Murphy's Laws for Moms

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...

As my children and I continued our 5,100-mile journey across the U.S, we decided to take a scenic break and drive from Bozeman, Montana down to West Yellowstone.  After all, it didn't look that far on the map! Thankfully, we did this the same day we visited the Museum of the Rockies, so my children were armed with their newly purchased binoculars and were on the hunt for buffalo. Big Sky, Montana The drive down to West Yellowstone ended up taking quite a bit longer than I anticipated - about 90 minutes - but was well worth our time.  The expedition to find buffalo began as we journeyed along the Gallatin River, witnessing numerous rafters and fly fishermen.  Big Sky was the perfect stopping point for a potty break and for my children to view this majestic mountain.  A quick photo stop during our buffalo expedition We continued on our journey looking for wildlife, but the day's rainfall must have kept them all hidden.  Despite the long journey do...

Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT I have to admit, when I first planned a stay in Bozeman, MT, I wasn't expecting much.  But, stopping here made sense for travel time in the car during our month-long, 5,100-mile journey.  Boy, was I completely taken back at all that Bozeman had to offer.  Our first stop in Bozeman was the Museum of the Rockies. T-Rex exhibit was a hit! The museum is easy to find, just off of I-90 and across from the university.  The kids and I enjoyed a picnic lunch in the parking lot underneath one of their many trees before we began our self-guided journey through the indoor dinosaur exhibits.  Because my children already love PBS's Dinosaur Train , they were familiar with many of the dinosaurs on exhibit.  The T-Rex in the center of the exhibits was by far their favorite, but they also enjoyed seeing the Triceratops "families" and other dinosaur exhibits. One of the many Triceratops exhibits As we journeyed through ...

As we continued eastward out of Spokane, the kids and I enjoyed the stunning beauty of Lake Coeur d'Alene as we traveled through North Idaho.  This is one place I wish we would have had the time to stop, and is a place we will definitely include in future adventures.  But, on this trip, we had to continue on. Day Two Journey  Unsure of exactly how far the kids and I would be able to travel, I didn't make any hotel reservations.  The plan had been to travel as far as Bozeman on this second day of our 5,100-mile journey.  We didn't quite make it that far.  The exhaustion of preparing for the journey and the multiple 30-minute minimum restroom stops made travel a bit slower than planned.  So, we pulled off the highway in Missoula, MT . Having never been to Montana before, I didn't know what to expect.  I found out I had essentially zero cell phone service and absolutely no data coverage.  So, looking up and booking hotels on my smartphon...

I love traveling.  There's something about the freedom of being in a car, just taking off and driving - seeing Mother Nature!  However, travel is a bit different with kids.  They don't always appreciate God's creations the same way that I do.  They also "feel the call of nature" more often than I do.  This made for an interesting day of travel through the sparsely populated areas of eastern Washington. Driving through eastern Washington The first true problem I had to deal with on this road travel was that I had a VERY newly potty trained child.  Granted, I decided he would wear pull ups during this road trip, but it was still an issue.  When he said he had to go, we stopped.  But, where do you stop when there are no towns or rest areas in sight?  Well, I learned how to teach a child to pee on the side of the road.  With a husband half a world away, this had to have been humorous for the few people that passed us, as I had no clu...

This was going to be an amazing idea!  My husband was deployed, we had very little cell reception due to our travels across more remote areas of the northern part of the U.S., and I wanted my road trip to be an educational opportunity for my young kids.  We were going to journal! Well, since my kids aren't quite to the writing stage yet (still just 3 and 5), journaling really meant that the kids were going to draw pictures and I would write what these pictures were.  Each day, the kids were given specific instructions to draw something that they saw or did that day.  How hard can this be?  Dad's going to love reading these journals when we send them to him in his care package! Then, I get this at the end of Day 1: 3yo Journal: Rocks with stripes 5yo Journal: Mommy & me watching the sunrise in Hawaii Maybe we did actually see rocks with stripes.  That could have been a possibility.  We were, after all, driving through forested mountai...

Many thought that I was crazy. They assumed I would end the nonsense and turn around.  They were certain, if I didn't, I would be committed, and I agreed with them.  But, I'm a stubborn mom and was determined to prove everyone wrong.  So, thus began a month-long journey, covering over 5100 miles (round trip) through the U.S. with just Mom and two kids, plus an SUV half-filled with food, DVDs, and busy boxes. The trip was planned not only for summer vacation but for sanity during a military deployment.  It was also planned to maximize the number of family members we could visit.  The route was planned but no hotels were booked due to the uncertainty of traveling with young children. I researched the best way to keep kids sane during road trips, buying books, craft projects, educational materials, and new DVDs.  I built a new Spotify playlist with songs that would be soothing to me as the driver, but also be something suitable for my children's listening ea...

One of the great moments for me, as a mom, are the moments I get a little bit of peace and quiet.  I love the chaos-filled days, but my mind and body also need to be filled with comfort.  I found this comfort on a recent trip to Alaska.  The calming effect that flying around such a marvelous wilderness had on my body and soul was inmediate. The beauty and majesty of the mountains and glacier reminded me that, while Murphy often tries to interject into our lives in an uninvited way, there is a greater force at work. A God who loves us - despite our parenting.

When my children were babies, traveling during naptime made sense. It didn't matter the type of travel: car, train, or plane. The kids would sleep. As they grew out of infancy, the excitement of air or train travel would eventually wear off and they would still go to sleep. So, we booked early morning or late night travel with this sole rationale in mind. Now, as my kids move later into toddlerhood and out of this stage, my kids become more excited by the fact that they're traveling at a time when they're supposed to be sleeping. "Mom, we're flying on an airplane...BEFORE 7 A.M!!" My latest round of traveling has shown me a new Mama Law of travel: When you book your tickets based on the thought that your children will sleep, they will stay awake the entire time. So, for all of you parents who are planning your summer vacations, think about your own sanity first when booking the travel arrangements. Don't take the early morning/late nig...

When my husband and I first started using cloth diapers, we decided that we were only going to use them around the house.  It sounded way too difficult to travel with cloth diapers and, after all, that would still save us a lot of money.  Eight months later...I love cloth diapers so much that I almost exclusively use them.  The only time we don't use them is at night.  So, during the week I only use seven - maybe eight - sposies...that's approximately $2 per week spent on sposies (or 23 weeks to use one package of diapers...you'll change sizes before you run out!). There are many misconceptions to using cloth diapers while out and about (for your day-to-day errands - we'll discuss long-term travel in a future blog).  Some people think that it's too much of a mess (or smell).  Others think that it's too difficult to change CDs on the run.  Even more think it's easier to use sposies.  Well, let's take a look at these situations: 1. MYTH: It's too mu...