Skip to main content

Wyoming and rest stops

Road tripping with a 1:2 adults-to-kids ratio isn't always fun.  There are moments when you wonder if you're really going to make it to your destination.  You're lucky when you can find a decent hotel with two double beds, but realize that means you'll still - most likely - end up with at least one child sleeping horizontally across your body with a foot in your face and an elbow in your stomach...after you spent two hours trying to get both kids to sleep in the bed opposite you.  A potty stop automatically adds at least 30 minutes to your travel time when you count in the extra time herding children through the convenience store, past all of the "goodies" they just have to have, and into a tiny space where you may or may not have toilet paper.  Then, reversing the process and hearing the same arguments all the way back to the car.  This isn't even counting the debates held with children who think they are old enough to go into the opposite sex bathroom by themselves...

So, I was thanking my lucky stars when we drove into Wyoming and stopped at their wonderful rest stops.  Not only were the services clean and stocked, but they also had a play ground...yes, a play ground, for kids to run, jump, slide and use up a small percentage of energy they'd been accumulating after sitting in the car for multiple hours. 

Thank you, Wyoming, for investing in quality rest stops and keeping families sane through their road trips!  This is one family who will choose to drive through your state again.

Having fun at a Wyoming rest stop


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I'm no longer telling my kids to have fun

Today, I've made an important realization that is changing the way that I talk to my children.  I am no longer going to tell them to have fun. Don't get me wrong, I desperately desire that my children find joy, happiness and laughter through numerous experiences and adventures.  But, my children's definition of fun and mine have two VERY different meanings. I'll give you an example. My almost four-year-old son loves to destroy things.  He's like his dad - a man who just wants to learn how things work, as well as cause and effect.  So, he takes apart toys, sister's dolls, kitchen appliances, and more.  He tears books because "the story was in the wrong order."  He pushes buttons - both literally and figuratively.  He colors on walls, floors, computer monitors, furniture, carpet and more because he wants to create maps and "building plans" for his Duplos.  This is his idea of fun . Do you see my dilemma?  His idea of fun is so completel

Leadership Mom: SWOT Analysis

In business, leaders often analyze our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats through a SWOT analysis.  So, if we are going to look at our role as moms as being the greatest leadership opportunity to us, let's start with analyzing ourselves and our kids.  Here's the SWOT I developed for my family: Family SWOT Analysis As a doting mother, there are hundreds of strengths that I could put up here for my kids.  Their hugs, kisses, bedtime stories and prayers, the fact that they come to me when they're seeking healing from an injury (physical or emotional), the notes and drawings they make for me, their precious hearts when they try to help me or that they've learned how to use the Keurig to bring me coffee in the morning...I could go on and on. Now, here's the part where we get honest with ourselves.  Yes, we love our kids and we love our family (or, hopefully, most of the time), but we are not perfect.  Nor should we be perfect.  As we analyze oursel

Where has the Golden Rule gone?

You would have to be living in a cave or some extremely remote location with no access to satellite or wireless reception in order to not hear or read about American politics and the upcoming elections.  It's everywhere...and it's an all out war.  Or, at least that's what it seems like to me.  I usually try not to say too much about politics because I was taught that talking about politics in polite conversation was rude and uncivil.  Today's state of social media and 24-hour news has proven to me that this lesson is, sadly, true.  As a parent, I am trying to instill a sense of respect in my children.  Yet, how am I to do this in a world where everyone is out to get anyone who thinks, speaks, looks, or acts differently than they do?  No, this isn't always about politics.  But, let's face it, we've politicized everything.  There has been no subject left untouched in this year's political race.  There's no topic deemed to be out of bounds.  So, where