!’ without losing our minds (mostly)

– And we even got a few minutes of peace when the kids fell asleep (cue angelic choir)

-Nobody got car sick!

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. There were tantrums, there were meltdowns, and there was at least one instance of ‘I’m bored’ being uttered approximately every 5 seconds. BUT, we made it through, and we even had fun.

So, if you’re thinking of embarking on a road trip with your kiddos, here are some tips:

– Pack snacks. Lots and lots of snacks.

– Bring earplugs (for the whining)

– Bring small bags for the trash that will accumulate in the car.

– And most importantly, remember that it’s okay to lose your mind a little (or a lot)

Happy road tripping, friends!

We left early to avoid some drama….

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children, daughter, home, kids, life, mom, mommy, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, play, Roadtrip, travel, writing

Threats of tornadoes in our home area tomorrow, which is pretty rare. So we decided to leave this afternoon.l to avoid driving through bad weather. We stopped the car about 300 feet from our driveway to check something in the car, and I opened my door and stepped RIGHT into a poison ivy patch on the side of the road. So literally 12 seconds into the trip, we had to run back to the house so I could wash my feet and sandals.

Make it a couple towns over and Delilah “has to go potty really bad!” So we stop. Obviously. And grab ourselves coffee.

We put in about 4,5 hours of driving and decided to get a hotel for the night. The girls really did awesome. I have renewed faith in this trip!

We find a really decent hotel and as SOON as we get inside and settled, the power goes out due to the sudden gnarly storms bearing down over us. Well- at least we didn’t have to drive through that. The power flickered and went out about 6-8 times at the hotel and now is (fingers crossed) on consistently and the storms have settled. we are excited to see what tomorrow brings.

Solving the Challenges of Family Travel Prep: Packing, Cleaning, and Organization

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children, home, kids, mommy, motherhood, packing, parenting, play, Roadtrip, toddler, travel

Well, the packing has officially begun. My cousin is coming to stay at our house with the doggies (OMG I will miss them so so so much!!!), so I am trying to make sure my house is clean, while the girls and I try to keep focused on what needs to be packed and brought with us. It’s been crappy raining and humid today so they’ve been kind of coupled up with me, which means tensions are a tad high.

Their suitcases (that we borrowed from one of my husband’s coworkers, because we NEVER travel) are pretty much packed – our shared suitcase still remains empty.

You see, my husband has a way better fashion sense about him than I do, and is pretty specific about what he will need. Meanwhile, I’m just hoping my “good” jeans are clean when it comes time to leave, because I really don’t have a plan for clothing. Toss in a few undergarments, a few tank tops and a hoodie and call it a win i suppose. Poor guy, this, ladies and gentlemen, is his trophy lol! Isn’t he just blessed?!

I am more concerned about how to pack the food we are bringing. Delilah, my four year old, is so excited and Zoey, my ten year old, is excited but also acting annoyed when I remind her things need to get done. I get that genetic eye roll, the sigh she doesn’t think I hear, and the repetitive “mooooommmm!!! I can’t find stuff I need!!!!!!”.

I am refusing to buy any groceries so as to leave too much to spoil while we are gone. But I am planning on baking some muffins for us to bring, as well as leave a batch for my cousin. That being said, dinner is an absolute free for all for the next two nights. Which is fine by me, as it’s been too hot to really cook a ton anyways.

Keeping the house clean while keeping the kids organized and on task is like nailing Jell-o to a tree.

T minus less than 48 hours to take off…..

WISH ME LUCK!

What to pack, what to leave behind?

Never having planned for a real roadtrip before, let alone with little ones, I have started making “the lists”. It started as ONE list, then got divided into multiple lists; The “food” list became “cooler foods” and “NOT cooler foods”, the “suitcase” list got broken down into “toiletries/meds/etc”, and “stuff for the car” and “odds and ends” and “clothing”…. Meanwhile my four year old has presented, in her excitement, a mini bag of random crap from her room that she deems absolutely necessary to bring. It contains all the things I really need a vacation from like the tiny LOL doll pieces I secretly vacuum up sometimes, a broken paintbrush that she swears she still needs, and random dried up containers of playdough. So… those will be joining us apparently, because if I say “no” it will be the beginning of a lovely meltdown on her end, setting a not-so-fun tone for the trip before we even leave. Pick my battles, and lose most of them anyways!

BUT- I am excited, and the girls are excited, and my husband says he is excited but has also been somewhat quiet in the planning, discussion and execution of the entire idea.

I saw a post somewhere that talked about the beauty of a roadtrip that doesn’t allow ANY screens, and how it creates an opportunity for the children to be super involved in the excursion. I can assure you, we will NOT be doing that. We will definitely give them the opportunity to stop fighting in the car and mind their own screens for at least a portion of the almost 2,000 mile round trip. Tablets, chargers, etc… that’s literally its own list now. I just created it in my head. Judge me, go ahead….. the screens are coming with us!

Grocery bags for the garbage that will accrue in the car, puke bags for my 10 year old who gets car sickness just riding into town sometimes (also bringing Dramamine for the poor girl), and packages of baby wipes.

I feel like I will forget something super important, in fact, I would almost guarantee it. But I was hoping making the lists would help limit that, however, it’s starting to feel like THE LISTS are starting to create a craziness in me. Before I’m finished I will have a list of all the lists I need! Is that just a thing that happens when you’re a mom? You just have this need to have stuff planned out tediously? I used to be such a fly by the seat of my pants kind of person, now I am the list lady??? Is it because I’m mommy?

We be trippin’

Tags

children, kids, mommy, motherhood, parenting, playtime, Roadtrip, travel

Wow , it has been quite some time since I last blogged, wrote, whatever here. So a few minor things to announce (if anyone at all still reads this).

1. Not only do my husband and I have a second child now, but she is nearly five years old! (Yeah, i said it had been a hot minute since I blogged!)

2. We are gearing up for a road trip, (the longest I’ve ever been on, let alone with kids in tow) and are leaving in a few days to the Carolina’s.

So I am going to try to document this inevitable shit-show and not only make some memories, but get back into my writing. We are doing this the “old school” way, packing coolers, and sort of winging it, but we DID book hotels for our stays. I am WAY too old to be camping all Willy nilly with these beautiful little gremlins.

So – if anyone at all out there still reads this blog, check back daily as I start packing, semi-planning, and sharing our excursion! Also – feel free to leave any road trip “hacks” you may have for us to consider to make our lives easier!