Traveling with...

Kids!

All week long we have been preparing to head out on the road for a 10 day adventure. 

When I tell people about our plans almost everyone asks, "Are you taking your kids?"

Yes! We travel with our kids. We travel with our kids on long road trips. We have yet to take both of them on a plane but we flew with Emerson a couple times within his first year and we all survived. 

The next question, "What do they do in the car?" They love being in the car. They do pretty great with ridding in their seats. They play with some small toys, watch movies or cartoons, play with our phones, talk to us and each other, and take naps!

Now, we have our fair share of are we there yet, when are we going to be there, where are we going, are we going camping, can we stay in a hotel questions. As well as, I wanna get out, can I sit in the back seat, what if I just take my seatbelt off. Oh and, I gotta go to the bathroom, I'm hungry, I want some juice. 

My favorite part, the screaming matches that they love to have. I mean, seriously, they scream at each other. If you have been lucky enough to hear me scream, they both have that same ability. 

They also meltdown. At some point, we all have a meltdown of some kind. And inevitably, they will act like crazy animals in a gas station, rest stop, restaurant or hotel.  

So, we have realized that these things have a high probability level. We have accepted this and we are always working on how to deal with any of these things happening. Some days we are better at it than others. 

Most of the time, they are good, easy going travelers. 

Then, I hear, "I just don't know how you do that, you're crazy!" Maybe so. Here's the thing, I know I want to see the world. I know I want to share these experiences with my little family. That means that I will be traveling with my kids and we will all just have to work through any and all shenanigans. 

We have learned along the way that leaving in the evening and driving as long as we can within the first 24 hours of our trip works best. The kiddos are asleep for half of that time so a lot of ground can be covered. 

We try to picnic every meal on the road. We pack jar salads, wraps, peanut butter and jelly, fruit and a salty snack. A really simple picnic. This is multitasking at its finest. We all eat, get fresh air and are active. 

We know that gas station stops always take time and everyone has to get out and go to the bathroom. 

The boys have all the things they need in their spots. Even their backpacks with all of their clothing. 

The biggest thing that we have learned is that we are going to get tired. That is really what dictates how far we push ourselves. We know that we set the tone and if we are frustrated or mad because we're tired, then it all becomes difficult. The best advice is to be flexible.  

We always set goals for our destinations and plans for things to see. We don't always hit them. So, we always say, "next time!"