There is currently a bag with $60 in merchandise from our local, independent book store, a cooler and three stuffed grocery sacks full of booty, pretzels, alphabet cookies, cheerios, Gerber puffs and more sitting on our kitchen island.
Why?
Because we are about to road trip with our toddler. Yes folks, we will be spending more than 14 hours in the car/hell with our little devil (ahem, angel) on the road to see my sister graduate from college.
Why?
Because originally, R was slated to be working on his dissertation and I was slated to travel the distance with my father who needs to help pack up Mariel's four years worth of college things in his SUV. I agreed to drive and then R got a break in his research. Now the whole gang is road trippin' together.
Some background: my family is not the kind that road trips. When I was little, if the drive were more than 3 hours, we flew. I am not kidding. Until I met R, the longest I had been in a car was 6 hours and that was a nightmare when I was 10. Just driving 14 hours with my dad is enough to make me giggle. But add in a pregnant lady in her third trimester who is prone to car sickness (that would be me, folks), a toddler, an ornery young-ish PhD candidate and we have the recipe for a travel movie starring Chevy Chase.
We are prepared. Armed with two magnetic story boards and the magnets that tell the story, one sticker book, two new lift the flap books, an etch-a-sketch, a pinwheel and a few small wooden dolls, it seems Sam will have plenty of entertainment. We also have enough booty and puffs to last her from here to OH and back--and then back again.
But, even still, I am terrified. Oh yes, it could be fun. She could sleep and eat and play and sleep some more. But she could also scream and yell and thrash and cry. For 14 hours.
We are getting on at the Pike, but where we are headed is anyone's guess.
So, if you see us, headed up 90, somewhere in Western Mass or upstate NY, our faces pressed against the car windows mouthing the words, "Send Help PLEASE," do not ignore our pleas. Help us. Give us a lift. Take our toddler. She is really quite low (ahem, high) maintenance, after all.
And if anyone has any advice on road trips with a toddler, please share them now. I will need all the help I can get.
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5 comments:
It sounds like you're well prepared, and hopefully, she'll do a whole lot of sleeping. If not, I've read a little Benadryl does wonders. I'm kidding, of course. Or not. ;)
I am so glad you're doing this trip, though, because we're finally meeting eachother!
Make plenty of stops!!
We are traveling from Ithaca, NY to Wichita, KS at the end of June, which will take us 3 days of 10 or so hours in the car. This is our first road trip together. My kids get antsy after an hour. Yeah. I'm not really looking forward to the drive.
Best of luck to you!!
Good luck! I bet it'll be okay, although I have sympathy for your lower back. We flew to Amsterdam about this time when I was pregnant with Gabe and it was rough to sit still for so long. I was so tired.
I hope you guys have a blast!
My neighbor's daughter is named Mariel, and I'd never heard the name before! Funny.
May the luck o' the Irish be with you :). You seem super prepared, so I am sure it will all go well! Happy Trails!
Hi, I'm C's friend and I feel your pain. We drove 12 hrs from ABQ to California last year. Do you have a DVD player???
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