This post: to quote Winnie-the-Pooh, "it's a long story...and even longer when I tell it."
When Clark was about 1, and the other kids were 5, 8, and 11, Jim had a business trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We decided to take everyone and make it a family trip. My grandmother lived in Virginia, and we planned to travel down to see her after Jim's meetings. We have been blessed with really good travelers, so while driving out there was lonnnnng and there's no way around that...the kids were really good.
You have to imagine that, with 4 kids, you travel with a lot of stuff.
Also, at this time, my kids were fascinated with small toys...small cars, small army men, small "good-guys and bad-guys," small Star Wars figures, etc. My mother-in-law, in an act of sheer genius, bought the kids plastic tool-boxes for Christmas one year. I don't remember if there were ever any tools in them at all. In fact, they might've been plastic tackle boxes. At any rate, she encouraged our kids to put their little toys in them so that they would be easier to carry.
Plus, they could take MORE STUFF.
So, imagine...this is a business trip for Jim. He could've flown out there and stayed in the nice hotel all alone. Instead, he chose to take the family...so we drove. And we pull up at the nice hotel and unload our belongings onto TWO of those rolly-luggage-things...and walk into the hotel lobby to check in.
There are marble floors and high ceilings with HUGE chandeliers. There are couches and a grand piano and professional people without their children mingling in the lobby area. And then there's us. Four kids, 1 stroller and two luggage carriers. We've got Wal-Mart bags full of snacks and diapers and a blow-up froggy ring for the pool. The kids are each lugging their tool boxes. Holly has to go to the bathroom. Logan wants to know where the pool is. Joshua wants to take off running. I have Clark in the stroller. And Jim is up at the desk, trying to be all dignified and professional, and acting like he's not with the crazy people standing over there by the plant.
He was never so glad to just get in the room and shut the door.
We had a great trip. When Jim's meetings were over, we took the kids to see all the tourist-y stuff in Philadelphia. I remember taking a teeny-tiny elevator to the top of the statue of William Penn at Penn Station. The statue area was under construction, and they took us up to the observation area at the top of it and it was beautiful and so scary. I couldn't even concentrate on the beauty of the view because I was just so terrified for the kids being up there. It was just open...no glass or anything. I could just see Joshua bailing off the side. We rode the mass transit and we saw the "Liverty" Bell and other historical buildings.
We decided that we would take in a few quick sites in Washington, DC before heading down to Virginia. We had a day and a half.
I know.
First thing, we had to find our hotel. We had the directions and everything, but we couldn't find it. Jim asked me and the kids to look...so I'm looking out the window...I don't see it. Of course, I'm looking for something like a big HAMPTON INN sign and one of those circle driveways out front ...you know, something recognizable.
Nothing.
But then Jim spies it. We are staying in some sort of executive suite-type thing that looks like an ordinary building. Figures. And there is NO driveway thing...there's just a road with about 3 lanes of traffic in front of the building. Jim does some sort of u-ey and BOOM! We are right in front of it. He turns on the hazards, turns around at me and the kids and yells, "GET OUT! HURRY!"
Please see the above paragraph about our stuff. We are going nowhere fast.
AREYOUKIDDINGME?
But we barrel out the doors, and I'm shoving luggage, plastic tool boxes, and their special blankets and pillows at the kids like a mad woman. And then Jim peels off and we are left standing there on the side of the road.
In Washington, DC.
Where the muggers are.
But in 20 minutes, Jim is back. He says he left our vehicle in an underground parking garage somewhere in a 4 block radius. He has no idea if he can even find the place again. He said he threw his keys to a "foreign man" who drove off in our vehicle, and that we may never see it or our belongings again.
Clark starts crying.
(Not because of that...just because he was a baby and he was tired)
We go into the hotel place. When I say people are staring at us, just trust me. I mean, really. In the words of my dear mother, "THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR CHILDREN." Our room was very sleek and contemporary...and minimalist. No comfy chairs or soft cushion-y things. It was all silver and faux leather and sharp edges. This was for business people and they don't have time to be comfy. Apparently. There was no indoor pool. No vending machine. I have 4 kids. We're probably gonna die here.
Jim senses a disturbance in the force and quickly finds the number of a pizza place and we have it delivered...Cokes, desserts and everything. Okay...I think we might live. It was apparent that we did not need to spend a lot of time in our room, so we decided to venture out after dinner and "get our bearings." We had an appointment at the Capital with our state representative the next day, and we were taking a tour...and we wanted to see how far away we were from where we needed to be. We grabbed our map and packed up the kids and the stroller and headed out the door. We walked a block, maybe, and turned a corner...and there...right in front of us...was the Capital.
OF THE UNITED STATES.
And I heard angels singing, and Jim and I burst out laughing.
Early the next morning, we headed out for a day of sight-seeing until our tour of the Capital.
Basically, you have to know that a day and a half of sight-seeing in a city like Washington, DC...with 4 children...is, like, the perfect storm. There was a lot of "I HATE WALKING" and a "THEY ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO APPRECIATE THIS TRIP" and" WE WILL LEAVE THEM AT HOME NEXT TIME" and a lot of general grumpiness. When we finally got to the Capital and found the office of our Representative, they were waiting on us.
But they weren't PREPARED for us.
Our kids walked in and FELL OUT. On the floor. On the chairs. I wish I was kidding. The staffers there were bringing them WATER. Drama, much? Jim had gone in there trying to act all business-y and nonchalant and "oh, yes, I talked to someone named SARAH on the phone..." but you know what doesn't say "business-y?" A child flat on his back on the floor. AT THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES. That's just embarrassing, I don't care who you are.
All in all, it was a great 36 hours in Washington, DC with 4 kids in a business people's hotel that didn't have an indoor pool OR a vending machine. :)
We ended the trip by going down to Virginia to see my Grandmother. Got to see my Mom's cousin, Johnnie, who is always so much fun...and my Grandma's brother, Raymond, who left me with these words: "in our family, there's diabetes and heart disease. If one don't get ya, the other'n will."
Truer words were never spoken.
And then we drove straight back to Arkansas. FROM VIRGINIA. That's 17 hours in the car, people.
Yes, we did. We left early in the morning, and ran by the gas station to throw away the coconut cake my Grandmother sent with us. Don't judge. It was such a sweet gesture, but Jim is the only one who would eat it and he said it was terrible. This from someone who eats anything! Plus, it's not like I'm gonna carry it on my lap for 17 hours. Whaaaat?
We made several stops before dinner, but when it was time to eat, Jim said he wanted to go in and have a "sit down" meal. Like where you sit and someone waits on you. We went to a Chili's-type-of-place somewhere in Tennessee. Or maybe it was Jackson, MS. I can't remember. It was great to be out of the car and the kids were acting so good. Over dinner, Jim said, "okay...here is the thing. We are about 5 hours from home. I am FINE with staying the night in a hotel here...BUT we can get back in the car and be home between 1-2 a.m. Your choice." We drove home.
After we ate the cheese fries and the chicken strips and the molten chocolate cake, of course.
Maybe Uncle Raymond was right, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Such a great, fun trip.
"The words of the godly encourage many..." Proverbs 10:21
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