No one said…
our good-byes would be so difficult and have to last forever.
our journey crossing the Atlantic would be so long.
trains rides lasting days would take us across vast America
so many hardships and crisis could be experienced on the plains.
prairie grasses waved in the wind and beauty was found as far as the eyes could see.
the family would flourish and great bounty be realized.
the snows ran deep and a pioneer Christmas could be so perfect.
how important owning land would be for Papa.
…But I did and I am.
“Slow down,” I calmly said to my husband. I did not say, “Do you have to drive so fast? For goodness sakes, we are in a blinding, rain storm.” Nor did I remind him we were driving on steep, winding roads in the Ozarks. I simply said, “slow down,” but, it was enough.
At the first opportunity he pulled the car to the side of the road, got out, walked to my side of the car, opened the door, and said, “It’s your turn to drive.” And, drive I did. In fact, I drove the next 243.8 miles. While driving I reflected on my family’s weekend sight-seeing trip. In hopes of helping others, I’m sharing my ideas about car trips.
· First, and I cannot overemphasize this, if you are not driving, do not criticize the driver.
· Second, if you have small children, check Grandma’s schedule for the weekend of your trip. She might volunteer to keep the kids. This will turn your family outing into a weekend get- away for two.
· Third, assuming Grandma did not keep the children and they are traveling with you, set 45 minutes as your driving time goal between rest stops. Be firm about this or you’ll not make it home in time for work Monday morning.
· Fourth, remember to put a bottle of aspirin in your purse or the glove box. Do not pack the aspirin in your suitcase in the trunk. You should not should not leave it at home either. No one likes traveling with a headache or with a person who has a headache.
· Fifth, be sure all the children are buckled into their seats and all the doors are locked. Children who don’t know a dust cloth from a white dress shirt have opened doors of cars traveling 70 miles an hour just to remove flakes of dust from behind door handles.
· Sixth, remember the electronics. iPads, iPods, Nintendo DS’s, Kindles, etc., do not entertain children if they are in the children’s rooms at home, and the children are in the car 300 miles from home.
Finally, I would stress it is important each family member verbally acknowledge they personally saw each and every item of interest on the trip, backtracking if necessary. My family’s Christmas dinner was delayed that year while I searched for the picture of the dead armadillo on the highway. Number two daughter was napping during that part of the trip and had not seen the armadillo.
Happy driving!
Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day can produce a high level of confusion and stress in a family with four children. First, decisions must be made by each child.
“I want Superman, no wait, I want Spiderman valentines.”
“I want princess ones.”
“Do they have any with trucks on them?”
“Oh, look at these pretty little kitty cat ones. Can I have them, please?”
Once the child has determined which theme he or she likes, a decision must be made as to what to put in the envelope with the valentine: stickers, gum, candy? If stickers, should they be superheroes or princesses? Most importantly, which valentine should be given to that special person?
Someone, probably Mom, has to secure an up-to-date list of each child’s classmates. Someone, probably Mom, has to help the younger children print the names of their classmates on the envelopes. Someone, probably Mom, has to be sure the first grader does not take the eighth grader’s valentines to school by mistake. Someone, probably Mom, has to make sure all the candy hearts are not eaten before they go into the envelopes.
Some teachers use Valentine's Day as an opportunity for children to create artwork in the form of a box for Valentines. My children’s teachers were among those. Ever tried to find four shoe or boot boxes? Ever financed red crepe paper, doilies, ribbons, construction paper, scotch tape and glue? After carefully covering the box with construction paper, my children glued the hearts and snowflakes, plus ribbons and doilies, to the box. The child with the best decorated always box won a large chocolate heart. My kids learned early the “agony of defeat.” I got pretty good at the “God gives us all different talents” speech.
What happens if one adds to the Valentines’ preparation and box decorating confusion the fact someone, probably Mom, has volunteered as a room mother? Let’s just say the most important decision isn’t cupcakes or sugar cookies. It’s whether someone, probably Mom, decides on homemade treats or treats from the bakery. Not all moms wear powdered sugar well.
I’ve found in the confusion, someone, probably Mom, might forget to purchase a Valentine for the special someone in her life. I’ve found, also, it is a good idea to keep the Valentine’s cards from year to year. Just in case someone…say…probably Mom, needs to recycle last year’s card for the special someone.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
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