the ironic road trip

This past road trip was the best one we have ever taken, but it was also the worst one the kids have ever given us. I don’t know if that even makes sense. The first hour and a half the baby screamed at the top of his lungs. The entire 90 minutes was migraine splitting screams. How did we survive that? He settled down after that, and I think between the 11 hour drive up and the 14 hour back home, we gave him 299 bottles of almond milk (can’t really take goats milk with you on the road ya know). I stocked up on dollar gifts for the girls, one for each stop we would make. Each toy would last approximately 4 minutes, and then they would start arguing over whose marker was whose, and stop touching me, and don’t lick me, and Phoebe’s staring at me! (Rodney did not like one single toy we gave him, all he wanted to do was WALK OUTSIDE). Lucy’s forte was the quintessential trip question: When will we get there? When will we get there? When will we get there? As we were pulling a trailer, we couldn’t give her a definitive answer, “I don’t know Lucy, when we get there we get there”.

 It wasn’t your usual trip either.
We had 3 flats through the week. Everyone was hungry, all the time. Someone spilled their water, every single night. Rodney cried if he couldn’t be outside walking. Phoebe wanted to sleep with us every night (she usually does this on trips). Lucy and Abby, and Abby and Phoebe fought about everything if they were in the trailer. So we just kicked them outside and told them to figure it out. I don't handle small spaces very well.

So how could it possibly be one of the best trips we’ve ever taken? I don’t know, but it truly was. The second day of driving we were scheduled to get gas in Austin, Nevada. I hadn’t driven through Austin in years, it is one of my favorite little mining towns in the entire world. As we slowed down into town, we were so excited to see a brand new park there. “Ooh! A park!” I yelled to Ty and pointed. “Pull over!”  We took an hour break eating snacks, playing with furry catipillars, ty and I lying on the green grass while the girls ran around and Rodney tackled us. It was so quiet there, and life slowed down just enough for me to get a taste of it. And I must say, despite all of my whining and complaining and woismeing, I actually do enjoy my life right now. We are lucky enough to have four beautiful children with us. We left the ipad at home, and spent an entire week with each other and no cell phone service or internet. Not one movie was seen in 7 days, or cartoon, or episode of Arthur (the girls’ favorite right now). And we were completely content and peaceful.

lucy, with her eagle eyes, found the cutest, furriest catipillars i have ever seen.

abby, the champion car trip child of the century. 

rodney, walking! he had just started and pretty much learned how to walk on dirt and cactus. he is now a pro on carpet and tile.

that picture creeps me out.

rodney, really really really wanted lucy's catipillar. luckily, he never got it. can you imagine? squoosh!

the view from my mini-siesta on the grass

paradise, nevada had some pretty cool old buildings.

we had a full red moon the second night from all of the northern california fires. it was cool and creepy all at once.

The one small miracle of the trip? Through all of the chaos we didn’t fight one time. Now, maybe other couples have wonderful trips together, and don’t’ argue. But boy, if it comes to driving in traffic, parking or where to stop and eat or stay, Ty and I bicker a lot about those things on trips. (this is when i'm hoping that i'm sharing this because it's the norm. now i'm thinking all the married couples are going, "wow, they fight on trips? think they'll ever make it?"  You should have seen us at the T terminal in Boston in 2004. It was almost a knockdowndragout fight over which was the right subway line to Cambridge. Anyways, we didn’t argue at all this time.  It was so wonderful.

 ty wants to buy this old saloon some day, and turn it into a bed and breakfast.

 creepy fact: someone was living inside there, all unibomber style.

petting the unibomber's cat

When we came home I told Ty, “you know, we must have a really good marriage.” “Why is that?” he asked, while checking on his ebay account. “Because,” I said, “we were together for a week and I didn’t get tired of you at all.” “yeah, I didn’t get tired of you either.”  Now how does that not make it a great trip? Walking away I blurted,  “  I didn’t get tired of the kids either.” And for all 6 of us being in a pick up truck cab, or trailer or ranger for 6 days straight, that is more than a small modern miracle.