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| Yummy Pizza! |
When the alarm on my phone went off this morning, I tried to pick it up and turn it off but the phone screen was blank. I tried and tried but still nothing-the ringing didn’t seem to bother Robby at all. I finally was able to turn off the ringing and hit snooze which was my goal all along. All of that work trying to turn my alarm off woke me completely up and I couldn’t go back to sleep for my usual last few winks.
Robby and I had stayed up late last night getting everything ready for the trip so when we woke this morning, there were only a few more things to do. I heard people moving around upstairs so I went to start waking everyone up.
When I opened the girls’ door, the light was on and they had already made all of their beds. I did have to wake the boys up but they were quick to rise and soon the upstairs was tidy and neat. Everyone put on their clothes and had breakfast.
And then pretty much the kids didn’t really have anything to do for about 30 minutes. They emptied the trash cans and then had time for a tv show or two. Robby worked on loading up a few last minute things and Keaton and I walked to down to the bottoms to look at a few red spider flowers that were growing wild in the yard.
I am not really sure how we had so much extra time but we even arrived at Bible study early and sat in the car a bit before going in. Once inside, everyone told their teachers that they would be out the next week. And of course, since we were leaving right after Bible study, Whitman got his pants and socks wet.
It was a good thing that we were planning on meeting and leaving from Grannymom’s house. I threw Whitman’s clothes in the washing machine while we ate lunch and pottied one last time. They were almost dry when we pulled out after lunch (which was a good thing because by the next stop, his clothes were agian soaking wet!)
At Keaton’s Elsa birthday party last night, we determined that she had probably never seen the movie Frozen so Grannymom had a copy of that. It was our first round of entertainment and everyone was very interested in that movie. I was too and since I couldn’t remember what happened, I spent a bit of the movie wtht my head leaning back watching the action.
The other part of the movie I drove since Robby was doing some work. Since I couldn’t drive and lean back and watch the movie, I had to eat a box of candy. The further south we drove the more tractors the boys noticed and the rougher I noticed that the roads were.
I guess I should again review with you (and actually for me when I am packing for the next trip) how the car is packed this time. It is pretty much the same as it was the last time so we will start from the back to spice things up some.
In the very back is Whitman’s stroller laying on top of Keaton’s brand new stroller. She is past the stroller stage but at Disney everyone could use a stroller. Buy one stroller from Walmart is cheaper than renting a stroller there for one day.
Under the back row is a bin of my clothes and a bin of Robby’s clothes. Squeezed in the corner are the kids sleeping bags.
Sitting in the back row is Keaton and Reagan and between them is two towels to cover up with plus a box full of things to do: 2 boogie boards, crayons, colors, Keaton’s new baby doll, Reagan’s purse and a few more things. Reagan is pretty obsessed with keeping her row clean and she is training Keaton in her ways.
For all that Reagan is worried about having a neat and clean row, the next row occupants are not! Anderson and Campbell are not the neatest children that we have. When they packed their box of goodies they included a few odd items-a huge light saber was included along with two blow up hammers. I asked about the hammers and they said it was in case they wanted to hit each other on the head with the hammers and have a “hammer fight.” So they have their box filled with who knows what and a towel between them in case they get cold.
Under those two is a box of the kid clothes, a bin filled with ponchos (not spending a hundred bucks on ponchos again!) and a bin filled that is labeled “extras.” This box has our National Park passport books, a football and anything that McGuyver could use (tapes, scissors, glow sticks, rubber bands, batteries, screwdriver and the like).
Next up is Graham and Whitman with a towel between them and their box of toys. Everyone has a clipboard with a few travel games in their boxes along with the candy that was Keaton’s party favor from last night (actually by the sound of it, the candy has all been eaten). Wedged beside Whitman is a sleeve of diapers and at his feet is his pack n play. Under those boys is another bin of kids clothes, the little people’s floatees, a little bin of hats and Robby’s box of cords (enough to stretch around the globe!)
The first seat has 2 bins of food, a bin of emergency items (paper towels, bandaids and a complete change of clothes for everyone) along with diapers, wipes and a trash can.
On top of the seat is the new item in our travels. Robby and Grandpa rigged some drawers to set right behind the driver’s seat. It is a set of 6 plastic drawers which are labled and filled: snacks, Disney items (autograph books, Mickey hats, pins to trade, spinners), bread, papers (this box is labled papers but is filled to the brim with rice krispy treats), kindles/cords and plates/cups. On top of the drawers set Robby’s hat and under them is a large ice chest filled with snacks, our dvds and a box of sunscreen, carpet cleaner and fabreeze.
Beside the new drawers sits an ice chest filled with water bottles and another box of food. (Apparently I am planning as if they do not have grocery stores in Orlando.) On the floor is the diaper bag and Robby’s packpack.
Between Robby and I are two ice chests-one filled drinks and another filled wtih picnic items. There are more cords up here along with a trash can, atlast, my bag of magazines and candy (mostly candly). That now concludes the Dennie van tour.
We stopped at McDonalds at Lake Village to stretch our legs. Most of us had already been out of the car during our Lake Village potty stop. Once in Lake Village, we changed the route a bit so we could eat supper in Jackson.
Supper was at Sal and Mookies-a pizza and ice cream joint. The first time we came here they were repaving the parking lot and it was closed, the next time it was crazy crowded and very late but we stuck it out but this time it was perfect. The wait was minimal and the kids were highly entertained by the wiki sticks (crayon like pipe cleaners to twist and play with while waiting for the food).
After our fried ravioli, pizza and calzone for supper we loaded back up. We had gone not very far when Campbell again asked again about where we were. Robby printed out maps for the kids with our major stops listed but that hasn’t really helped her. When we first left Little Rock she started asking if we were going to be near the Bass Pro. We knew she meant the one in Memphis so we told her no but leaving supper she asked if we were near the Christmas hotel (in Gatlinburg). We said no and asked why she thought that and said that she saw a sign for the Bass Pro shop and that the hotel before the Christmas hotel was near a Bass Pro.
Campbell’s memory is just like both of her brothers. They can always remember our room numbers and what direction we need to turn to get to the elevator. Meanwhile, I am the one who can barely remember our hotel room numbers and if I have to leave the room by myself will usually write the number on my phone. I sure don’t want to walk in the wrong room.
Before arriving at the hotel, we had a shortish drive (about 2 hours) and the kids watched a Little House episode while we pressed on to the hotel.
