We Made It!

My hubby, our two kids and two cats made the drive straight through from LA to Houston and we still have our sanity and a few nerves left. I thought for sure the long hours (about 26 hours) in a car seat would change my kids into tiny demons. The kids were remarkablely well behaved. We planned on making many pit stops to let them stretch their legs and allow us a little peace. We only had to make one stop that wasn't for gas or for one of the parents to potty.
Now the drive itself was horrendous. If you think you can take shifts driving when you have kids in the car-you're wrong! Try as you might to sleep, it's dang near impossible. The kids are babbling or talking or singing, laughing or crying. They drop their toys under the seat and need you to fetch it. The electronic toys that keep their attention so well are obnoxious and echo in your hind-brain so you can't sleep. The kids also get hungry or thirsty. The sleep you need for the next leg of driving is unattainable during this chaotic road trip symphony.

Imagine these sounds all together for hours and hours...

Sesame Street toy: "Rubber ducky, you're the one. You make bath time so much fun"
Daughter: "Mommy, what's that?"
Son: "Ah, ah, ba, ba, dada, dada"
Sesame St. toy: "I love trash, anything dirty or dusty"
Cats: "meow, meow"
Son mimicking cats: "ow, ow"
toy: "beep, beep, coming through. Driving is fun"
Daughter: "I want my rubber chicken. Where's my chicken?"
Radio station in the middle of nowhere: "She living single, so I'm drinking doubles."
toy: "Cookies, yum, yum, yum"
Daughter: "I want some cookies, Mama."
daughter: "can I have some chocolate milk?"
Cats: "hiss, hiss, meeeooowwww."
Daughter: "Aedan's pulling Luna's tail."
Hubby: "No, no, let's be gentle."
toy: "A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k..."
Daughter: "hey, that's MY toy."
Son: LOUD crying, screaming
Hubby: "Don't take toys from your brother. Use your words and ask. Now give that back."
Son: "Ah, ba, ca, ah, ah..."
cat: hair ball cough
Daughter: "mommy, Remy through up on Aedan."

AAAHHHHHH!! Make it all stop. So basically, my husband and I didn't sleep. But, a few crying sessions is tolerable compared to the nightmare trip I'd imagined.