Tips for a Weekend Road Trip
01/07/07 01:20 Filed in: Family &
Friends
What a crazy Christmas wedding
weekend we had. Now that it's several weeks out,
I can finally look back at it with some
perspective. It was the first road trip we've
taken since A was born. There were a few things
that made life easier:
1. Driving at night. Even though we were both pretty tired afterwards, it really helped to be able to concentrate on driving to get there as soon as possible without worrying about the kids screaming in their car seats. We left around 9pm each time and arrived around 3am. Yikes! (but it was worth it). Coffee helped a bit.
2. Packing things that helped the kids feel comfortable: the Euro tub, a big container of toys and books (including a few new ones), favorite blankets, lots of snacks, an ice chest (with ice, milk, water, and yogurt), the baby swing, a play/sleep mat (a steal at Costco for about $35), the play pen, DVDs, and a booster seat.
3. Having a minivan (essential for #2 and #4), which we got when A was born. J is currently working on a review.
4. Packing many items into large clear plastic storage bins, so that they would stack easily in the car and be easy to move around if needed (diapers, toys, pump and bottles).
5. Packing clothes and toiletries into a separate duffel bag for each child, so everything would be easy to find.
6. Trying to stay close to our usual routine in terms of naps and bedtime. This meant me having to miss much of the wedding banquet so that I could get the kids to bed.
Despite everything we did, it was still hard on the kids, particularly M, who is happiest when our days are predictable and relaxed. Instead, it was very chaotic (it was a wedding after all) and there were tons of relatives who wanted to meet him. He did quite well in terms of not having any meltdowns, but I could tell that he was uncomfortable with all the attention and only felt safe in my lap or in J's arms. He usually does well playing with other young children as long as he has a few minutes to acclimate, but the wedding was a zoo! Even I felt overwhelmed with all the people and noise.
We were all glad to return home, especially since we had presents waiting for us under the tree. This was the first Christmas that M has really been aware of, and he quickly became a pro at opening gifts. He was a bit on edge for the next day or two, but once we settled into our regular routine again, he was fine.
Here are two photos from the gift unwrapping event. M is opening a play food set (from Costco, to go with his kitchen) and a ukulele. And yes, these were shot on the same day (A had a wardrobe incident).
1. Driving at night. Even though we were both pretty tired afterwards, it really helped to be able to concentrate on driving to get there as soon as possible without worrying about the kids screaming in their car seats. We left around 9pm each time and arrived around 3am. Yikes! (but it was worth it). Coffee helped a bit.
2. Packing things that helped the kids feel comfortable: the Euro tub, a big container of toys and books (including a few new ones), favorite blankets, lots of snacks, an ice chest (with ice, milk, water, and yogurt), the baby swing, a play/sleep mat (a steal at Costco for about $35), the play pen, DVDs, and a booster seat.
3. Having a minivan (essential for #2 and #4), which we got when A was born. J is currently working on a review.
4. Packing many items into large clear plastic storage bins, so that they would stack easily in the car and be easy to move around if needed (diapers, toys, pump and bottles).
5. Packing clothes and toiletries into a separate duffel bag for each child, so everything would be easy to find.
6. Trying to stay close to our usual routine in terms of naps and bedtime. This meant me having to miss much of the wedding banquet so that I could get the kids to bed.
Despite everything we did, it was still hard on the kids, particularly M, who is happiest when our days are predictable and relaxed. Instead, it was very chaotic (it was a wedding after all) and there were tons of relatives who wanted to meet him. He did quite well in terms of not having any meltdowns, but I could tell that he was uncomfortable with all the attention and only felt safe in my lap or in J's arms. He usually does well playing with other young children as long as he has a few minutes to acclimate, but the wedding was a zoo! Even I felt overwhelmed with all the people and noise.
We were all glad to return home, especially since we had presents waiting for us under the tree. This was the first Christmas that M has really been aware of, and he quickly became a pro at opening gifts. He was a bit on edge for the next day or two, but once we settled into our regular routine again, he was fine.
Here are two photos from the gift unwrapping event. M is opening a play food set (from Costco, to go with his kitchen) and a ukulele. And yes, these were shot on the same day (A had a wardrobe incident).
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