The first morning we left around 7am. We'd planned to leave earlier, but didn't make it out. We learned quickly how nice it would be to have those extra couple of hours, and left every other morning around 5am - giving us a couple hours to just drive. In silence.
Back to the first day. I think we were all excited to get out on the road, and the kids were super excited about having a tv in the car. Yes, we bought the strap-on-the-back-of-the-headrest tvs per recommendations from pretty much everyone I talked to. I was pretty proud of myself for catching them on sale and with a coupon, so they were cheaper than what I could find used. Since tv viewing is extremely limited at our house - without going into a lot of detail - tv viewing is brief. My kids just do better with other things (and I do too), and to be honest, hearing the noise of the tv just stresses me out most of the time, so we don't watch it. Unless I'm cooking dinner. Then it's fantastic. Or if someone is sick. Then it's a great place for them to lay and hang out. I could probably think of a bazillion other times when we love it, but for the most part, we just fill our time differently. Anyway, I went with recommendations and thought the tvs will be such a novelty and they will just be so excited to watch movies!
20 minutes into the first movie my kids were B.O.R.E.D. Alexis was already asking for a book and Max had dug into his backpack he'd packed. Oh great. This is going to be a very long trip if they won't even watch something to keep them occupied!!
We made it to our first rest stop which had a great grassy area for dogs. So, we ran the dog (and the kids) when snap! Kermit's entire collar completely broke. He kept running (I'm sure shouting "freedom!" the entire time), while I stood there holding a leash. Thankfully, the next thought that came to his mind was "food!" and he stopped with ease and made his way back. Not wanting to stop and spend time looking for a replacement, we jimmied the leash and pretty much used that the rest of the trip.
Pre-planned things that were a success? Snacks in plastic cups. Big hit. Story time in the car. Mental note: Do not let Max pack 3 Spiderman books. I cringe every time I see them. Color wonder markers. Stickers. Magnetic boards. Pipe cleaners. And of course, Max's transformer.
No gos? Any other writing thing I brought. For some reason, they just wanted the color wonder markers. Puzzles. Packed a couple of those, and even though they were small enough, didn't really seem to be of interest.
Where did the tv's end up for the rest of the trip? We actually tried a couple of different shows and found that the short shows were what caught their interest instead of a long movie. Probably because that's what they are used to watching anyway. Probably because we didn't pick up a new movie for them to be excited about. And, by the time we were driving back, Max was totally content watching a movie while Alexis slept. So, I still put them under a success, and for long trips, I do think they help.
Unplanned successes? The amount of time they were content just looking out the window. We even had this fun spaceship/different planet/alien story going for a good part of Wyoming - both times. The kids loved the pretend stories we could make in the car. Music. We had a big selection - and had thought Mike and I would really benefit from it initially, but there were plenty of times the kids loved just listening to tunes. The different maps we picked up along the way. And some of the games we just made up on the spot - both in the car and at rest stops. Seeing sights along the way - random places to check out. Laughing at each other. Fun times.
Unplanned failures? Number one for me, definitely the impact of the nausea and the car trip, especially on the way home. I didn't think we'd ever get out of the car, and the thought of a long trip still makes me a bit green. And the challenges of traveling with a dog. Well, maybe not any dog, but definitely our dog. While I love Kermit to death, it is a lot of extra work to manage him at gas stations and try to figure out where to eat since you can't relax in a nice air conditioned restaurant. Which on our first stop in Council Bluffs, NE, we went to the nearest park. Next to railroad tracks, a viaduct, and extremely low income housing. Surrounded by who-knows-what is going on crowd and who-knows-what is actually in the grass so we had better not sit down. Quickest picnic lunch we ever had. And one of the only times I wouldn't let the kids play in the park. So gross.
Back to the dog, where you have to make sure you have enough bags to pick up the poop, etc. I was pretty grouchy about it by the end (again, I blame all grouchiness on my nausea, but who knows, healthy Sara might have been just as bugged). I had some definite Marley & Me moments, and was ready to give him away by the time we made it back to Minnesota. Then it took a week or so for me to really snap out of it, and decide that I really do love the dang guy. Actually, it just took me really watching how much the kids love him, and then I decided I liked him. Or maybe it was when Mike told Max that I wanted to give the dog away and Max started crying. Real tears. She can't! Where would he go? He cried. Or maybe when I remembered what a companion he really is for me - right by my side every night, and the closest thing around when I'm sick. Probably a mixture of them all brought me back to reality that yes, we have a dog, yes I love him, and yes, he's part of our family.
Sure, there were moments that Alexis just cried. And times when they needed something every two seconds. And sure, we were exhausted from the actual driving. But, overall I really do say the pros for us outweighed the chaotic moments. I really was a pretty dang fun way to build some memories.
Didn't take many pics, but snapped a few in Wyoming.
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