In just a few hours, I'll be piling the girls into the car, straight from a swim meet, to make a 4+ hour drive north to visit my parents and sister in their summer homes in the New Hampshire lakes region.
The girls are excited. They know that their cousin loves the lake and tells stories all year long about going on the boat, splashing in the lake, visiting different spots. They know we're not going for long, but they're still pumped. They want to do all the things they've heard about.
The worry for me is 1) will my 190K+ car that has just been given official notice of replacement hold up for the hundreds of miles and 2) will I be able to keep the excited girls happy in the backseat. I'm worried that there will be fighting or whining or asking for bathroom breaks and food and how long until we get there. They aren't bad in the car normally, but it's a long trip and I'm the only grown up to deal with any issues that may come up.
The best way I deal with any issues is being super proactive. I write things out. I plan things out. I pack bags and repack bags and get everything I need within my reach.
I will say, having Madison have the ability to tell time and read maps this year is a big plus. When she can look at my phone and see the maps app telling her where we are and how much longer and what time we'll get there. I can also say things like "we have an hour before our next stop, and we'll be getting gas/having lunch/whatever and when we do that we'll be halfway there". She understands that, and because she can wrap her brain around it, Reagan can too.
But there are some other tips I thought about and compiled, and I will say, assuming my car holds up (knocking on ALL the wood) I think we'll be enjoying a beautiful New Hampshire lake weekend in just a few hours!
https://www.lecknerchevrolet.com/happy-kids-happy-road-trip.htm
