One of my husband's big selling points of moving to CoMo was how much closer it was to our families: a six hour drive from his and an eight hour drive from mine (we were a full day's drive away). What he neglected to mention is that I would be doing those drives alone, well alone except for two very demanding passengers.
To be honest though, it's my own fault. Whenever the girls have a break from school I think "well we'll just take a quick trip to Grandma's!" After all, twenty four hour free babysitting everyday is hard to resist. Yes, it seems like a great idea until I am actually in the car trying to cater to the demands of the girls while I careen down the highway. My husband called to yell at my for texting while driving yesterday (I typed up a tweet at a red light, don't hate me) but the real danger is just in trying to keep everyone sane.
It's as if I have discovered a new extreme sport. Skateboarding flips? Pashaw. Try traveling with children. Events include reaching a fallen cup while doing eighty, pouring water into said cup and replacing the top all without taking a hand off the steering wheel, and breaking up fights while belted in. All I can say is, thank god I don't drive a stick anymore.
One of the many things I said I wouldn't do when I had kids was use DVD players in the car. I was going to make up stories and sing to to them. We were going to listen to books on tape. Now I can't get enough of them. Bless my sister-in-law for loaning us hers for the trip home. Eight straight hours of TV? Okay, if it means us getting there alive.
I agree on the DVD players. It's one thing to say 'we didn't have that as kids when we drove across the country and we were fine!' and be the adult in the car with a screaming kid for 6+ hours let alone 2.
ReplyDeleteLast summer I traveled with my parents, husband, 22 y.o. brother and 7 y.o. brother for 8 hours in a mini van. We brought not only the dual screen dvd player, but also his Gamecube. At the end of the car ride he said 'That was so much fun!' crazy kid.
It's amazing all of the things we do that we said we wouldn't do once the kids arrived. :)
ReplyDelete8 hours in the car is a lot just traveling by yourself, couldn't even imagine it with two little ones. Don't be so hard on yourself. You gotta do what you gotta do :)
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