August 04, 2005

Family Vacation fun?

Tonight we are packing the van for our trek to Wichita Kansas. We are taking it nice and slow. Leaving Rockford around 1:30 tomorrow afternoon and only traveling to Iowa City, IA. Saturday we are heading to Kansas City and spending the night there. Finally, on Sunday we will arrive in Wichita. We are doing it in short legs on the way there because of Clone. That boy has not gotten any better at riding in vehicles. Many of you have given me advice on how to deal with Clone’s hatred of all things car. My only wish is that some of it would have worked. Everything we’ve tried to this point has been a failure.

Part of packing tonight is going to be a huge bottle of Advil and some left over oxycotin I have from a knee injury two years ago. I know, I know… but I don’t have the contacts to get morphine. That’s a joke people, I don’t have any oxycotin left, and I sold that last year. j/k. There is going to be toys, books, snacks, drinks and even a new seat just to try to appease “Scream Master C” (Clone’s street name if he was a rapper). The drive down there and back is the part I’m dreading the most. I wonder if it is too late to have a soundproof barrier built into the van.

I’m not sure if any of my readers live in the areas that I am heading. If you are and want to get together, e-mail me and we’ll work something out. Other then a handful of people, I think most of my regular readers are east of the Mississippi river. If I’m wrong, call me out on it.

Once we arrive in the hot, oh so hot, Wichita (It’s been getting over 100 the last couple of weeks!), we are spending 5 days with my in-laws. My wife will be showing me around her old haunts, she grew up in and around Wichita. This vacation is mostly so my wife’s family can spend some time with her and the kids. As far as I know, we aren’t doing any type of touristy/site seeing activities. If I’m lucky maybe my wife will let me stop at a spot on the Missouri where Lewis and Clark set up camp 200 years ago and snap a couple of pictures. Then again, I’m not sure how far out of the way that will take me and if I really want to drive that much extra with Clone.

Then on the return drive, we are zipping back the same way we came (quickest possible route). Except this time, we are doing it in only two days, with a stay in Des Moines, Iowa. Afterwards I’m expecting that I’m not going to want to get into a vehicle with my family anytime in the near future. That won’t be possible, as on the 19th I have to drive them three hours to a re-enactment down state. I’m a glutton for punishment.

Posted by Contagion in Family Life at August 4, 2005 04:18 PM | TrackBack
Comments

And I thought the three hour drive from London to Birmingham was bad..

Och, good luck!

Posted by: Sally at August 4, 2005 04:59 PM

I feel for you. If it's any consolation, I can't drive anywhere with my son...bad motion sickness. I've tried everythinng too. Luckily I live in NYC where the trains and slow buses are the mode he can handle.

If he gets in car, no matter where I may be sitting, I wind up wearing the vomit. Doesn't matter that I'm holding a perfectly good plastic bag out in front of him.

So, that's just so that you can feel a little better 'caus I'd take the sreaming any day... I'd just get industrial strength ear plugs for everybody or slip him some crushed oxy in his juice box.

Posted by: Michele at August 4, 2005 11:17 PM

I'm telling ya, ALCOHOL.

Slip a little into his sippy cup and both of you will be happy campers.

Posted by: Machelle at August 5, 2005 08:01 AM

my kids used to hate long rides...the best and worst medicine was a 12 hour drive to see family, a 7 hour drive to pick up husband, and it takes me 20 minutes to get to town 20 minutes back........commute, commute, and ignore him

Posted by: ArmyWifeToddlerMom at August 6, 2005 09:48 PM