On the Road Again

Today we embark on our third annual summer vacation to "states north of Texas". First up, a week in Lincoln, Nebraska with Tom's parents and brother. My sister and her family will join us at Tom's parents' house toward the end of the week, and then the eight of us (my family of four and Sara's family of four) will move on to Omaha, Nebraska for a weekend reunion with our parents and our aunts, uncles, and cousins on my dad's side of the family. While in Omaha we'll attend - and Tom, Sara, my dad, and I will provide the music for - the wedding of my cousin, Amy.

After 10+ days in Nebraska, Tom will head back to Texas and the kids and I drive to Wisconsin with my parents. After a night to unpack and repack, the kids and I will keep on moving to Minocqua, Wisconsin, where we'll spend a few days with Tom's parents at the Lincoln Lodge. After Minocqua, it's back to Madison, Wisconsin, where the kids and I will stay until the end of July, with the exception of a few day trips and perhaps a short, weekend trip to Peoria, Illinois to see my sister and her family again.

He's been a happy camper
in the car since day one.

Thankfully, Will and Hallie are good road-trippers. Both took their first 7+ hour car trip before they were a month old, and they've never looked back, even during those road-trips-are-miserable-when-kids-are-potty-training years. Our tried and true mix of movies, music, books on CD (for the kids and the grown-ups), activity/coloring books, car games, and snacks makes the time pass quickly, and the prospect of staying overnight in a hoe-and-tell (Hallie's mispronunciation of the word "hotel"), which we'll do on our way to Nebraska, is all the motivation the kids need to cooperate.

Speaking of cooperation, I'm crossing my fingers that Mother Nature is a little more cooperative this year than she was last year...

One of my motivations for spending an entire summer month up north has been and continues to be the opportunity to escape the blistering heat and stifling humidity that accompany summer in Texas. But last year, instead of escaping the Texas summer, I took the Texas summer with me to Wisconsin...the temperature in Wisconsin was between five and 10 degrees HOTTER than it was in Texas on 28 of the 30 days we spent up north, not to mention the fact that Wisconsin set all sorts of heat-related records during our stay as well.

As we hit the ground running on this adventure, I'm hoping for and looking forward to a safe and smooth road trip, fun and new experiences for the kids, quality time spent with family and friends, a lovely wedding, beautiful weather, and a safe flight home at the end of July. I'm also hoping for a change in the Hal Gal's behavior, and if that doesn't happen, I'm looking forward to leaving her with her grandparents and getting the heck out of dodge.

Farewell, friends!

Lest you think I just told the Internet that our house will be abandoned for the next five weeks, I will also share with the Internet that a friend will be staying in our house the first week we're on the road, and then after that, Tom will return home.

It's no wonder she doesn't complain much in the car - it's
certainly a step up from riding in the back of Will's tricycle.