Christmas Vacation

I am warning y'all now. Brace yourself. Sit down. Ready?

I am going away for a whole week between Christmas and New Year's Day. I may or may not have access to a computer, so I may or may not blog while I am away. In other words, the fives of you that actually read this may have to find other entertainment during that week.

I know, I know. I hear your cries. It will be okay! There, there, I'll pat you on the back. All better?

Seriously though, we are taking a loooonnnggg trip. One we have taken many, many times before. We've driven to Chattanooga so many times we know how to get there without maps and we know that with three or four stops it takes eleven hours. Twelve if we stop for dinner (which we do not plan on doing, we'll have snacks in the car for the kids and just stop to let them run around). And just how are we going to keep a child with autism and a child with PDD busy in our van for TWELVE HOURS????? We have a secret weapon. I will enlighten you in just a minute.

When I was growing up, Dino Boy's mom and our other five siblings kept busy by reading, snoozing, fighting, playing Barbies, whatever we could bring in the car ( I didn't. I was busy upchucking and nibbling on crackers until our next stop. And what do you know, it is still like that!). Our mom used to make treasure hunt lists for us and that would work for the first hour or so of whatever trip we were on. It got to the point where the night before she'd stay up until all hours crafting a list that would take us, well, hours to complete (she was/is bipolar, after all!). We expected it. We enjoyed it. We all fought over who our partners were (mom always paired olders/more alert with youngers). We left little ones behind at attractions and bathrooms. Twice in Canada. The authorities weren't too happy about the second time. Remind me to tell you about it sometime.

I digress. Anywho, the secret weapon is not a treasure list. Bug Boy can do it, and I may make him a list Gammy style (mile marker 283, an Alaska license plate) but that will not work for Bugaboo. I even have a travel activity book that someone gave me for Bug Boy that I may bring along, he'll love looking for the different state plates and different vehicles and signs and checking them off. Our secret weapon is something that we purchased the other night, after deciding our old one wasn't going to cut it for this trip. The secret weapon can be found right here.

I know what you are thinking. Twelve hours of that? Allow me to elaborate. Here is a brief synopsis of our trip:

• Start on trip.
• Make it to PA/MD/WVA line and stop for the first time (this is about 3-4 hours into the trip). DH promises not to get another ticket in Virgina for going five miles over the speed limit. I make him set cruise control.
  
• Boys run around, we grab something to snack or eat, load back into the car.
• Feed boys while we drive(don't waste precious rest stop time with eating! They need to run!).
• Start into Virginia (UGH! Same scrubby pines and cows over and over).
• Still in Virgina. Give boys books and toys.
• Keep driving in Virginia. Boys get restless seeing same scrubby pines and cows.
• Pop in a video (30 mins in length). Still in, you guessed it, Virginia.
  
• Video is over, it has been 3-4 more hours, time to stop (still in SURPRISE! Virgina. There's that cow again! Big Ben! Parliament!).
• Boys run around. We scarf down food.
• Back into car.
• Feed boys while driving again.
• Boys get restless (yup, still in VA. Total time in VA is 6 hours or so. Boooorrring!).
• Pop in new video, almost to Tennessee line! WOOHOO! No more Virginia! But we still have three hours to go, four if Knoxville is crazy (and we may hit it at rush hour)
• Hand boys more toys and books (new ones, specifically for this trip!)
• Pop in another video (because we aren't stopping this close to our destination).
• Pray for the last hour that they will hang on while crazy people in Rural Tennessee pass us like we are standing still at 70 mph.
• Pull off the highway in Ooltewah. We have arrived! WOOHOOO!!!!
• Kids run around like crazies, we eat with our relatives.

So you see, the videos are the last resort, the diversion that works when nothing else will. Since my kids really only watch TV on weekends, if at all ( I love them being in school, they don't even ask), this is a real treat for him. And it is worth EVERY penny. They love long trips and love being in the car. A long car trip is too much for typical kids, let alone ours. Since they love going to Tennessee to see Bug Boy's celebrity relative (he isn't really a celebrity. He works for a few country acts, but Bug Boy treats him like a super hero) this trip isn't too bad.

Our only concern is Bugaboo. The docs have called in extra prescriptions for us and have helped me find many hospitals. I Googled hospitals in Virgina so I knew how far we had to go to get to each one. Since his seizures clustered last week and they raised his meds he has been much better. But the Neuro cautioned us that although we should not put our lives on hold just because he has a wicked seizure disorder, we MUST keep the diastat with us at all times, we MUST know where all of the hospitals are and we MUST keep track of every seizure so that if he is having too many by next week then that means we cancel our trip. They also want us to make sure he is well fed, well rested and has his meds at the precise time that he needs them. I think we will be fine. Other than that whole seizure thing (downplaying it on purpose so we do not have to dwell on it!) it will be a great trip! Cannot wait!

Oh, and if you are ever in Chattanooga, there is PLENTY to do. There is the Tennessee Aquarium, the Children's Museum (kinda a Please Touch place), the Tennessee Railroad (kinda like Strasburg), pardon me boys the Chattanooga Choo Choo (I kid you not, you can go there), the waterfront area, great restaurants, great barbecue (REAL Tennessee bbq!), and Chattanooga is only a few hours from Atlanta, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Dollywood, you name it! A great place to visit for families. Don't even get me started on the million dollar home along the river or the homes along Point Lookout on the Tennessee/Georgia/Alabama border!!! And Missionary Ridge, WOW! Great views!

Hope your holidays are safe and Happy. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Good Kwanzaa. However you celebrate, have a Blessed Season!