Driving driving driving

The littles and I avoided most the mistakes made six years ago when I drove the big girls at these exact ages to Michigan while we waited for our first Kansas house to finish being built.  I didn't get them milkshakes to spread all over themselves and the inside of the vehicle, instead I made them shovel them down in the restaurant at least.  I also got much faster at pit stops so as to keep up the Cannonball Run style trip I was aiming for.  Made record time getting to Nashville (I raced against google directions, 12 hours, whatever google, I did it in 10ish), thanks to a wide open left lane.  Numerous times I would see what appeared to be an evacuation going in the other direction, making me wonder what I was driving into, hurricane?  More like extreme heat but I can assure you that I came from extreme heat so I don't know where they were headed.

We had the best weekend in Nashville.  Krauts and Stouts live in the most fabulous neighborhood near Vanderbilt, walking distance to coffee shops and restaurants, including Taylor Swift's favorite one that we gorged at on Saturday night.  I keep forgetting to tell my girls about that as they are obsessed with her right now.  I must say, egos have to be different in a big city where celebrities live.  Will I offend big fish in small towns?  Pretty sure those types don't read my drivel blog and everyone else knows exactly what type of person I am talking about...  Big cities give you perspective on many things.  Anyway, the Finnegans have the nicest house I've ever been in, a new house built to fit into their historical neighborhood.  Amazing details and if the kitchen had been white I would have plotted a way to make it mine.  So instead I will use it for inspiration.

Parker/Patrick and Avery/Emily are so much alike I was afraid of what would happen when they combined.  Lots of energy to say the least.  When mine discovered the third toy area at bedtime I thought they might explode from excitement.  They were frantically racing around trying to see everything before I could drag them out of there.  I assured them they had two whole days to play with it but they were taking no chances.  Lots of races and sword fights and jumping on an air mattress.  I expected them to sleep all the way to Virginia on Monday but no such luck.  Emily had slept four hours on the way to Nashville so I had high hopes.  I think we are feeling the pain of sleep deprivation today, crabby kids.  They have also been terrible eaters, mostly feasting on fruit snacks, so that doesn't help either.

The drive wasn't as bad as I expected but perhaps I am just used to verbal abuse from the children.  I ignored their demands when they were screaming at me but only because they were strapped in and couldn't punch me.  Such darling children.  Emily is talking more these days and now I remember why I wasn't concerned about verbal delay which she probably has.  Yes, because now she can say things to me like, "poopy diaper on mommy's head! hahahahaha!"  Over and over and over.  Apple of my eye.  Patrick finds her hilarious of course.  I found that I was rather dazed when we'd make a stop and I'd encounter people who were living their normal lives, not one trapped in a screaming car.  One time we stopped at Wendy's and Patrick screamed all the way from the car to the restaurant and when we walked in everyone turned to see what the racket was.  Patrick had the decency to be embarrassed and he stopped crying long enough to get in the bathroom where he let loose on me again, obviously not realizing that people could still hear him.  Wow, all that because I wouldn't unlock the car door and let him shut it again after I shut it by accident.  It was 112 degrees on a black top parking lot, are you kidding me?  I dragged them to the a/c as fast as I could.  OCD tendencies are ignored when it's that hot.

So we are in Virginia now, reunited all four kids, fighting has resumed.  We will get into our condo up in Wintergreen this weekend where we can enjoy some cooler temps.  For now we are down at Stoney Creek and more family is on the way for the 4th of July celebrations.  The girls are sad to not be with their Manhattan friends for fireworks and party at the club but we are making new memories.  We certainly need the distraction this year with Sean gone.  Sean is missing us of course, even worse when we are with his family, but he at least has tomorrow off and the USO has brought in some pro football cheerleaders.  Not the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders but considering the female situation over there no doubt even the Viking's cheerleaders are appreciated.  I am holding out hope that the Kenya medcap will be cancelled or postponed and maybe Sean can catch an earlier flight home.  I would be happy if he just avoids going to Kenya though, not looking good over there.  Enough for now, I will post photos soon.

p.s. My house has nothing of value in it and I have retired neighbors all around who are watching it, in addition to two house sitters and an alarm.  If you still feel the need to break in, please appreciate how clean it is and if you mess it up I will be pissed.