memories- both wanted and unwanted

I feel like I have been on vacation for the last month and have had it with hotel beds and suitcases. Anybody that has kids knows that it is more work to take vacation than it is to just stay home. Yet, we yearn for those memories and to see our kids smile, so we continue to torture ourselves and strive to make kids think we are the best. This was me a few days ago as I battled with the decision to head out to Bear Lake for a quick overnight trip. My aunt had invited us to come and stay at her condo and I had originally agreed to go. That was before I knew about the California dream that was coming my way. I had got Tylie all psyched out to play with her cousins and she could not wait. Jake had to stay back for work so I was going to drive up with my mom so she could help me with the kids. At the last minute my mom bailed out on me on account of enrichment night at church. Nice excuse mom! I almost would have preferred to hear that you were washing your hair. When I found out that she wasn't going, I thought twice about taking the trip. Was I strong enough to drive 2 1/2 hours with two little kids all by myself. I decided to chance it because I couldn't stand the thought of missing those Kodak moments with tylie and the cousins and Tylie was so excited, I just couldn't let her down. The trip there was a dream. Both kids slept for most of the way and when they weren't sleeping, Tylie was watching a movie and Mason was babbling on to himself as some sort of ambiance for the drive. We had blast swimming, playing cards, eating good food, and catching up with some of my favorite family. The time came to drive home and I thought it would be the nice calm drive that I experienced on the way up. Hahahaha..... I am sure that you know where this is headed. Straight down the tube! Yup, we didn't spiral down, we just jumped right through the middle to the deep pit below. I had not been on the road for more than 5 minutes when Tylie started asking for juice boxes and treats. I tried to limit these as much as possible but I gave in on a few just to get here to rest and watch her movie. I forgot to feed Mason before we left so right after I got Tylie calmed down, Mason started in on his whining because it had been more that 5 minutes since he had ate and the kid thinks that he is going to waste away if he misses a meal. Let's be honest... he could probably benefit from missing more than a few meals. I hit Logan Canyon hoping that I could concentrate on the curves ahead, but no. Tylie starts to freak out that the rocks are going to fall on our car and "smoosh" us. Really Ty??? Just go to sleep. I was getting frustrated because it was getting dark and rain was threatening. I had my struggles but eventually hit Salt Lake and felt that it was all down hill from there. I did not see Mount Everest on the horizon. As we passed Salt Lake, Tylie started to complain that her neck hurt, her knee hurt, her stomach hurt, and her arm hurt. Direct translation: "I am tired of my chair mom and if I whine enough maybe you will let me get out." Sigh. I calmly tried to explain to her that she needed to stay in her chair and we were almost home. The complaining continued. "Ok, Ty. Sorry. I know you are tired.... We are almost there.... I know your tummy hurts...... Just a little longer. Then I got the comment that turns every mother's blood ice cold. "Mom, I am going to throw up." As the sweat raced down my forehead, I frantically dumped out my treat bag to hand to her. TOO LATE!!! I had a fountain in my backseat and she was going for distance. I was helpless. My baby was sick in the back seat and I was stuck on a freeway going 75 mph with and exit in 3 miles. I finally got to a gas station only to find that I was in the middle of a torrential down pour. I yanked her car seat out and set it in the parking lot, hoping that while the rain was drowning me, maybe it would wash away some of Tylie's gift to me. And there you have it. Me, standing in the pouring rain with a million wet wipes, Tylie standing butt naked in my car bawling her eyes out, a smell that would make a skunks eyes water, and Mason laughing at us through the whole thing. I wanted to cry, so all I did was laugh. These were not the kind of memories that I had in mind for my little trip. I wrapped Tylie in a blanket, stuffed everything into the bag that was supposed to catch all this mess in the first place, and headed out of the parking lot. Just as I was entering the freeway, I heard a little voice from the back seat. "Mom, I need to go potty." Sigh. At least we all made it home alive.

Jodie- we had a blast. We will have to do it again, and this time I will stay a lot longer!