Road trips with children...

My husband and I have always pledged, "We will never get a mini-van!" Even when we added number three, we found a solution to avoid becoming the stereotypical mini-van parents - third row seating SUV, enough to accommodate two adults and three children in car seats!

After all three were free of those restraints, my husband traded it in for his dream vehicle, the Jeep - aka, the tank. For short trips around town, the situation is acceptable, but for road trips? The trio crammed into the back seat, three adorable sardines, adorned with blankets, pillows, backpacks, and toys... For eleven hours, each way, trip completed twice a year, it is less than ideal!

Hour one - settling in...the excitement of the destination, engaged in games or books...music and conversation in the front seat, mostly bliss. Hour two - still ok, some restlessness, inevitably someone has to use the restroom...we stop. Hour three - 4, somewhat like first two, but the wiggles begin. Hour five- 6, wiggling becomes "scoot over!" "She's on my side!" "Isn't it my turn to play the (insert newest gaming device)?" The question that no road trip can ever avoid - "Are we there yet?!" Ahhhhh
It is still at least 4-5 hours to go. The knowing that the question will be asked no less than 30 times, the arguments, more frequent pee stops, ready to pop out the windows..."Are we there yet?!"

Rewind time around 30 (cough) years - a scene similar to the above, with the blankets and pillows, books and toys, two kids ride the ten or so hours to Grandma's house. There were just two of us - me and my younger brother, AND we were in a Bonneville! Still, the arguments would ensue over whose space ended where and the "Are we there yet?" drove our parents insane! Two kids, a larger back seat, for less hours…getting the picture?

After our white-knuckled, down back roads, trip home from NC in January - snow and ice in places that never saw either, let alone had the capacity to salt or clear them; we have re-thought the road trip. Soon, we will have two teenagers and a 9 year old, the eldest being as tall as I am and the middle soon-to-be. To save our nerves and brain cells, we are reverting to renting a mini-van for all future trips!

From a LONG time ago - but our favorite way that they travel - asleep!