The Traveling Circus
Brandy Wills
Owner of Addie's Boutique in Alexandria, Louisiana.The Traveling Circus
It is that time of year again.
Time for the Wills family to become road warriors.
That's right. It’s holiday season time.
Time to load our three small children ages six, four, and two, into our 2003 Yukon equipped with a DVD player, third-row seating, and leather seats that smell like old milk. We pack toys, movies, and coloring books in hopes that the fighting will be at a minimum on our six-hour road trip.
Yes, momma is delusional.
The six-hour trip turns into seven, sometimes seven and a half hours. The fighting is constant until we are thirty minutes from our destination and they have finally passed out. (Because they could not have done that hours ago.)
Boy, fighting sure takes a lot out of a kid.
By the end of the trip, all I can think is, "All things holy; I need a stiff drink from the drive-thru daiquiri place."
Hey, it's Louisiana, and I am not driving.
Alas, I cannot partake, because I am pregnant with my fourth bundle of joy. Therefore, I roll on my Xanax essential oil blend and take a deep breath. (Don't worry, I will share that recipe. All you momma’s need it!)
In hopes of new ideas, I reached out to my friends and mommy groups on Facebook. Some of the responses were hysterical, and others were super helpful, so I thought I would share.
Top Suggestions that made me laugh:
1. Benadryl for the kids: Are you kidding me!?! That makes them worse. Yes, Benadryl makes some of your kids sleepy. For me? It turns my kids into hyperactive monkeys that cannot be still. Added bonus, they won’t sleep for days!
2. Benadryl for mommy: I wish. In this stage of pregnancy, it makes my legs jump. Then baby #4 starts the competition to see who can kick higher, mommy or baby. Yea, great stuff.
3. My personal favorite: XANAX and a drink. Besides the fact that I am pregnant, my husband would kill me if he had to endure this pain by himself because I passed out.
4. Use my "dad voice." BAHAHA!!!! I always envision my “dad voice” sounding intimidating, and striking fear in the hearts of my wild and crazy kiddos. Instead, I sound like a frog with a head cold. Yeah, my kids laugh too.
5. Ear Plugs: Brilliant, why didn't I think of that?
No, I am not being sarcastic. I wish I would have thought of that.
Top Highly Useful Suggestions:
1. Packing in my suitcase game: Basically, you describe an item in your suitcase, and someone has to guess what it is. This suggestion is geared toward older kids who can carry on somewhat of a conversation. May not keep them busy for the entire trip, but it may break up the fighting!
2. Car Scavenger Hunt: You can find a sample list on Pinterest, but the idea is that you create a sheet with a list of items or pictures if you have smaller children, for everyone to find. Your list may include things like a grocery store, church, Wal-Mart, playground, someone on a bike, etc. Then, everyone tries to spot the items from the car. The first person with their list completed wins!
This one can get super competitive, so be careful.
3. Goodie Grab Bag. You fill a bag will Dollar Store treats. Every thirty minutes that your child is good, you let them pull from the goodie bag. When you are filling your treat bags, you seriously need to check out the Dollar Tree. They have some pretty exciting stuff in there, and it is all $1!
Comfortable Travel Outfit
Because honestly, if you are not traveling in comfort, you are traveling wrong.
My personal favorite travel piece is our Addie's Closet Boutique's striped tunic with waist tunnel tie. It's soft and fitted but stretches for comfort. Plus, it is absolutely adorable with leggings and boots!
I hope these suggestions help ease your travel with precious loved ones. As promised, here is my Xanax EO recipe. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me. If you do not have a friend who sells essential oils, please message me and I will be glad to help.
XOXO
Addie's Boutique