kids and long vacation trips in the car.

As most of you know.....as soon as school was out....the family was to embark on a LONG mini-van trip to the state of Washington & Oregon to see my step-daughter and granddaughter.

The day before we were to start the trip, I had to get the kids packed, me packed and take the boy to his end of season baseball party.  I had already had enough of the children and the husband...and now I was facing 17 hours in the mini-van with them....and 7 days in a hotel room.

I SNAPPED!


We needed to be out the door to go to the party when...no one would listen to me.

NOW I REALLY SNAPPED!

I got my purse and keys and out the door I went.  Not a word to anyone.

After I was about 2 blocks away....I realized I had no where to go.  LOL

So, I knew I still had a few things to pick up for the mini-van trip...so, I drove to CVS, bought the things and came home.  As calm as I could be...announced.....I am not going.

I am not getting in the mini-van with YOU PEOPLE!  I have got to be crazy to willingly get in the mini-van with you people and be trapped for DAYS!

I calmly...or so I thought at the time...told the family these words.

This was back on June 6th.

After I went crazy for a while....everyone became human again.  Or at least decided that one day...I was going to do what I have always promised them....so, don't let that day....be today  :)

We went to the baseball party...we arrived very late.  (now ladies, you know why)  We had pizza, talked to people and thanked the coaches.

When we got home...I was promised complete compliance.  I was promised, as a team...we would go on vacation.  We would work together...I would not have to be the pack mule, the mean one....I would get to have fun too!

The next morning....we loaded up the mini-van and headed off.

Honestly...the trip there was not too bad.  It was exciting, seeing new sights.  It had been a very long couple of weeks with 2 graduations for our family and lots of  loose ends to tie up...plus my daughter now heading to high school....which I am not happy about!  It really was a great trip.....there.

We got to our hotel.  Then the reality hits.  I really did cancel our condo this side of Canada and booked us in a hotel room with 2 queen beds.  Yep...that was me.  Wow...what was I thinking?????

Ok...life will be ok.

Thank GOD for the fountains!  We had a fountain on the side of our hotel.
Nash was in heaven....Hubby was willing to smile as much as possible as long as I was smiling.....and Sophie...well, she can be bought.

The room grew smaller as the days went by.  Thank goodness we spent a lot of time outside of the room seeing sights and visiting with our daughter & granddaughter....and of course, the fountains!

Then it was time to go to Portland.  The room was a big downgrade.  It was smaller, the food yucky-blah, there was a smell, and no fountain...or really any outside space to talk about.

We spent time at Toria's house.  She has a yard....and pushable garbage cans!  SCORE!

THEN IT WAS TIME TO DRIVE HOME.

I really wasn't sure my kids were going to make it home.  Whenever we had to stop....I would look at my hubby and say...I can get in this mini-van and drive away...and no one will know for a while.  No one would blame me.  Or I would look at him or the kids and offer to leave them at the rest stop with one of the lovely homeless folks that lived there.  He & the kids would smile...knowing...I was pretty close to serious.

If I heard...he's touching me one more time....I SWEAR!  If I heard.....MOOOOOOOM!  tell him to leave me alone!  If I heard....When are we going to get there???  AGAIN!

And the more they requested to stop...the longer it took to GET HOME!

Halfway thru the trip....I looked at Hubby and told him......I can NOT take you people anymore!

Hubby knew.....I was just about at the end of my rope!

We had a funeral to drive to the next day after we got home from Portland.  It was a 6 hour trip to Santa Maria....times 2.  I had to take Sophie and myself to say our good bye's to her Grandma - my Mother-in-law.  I knew it would be an emotional day...plus the driving!

I told Hubby....you and THAT boy are not coming with me to the funeral.  He looked at me...was disappointed because he was really hoping to meet David's brother.  But, he understood....that we had enough death and not to push me further. 

The earlier promise was still hanging in the air we breathed in daily  :)

I spent the next day...driving alone in the car...with Sophie.  She was plugged into her iPod.  She was a fast pee'er...or not if the bathrooms were bad....she could hold it for hours!  Her solitude could be bought with a candy bar or just plain money!

When we got home from the funeral trip…..I was calmer.  I had peace and quiet.  I listened to a funky radio station in the central coast wine country that was AWESOME!  I sang songs, talked to myself......and Sophie just listened to her iPod.

I love to drive.  It’s the most calming thing for me to do.

But……not………with………THOSE PEOPLE.

I do love my family more than anything...but there are times....well, you know  :)