Vegas or Bust
It's been over a year and a half since we moved to Los Angeles. In that time we've gone on one local overnight trip--to San Diego. We lasted two hours at the San Diego Zoo before we admitted defeat and drove home. Going somewhere with both boys would seem like something we should be able to handle, after all there is a 1-1 ratio. It's not like we have three, four, or five kids. But our boys were born with the "unable to sit still or remain in one place" gene that runs in my husband's family. Even my mother-in-law is always in motion, doing squats or just shaking her leg when we're watching TV. So that's why it is always mentally and physically draining to go anywhere with the boys. When we go to visit relatives, I know I will have additional troops to support my husband and me. We recently tried again to go on a day trip to Santa Barbara but unfortunately for us, our timing was terrible and it started raining buckets while we were there. So it should come as no surprise that I told my husband after that debacle that I would never go on another road trip again for the next five years.
I think trips are harder for moms, working at home or at the office, because we're the ones who usually have to remember a million different things to pack. Medicines, snacks, drinks, sunblock, things to occupy the kids in the car/plane/airport, extra batteries for the camera, the list goes on and on. For my husband, all he has to do for the most part is get in the car and drive, whether it's to the airport or our destination. But still, I wanted to do something special for my husband's birthday. I had a surprise party for him last year and we've gone to nice dinners in the past so I thought going to Vegas was something he would appreciate since I said I would never ever do it.
First I did my research as all good moms do, checking the weather for our visit (rain, sadly), the crowds (Nascar weekend), and gathering tips from moms who've done the trip. One mom emailed me an exhaustive five-page list of things to do with kids. If anyone wants this extremely helpful list, please email me and I will send it to you. But what really stuck with me was the advice I got from a friend on the death trap that is I-15. She sent me this link that made me close my eyes to say some extra prayers for protection. Then, instead of Vegas being a surprise (I had planned to pick him up from work), I told Stewart about the trip and he was able to get off work early so we could get on the road ahead of traffic.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati