With school right around the corner, my husband and I decided on one last day trip…all four of us. We settled on Myrtle Beach since we could go and head back the same day. The difference between this and most of our trips is that we did not tell the boys what we were doing or even where we were going. We weren’t sure if we could pull it off, but yesterday, as we pulled into Ripley’s Aquarium….they were still clueless

One of our earlier trips this summer to DC

Jake has been wanting to take his dad to see Medieval Times for awhile now. I took both boys during the last deployment and ever since Jake has been asking for a return visit. Sam and I weren’t so keen on round two of the show, but Sam is never one to turn down a trip to Build a Bear. With our respective “dates” in mind, we set off for lunch in Wilmington and that was all we told the boys…..just lunch then home.

They really thought they were on their way home until we were about five minutes from Broadway at The Beach. I am pretty sure Sam got out of the car and thought he was in Jacksonville It was a fun way to end our summer and even getting home at 11PM was OK. We had time as a family and everyone got to do something they enjoy. We’ll have to make those memories last a couple of months now. School, football, tennis…….back to reality and back to work.

Did you take any last trips before school started? Have you ever surprised your kids with a getaway?

We just got back from our last trip of the summer and I am quite happy to keep my car here in Onslow county for awhile. We had a great time, but we drove a lot of miles this summer and I think we are all done with 10 hours plus on the road. We have been to Virginia and Florida and this most recent trip took us to Ohio and DC. The boys were good, but even they are happy to stay put for awhile now.

Jake and Sam enjoying the Ohio weather

Our time in Ohio was wonderful…we got to visit with family and the weather was perfect. We left humidity and 90s behind and traded it for 80s and sun. We were able to play outside without melting in the first five minutes and it was great! The boys love spending time with their grandparents and like any visit with them, they were spoiled rotten. After a few days in the Buckeye state we headed for DC and a visit with my brother and sister in law.

My parents went to DC with us so it was a family affair. My husband had to sit out the OH portion due to work but he made it to DC. It was just a weekend but it is rare that all of us are in one place like that, so we truly enjoyed it. We took in some sights like the Spy Museum and a few memorials on the mall. Throw in some great meals in places like Georgetown and it was a perfect end to our summer travels.

Have you taken any trips this summer? Any great memories to share?

	Rascal Flatts – Life Is A Highway .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

From a couple of my earlier post you may know two things….

1. We are heading to Ohio at the end of the month to visit family
2. My husband recently left active duty after twelve years

While Kerry left active duty this past week, he will be heading right back to the same unit in a couple of weeks as a Reservist while he continues his federal job hunt. We are thrilled he has a job in place, BUT that means he won’t be able to join us when we hit the road in three weeks.

As I said before, lengthy car trips have never been an issue for us, and I have done the NC to OH trip before without him, but it sure is better (and easier) with him. You know the drill…one parent pumps the gas while the other does the bathroom break with the kids and never mind splitting up the time behind the wheel. It is me for all 13 hours this time and it will be me pumping, running bathroom duty and keeping the kids fueled up and busy.

It was never a thought to cancel the trip…as a military mom, learning to do everything on my own has been a way of life. I will say that I’ll miss the helping hand and the conversation…..I now get to listen to movies I can’t see from the back seat. Before I see Alice In Wonderland, I will know all the dialogue.

Have you had to take a long road trip with the kids? Any stories to share?

We have a 13-hour drive coming up in July. We plan to head home to Ohio to visit family and while I don’t exactly look forward to that amount of time in the car, I am not really dreading it either. We have made the same trip many times with the kids and it has never really been an issue. As they have gotten older, it has even gotten easier. The days on needing constant stimulation and “something to do” are gone. 

Ready to Roll on their way to DC last Easter

As recently as last year we had to load up the car with 10 DVDs, take coloring books, leapsters, DSI’s…..a laundry list of things to keep the boys occupied. While I did not like lugging all of that around…it did the trick. That, along with stops every 2-3 hours, ensured happy kids who did not whine the entire time. Now that Jake and Sam are older, it is getting easier. A few books and their DSI’s is all they need. I have even caught Jake just looking out the window…..not an electronic device in sight! 

It was always a lot of extra work to prep the car for the boys when we took road trips. I spent more time getting their “area” in the car ready than I did packing in the first place. It always paid off in the end. Now at ages 6 and 7 it is nice to not have to switch DVDs at 70 MPH on I-40 or reach back under my seat to get the red crayon Sam dropped. We can hop in the car and go anywhere for any amount of time and not worry. Now if I could get my co-pilot (aka husband) to stay awake next to me and keep me company when I drive…..that would be perfect  

How are your tweens on road trips? Suggestions for keeping them happy and occupied?