And A Mommy In A Pear Tree

We’re home.  12 driving hours later and we’re back at our lovely Colorado home, so relieved to be out of the car.

How do we do it? I’m asked that question alot, so I thought I’d give you a look at our typical super-long driving day.

For those of you who travel like we do, maybe you’ll want to comment about what you do to keep your sanity. We’ll compare notes.

Leave at 4 in the morning.  We’re not drivers who easily stay awake in the wee hours, so we choose to get some sleep and wake up early. That way the girls still have about 3 hours of sleeping left to do in the car. This is the best time we make all day.

Once they’re awake, we dish out the chocolate donuts and apples.

Then, we get out the books. Ellie patiently reads for about 15 minutes.

Then we sing anything with hand motions–The Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Little Bunny Foo-Foo are sure-fire hits.

Usually by this time, Emma needs a bottle.  Tip: fill the bottle up with hot water before leaving, and then when it’s time to eat the water has cooled down enough. Fill with appropriate amount from the quick-load, the name Tim has affectionately given the formula-holder thing.  I think it has something to do with muzzleloading. This is far more convenient than stopping for water, mainly because you avoid having to explain to some well-meaning barista that luke-warm or room temperature water is made by mixing hot and cold water. For some reason, this does not seem to be something that everyone knows.

After that, toys. Tip: Do not have toys just strewn about the back seat.  We did this on this past trip and the girls were occupied for about 5 minutes.  Bringing the toys out on your own makes them a little more of a treat, especially if you make a big deal out of them. Warning: coloring books are great, but if crayons are left in a very hot car, they melt.

Then, usually after stopping somewhere for lunch where Ellie can run around for a little bit, we switch drivers and Tim faces the back and plays with the girls until he gets car sick.

Then, we break out the big guns: the special toys I bought just for when things start to get a little crazy. This is the point when I wish I had a DVD player.

Bringing a blanket and a tiny headrest for Ellie makes her very happy when she wants to get comfortable, but that doesn’t mean she’ll sleep.  Emma? Well she doesn’t really sleep either.

Be warned: there’s a point where it all falls apart and you just need to step on the gas and get there. We’re whining, we’re singing the theme songs to shows, we’re making up songs, we’re clapping, we’re doing little dances in our seats, we’re talking about who we’re going to see when we get to our destination.

If all goes well and we don’t lose a car part on the road, we should be pulling up to our destination in time for dinner.