Random Thoughts and Musings

Yesterday, you read about the Wedding Day. Today, I’ll tell you about our trip home … which was fun and relaxed, despite the circumstances.

We were all fairly bummed out about having to leave early. Tween-no-more was going to miss the SECOND surprise party we had planned for her, we were not going to get to hang out with the family after the wedding, and we were missing our chance to socialize with the new bride (who had been too busy preparing on Friday to really spend any time with all of us). However, as any of you can relate, I am sure, the children come first. And Baby S needed to be near her own doctors, and people who were familiar with her medical history, should whatever virus was being passed around hit her harder than it hit anyone else.

We changed into travel clothes and hopped in the van, making a quick pit-stop at WalMart for ice, gatorade, pedialite, and fresh snacks for the other munchkins. Once we had the coolers situated, we got moving as quickly as possible. We only hit one traffic snafu, and it was minor - thank goodness! B & I had tried to work out a way from Tween-no-more and I to stay for the rest of the night, but the cost just worked out to be far too much. Tween-no-more had been told about the ‘after’ party in her honor by then, and was slightly bummed about missing it … but she was more upset because she thought it was her fault Baby S was sick, despite all of us trying to reassure her otherwise.

Despite the circumstances, we were all in fairly good spirits. Baby S was lethargic all morning, which had us worried, but she had revived some just before we left the reception. The kids were all calm, relaxed, and happy to rest and play with their goody bag items. Tween-no-more was given the back seat to herself, so she could lay down if necessary. All four older kids were given a small dose of dramamine so we wouldn’t take any chances with car sickness, since time was of the essence.

B, C, and I were worried about Baby S, but otherwise relaxed and in good moods. We were all very happy coming away from the wedding - it was truly beautiful. The three of us joked around about B’s spontaneity the previous trip, about C & I fighting on Friday, and about everyone we met Friday night (there were LOTS of dogs involved). We joked about my not getting Jack in the box (I had resigned myself), despite craving it so much. We teased each other about various things.

We also spent some time telling the kids how proud of them we were, for their behavior on the first car trip, for their good spirits on Friday despite the circumstances, and for their roles and behavior during the wedding. They all did such a great job, and they were impressively well-behaved - especially knowing what monsters they can be under normal circumstances! 

The kids did ask to watch one movie … but they otherwise occupied themselves for the remainder of the trip, falling asleep early in the evening and staying asleep most of the trip home. 

Baby S was irritable and agitated - she didn’t want to be in her seat, so she would fuss and cry to be let out. Once she was out, she didn’t want to nurse like we thought: she just wanted to play. Little stinker. We were happy that her fever stayed low-grade, and did not spike up again. Tween-no-more was still running a low-grade too, at times, though it was not consistent. Tylenol seemed to do the trick for her.

We ended up stopping at a Wendy’s when Baby S started fussing again. We wanted to make sure she was well-fed and changed. The Wendy’s we stopped at was FABULOUS - far better than our local Wendy’s. As we walked in, I joked that we would hit a Jack-in-the-Box 20 minutes up the road (we hadn’t seen on in quite a while). The fries were crisp and salted, the sandwiches were fresh and delicious, the tea was friggin sweet (WOOOT!), and the decorations were awesome. It was a combined store/Wendy’s/gas station … the store sold wood furniture, and the Wendy’s had solid wood tables and chairs that were gorgeous. 

After dinner, the kids fell asleep rather quickly. The adults sang (badly) to the radio, chatted, and read. I was working on a fill-in puzzle when C suddenly burst out with, “Oh my God!” and slapped her hands over her mouth. I glanced up, and saw what she had seen: a damn Jack in the Box sign. Go figure! She told B they should have put it into the GPS (we hadn’t thought of it before, because baby S was crying and we knew we needed to stop for her). I was laughing, but slightly (very very very very slightly) annoyed. 

The trip home was relatively easy. B stopped for gas, and C & I went in to change the baby … except we walked into the restroom and about died from the smell, so we ran out. C changed the baby in the van, and while i was tossing the diaper, she asked B to go to the gas station across the street. He was annoyed with us, but complied. We ran in & used the facilities, bought B some jerky, and bought C some coffee. 

As we were sitting in the parking lot so C could nurse Baby S (she’s weaning, but still night-nurses … she had been nursed earlier in the day, but only because she was sick and needed fluids), B went inside to look around for snacks. C and I witnessed a hilarious (and a little worrisome) argument. Two women were in a small van, pumping gas. One got in to drive, the other had gone in to pay and to pick up some items - she was trashed. Ms. Trashed got back into the van, and started screaming at her friend, who screamed back. As the friend/driver started the van & tried to pull out, Ms. Trashed started hitting her and screaming some more. The friend/driver stopped the van about halfway between the pumps and the parking spaces, and started dialing her phone. Ms. Trashed got out of her side of the vehicle and walked around to the driver’s side, using a key to unlock the door. The friend/driver got partway out, continued talking agitatedly into the phone. Ms. Trashed grabbed her by the hair and yanked her out. The friend/driver stood in the doorway and continued to block Ms. Trashed’s way into the vehicle, but then Ms. Trashed stared slapping at her and screaming again. Finally, the friend/driver tossed her hands up, turned the vehicle off, took her keys, and walked into the store. Ms. Trashed climbed into the driver’s seat, started the vehicle with her own key, and slammed on the gas. We thought she’d hit the car not too far away, but she didn’t. Then, she made a fast loop back through the parking lot -coming within a few feet of our huge van. The friend/driver came out of the store and started walking towards the road (presumedly to walk home), and Ms. Trashed came flying through the parking lot again. She came dangerously close to our vehicle again, and then we thought she was going to aim for her friend, but luckily she headed back out towards the street and drove off in the opposite direction her friend was walking. We hope she was pulled over, and that the friend was on the phone with the police, but we’re not sure. We got Baby S buckled in and got on the highway and drove away as quickly as possible.

So, on the drive home, the only drama found was not our own drama, but someone else’s!

A little after 1 am, i finished reading a book & closed my eyes. I kept thinking I was falling asleep, but I would open my eyes and it would only be two minutes later. I laughed at myself and told C & B, and so B told both C & I to get some sleep so we wouldn’t all be too tired to deal with the kids when we got home.

Friends in Low Places came on the radio, so we all sang it together, then C lay back to try and sleep. Baby S woke up, so i sang her to sleep, then settled in myself. For some reason, I could not sleep straight through … I’d fall asleep pretty hard and then wake up to settle Baby S back down, or to switch positions in my seat. I heard Friends in Low Places three more times while I was supposed to be sleeping, which makes me wonder why it was so popular that night! 

B made it home without feeling drowsy and needing to pull over (thank you, Red Bull), so we made it home about 4 a.m. Later that evening, after he made us dinner, he made fun of C & I for snoring while we slept in the car. *L*

So, that is the conclusion of our trip … the actual driving times went well, while the rest of it seemed to have nothing but missteps and crap happening … which we found kind of funny. Normally, people have a great time on vacation, but the trip itself is difficult. Go figure.

Luckily, Baby S didn’t vomit anymore. She did have one more runny poop diaper, and she had only one wet diaper. But, she didn’t get any more ill. C said she woke with a fever on Sunday, but then she went most of the day without having the fever resurface, so that is good news!!

xoxo

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