We all slept well last night and got a bit of a late start this morning. We made a couple of pitstops along the way and stopped in Bozeman to visit my college physical therapy partner Juliette and her family. She has twin boys who are nearly two so it was lots of fun to compare notes.
The kids are doing really well with the long days in the RV. We played a car bingo game and the hardest thing to find was the "deer crossing" sign. We looked and looked and even said if you see a real deer we will count it. Peter outsmarted us all by finding a picture of a deer in a book. And sure enough, at the only "deer crossing" sign we encountered, there was a deer cross the four lane highway. We also saw antelope and groundhogs.
We made it to Billings with enough time for a swim in the pool. Tomorrow we are on to Mt. Rushmore!
My notes on today:
1. No motion sickness for me today, even without medication!
2. Making sandwiches at 60 MPH is way more fun than the regular way.
3. I think it is a good idea to get an earlier start and to multitask with our stops.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Day 1: Lake Wenatchee to Missoula
Today is the day! We set off on the Great RV Expedition of 2012!! Actually we left Thursday evening and drove to my Grandpa and Grandma's cabin at Lake Wenatchee, where the RV was located. We loaded up the RV that night and slept on a real bed for the last time in awhile.
After a quick breakfast, we hopped into the RV and off we went! I have to admit I was feeling nervous and trepidatous, which comes across to others as grouchy. St. Louis or Bust!!
Our next leg was Spokane to Missoula. I enjoyed a nap in the back and awoke with a new resolve to make this trip fun! Less worrying about being carsick and more making some memories!
We were running a little behind, so our sweet friends Doug and Janice met us at Jellystone RV park and delivered pizza! It was so great to see them and have some time to talk about life. The kids got to enjoy the pool, too.
A couple of things I am realizing:
1. The RV takes a little more time driving to our destination than Google Maps states it will take.
2. You cannot overestimate the thrill of using a bathroom while traveling at 60 MPH.
3. I forgot my sunglasses, a huge bunch of fruit, and a photo transfer cable thingy.
4. They make non-drowsy motion sickness medication.
5. The whole gang feels euphoric when we are 30 minutes or less from our stopping place.
On to Billings!
After a quick breakfast, we hopped into the RV and off we went! I have to admit I was feeling nervous and trepidatous, which comes across to others as grouchy. St. Louis or Bust!!
The name of the RV is the Four Winds and it sure smelled like it right after take off. I'm not sure where the malfunction was, but good old Grandpa got it fixed right away.
The kids did really well the first leg into Spokane. We had purchased some fun new toys so they were busy playing with those. Grandma had also created a journal for each kid. They invented a "toss the ball" game that met some of Wild Thing's need to move. Unfortunately I spent the first leg of the trip feeling just slightly motion sick, which added to my feelings of grumpiness.
My wonderful awesome friend Karen treated us to a delicious lunch and the kids got some downtime playing with her kids. I have known Karen since junior high or before and it was such a treat to get to see her.
Our next leg was Spokane to Missoula. I enjoyed a nap in the back and awoke with a new resolve to make this trip fun! Less worrying about being carsick and more making some memories!
We were running a little behind, so our sweet friends Doug and Janice met us at Jellystone RV park and delivered pizza! It was so great to see them and have some time to talk about life. The kids got to enjoy the pool, too.
 |
A couple of things I am realizing:
1. The RV takes a little more time driving to our destination than Google Maps states it will take.
2. You cannot overestimate the thrill of using a bathroom while traveling at 60 MPH.
3. I forgot my sunglasses, a huge bunch of fruit, and a photo transfer cable thingy.
4. They make non-drowsy motion sickness medication.
5. The whole gang feels euphoric when we are 30 minutes or less from our stopping place.
On to Billings!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Am I moving or just vacationing?
Help! You know how when you are moving and sorting through stuff, you get to things and ask yourself, "do I need this or should I toss it?" And they are really obscure items generally so you end up just throwing them all into a box together, putting it on a garage shelf, and rediscovering it 10 years later completely untouched.
Or you have a bunch of odds and end that don't fit into the "kitchen" or "garage" box so you procrastinate about what box to put them in. Then your friend comes to help you move and takes one look at the pile destined for the Isle of Misfit Moving Items and throws them all into one box together. To your horror. But in reality you are just glad someone put them somewhere.
I am at that place.
Do we need both bath and beach towels or can we combine uses? Is my dad's phone charger compatible with mine and even if I really believe it is, what if it isn't? Will I need extra notebook paper for something? Can I download Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire audiobook to my ipod? Can I combine fire and water in the same box?
OK, if you have tips for getting through this day, that would be great! I am hoping to be 90% packed today so we can take advantage of the sun and tire ourselves out tomorrow at a park before we are stuck in the RV for 3 days.
Or you have a bunch of odds and end that don't fit into the "kitchen" or "garage" box so you procrastinate about what box to put them in. Then your friend comes to help you move and takes one look at the pile destined for the Isle of Misfit Moving Items and throws them all into one box together. To your horror. But in reality you are just glad someone put them somewhere.
I am at that place.
Do we need both bath and beach towels or can we combine uses? Is my dad's phone charger compatible with mine and even if I really believe it is, what if it isn't? Will I need extra notebook paper for something? Can I download Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire audiobook to my ipod? Can I combine fire and water in the same box?
OK, if you have tips for getting through this day, that would be great! I am hoping to be 90% packed today so we can take advantage of the sun and tire ourselves out tomorrow at a park before we are stuck in the RV for 3 days.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
What kind of vacation do you like?
I'm trying to post a picture today - we'll see if I am successful. I am not very techy.
Last summer we spent 5 days at a wonderful campground in Astoria, OR. Our little cabin was right across the way from the "jumping pillow," which is just what you would imagine. Our kids spent hours and hours jumping while I read a book on the porch swing.
I tend towards vacations with a lot of down time, hanging out, visiting local museums and points of interests. I have never been away from home for more than 2 weeks and have never camped overnight in an RV. With 8 people and a dog. I heard on TV that RV stands for Redneck Vacation.
What kind of vacation do you enjoy?
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| Our family in Astoria last summer |
Monday, June 25, 2012
Making memories
This winter, my family visited a popular outdoor musical event in a nearby town. One of the big draws is that it "snows" during the performance. We had heard rave reviews in years past and were looking forward to making a memory.
The event was scheduled to start at 7:00 and we arrived pretty close to that time. I acknowledge we should've arrived earlier for a better viewing spot on the sidewalk. Basically, we were part of a large crowd that was standing 3-4 deep on a sidewalk and courteously trying to maintain an open path for pedestrians trying to squeeze through to shopping nearby. We were pretty much pinned against a storefront window and people taller than my kids were walking or stopping right in front of them. But we were together and making a memory.
It became more and more crowded, to the point that pedestrians pretty much had to swim through the crowd to get through. People were trying all angles to get through and I was seriously concerned that one of my kids would be swept into the tidal ebb and flow, carried away with the pedestrian wave. One girl stood behind me and said, "Excuse me." There was literally no space in front of me. I wondered where she wanted to move to and told her, politely, that there wasn't anywhere for her to go. She huffed at me, backed up, and went another way.
The height of the evening was when a older man (I would not call him a gentleman) tried to push past Gaston in an irritable state. I'm not sure what ignited the confrontation, but I looked over to see this man using inappropriate language and my husband getting ready to have a streetfight. And at this point, I was all for it. "Go for it, honey, show our kids you are the man and nobody messes with us. We will pick you up at the police station later." I am being serious.
Remarkably, Gaston showed great self control. He later admitted he really didn't want to have a police record because he was looking for work at the time.
So the show finally starts. I was expecting fireworks and riverdance, shock and awe. I have to say the performers really gave it their all, but most of them looked like they were still in high school. I was hoping the snow would redeem the whole evening. It had to.
If I had not have looked up at just the right time, I would've missed the "snow." If you squinted and tilted your head just right and if the streetlight reflected at just the right angle, you could see foamy bubble-looking snow about three stories up. It did not float anywhere close to us. I'm not sure my kids even saw it, even though I was screaming to "look up at the snow!!!!"
After the performance, my daughter summed it up with these exact words. "Well, that was disappointing." And all of a sudden I was laughing. So true!
As we walked back to the van, I told the kids we had experienced something we would never forget. We had gone through something unpleasant and frustrating and difficult and would always remember the terrible silly time we had at the Christmas-event-that-shall-not-be-named. And we would look back and laugh at the absurdity of the evening together.
So all of that to say, even if this trip is not filled with fun and laughter and enjoyment every second of the day (which it won't) we are making memories together. Good and bad.
The event was scheduled to start at 7:00 and we arrived pretty close to that time. I acknowledge we should've arrived earlier for a better viewing spot on the sidewalk. Basically, we were part of a large crowd that was standing 3-4 deep on a sidewalk and courteously trying to maintain an open path for pedestrians trying to squeeze through to shopping nearby. We were pretty much pinned against a storefront window and people taller than my kids were walking or stopping right in front of them. But we were together and making a memory.
It became more and more crowded, to the point that pedestrians pretty much had to swim through the crowd to get through. People were trying all angles to get through and I was seriously concerned that one of my kids would be swept into the tidal ebb and flow, carried away with the pedestrian wave. One girl stood behind me and said, "Excuse me." There was literally no space in front of me. I wondered where she wanted to move to and told her, politely, that there wasn't anywhere for her to go. She huffed at me, backed up, and went another way.
The height of the evening was when a older man (I would not call him a gentleman) tried to push past Gaston in an irritable state. I'm not sure what ignited the confrontation, but I looked over to see this man using inappropriate language and my husband getting ready to have a streetfight. And at this point, I was all for it. "Go for it, honey, show our kids you are the man and nobody messes with us. We will pick you up at the police station later." I am being serious.
Remarkably, Gaston showed great self control. He later admitted he really didn't want to have a police record because he was looking for work at the time.
So the show finally starts. I was expecting fireworks and riverdance, shock and awe. I have to say the performers really gave it their all, but most of them looked like they were still in high school. I was hoping the snow would redeem the whole evening. It had to.
If I had not have looked up at just the right time, I would've missed the "snow." If you squinted and tilted your head just right and if the streetlight reflected at just the right angle, you could see foamy bubble-looking snow about three stories up. It did not float anywhere close to us. I'm not sure my kids even saw it, even though I was screaming to "look up at the snow!!!!"
After the performance, my daughter summed it up with these exact words. "Well, that was disappointing." And all of a sudden I was laughing. So true!
As we walked back to the van, I told the kids we had experienced something we would never forget. We had gone through something unpleasant and frustrating and difficult and would always remember the terrible silly time we had at the Christmas-event-that-shall-not-be-named. And we would look back and laugh at the absurdity of the evening together.
So all of that to say, even if this trip is not filled with fun and laughter and enjoyment every second of the day (which it won't) we are making memories together. Good and bad.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Planning and packing and prepping - oh my!
Anyone who knows me knows that I like to have a plan. It makes me safe and victorious when I've anticipated all of the needs of my family. Nail clippers - check! Your favorite snack - check! Body pillow - check! But when I've forgotten that much needed item I often feel like a failure.
So we are leaving in 4 days. I've been itching to pack, but it's not been the right time. Too soon to take summer clothes out of circulation to put in a suitcase. Too overwhelming to print out a zillion coloring pages about Mt. Rushmore and St. Louis and Little House on the Prairie and the Oregon trail. And organize in 3 ring binders. How do you anticipate every need and desire for 3 weeks?
I'm working on it - slowly but surely. I think my prayer for this trip needs to include flexiblity, letting things go, and reconsidering what success looks like. If I pack everything we could possibly need and schedule the dickens out of the trip, but in the process squeeze the life and fun out of it that would not be success. Success should be, per the words of Chip Ingraham, "living each day with the end in sight."
So we are leaving in 4 days. I've been itching to pack, but it's not been the right time. Too soon to take summer clothes out of circulation to put in a suitcase. Too overwhelming to print out a zillion coloring pages about Mt. Rushmore and St. Louis and Little House on the Prairie and the Oregon trail. And organize in 3 ring binders. How do you anticipate every need and desire for 3 weeks?
I'm working on it - slowly but surely. I think my prayer for this trip needs to include flexiblity, letting things go, and reconsidering what success looks like. If I pack everything we could possibly need and schedule the dickens out of the trip, but in the process squeeze the life and fun out of it that would not be success. Success should be, per the words of Chip Ingraham, "living each day with the end in sight."
Thursday, June 21, 2012
After a few feeble attempts at a blog, I have a greater reason to write. My family of 6, along with my dad and step-mom and their dog, will be embarking on a 3 week RV trip this summer! Yes, I'm sure you are thinking this blog should be named "She's out of her mind" or something like that. We will see if that becomes reality after the trip.
The impetus for this trip started with our desire to see my husband's brother and family who live in St. Louis. With a family of 6, it's often a toss up driving vs. flying when it comes to saving money. But then I started thinking about all of the cool places we could see along the way and the idea started smoldering. I'm not sure how I stumbled onto their website, but when I told my daughter Boo (9) that we could stop by Laura Ingalls Wilder's homestead in South Dakota, the smoldering idea became a raging bonfire idea in Boo's mind.
My husband just started a new job in January and is working on contract, so I wasn't sure what his availability would be for vacation this summer. So I kind of got started planning and then it got away from me and before I knew it he was asking, "Hey, do I get to come on this trip?" He was also asking, "How much is this going to cost anyway?" which is usually what I say but that is another matter. Then I did some cost calculations and decided we weren't going and would just tent camp in the backyard for vacation instead because this trip would cost way more than I expected. But by that time everyone in my family, including my husband, was on board and there was no backing out. And people I talked to all said, "Our road trip across the country when I was 7 was the best memory of my life."
And how could I say no to that?
The impetus for this trip started with our desire to see my husband's brother and family who live in St. Louis. With a family of 6, it's often a toss up driving vs. flying when it comes to saving money. But then I started thinking about all of the cool places we could see along the way and the idea started smoldering. I'm not sure how I stumbled onto their website, but when I told my daughter Boo (9) that we could stop by Laura Ingalls Wilder's homestead in South Dakota, the smoldering idea became a raging bonfire idea in Boo's mind.
My husband just started a new job in January and is working on contract, so I wasn't sure what his availability would be for vacation this summer. So I kind of got started planning and then it got away from me and before I knew it he was asking, "Hey, do I get to come on this trip?" He was also asking, "How much is this going to cost anyway?" which is usually what I say but that is another matter. Then I did some cost calculations and decided we weren't going and would just tent camp in the backyard for vacation instead because this trip would cost way more than I expected. But by that time everyone in my family, including my husband, was on board and there was no backing out. And people I talked to all said, "Our road trip across the country when I was 7 was the best memory of my life."
And how could I say no to that?
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