Come Along for the Ride

Yesterday we drove to my Dad’s house which should take roughly 8 – 9 hours. My original plan was for us to leave at 4am. The kids usually wake up but they are so tired that they just sit there dazed and will often fall back asleep. This allows us a few hours of fairly quiet hours with no stopping. However, when we went to bed Sunday night there was a wintry mix falling and the temperature was falling below freezing. We were concerned that at 4am the roads would be slick with black ice. So we decided that the safest thing to do would be to not leave that early. Byron & I were both tired so we went to bed with the plan of me getting up early to finish the packing (which had not been done already like I normally do because in the past 2 weeks Vance had an ear infection & lung infection followed by the stomach bug which he then decided to share with me on my birthday!) and then we would leave after lunch. We made this decision because when traveling with Vance we have to pack every meal because there is literally no fast food restaurant that has anything safe for him to eat. Leaving after lunch meant only snack and supper in the car. Then hopefully the last couple hours of the trip they would be asleep….IDEALLY. Now I want you to enjoy the ride with us.
1:17pm – Finally pulled out of our driveway & only about 17 minutes later than planned.
• 2 houses away from ours Ella asks to watch a movie. Really? I want them to look out the windows not stare at a DVD screen the whole time.
• Vance said, “Excuse me Mommy. Where’s Daddy?” My reply, “Right here Vance.” Followed by, “Excuse me Mommy. Daddy is here…Excuse me Mommy. Vance is here…Excuse me Mommy. Ella is here.” He did this a few times. I think he was excited we were all in the car together.
• After 2 turns Ella asks if we were almost to Grandpa & Granny Lu’s house. Oh my!
• Vance was tired, the reason for leaving after lunch, and fell asleep in the first 20 – 30 minutes.
2:20pm – Ella did not go to sleep so we made our first stop for a potty break.
2:45pm – Vance woke up. I gave the kids a snack & they started watching a movie…Dora
3:00pm – Stopped for gas (yes, this was our decision to stop so soon but we were waiting for the gas to be cheaper & we were just about on fumes) Byron & I decided we wanted a snack and split a sandwich from Subway. When we pulled off the interstate Ella asked if we were there. I believe it was at this point I told her that the sun will be down & it will be dark before we get to Grandpa & Granny Lu’s house.
4:40pm – Ella had to potty again. So we pulled off & stopped on the side of the exit ramp & let her use the little training potty that we keep in the car. We also changed Vance’s diaper.
4:50pm – Dora is over. Ella tells me she doesn’t see the moon. I explain it is because the sun isn’t down yet. She clearly was looking for the moon so we would be at Grandpa & Granny Lu’s house already. We started TinkerBell.
6:10pm – Yes, we stopped again! We stopped at Sonic for a potty break & supper. There was a grassy area between Sonic and the hotel beside it so Byron ran up & down that area with the kids for a while. We finally ordered and I gave Vance his meal from home (roast, baked potato & green beans…yes they were cold, my only option). The rest of us ate yummy, but not so healthy food. Actually I didn’t finish mine. Since we don’t eat fast food anymore it just wasn’t as good as I remember it being.
6:45pm – We were back on the road with no movie!
7:35pm – Stopped for hopefully the last time to get gas, take potty breaks & change the kids into their pajamas. My dad called just as we were pulling off & I got so tickled because of how many times we have stopped and how long it was taking us to get there. I seriously could not stop laughing. The only thing to do is laugh instead of being frustrated.

8:00pm – Started Curious George while Byron double checked our final directions.
8:03pm – We were back on the interstate.
The kids were quiet and I realized I was a little tired so I decided to close my eyes and take a little nap. But that lasted only about 10-15 minutes and the rest of the movie Vance, in an effort to not fall asleep, kept saying, “Excuse me mommy….” Followed by either a request to sit in my lap or go home. He also threw to the side every blankie or stuffed animal we handed him. All in an effort to not fall asleep.
9:30pm – The movie was over. Ella was almost out but Vance was getting very cranky. The three of us held hands and prayed. Ella fell asleep right away. Then I sang our praise songs, as is our bedtime routine, while rubbing Vance’s leg. He immediately calmed down & eventually fell asleep at 9:50pm!
11:15pm – We finally arrived at Grandpa & Granny Lu’s house. Thankfully God answered our prayers as we were able to completely unload the car, set up their beds in our bedroom, get them out & put them in their beds without waking up. They slept all night too!

If you have kids then our ride might sound normal to you. But what you need to understand is that since I was a little girl my family drove many hours to see family. Then as I grew up I did the same thing. But I would only stop one time for gas, potty break & food on a 9 or 10 hour trip. Stopping this many times is truly out of the norm for me. But I managed to smile, laugh and know that this is what I do when it’s no longer about me! But we will be leaving at 4am on the return trip. I need to get a few hours on the road before needing to stop!