Getting to Denver

Friday: I spend the day getting everything ready for the trip: gizmos for the kids in the car, suitcases, food, etc. I have the oil changed in the mini-van. When AJ gets home at 4:30, he packs the four suitcases, three backpacks, cooler, and everything else in the van and we have a sandwich for dinner and we’re off. Not even to the freeway yet, and T is asking over and over for some water. I don’t want him to drink a lot because I don’t want to have to stop for bathroom breaks every 30 minutes. But, after a slightly tense start, we whiz down to Des Moines (250 miles) in about 3 ½ hours. Total stops before our hotel? Zero. We stay at a Marriott Courtyard for only $50 because of Priceline.

Saturday: We all sleep in until 9:00. Shoot. We were going to leave the hotel around 9. I shower and then take the kids to Target to get some yogurt and milk for our breakfast. AJ has to send an email for work. We pull out a little before 11. Ugh. Long day ahead. But, overall, the kids do GREAT! They color pictures of state flowers and birds, they play, they watch a DVD. We stop for lunch in Lincoln, Nebraska. AJ’s hamstring is strained, so I drive most of the way to Denver. In total, it’s about 700 miles. We make it to AJ’s parent’s house by about 9:00 local time. T hasn’t napped at all in the car, yet it is still a challenge to get him and MJ to calm down enough to go to sleep.