Well this all started a couple weeks ago when Christian and I made plans to attend the Final 4 for Rugby. The plan was for him to drive up with me and then fly back with the team. We were informed just a couple days before our trip that if he missed the first leg of his flight that the airlines would cancel the last part so he would have no way home to take finals. His teachers were not willing to work with him either to take his finals later, if we did he would have to take an incomplete which would mean no financial aid for sometime and we did not want that. The coach tried to work around it but with the group rate flight it was just the airlines policy....BUMMER! So where did that leave me? Family had already planned to come, we already booked our hotel, and I really did not want to miss Christian last game at Nationals Rugby-ever. I really had no choice but to do the drive by myself! We tried to find people that wanted to drive up with me but they had already made plans or had bought plane tickets since we were told this last minuet. I really was dreading the 12 hour drive to Denver by myself with 3 kids, yet I just knew I had to. Yes it sounds as fun as it was. There was just no way around it, I just had to buck up and do it. I was scared and nervous but sometimes we just have to do things that take us out of our comfort zone and that we necessarily do not like doing.
We started our journey around 730pm Friday night. I had a sitter for the older 2 boys so I could take a nap during the day since the night before that I was up so much with baby Kreed. I tried to nap but I had so much anxiety about the trip I could not sleep. I was frantically packing and just trying to get everything organized. We decided that it would be best if I traveled through the night so the boys could sleep in the car--BAD IDEA (ill get to that later). Anyway, I packed all the stuff in the car and the picked up the boys. I ran home, fed and bathed them and then loaded them up hoping they would sleep so I could get on with the driving. The first part of the drive was fine, the boys were watching their movie and Kreed was sleeping. When we nearly reached Omaha all the boys had been sleeping for a while and suddenly Porter woke up screaming his head off. It was about 12 at night. I pulled over on the side of the road to give him his binky and I realized that he had bitten the tip off his. He was whaling for his binky so I grabbed one of Kreed's extra and put it in his mouth--problem solved (so I thought). Meanwhile a cop pulled up in back of me and asked me if everything was OK. I just told him I had screaming kids...LOL! After that we were good for about 30 more min and then Porter started screaming again for his bed...LOL! By this time now Treyson and Kreed were awake and both crying. I needed gas by then so I filled up and the nursed Kreed. Both the other boys were still crying. I was really shocked since Porter usually does great in the car. I thought the hard one was going to be Kreed. I was wrong. Porter was inconsolable. By this time it was like 1:30am and I was tired and so were the boys so I just decided I better get a cheap motel so we could all sleep. I checked into our motel and at around 2:30am and had everyone in their beds and sleeping shortly after. Can I tell you how hard it is to do all this by yourself?? No cake walk that is for sure! I was exhausted. I prayed that Kreed would not wake up in the middle of the night and he didn't, thank goodness. He slept all the way until 6:30 that next morning which gave me about 4 hours of well needed sleep. I did feel refreshed that next morning even though I only got 4 hours of sleep. I was ready to hit the road again and endure the 8 more hours to Denver. I had packed a ton a food in our cooler so we did not have to stop. Breakfast was served and we were off on our adventurous road trip again once again. If I were to do it over I just would have started early in the morning and not drive through the night. I did not realized my older boys would miss their beds so much. So we did not start off to a great start lets just say that.
I hate driving--period. Its so repetitive and BORING!
I have a lead foot because I just want to hurry and get to my destination.
I knew going into it that we were going to have many delays, really I was not sure what do expect since this was my first adventure like it. Christian really did not like the idea but I told him that we were going nonetheless. If did not make it then it would be my funeral I guess...LOL!
I listen and jammed out to my ZUMBA music to keep me awake, doing the moves in my head and practicing new songs.
I ate lots of crunchy nuts to keep me awake and kept the AC pretty cool to keep me alert.
My whole life was in our mini van, so really I was just trying to do anything to keep us safe but to get us there as fast as possible.
This really worked for me even though that last 2 hours I really had to dig deep--I was just ready to be done!
The interesting part was when we stopped to fuel up and the kids ran wild in the gas station. I did the best I could for being by myself. While I would nurse Kreed they would have their toys and snacks, ect. It still was really fun to keep track of 3 kids (insert sarcasm). I had to let them get their wiggles out because being so long in a car is hard for kids, especially my crazy boys. There was one particular stop I made that had a fun arcade room that the boys loved. I did not plan this stop on purpose but it sure was nice to give the older boys some play time. Let me tell you how fun it is to have to take one child to the bathroom, change anothers diaper, feed another, ect, ect. It was hard work let me tell you! When we stopped I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off..LOL! One family told me, "For a young mother of all boys you handle is so gracefully." Not sure where the grace came in but hey Ill take it! Kreed was a dream baby on the trip. He fed, stayed awake for a while and fell asleep in his car seat. He did not really wake up until I stopped the car. I am grateful for a portable DVD player that is for sure. Ours bit the dust right before the trip so I had to break down and buy a new one. It was totally worth it. Movies and toys is what kept my older two sane and me too..LOL!
There were moments I had when it was a dream trip and that mostly consisted of when all 3 of them were sleeping which did not happen that often or for that long. I guess for the most part they did pretty good. I mean total we were traveling for 16 hours by the time we stopped, fed, went to the potty ect.
We made it to Denver around 3pm that day. When we finally arrived the boys were so very excited to see their dad, be out of the car, and be in the hotel. I was too even though I knew in 3 hours I had a game to go to. I was so very tired, bloated, my back, shoulders and bottom just ached--also my jaw hurt so bad from chewing so much gum to stay awake. I was going on 2 days of very little sleep and it was catching up with me. Nevertheless I just pushed through it and got the job done. We made it safe and sound, OK maybe it was not the most ideal trip and there were times I thought I was really going to loose it but I didn't. I said lots of prayers, many of them were little ones like praying for no potty accidents or that Kreed would sleep until the next stop and not be fussy, ect, ect. I really do believe my Heavenly Father was helping me because when I look back I really do not know how I did it all.
Lets just say traveling with 3 kids by yourself is what it is. It just the way it sounds, "Driving 12 hours by yourself with 3 kids!!!" There is nothing more really to say. Would I ever do it again? Not if I did not have to let just say that:)
Stay tuned for The Final 4 National Rugby Games!!
