Road Trip!

4/5 of the Gibson 5 hit the road today- destination: Idaho.   (Joel stayed home to tend to the bacon making.)  (And by 'bacon making', I, obviously mean that he had to work.)  The kids are out of school W, Th, F this week, the roads are clear, and we are mostly healthy, so here we are.

The kids did pretty good in the car.  The day started off with everyone in great spirits.  I heard Maddy say to G, "Garrett?  You see this line right here?  Your stuff can NOT cross it.  I mean, if your hand or something crosses it, that's fine.  But all your stuff needs to stay on your side."  Garrett was totally obedient to that.  Totally.  Maddy spent the majority of the NINE HOUR ROAD TRIP reading "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" out loud to Garrett.  (He listened for about a third of that, but never would let her stop.)

And then there is Carter.  "What did you say, G?  What did you say?  What did you say can't swim?  What did you say?  G?!?  WHAT DID YOU SAY?"  Meanwhile myself, Nana Pam, and Maddy are shouting, "WORM!"  "HE SAID WORM"  And Carter's all, "G?!?!  SAY IT LOUDER!  WHAT DID YOU SAY CAN'T SWIM?  SAY   IT   LOUDER !!!!!"

Finally over everyone yelling, "WORM", I yelled, "GARRETT!  PLEASE SAY WORM TO YOUR BROTHER!"  And Garrett did.  Then Carter just said, "OH!"  And grinned.  He is a serious stinker.

At one point Garrett is making all kinds of machine gun noises and explosion and possibly some bathroom sounds too.  I said, "Garrett, PLEASE turn off those gun noises." Or maybe I called them 'inappropriate noises'.  Anyway, Garrett answered, "You mean BOY noises, mom?"  Whatever.  Please stop.  I don't have one more chchchchchchchchchkaBOOM in me right now.

But really, they were awesome.  I brought the portable DVD player, but didn't get it out.  It's a total pain in the big toe to set up, so I only do it when they are so loud/whiny/wild/complainy that I can't take it anymore.  Usually we're big on Observing!  And Noticing!  And I Spy!  Maddy has a list of all the towns and landmarks we pass by.  Some are obvious, like checking off the towns we drive through.  Some take a little more noticing, like the first time we see the Columbia River (and then we break into song, just like my mom and I have been doing since I was a little girl), and some are completely random and only people who drive I-84 six times a year or more for their entire lives would notice.  Lime.  Cement.  The bend in the freeway after which you see the Treasure Valley and realize why it's called that.  The old stone house and barn that have always been empty and have no road to them.  The Starbucks in La Grande.  (Ok, so that one is just a survival point.)

So now we're here.  We've hugged Grandpa (still weird to get to his house and not have Grammy pacing by the front door waiting for us, but I can't deal with that right now), the Bigs hot tubbed at Bec's with Aunt Minnie and Bissy, and now Maddy is asleep/chatting/watching reality tv downstairs in bed with Aunt Bec.   I am snuggled with Carter boy, and Garrett had me make a bed for him on the floor in my room.  A middle child in every sense of the word, he couldn't bear to sleep alone- no matter that both bedroom doors would be open, and the beds are literally 10 feet apart.  Even though home is Home and we miss Daddy, being here feels like coming Home too.  Tomorrow we'll see Grammy and visit with Grandpa some more as long as Carter and I stay healthy.  (I've already had an Airborne and 2 Emergency, pleaseGodletmenotbeisck.)