Sloan and Landon's seats
The bags are packed and have been strategically wedged into the car in what I can only describe as the worst game of Tetris ever. We have everything but the kitchen sink and that’s because my in-laws wouldn’t let us take it. We even gained a chest of drawers. This was Tia’s birthday present from her grandparents and it’s the first time we’ve been able to pick it up.
We packed it before packing it. Everyone has to carry their weight.
The floors are covered in bags, boxes and with last minute crap treasures we couldn’t bear to part with. In short, we are hauling whatever bits of our lives that didn’t fit in the PODS beneath our feet. For 16.5 hours. Who’s having fun?
I’m not overly concerned about the trip, really. Especially since Lee was able to fly up here and make the drive with us. Not having to do that trip alone? Priceless. Mastercard has nothin’ on that miracle. I’m quite looking forward to the adventure of driving down to Florida. I think it will be fun. Stressful, but fun.
Really...how important is it to see out the back window? On a scale of 1 to 10?
But I am worried about one tiny, little thing. It’s really the only thing that I find myself thinking about pretty regularly with some anxiety. And you would too – in fact, most of you will probably understand and identify with this thing I fear. It’s quite frightening and is worth a bit of trepidation. What’s the one thing I fear?
GAS. And not the kind you purchase at a station (although that has me a little anxious too. Expensive much?) No. The gas I fear is the kind that you don’t want and comes with a price all its own. The “cut the cheese” kind of gas…
Three kids. One dog. And a husband.
I don’t stand a chance.
You coop that many people up in a box for two days straight eating food out of a bag or a fast food joint and the smell is bound to err on the side of ruthless. Add to it my extremely motion sick first born and his tendency to get barfy in the car and you’re looking at a good time right there.
Good. Time.
So there you have. I am afraid. I’m woman enough to admit it. I’m scared of gas. Because it’s hot outside so cracking the windows just stirs around hot air, which only makes everyone sticky and sweaty. It doesn’t help.
Tia and Sadie's seats
We covet your prayers – for safety, for enjoyment, for excitement and for provision. But if you think about it, and you feel so inclined, feel free to say an extra prayer for me. Because I’m about to be trapped for 16.5 hours in a metal box and I kind of have a sensitive sense of smell. Smells get trapped up in my nose and don’t come out. It is a curse.
Good times. Good. Times.
Tell me your favorite, and funniest, car trip story. It will give me something to do while I try to survive the box.
Turn your AC on, crack the VERY back van windows, and crack the front windows. You won’t get hot, but it will keep fresh air moving THROUGH the car. May help with the car sickness, too.
Thanks Gregg! Great suggestion.
Kelli have a small squirt bottle of water and some wipies in the car. Dont let the kids know they will want to squirt each other but if one is feeling sick just wet a cloth and hand it to them for their face and neck. I went through this many years with my Cindy on a trip from North Dakota.l Good luck and hope to hear from you when you get to Sunny Florida. We welcome you and your family with open arms.
Love
Aunt Pat
Thanks Aunt Pat! 🙂
We drove from WA to state out to Saint Louis in the middle of winter. Needless to say, staying warm was more our problem. Jeremy was constantly freezing me out! But the things I remember best from our trip are the times we said “what the heck, let’s do just do….” whenever the kids made a request. We knew we’d be in the car for a long time so we figured we might as well make it fun. We actually came across a Dinosaur Park in Utah that was a blast! We were the only ones there due to all the snow…but hey, we still had an excellent time. And we even got to touch REAL dinosaur bones and fossilized skin!!!!!!!!!!!! It was cool. Check and see if there is anything fun mid-way into your trip that you could stop at. It’ll help the kids (and you) remember the fun things about the trip and forget the long car ride alone.
Love that idea. We will have to see what kind of fun we can drum up. We’ve only been driving three hrs and they’re already whining. Oy…
We were making our trek from Stl to Chicago one summer and Jon had to pee right after our rest stop. To teach him a lesson my dad made him relieve himself in a fast food cup. Then my dad opened the window to dump the cup just as a gust of wind passed by and reversed the contents back in the car and in his face. Needless to stay we increased our stops as necessary from that point on.
Oh my gosh that is hysterically horrific! Knowing your parents that makes me laugh even harder. I would never have the courage to have them pee in a cup or or can. There are too many ways that can go wrong! 🙂
Kelli, I like to keep a good smelling hand lotion or a little ‘sample’ size bottle of perfume in the ashtray of the ‘traveling van’ for those times when the cheese ‘gets cut’. I just put a little lotion on and smell my hands till it ‘passes’ or a dab of perfume on the collar of my shirt where I can hide my nose.
Hmmmm … I would also steer clear of anything ‘asain’ on a fast food menu. When we were headed to Florida a couple of years ago (Hannah was 3) our son Jon (19) bought some kind of ‘sesame asain special’ at Hardees or BK or SOMEWHERE … We were driving away and as soon as he took the lid off of the container Hannah started gagging. OH Boy. “Hannah hold your nose” … Gag, gag … “Jon, quick put the lid back on”…Gag, gag, gag …”WHERE ARE THE BLASTED NAPKINS????”…HUURRY! GIVE ME THE BAG THE FOOD CAME IN” … Hannah!!!! … WELL, SHOOT!. Pulling off. Find a clean shirt. Throw the asain crud in the trash. Jon is hungry. Hannah is crying. FLORIDA HERE WE COME! 😉 Dear Lord, please be with the Stuarts … LOVE TO YOU, Lee and kiddos!
Funny, funny, Vonita. I will take into consideration the ingredients in our food. I don’t even know what asaine is! Ha! 🙂
I could never spell! Dang it! Glad I’m not an editor, like some people! HA! Asian! Asian! Asian! Where’s the blackboard and what time is recess? HUGGING you from St. Lou!
AHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what asaine is. Hee hee…I love you, Vonita. 🙂
You need a bag of coffee beans. Keep it closed, but then whiff it when you need it. It will clear your sinuses out. I’ve seen them use it at soap stores where there are many different odors and by the time you get one stuck in your nose, you can’t smell anything else.
What a great idea! I love the smell of coffee!!!
one of the times Parker got carsick, he vomited all over the car. We pulled over at some country bumpkin gas station in the middle of the woods nowhere to clean it up. Well there was some kind of bee infestation there and while we were trying to clean a 3 year old child, clean the carpets, hold our nose, etc, we were being attacked by bees. We were trying to keep our car door open only slightly so they wouldn’t invade the car, but oh wait, we have a mini-van, so no slightly ajar door. It was quite a site to be seen, us literally dancing around to avoid the bees, trips inside over and over for more napkins, oh and all the while the country folk sitting at the counter were laughing at us. Here’s to no bee hives on your trip! Y’all are making serious memories, Parker still remembers the exact day and color of the moving truck from when we moved here, and he was 2 years old to the day, kinda freaky.
Hehehe…the image of you and Ritchey cleaning up vomit and dodging bees makes me smile. We had to mop a vomit covered Sloan up in the middle of nowhere once too. Gross. No bees, though. So the story isn’t as cool 🙂
If you feel like passing through Waycross, or meeting up near the GA/FL line so that you can see how fat I really am in person, you just drop me an email. 🙂
Whatevs. I’ve seen pictures and you’re adorable. I wish I could meet you in person though! We are almost to Tallahassee at this point. Next time, eh? 🙂