Tomorrow we are going to attempt to drive to St. Louis, which is about a six hour drive from here. Anyone want to guess how long it will actually take us to get there??? I’m thinking 10 hours. Maybe more.
We go to STL every year for the 4th, to visit Andy’s grandpa, as Independence Day is also his birthday. This year he will turn 99. We are looking forward to introducing him to Sam, and Kate is very excited because she LOVES her great-grandpa.
We’re also meeting some friends there and going to a Cardinals game. We scored some sweet free tickets due to a disastrous trip there last year, so that will be fun. We are thinking of hitting the science center or Grant’s Farm while we’re there, too, because like many other things in St. Louis (the zoo, the Budweiser brewery), they are FREE. How awesome is that?
So anyway, I am looking forward to being in St. Louis, I’m just not looking forward to getting there. Or packing, which is on the agenda today. I don’t think our car can hold all the stuff necessary to take for two kids.
Anyone have survival tips for me? I know I shouldn’t drug the kids, but I’m thinking that drugging myself might not be such a bad idea. I mean, Andy will drive, so what would be the harm in me knocking myself out? It’s a better alternative than jumping out into oncoming traffic, don’t you think?
We’re not blessed with one of those nifty in-car DVD players, but our laptop does have a DVD player in it. You can fairly inexpensively purchase an AC adapter that converts your cigarette lighter to an outlet to plug in your laptop and voila – movies on the road. We just set it down on the floor somewhere where everyone can see it. Our kids (3, 20 months, 20 months) LOVE this “special treat” when we go on long trips.
I saw on “Jon & Kate + 8” that Jon, the father of 8 children, 6 of whom are 3yrs old, wears earplugs while driving on long car trips to deaden the noise of the kids in back…..I still think the best bet for Sam would be to nurse as needed, even if it means awkward positions for you.
When we went to Iowa we left at night. The kid was fast asleep most of the way there. If you (or whoever is driving) can stay up and drive all night, this is the way to go. 😀
Trips witht he kids always take longer. I bring extra (new) activities and dole them out one and a time. We also pack lunch and then picnic at a rest area. The boys love it and they get to stretch their legs while we are stopped.
Have a safe trip!
I agree with Jared. We just drove to Destin, FL (12 hours) last week. We left at 3 a.m. We both went to bed at 9 the night before and got up around 2:30. We were in the car for 4 or 5 hours before our daughter even woke up. Good luck and have a great time!
Leave early and drive while the kids are still sleeping. When packing remember that anything you forget you can buy when you get there. No need to pack several days worth of food and snacks or diapers and wipes. Take what you will need until you get there then make a quick Target or Wal-Mart run when you arrive to pick up what you will need. I rarely ever pack shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, lotions, etc… I buy small bottles when I arrive. I rarely ever have anything left to pack and tote home. If you are staying with relatives then any leftovers can be left for them to enjoy.
Have a fun and safe trip!
Good luck, I know exactly what you fear! We just did our big road trip a couple of weeks ago. We moved Katy to the far back seat so I could sit with David, then I brought some toys. We stopped frequently, after some screaming and my touching his face and holding the paci he would fall asleep for brief periods. If you have any pumped milk saved up, you could bring bottles, but then you just have to stop and pump somewhere.
As for driving when they are asleep, I’ve never been brave enough to try it for Katy, but one of the legs of our most recent trip was from 9:30pm-1am, and David did actually sleep that entire time without waking. So maybe it would work…. but I’ve always been too whimpy to try it.
I am thinking Demon Hunter cd. Crank it up and you can’t hear anything for days!
I vote for the drive after their usual bedtime – we always left IL around 8 pm when we drove back to Ohio and it does help. They’re tired (I always worked in a late afternoon trip to the park for some serious PT time!), and the darkness keeps them from being overstimulated.
When we drove Ohio to Pennsylvania a few years ago, we left at 3:30 am…just bundled them right in from bed (packed the van the night before) and headed out. Worked like a charm – they (my two oldest) slept until around 7ish, and we stopped for breakfast around 8. We still had a few hours to go, but it was definitely easier on us (the parental units)!
Good luck and miss you guys on the 4th!
I agree with the “leave really early in the morning” tactic. We’ve done that many many times and it works great. You know it’s not working anymore when your tween kids wake up at 5:00 as you’re putting them in the car and they don’t go back to sleep.
NOT a fan of the Jon and Kate +8 method. Ear plugs while driving are dangerous. You wouldn’t be able to hear emergency vehicles approaching.
And, from the sounds of it, you just scored even higher in the “fun parent” category!