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Lindsay Metcalf
on Jun 19 2013 - 06:00 AM
My top five most important moments of the summer so far
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on Jun 13 2013 - 06:00 AM
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- kim nakahodo - Profile | Pictures | Blog
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I'm so excited for this car trip!
This week we will be driving to Chicago to visit my parents. It’s going to be an 8+ hour trip and possibly more due to flooding in Iowa. FEMA has been deployed to Des Moines to help out with the disaster.
Last year the trip went better than I though, but a whole year has passed and Niko is now an active toddler. Ekkkk… Worry.
I am packing a bunch of activities for us to do on the trip and hope my best friends, Dora the Explorer, Toy Story and Yo Gabba Gabba will help out with their hypnotic powers. I’m packing coloring books, toys, snacks and anything else I can think of to play with in a confined space.
I’m also worried about Niko’s behavior when we get there. He’s an active boy to say the least, but every now and again he gets the stranger danger curse and freaks out in a new environment with new people.
My parents want to take him to the Brookfield Zoo by themselves one day and I’m worried he’s going to freak out. They want to have some quality time with Niko and they also want to give us a day off from him. (This is SOOO very nice of them!!! A whole day in Chicago with my husband!)
I have been showing Niko pictures of my parents this last week hoping this will help. While I am in Chicago, I will be setting up their computer so we can Skype from here on out. I think this will help out in the future, but I’m worried about the now!
I’m also secretly worried that Niko will act up and my parents will think I’m not doing a good job raising Niko. I know it sounds silly, but my parents did such a good job raising us that I want them to be proud of the way I am raising Niko. I know I shouldn’t care, but I do.
Niko is in that phase (please say it’s a phase) that he’s perfectly fine one moment and a terror the next. A perfect example would be our disastrous trip to JC Penny’s this weekend. I have been trying to practice not using stroller (he hates it right now anyway) in stores to see if he can act like a big boy. Sometimes this works, sometimes not.
We were only going in for shoes so I decided not to take the stroller and practice our good behavior. We were in the store for about 10 minutes when I finally got someone to help me in shoes after running after Niko for who was taking all the shoes off the shelf. Then he pooped his pants. I didn’t bring the diaper bag into the store because this was supposed to be a quick trip.
The sales clerk brought me the wrong pair of shoes, but I didn’t care at this moment so I tried to put them on him. Scream, cry, kick, kick, kick. He’s screaming, “POOPIE – EWWW” at the top of his lungs. Screw the shoes, we are going home. I boxed up the shoes, left them on the bench and took my screaming kid out to the car.
Wonder why I’m worried about this trip….
Any tips/tricks on a long car ride? :)
Try to travel some during his napping period and take a break for a meal at some where he can run around. Non sugary beverages and snacks are best for anyone that will be sitting for a long period.Take your time on breaks along the road, let him run around a bit to get some of the energy out. I also usually leave early in the morning so he sleeps. You might take 55 instead of 80, we had the detour on 80 last time and it took me at least an hour out of our way.I travel via car with my 3 under 3 and have learned it may not be as bad you think! And we don't utilize a DVD. Schedule brief stops for snacks and meals and otherwise pedal to the metal. Don't lengthen the trip with frequent breaks, you'll only make it harder on everyone. The more often you have to reload them in car seats the worse it is! New books and color wonder are great. P.S. Take advantage of Niko still being in diapers. Once he's potty trained this trip will take longer!Don't go through Des Moines. Go across 36 though Hanibal and up through Springfield, MO. You'll hit 80 around Jolliet. The time either way is the same.Not sure when you're going, but we went through this when we lived in Utah. Drove two 10-hr days with kids at this age. UGH. It was hard, but doable. We alternated the movies (don't keep putting in a movie over and over) with favorite cds and toys. My oldest never napped (30 min one day of the trip) so that was not helpful. You can do it! If you get very desperate, get a box of Kleenex and let him just pull one out over and over and throw them up in the air. Might work! Good luck!
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