Road trip!

As some of you know, the boys and I recently have returned from a trip to Indiana, where we

surprised my mom for her 50th birthday. Several of you have told me that you don't know how I do it... driving 10+ hours, by myself, with three children ages 5 and under. Well, folks this is how its done...

Because I was making the cake for my mom's party, the day before consisted of me preparing her cake. Midnight hit and the last thing I wanted to do was clean my kitchen, but how awful would it be to return to a mess of a kitchen?!...so I cleaned it until the wee hours of the morning. I hadn't packed yet because I had spent every spare minute during the week working on cake orders, so I decided to make a list and then get some sleep.

Of course I planned on leaving at 7 am or before, but alas, that never happens! I woke up and packed (which was very difficult because I had to figure out where to put the cakes in the car!) and we were ready to leave at 11! Quinton was sad about missing wacky tacky day at school, so he

decided to celebrate it in the car and Carter was thrilled with that idea. I go out to the car, where they have been sitting and buckled up for the past hour, to find them with different pairs of shoes on and mismatched clothes. I decide that its not worth messing with, but did put my foot down on their begging for me to dress wacky as well. I put Kydon in the car, but then realized that it is already time to feed him again because I took so long packing, so I head back into the house, feed him, decide to give him some benadryl, and hit the road.

First stop, 20 min. into the trip, Mcdonalds....mommy NEEDS some... ahem...LOTS of coffee!

Now this part I credit to all the people praying for us and our trip... 2nd stop, 4 HOURS later! With no previous warning Carter yells, "I got to go potty! I can't hold it... its coming". I find an exit, and of course its one where you have to drive a mile down the road to get to the gas station. We find it and he has already had an accident, so I go ahead and feed Kydon in the car before we go in. As we are going it, I realize how AWFUL we look. I have no make up on, food on my pants, my children are wearing different shoes, one has a big wet spot on his pants, and Kydon has his teeting biscuit smeared all over his face and shirt and has leaked out of his diaper. I let the boys pick out a snack, buy gas, change their clothes, avoid all eye contact, and leave.

Remember we had mcdonalds for lunch...guess what was the only restraunt on this exit...yes, Mcdonalds. Quinton informs me that he feels like God is telling him not to eat at Mcdonalds. HAHA, well, I didn't want to get in between him and the Holy Spirit, so we got off on the next exit and ate there.

After that whole fiaso we drove for 4 more hours, interrupted by Carter saying "I have to go potty now. Ahhhhh, I can't hold it." I swerve onto the next exit, but was once again too late... grrr. (Rabbit trail time.... Now I know that you shouldn't get on your child for having accidents...and I don't, because I don't want to shame him.... but that time we did have a little talk. Mommy's gotta have a warning or something). We go in, avoid all eye contact, change, get gas, and hit the road once more.

Now we are in Indiana. The end is in sight, but it is the longest hour of my life (ok maby second to the last hour of my labors). Carter is asking me when are going to be there, what sign are we looking for, etc. We finally get to the town and my dad calls to tell me a shortcut to get to my grandma's house where we are staying. I turn down the road and her house isn't there. He has me back up, go down another road...still no grandma's house. At this point I really don't care about the "shortcut". He is still talking me through this shortcut, while I'm driving the "long" way and I just tell him that I found it. I love my dad, and lot of times will humor him and give into his ideas and "shortcuts", but alas I NEEDED to get out of the car.

9:30 pm we make it to grandma and grandpas :) Was it worth it you ask...yes indeed it was :) More to come later about my mom's party :)