road trip

After spending an amazingly quiet and relaxing Christmas at home, we packed our suitcase and cooler, loaded up the car and headed out.  To say that I was a little nervous about how our 10 hour road trip would go is a gross understatement.  Harper has never been the best traveler in the car and the 3 1/2 hours from between Grand Forks and Bismarck is the farthest distance we have ever taken her.  In an effort to try and keep the monkeys in the back seat occupied and (at least somewhat) happy I also made sure we had plenty of movies, snacks, toys and time for stops.  My nightmares about a horrible day filled with one crying toddler, her brother screaming because of the crying, a crying and frustrated mommy and a stressed out daddy were completely irrational and unfounded.  The drive to Nebraska and back home a few days later went about a zillion times better than I ever thought it would.  The kids watched their movies (I brought lots but we ended up playing the same 3 over and over again...Ice Age 4 anyone?), played with their toys and ate their snacks with only a few little outbursts and with minimal fighting.  I really could not believe it.  I was pleasantly shocked and incredibly relieved.

In addition to my surprise over my rockstar road trippers, I have to tell Cayden's McDonald's story.  He will hate me for it when he's older but it's far too funny not to tell.  So on the way to NE, we made a longer lunch stop at McDonald's in Watertown, SD.  As we were finishing up and getting ready to use the bathroom one more time before getting back in the car Cayden stands up at our table and says he needs to poop.  Good timing on his part because now we don't have to stop again 5 minutes down the road.  He and Daddy go into the men's room while Harper and I wait outside.  A few minutes later another man comes out of the bathroom and walks by me laughing.  Not knowing that Cayden is with me, he turns and says "the little guy must have been successful in there," laughs and sits down at his table.  My boys come out of the bathroom and as Jake is already trying his hardest not to bust out laughing Cayden yells "Mommy, I pooped!"  Apparently, while on the toilet in the public bathroom Cayden also felt it was necessary to narrate his activities.  When I say narrate I mean he sat there and said something to the affect of "Wait for it.  Wait for it.  My poop's coming.  It's coming.  Wait for it.  I go-ed!"  This is what is meant when people say that parenthood removes your ability to become visibly embarrassed because any time you are in public you are in a permanent state of embarrassment.



Cool Rider!

What makes a road trip better?  Chocolate milk, of course.  CHEERS!