Two weeks ago, the kids and I took a road trip to Birmingham, Alabama to visit our dear friends the Breedloves. It was my first solo extended drive with all 3 children, and I have to say that it went pretty darn well.
We left Thursday mid-morning since the MLK, Jr. holiday provided us with a long weekend. We arrived in time for dinner, and the boys were WILD with excitement to see one another. It was sweet to see their joyous reunion! Friday morning was spent lounging around the house, the kids playing happily while Courtney and I talked. After a lunchtime movie break to re-set the kids (and allow Abby to nap), we headed to the Birmingham Zoo. The weather was unseasonably warm, and it was the perfect place for the kids to run around.
On Saturday morning, Courtney took the girls (Eliza and Abby) and me for a driving tour of the city. This was one of my favorite parts! I love envisioning people in their environments. Now I know where Steven goes to seminary, Courtney takes the kids to the library, they go to church on Sunday morning, and even where their Target is. The boys spent the entire morning back at the house with Steven, playing in the dense woods adjacent to their house. It was a boys’ paradise!
We left around 1 o’clock in the afternoon and headed for Atlanta. I had decided to break up the return trip, and I really didn’t want to pass through Atlanta twice without stopping to see Mark and Ne’Kia. They graciously opened their home to our crazy crew (By then, the kids were totally over stimulated and tired!). Thankfully, the kids were tucked into bed on time and plenty of the evening remained for adult conversation.
My early birds were wide awake before 6 a.m. on Sunday, and we were ready to be home. I got everybody fed, threw our belongings in the van, and we pulled away from Mark’s house at 7 a.m. Our hosts slept through it all! We were home by 11 a.m. and relieved to have a day and a half of recovery time. We all needed it!
(Abby dumped the entire salt shaker when I went to grab spoons.)
Eliza and Abby
(They had a love/hate relationship, largely based around possession of the pictured doll.)
The early birds!
At the zoo
The boys really do play well together. Steven and Sam are so missed!
My observations and conclusions following this epic adventure:
~ 1 hour and 20 minutes: That’s how long you have following a pit stop before sibling conflicts begin and somebody has to be pee really bad right now! Naturally, you hit this point in the middle of nowhere and spend the next 10 minutes swearing that a bathroom is just around the bend.
~ Speaking of pit stops, you must plan for at least 20 minutes to get everybody out of the car, into the bathroom, bladders emptied, re-dressed, hands washed, back to the car, Abby’s diaper changed, buckled in, movie turned on, snacks distributed, and drinks refilled. If you add in filling up the car with gas, you’re at a solid 30 minutes. I learned to relax and go with it (I know!).
~ Looking up the rest areas along I-85 in advance was a brilliant idea. Important note: The rest area at mile marker 114, just north of Atlanta, is actually just a pile of rubble. This was a pleasant surprise as I drove through the pouring rain with a four year old who needed to pee really bad right now.
~ Before departure, we rearranged the van’s seats so that all three children sat in a row in the middle. This allowed me to hand back Kleenex, snacks, drinks, etc. without having to pull over all the time. Putting Abby in the middle seemed logical – the boys were separated and could help Abby if needed. Little did we know that when Abby became bored or tired (or both!), she would grab the markers, paper, stickers, or beloved stuffed animals from her brothers’ hands and fling them to the floor. Cue mischievous grins from Abby, angry cries from the boys, and empty threats from the driving mother.
~ An hour time difference doesn’t seem like a big deal. It is. Add in sleeping in unfamiliar beds, and you have two boys who are wide awake at 4:58 a.m. (CST). You stall breakfast until 6 a.m., and, by the time your hosts eat their breakfast at 7:30 a.m., your family is ready for morning snack! And so it goes…all day long….
~ Despite my reassurances to the contrary, Ryan does care about sleeping on “girly sheets.”
~ Speaking of Ryan, the combination of fatigue, high excitement, and a “late” dinner led to these gems at the dinner table:
“I don’t want to sleep in that room. It smells weird.” (It didn’t.)
“What is this? I don’t want to eat this.” (While holding up a fine piece of roasted broccoli.)
Thank goodness for old friends with lots of grace!
While there were certainly challenging moments, our time with the Breedloves was absolutely precious. It more than made up for any fatigue or crankiness we might have endured. A friend told me that trips like these can be empowering, and I have to say that it was. Thanks to the Breedloves for putting up with us and giving us the opportunity to create these special memories! We love you!
1 comment:
Loved it friend! Miss you guys!
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