DAY 5: Nashville, TN to Little Rock, AK
12/31 Friday
After picking up a few more things at Wal-Mart, we drove to the local Cracker Barrel for breakfast, after checking satelite maps to determine whether there was appropriate parking etc. Oma and I have been using her laptop and my iphone for EVERYTHING, scoping out parking/driving suitability, finding travel plazas (there's a free map-based app to find the cheapest diesel :) We had such a ball at breakfast: the kids were very charming and charmed, the waitress was all "honey" this and "darling" that in her Southern accent, and I picked up some mini activity books from the country store.
The rest of the driving that day did not go very smoothly. We decided after looking at lists of kid-friendly activities to do # 10 of 945 (http://attractions.uptake.com/tennessee/memphis/family/375471799.html) playground at an elementary school, so we knew we'd be able to get in and out w the RV. It turned out to be a super sketchy neighborhood, house next-door had blown-out windows and grafitti, block away a memorial that we're guessing was a victim if a shooting based on the people hanging nearby. The rest of Memphis that we saw from the freeways didn't look much better, and we didn't want to chance going into downtown Memphis with the RV and getting stuck, so we gave up and crossed the Mississippi into Arkansas. The kids were having a really hard time staying quiet and in their seats that morning and I was extra looking forward to the chance to let the kids escape. We were really bummed - I'd always liked the sound of Memphis - and settled for a rest stop to picnic and let the kids run in the grass. Then Riley accidently hit me in the forehead with a frisbee, and my temporary crown fell out when I ate a caramel. We stopped a little early for New Year's Eve, at an RV park on the shore of the Arkansas River in Little Rock, Arkansas. Opa took mercy on Oma and I and took the kids for a hike to a local playground. I made pizza, breadsticks, and apple crumble in the RV's mini kitchen for special New Year's Eve food.
After the kids went to bed, Opa and Oma and I sipped sparkling white grape juice, had cheese and crackers, and plotted out our route for the remainder of the trip. Unfortunately we've been plagued by cold weather, which the kids are loving (or at least not minding) but caught the adults off guard - below freezing temps were forecast for our route no matter how Southerly we drove - Texas? New Mexico? Arizona?!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
ROADTRIP DAY 4: Virginia to Tennessee
DAY 4: Roanoke, VA to Nashville, TN
12/30
Our little snag this morning was getting the RV out of the parking spot because the rear-wheel-drive tires were spinning on the ice that formed overnight. But a little gravel scooped from the road under the tires did the trick, and we were soon on our way.
Today was a perfect example of how unjaded our kids are. Our big outing/stop of the day was at a McDonald'splayplace in Abingdon, VA. Riley took the opportunity ot throw a few snowballs at mommy. We shopped at Food Valu (?) and I signed up for their (frequent) shopper card. Oma and I laughed at the idea of collecting them at various grocery chains as we crossed the country. Parking the RV in the parking lot was a little tricky, and Oma almost gave us a heart attach when she yelled "wait, stop!" as we were pulling away. (she had forgotten to pick up her prescription after having it transferred to that store)
We wanted to put in some extra miles after the kids went to sleep, so we decided it would be a good night to try parking the RV in a Wal-Mart parking lot. It was great, picked up a few necessities at Wal-Mart and neighboring Lowes that night and in the morning without having to separately park. The RV can be self-sufficient, so a night without hookups is fine and of course easy on the budget. Supposedly the founder of Wal-Mart was an RV person so he allows RVs to park for a night without hassle unless the local government has a problem with it.
here's some pictures from yesterday, taken with my phone:
12/30
Our little snag this morning was getting the RV out of the parking spot because the rear-wheel-drive tires were spinning on the ice that formed overnight. But a little gravel scooped from the road under the tires did the trick, and we were soon on our way.
Today was a perfect example of how unjaded our kids are. Our big outing/stop of the day was at a McDonald'splayplace in Abingdon, VA. Riley took the opportunity ot throw a few snowballs at mommy. We shopped at Food Valu (?) and I signed up for their (frequent) shopper card. Oma and I laughed at the idea of collecting them at various grocery chains as we crossed the country. Parking the RV in the parking lot was a little tricky, and Oma almost gave us a heart attach when she yelled "wait, stop!" as we were pulling away. (she had forgotten to pick up her prescription after having it transferred to that store)
We wanted to put in some extra miles after the kids went to sleep, so we decided it would be a good night to try parking the RV in a Wal-Mart parking lot. It was great, picked up a few necessities at Wal-Mart and neighboring Lowes that night and in the morning without having to separately park. The RV can be self-sufficient, so a night without hookups is fine and of course easy on the budget. Supposedly the founder of Wal-Mart was an RV person so he allows RVs to park for a night without hassle unless the local government has a problem with it.
here's some pictures from yesterday, taken with my phone:
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| 12/29: the RV and the Prius being towed behind it at a rest stop in VA somewhere? the perspective is a little exagerrated, but it's a "big rig" for sure |
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| 12/29: Hailey and her buddy Dora (they were sharing a seatbelt and Hailey kept showing her what she was playing on the DS hehe) |
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| 12/29: the "girls" plus a glimpse of Opa (driving) and Oma (navigating) in the cockpit |
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| 12/29: the boys being all cozy, Elliot watching Riley play a DS game. they don't have to sit this close (though they share a big seatbelt sometime) but they've been all sweet like this several times now :) |
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| 12/29: less backlit, but still a strange photo. the license plate on the RV reads "OPAOMA" and the Prius reads "HENK" :) |
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
ROADTRIP DAY 3: Grand Caverns
DAY 3: Harrisburg, PA to Roanoke, VA
12/29
We were thoroughly unimpressed with the Harrisburg, PA campground, and got out of there as quickly as possible in the morning. At least there was no snow, but still very cold. We parked in the parking lot of the local K-Mart and picked up a few supplies, then got on the highway. The kids are getting the hang of RV travel - they've developed their "sea legs" and now think they can stand around in the aisle of the RV while it is driving 55mph down the highway, oops! They are really good, passing the time with lots of activities and minimal reprimanding from mommy.
The highlight of the day was definitely seeing the Grand Caverns in Grottoes, VA. The kids each had their own favorite parts which the excitedly tried to tell dad about on the phone :)
I was also amused to stay at the Dixie Caverns and Campground, which brought back lots of memories of a trip Jeff and I took to Abingdon, VA about 10 yes ago, which included checking out the local pride and joy "Dixie pottery". We were surprised to see snow all over the campground because we hadn't seen any all day.
12/29
We were thoroughly unimpressed with the Harrisburg, PA campground, and got out of there as quickly as possible in the morning. At least there was no snow, but still very cold. We parked in the parking lot of the local K-Mart and picked up a few supplies, then got on the highway. The kids are getting the hang of RV travel - they've developed their "sea legs" and now think they can stand around in the aisle of the RV while it is driving 55mph down the highway, oops! They are really good, passing the time with lots of activities and minimal reprimanding from mommy.
The highlight of the day was definitely seeing the Grand Caverns in Grottoes, VA. The kids each had their own favorite parts which the excitedly tried to tell dad about on the phone :)
I was also amused to stay at the Dixie Caverns and Campground, which brought back lots of memories of a trip Jeff and I took to Abingdon, VA about 10 yes ago, which included checking out the local pride and joy "Dixie pottery". We were surprised to see snow all over the campground because we hadn't seen any all day.
ROADTRIP DAY 2: lots of driving
DAY 2: Tuesday, 12/28
Day 2 was our big driving day. We had the water supply hose freeze and burst and of course were delayed by the blizzard, so we were very eager to put the snow and frigid temps behind us. After a few more snags hooking up the Prius behind the RV, we finally hit the road! We drove 95 South to RI, then followed it West along the coast of CT. We drove through a corner of NY and NJ, crossing the Hudson on the Tappan Zee bridge, and then drove for a few more hours until we reached our destination: an RV park near Harrisburg, PA.
Riding in the RV is an adventure, somewhere between flying, riding a greyhound bus, and taking a subway. Especially the first day, when Opa had to drive it through mysteriously heavy traffic and wind gusts of up to 40 mph! You mostly need to sit, and only walk when you have to go to the bathroom or get something out of a compartment or the kitchen. There's lots of places to sit (obviously driver and passenger, plus two couches with 2 seatbelts each and a small table with 2 seatbelts on each side. We've got DS's, a portable DVD player with 2 screens, coloring books and notebook/journals, puzzles, legos, toy cars, and stuffed animals. Then of course there's the scenery flying by. The kids admired the highway overpasses being constructed, the tall buildings, the bays, the sunsets, plus commuter trains, towboats, barges, and cranes.
The kids are enjoying themselves, and the day went well, all things considered. I figured out how to set up the kids' beds while Opa & Oma were driving, and the kids were in bed and sleeping soundly before we reached the RV park for the night :)
Day 2 was our big driving day. We had the water supply hose freeze and burst and of course were delayed by the blizzard, so we were very eager to put the snow and frigid temps behind us. After a few more snags hooking up the Prius behind the RV, we finally hit the road! We drove 95 South to RI, then followed it West along the coast of CT. We drove through a corner of NY and NJ, crossing the Hudson on the Tappan Zee bridge, and then drove for a few more hours until we reached our destination: an RV park near Harrisburg, PA.
Riding in the RV is an adventure, somewhere between flying, riding a greyhound bus, and taking a subway. Especially the first day, when Opa had to drive it through mysteriously heavy traffic and wind gusts of up to 40 mph! You mostly need to sit, and only walk when you have to go to the bathroom or get something out of a compartment or the kitchen. There's lots of places to sit (obviously driver and passenger, plus two couches with 2 seatbelts each and a small table with 2 seatbelts on each side. We've got DS's, a portable DVD player with 2 screens, coloring books and notebook/journals, puzzles, legos, toy cars, and stuffed animals. Then of course there's the scenery flying by. The kids admired the highway overpasses being constructed, the tall buildings, the bays, the sunsets, plus commuter trains, towboats, barges, and cranes.
The kids are enjoying themselves, and the day went well, all things considered. I figured out how to set up the kids' beds while Opa & Oma were driving, and the kids were in bed and sleeping soundly before we reached the RV park for the night :)
ROADTRIP DAY 1: the blizzard
DAY 1: Monday 12/27
We started the day (that we were originally slated to start driving) literally digging out. we took advantage of the wonderful hot shower and laundry facilities at the RV park and Jeff and the kids made the most of the extra day by playing in the snow, especially the giant banks piled up by the snowplow. In the afternoon we said goodbye to Jeff, and Opa drove him to the Logan Express so he could go hunker down in a hotel and hopefully do a little work before his flight on Wed am. Opa cleared off the RV and Oma and I organized and stowed our stuff. We'll leave in the morning, hopefully early!
The RV is so cozy, though it's unsettling when the whole RV shakes from the wind or overly enthusiastic kids. Their energy levels are sweet but also frustrating. We haven't even started driving yet and they're already stircrazy. or maybe it's just me. Today after playing outside for an hour in the snow they are still literally jumping up and down! Maybe they do it at home too, but it doesn't usually make the house sway :)
I took pictures of the snow etc with the good camera, but then realized I have no way of getting them off the camera until we get back to LA, so as of Wed I've been taking cellphone pics instead which I will attach (hopefully)
We started the day (that we were originally slated to start driving) literally digging out. we took advantage of the wonderful hot shower and laundry facilities at the RV park and Jeff and the kids made the most of the extra day by playing in the snow, especially the giant banks piled up by the snowplow. In the afternoon we said goodbye to Jeff, and Opa drove him to the Logan Express so he could go hunker down in a hotel and hopefully do a little work before his flight on Wed am. Opa cleared off the RV and Oma and I organized and stowed our stuff. We'll leave in the morning, hopefully early!
The RV is so cozy, though it's unsettling when the whole RV shakes from the wind or overly enthusiastic kids. Their energy levels are sweet but also frustrating. We haven't even started driving yet and they're already stircrazy. or maybe it's just me. Today after playing outside for an hour in the snow they are still literally jumping up and down! Maybe they do it at home too, but it doesn't usually make the house sway :)
I took pictures of the snow etc with the good camera, but then realized I have no way of getting them off the camera until we get back to LA, so as of Wed I've been taking cellphone pics instead which I will attach (hopefully)
ROADTRIP DAY 0: the sendoff
DAY 0: Sunday 12/26
We stayed overnight at grammie & grampie's house in Ossippee, NH last night and had breakfast with them this morning. Jeff spent a lot of time online and on the phone trying to figure out how and when he was going to get back to LA since JetBlue canceled his flight for that evening. The best they could do was Wednesday morning, crazy because we hadn't even seen the start of the blizzard yet.
We packed all our stuff (barely!) into the car and drove to Jamaica Plain for the Oolders family holiday gathering (and bon voyage party) with Lisa & Shannon (and their 2 kids), Jack & Meg, Niamh & Steve (now engaged, yeah!) and Opa & Oma. Outside the snow started piling up, but we had fun swapping presents, holding baby Lucas, and watching the cousins playing so cutely together. Then we loaded up the cars and headed to Foxboro where the RV was parked. We set up all the beds and piled on the blankets. It really was a blizzard - winds up to 50 miles an hour rocked the RV and left snowdrifts deeper than my knees around the cars and buildings.
We stayed overnight at grammie & grampie's house in Ossippee, NH last night and had breakfast with them this morning. Jeff spent a lot of time online and on the phone trying to figure out how and when he was going to get back to LA since JetBlue canceled his flight for that evening. The best they could do was Wednesday morning, crazy because we hadn't even seen the start of the blizzard yet.
We packed all our stuff (barely!) into the car and drove to Jamaica Plain for the Oolders family holiday gathering (and bon voyage party) with Lisa & Shannon (and their 2 kids), Jack & Meg, Niamh & Steve (now engaged, yeah!) and Opa & Oma. Outside the snow started piling up, but we had fun swapping presents, holding baby Lucas, and watching the cousins playing so cutely together. Then we loaded up the cars and headed to Foxboro where the RV was parked. We set up all the beds and piled on the blankets. It really was a blizzard - winds up to 50 miles an hour rocked the RV and left snowdrifts deeper than my knees around the cars and buildings.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
potty trials and tribulations
Elliot is now potty trained, it's so exciting. Today is day 9 of being totally dry all day! He's the first one to have my relatively undevided attention for the potty training, and everything up until about 3 wks ago we referred to as "practice". Then we switched him to undies only (except training pants if we were out) and he stayed dry the very first day. And that night, and almost every night since then. But for another week or so he'd have at least one accident usually in the middle of the day. Then he stayed dry the whole day, and the rest (as they say) is history! I'm particularly impressed/baffled by him mastering night training first, but know better than to complain.
The unfortunate and ironic thing is that I can't totally claim "yeah, all my kids are (finally) trained and out of diapers!" I put Hailey back in night diapers "underjams" a few months ago, realizing that she just seemed to be too sound of a sleeper to heed the warnings and it was much more acceptable to me than washing sheets all the fricken time. It also helped me keep from taking it as something she was doing on purpose to make me lose my mind. So now my youngest stays dry at night but his 17-months-bigger sister doesn't, which is definitely awkward. But since kindergarten started a month ago, she is now also wetting her pants almost every day after school and lying about it. We're not going to offer her toys or rewards (her 5th birthday is in a few weeks) but are considering staying dry all day or night as one of those things she should be able to do at her age for which she earns a "gem" just like chores *deep sigh*
It's so awesome that I get to hand off the 3/4 box of diapers to a friend! No more diapers ever again!
Hailey, standing next to me, offers hopefully "maybe I can use them?" *roll eyes*
The unfortunate and ironic thing is that I can't totally claim "yeah, all my kids are (finally) trained and out of diapers!" I put Hailey back in night diapers "underjams" a few months ago, realizing that she just seemed to be too sound of a sleeper to heed the warnings and it was much more acceptable to me than washing sheets all the fricken time. It also helped me keep from taking it as something she was doing on purpose to make me lose my mind. So now my youngest stays dry at night but his 17-months-bigger sister doesn't, which is definitely awkward. But since kindergarten started a month ago, she is now also wetting her pants almost every day after school and lying about it. We're not going to offer her toys or rewards (her 5th birthday is in a few weeks) but are considering staying dry all day or night as one of those things she should be able to do at her age for which she earns a "gem" just like chores *deep sigh*
It's so awesome that I get to hand off the 3/4 box of diapers to a friend! No more diapers ever again!
Hailey, standing next to me, offers hopefully "maybe I can use them?" *roll eyes*
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