Trippin'

So we took a quick trip last week back home to Alabama and the Gulf Coast.  It worked out that my folks were here so they took the two oldest ones back with them and we followed later that afternoon with the little one.

JUST the little one.

It was amazing how fast I was able to get us packed, loaded and on the road.  And even more amazing that I spent the better part of the trip facing forward.  As opposed to crossing every state line with my rear end plastered on the windshield while I'm hanging over the back seat filling water cups, passing around some sort of cheesey sea life inspired crackers or swatting at unruly passengers.

But the most incredible thing, y'all, is how much room we had in that van after we loaded up our luggage.  Room galore!

Part of it was because we only had this one small child with us.  Part of it is because said one small child is the third and final small child for us and we've learned a lot in the past seven and a half years.  A.  Lot.

We were laughing remembering the first road trip we took with our then four-month-old firstborn.  We were going to the mountains just north of Atlanta and we were going to be gone for about 5 days.  Judging by our cargo, however, one would have surmised we were heading into a remote area of the north pole for the frozen season and the only way we would have access to food and various other sundries would be via air drop.

At that time our family truckster was a Subaru Outback.  With plenty of room to pack for such a trip for a family of two and a quarter.  But for some reason we felt the need to purchase a cargo carrier.  To pack on top of the car what would not fit inside the car.  These items included:

A pack-n-play, full size stroller, Baby Bjorn carrier, grocery cart seat cover, portable high chair (he wasn't sitting up yet but he might start while on the trip, you know), Bumbo seat, various collection of toys, plastic bathtub, various collection of bathtub toys, bottles, bottle warmer, bulk package of baby wipes, baby wipes warmer, bulk package of diapers,  baby food (not sure he was eating solid foods yet but...again....you never know), white sound machine, aquarium crib toy, exersaucer, swing and clothing that spanned the seasons because you never know what the weather will be like.

And the thing is....we were never going to be less than five miles from a super Walmart.

Seriously?  We were college educated people, y'all.  Even then.

So the other day it was nothing to pack for us and number three.  We threw a change of underwear and a piece of gum in a bag and left.

Awesome.