Monday, March 31, 2014

Road trip!

Driving 10-plus hours in a car with two kids by myself. Sounds like a nightmare doesn't it?
Guess what? It totally wasn't.

When planning our spring break trip to Maryland to see my parents, I was a little nervous. Scott had already committed to a leadership conference that week, so that meant he was out.
Could I do it myself? Would it be a car trip from hell? I envisioned nonstop whining, fighting and too many bathroom breaks to count.

Amazingly, our trip was pure bliss. Ten hours. Two bathroom stops. Zero fighting. One meltdown over a lost batman flashlight. (Can you really blame him?) And a minor mishap with a spilled bottle of water and wet pants.

While I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of our trip, it wasn't all luck. I had planned for the worst and also I was determined to make the trip fun and stress-free. No worries. No deadlines. Just the kids, me and the road. I was optimistic, and for once it paid off.

I made a point to not zone out like I sometimes do when I drive. We played games in the car together, sang songs from Frozen, and talked about our trip.

I packed surprise bags the kids were allowed to open every couple hours. Each one was filled with something different---books, window markers, stickers, treats. These little bags may have been our saving grace because the kids constantly looked forward to the next prize bag. The other secret to success I think was just going at our own pace and not rushing. At the rest stops, the kids picked out maps and special drinks, and I let them run and dance a little to burn off some energy.

Of course the excitement of seeing Meme and Papa got us through any cranky moods on the way there, and on the way back, I think we were all so exhausted that we were glad to get home.

Overall road trip was a success. Bring on the cross-country trip!

2 comments:

  1. way.to.go.miss.mama! we're gonna embark on a road trip this summer and i can't wait! so happy it went so well!!!!

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  2. Thanks! It was great! Where are you guys going?

    ReplyDelete