Road Trip!

Let’s take a road trip. Let’s pile the six kids into the Suburban, and make sure everyone has clothes, clothes and more clothes. Warm clothing that will travel well for the cross-country drive, dressier clothing for the funeral, jackets and coats, boots and mittens. Entertainment, food, extra supplies…pile as much as that ol’ truck can hold. We’ll be a self-contained traveling city. Or army. Whatever. Don’t forget pajamas and the swimsuits, because the hotel has a nice pool.

The hotel. While the new standard seems to limit occupancy at four people per room, we’ll see if we can stretch that a bit. How about six for a night of two? We can farm out a couple of kids to other rooms. They can sleep with their cousins. Okay, that leaves two parents and only four children in our room. Hmmm. How to work this? Easy to place the youngest – he has a crib of his own. Love those hotel cribs, which are, most frequently, the portable playpen variety. They work well enough. So, down to three kids to sleep in the one bed. We’ll try that. Have to wing it for the final night, as we’ll be solo (so to speak) and no relatives to lean upon. Maybe we’ll just stuff the kids wherever we can make room. Did that once this summer, and it worked.

Let’s see. Breakfast is included, so that’s one meal we don’t have to worry about. And this hotel has pretty good food – more than the usual high carb, mostly sugar stuff. Boiled eggs, yogurt, and milk make for some protein. They do serve pop-tarts, which are a comfort food, of sorts, since I grew up on the things (hard to believe I find comfort in those ‘pastries”).

Back to trip prep. Do we have the entertainment? Yep. Got the iPod, the FM transmitter, the headphones, the PDA and appropriate cords, the walkmans, the books and toys, the CDs and tapes, and whatever else we might need for the 14 hour drive. Paper towels? Check. Diapers, wipees, baby food, baby snacks, baby bottle, and…? Yes.

Maps? Nope, this trip is pretty much the same as it was last time, and the time before that. Boots, shovel, emergency supplies? Right-o. Put the new tires on. Have the new battery. Got that leaking water pump fixed, and the belts and hoses are new, too. So the vehicle seems ready. We are about ready. And we didn’t stay up ‘til midnight this time. That is good. Because the 14 hours to get there will begin all-too-soon, and anything we forget will have to be bought at Wally World or elsewhere.

So, going on a road trip in the winter with a larger family is an experience. Unforgettable. Strenuous. Done right, it can be a great experience. Let’s hope!

The drive – that’s the subject for next time.