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Christi Diggs
on May 23 2013 - 06:00 AM
A drop of spin, a cup of deception and tsp. politics=Apathy
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Lindsay Metcalf
on May 22 2013 - 06:00 AM
When that tornado siren sounds, I'm in the basement
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mara williams
on May 21 2013 - 06:00 AM
Summer break has this mom on a house upkeep war path.
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That's what I was thinking yesterday, as we headed back from a 24-hour trip to Omaha with the four of us crammed into the gas friendly Nissan Sentra, three dogs sprawled on different laps. (Yes, I said three dogs ... don't ask.)
Boys in the back, husband trying to get a little sleep -- after having let me do the same -- and me doing whatever the GPS told me to do. Sounds a little fun, doesn't it? The family going on an overnight trip? Just a short drive in the car for a little togetherness?
Heck, you're talking to the queen of roadtrips. Love them. I mean, what's better than singing (hollering, really) along to the craziest country song you can find on the radio? All the while eating M and M's and Twizzlers, because why just have one?
And then I had kids.
Let's just say it doesn't matter that 10 1/2 years separate our boys, they fight like they're twins, communicating in the same non sensical, irrational language. What one has, the other wants. If the other wants it, then they're darn sure not going to give it up.
If one swats the other on the leg, then the one who first got wacked has to practically draw blood before he's satisfied. Any of this sound familiar?
Just for the record, I never said, 'Do you want me to pull this car over?' Came darn close, though.
How on earth can you keep your cool in a three-hour car ride with two kids going at it? Chocolate? Periodic cursing? Ear plugs?
And this is a woman who thought she was prepared.
We had a Nintendo DS for oldest and a brand new Didj for youngest. We had snacks. We took breaks. Don't forget the three dogs we had to keep us occupied, and civil.
Yet the arguing ensued.
"Shut up," youngest tells oldest just quiet enough that I only hear the word 'Up.'
"You shut up," oldest replies in his best four-year-old, "I know you are but what am I" voice.
"Mom, Mimi told me to shut up."
Then youngest screams, one of those knife coming at you in the shower screams.
Yet we didn't crash. Husband kept sleeping. And I eventually zoned out with a crazy country tune and said a little prayer that I was smart enough to cough up $1,300 to fly to Florida for our vacation next month. Can you even believe that I thought 24 or so hours in a vehicle, just the four of us, sounded like great fun? Each way?
I know, I know, what a fool I am. A three-hour trip to Omaha, showed me that.
Heck, at this point, if the airline wanted $2,000, I'd hand it over with a crazy wide smile on my face.
Of course I am a little worried about screaming on an airplane.
Yikes! Now I'm scared for our car trip this summer (first without a mini van so we'll all be very close.) I'm so relieved you didn't spend the $1300 on the Omaha weekend, as I initially thought. And I never would have imagined 2 kids with that big of an age difference arguing like mine, with only 2 years between. Hope you at least had some good memories in Omaha!Did you at least get a chance to stop by the zoo while you were in Omaha? Car trips always seem to be basic training in exercising extreme patience.
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