Travel...one of the most exciting human experiences...Unless, of course, you’re driving 10+ hours with two children under 5...to visit your in-laws!
This will be my reality come tomorrow. We are leaving our warm little beach town and traveling north! Just as the forecast here climbs into the 70s (20s for the Celsius folks), the high temps up there are barely in the 50s! (10 degrees celsius!!!)
The last time we made this journeys, our youngest was just a baby. We drove overnight, and it really wasn’t too bad. This time, we are dealing with the dreaded ”terrible twos”! We also have a very excitable 4 and a half year old.
I decided to do some research on things that’s might make the trip less....miserable.
Bring a tablet or IPad- This is pretty obvious. For us, however, the boys don’t have one. We used to...but my oldest thought it was dirty and decided to give it a little sink bath...this is a no go.
Bring snacks-This is a no brainer too. We always have plenty of food on hand..road trips are one time where I don’t mind the boys consuming mounds of junk! Keep their tummies full and their mouths! (Less talking and screaming)
Bring toys-This may seem like a good idea ...and it really would be...if the kids didn’t constantly drop things and then scream because they can’t reach them...then try to unbuckle the car seats while we’re driving down the interstate (as you can see, I have some experience with this).
Bring the tunes-This I can get down with...Some of the songs on the kids stations aren’t half bad. This is especially true since our oldest is out of the “wheels on the bus” phase. He digs the soundtracks from movies like “Trolls” or “Despicable Me”. It’s a lot of older songs...revamped.
Plan for stops-Yep...this is what makes a 9 hour trip end up taking 11! Kids pee...a lot! It’s probably from all the juice they drink...washing down all those snacks!
Plan some car games-This I’ll have to do more research on. I’m not sure how long I can keep the boys occupied with “eye spy”.
I’m sure it’ll be worth it when I see the kids interacting with their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.
It’s always a special time when we get together...and this time it’s even more special because of Easter!
So, as opposed to my realistic (somewhat pessimistic) view, I’m going to go with optimism. This trip is going to be amazing! Wish us luck!