Traveling Pack Rats

Road Trips.  You think that after 25 years of parenting, too many road trips to count and an impressive ability to use "mommy hearing", that I would learn a few things....maybe it's like childbirth....you forget...think I'll go with that because the alternative is old age.

We've embarked upon our Labor Day week-end, the parents have flipped their minds, camping trip.  Our family, with the exclusion of Alison who is graciously house and dog sitting as well as pulling a week-end shift at work and very much thrilled to not be a part of this outdoor experience, have traveled 3 plus hours to a lake area of Iowa.  We've been trying since Memorial Day to plan this trip with two other families and we may finally be pulling it off.

This was not an environmentally friendly road trip.  So far it has involved 2 motorcycles, a four door pickup, a Yukon pulling a 30  foot camper, another pickup fulling a fifth wheel trailer....we've more that helped the fuel industry.  3 campgrounds, 16 people (no pets), 3 bikes, 2 rip sticks and a first aid kit.  Three of us comprise the office staff of our elementary (2 secretaries and the nurse...wonder what happens if we don't come back to work on Tuesday).

We took less stuff with us on our week long summer trip than for this week-end, still can't figure that out. We have an extra boy in our camper tonight and who knew that boys giggle more than girls?  Did you know boys take longer in the bathroom than their sisters ever did?  Did you know that when you put  9, 10 and 11 year old boys in the bunk end of a camper it can produce smells that rival an over ripe potato?  Did you know the promise of early morning fishing can make all 3 boys hit the bed and sleep? 

It promises to be an interesting week-end....wait for the pictures I'm sure we'll have a lot of opportunity and more than a few insane happenings.  Hope you have a great holiday week-end.