On the Road

We started out very early on Saturday hoping the kids would sleep for a while. Kathryn was awake in an hour, Emma shortly after. And since there was nothing to do in Oklahoma, I was a bit irritated. Seemed that I would have to be the entertainment until we crossed the state border. (While I do know there are things to do in OK, they were are west of the road that we were on. Way west. So I am not blasting the whole state. Just the part that I was unfortunate enough to be in.) But look at the one place we did stop:


It's the world's biggest, no second biggest, no it's the third biggest McDonalds. And it's gross!

Shortly thereafter we were in the state of Missouri, the Show-Me State. Steven asked me to show him something, I politely declined. It is also known as the Cave State, so that was our pit stop. We went to the Fantastic Caverns in Springfield. This cave has the distinction of being the only drive-thru cave in America. Which was awesome for our crew. Because I have been in caves before and this is usually what happens:

1. It is wet and slippery, therefore you or one of your children will fall and bust their butts.


2. You get stuck at the very end of the line where you can't hear a word the tour guide is saying.
   
3. Your child gets tired of walking and needs to be carried, usually happens when you are making your way back UP to the entrance.

But none of these are a problem when you ride in a jeep pulled trailer. It was a lot of fun, and we got some really cool rocks in the gift shop for our little collector. She might be a bit interested in spelunking too!

Then we hit the road again, and really by this time, everyone has had enough of being strapped down.

But you know me ever the optimist, little miss Sunshine. Yep, put on a happy face!

Finally we arrive in St.Louis. This after the Mapquest directions screwed me and I had to put my Magellan skills to work. Of course navigating and driving are a lot of fun when you are downtown in a city you have never been in before. But I found it, we valeted, unloaded our truck full of crap and proceeded to check-in.

I always get a little nervous checking into a hotel. See when I book my rooms, I fail to mention the fact that I have four children. I like to claim two, if I claim any more, I'm scared that the manager will tell me that I have exceeded the maximum room allowance of living, breathing beings and require me to purchase an adjoining room for the not so bargain basement hotel rate. And I refuse to pay good money for my children to have access to their own TVs, bathroom, and beds. They are perfectly capable of suffering through ESPN and sleeping on the floor. So at check-in time, I stash two of them around the corner, so I don't get busted.

But it went off without a hitch. Except for the one annoying drunkard who tried to cut in front of me in line and should be thanking God that I was too tired, too cranky, holding my daughter, and that biting my lip and drawing blood actually convinced me to hold my tongue and my temper. Yeah, she should thank her lucky stars that the fact I had just spent 12 hours on the road with my four kids had worn me down as to avoid all confrontation. And that my very calm husband intervened and made sure we were next in line.

We went to the ballpark Saturday night as well. More on that in a future post. I have to figure out how to edit pictures. And apparently I am spending way too much time on the computer and ignoring my family right now.

As if the 20 hours in the car, the night in a cramped hotel room, and squeezing into small public restroom stalls hasn't been enough togetherness for a lifetime!