Road Trip! Utah to Arizona

We have started the road trip. Me versus five kids, heaven help us all. Let's start with my favorite exchange of the day:

Bonnie, said in her most grumpy teenage voice: “Why do you want to see the Grand Canyon? It’s just a hole in the ground.”

Later…

Bonnie, now annoyed: “Why can’t I see the Grand Canyon? You just said we’re getting close!”

Me: “Because…it’s just a hole in the ground.”

Bonnie: “Oh.”

The hole in the ground.

So here's how the trip is progressing. Some things are working well, some not so much.

What worked well:

• The candy jar. Every hour, each kid gets a small candy (mostly Starbursts) for being good in the car and being nice to their family. The latter requirement is the one that’s been difficult for them.
• Daily “treats”. Each day, they get something new.  So far, they’ve gotten new backpacks, a folder with activity pages (license plate games, etc) that my sister put together) and a white board, complete with erasable marker. Collin keeps insisting that he needs all his “treats” at once, but I’m holding out.
• Activity List: My dashboard has a list of activities we can do. When we are bored, we look at it and do something new. My list: cleaning time, coloring time, activity page time, stretching time, game time (alphabet game, etc.), free time, music time, movie time, book on CD time.
• Rotations: We split the day into three parts (for the three children that are old enough to ride in the front seat). Then we rotate – everyone has a turn in the front, middle and back. Except Sophia, who sits in the back and just has rotating companions.  
• Stopping at parks: Each day, we’ve stopped at a park. Afterwards, the kids are so much more relaxed in the car. I was raised to get where we’re going, not to stop and enjoy the ride. The kids are even programmed this way: they ask me at least once a day if we can just “get where we’re going”. Truly, we’re all so much happier after stopping – even if it’s just for 15 minutes.

What hasn’t worked: Jack sitting next to Sophia. ‘Nuf said.

Where we’ve been:

• Territorial Statehouse Museum: The kids were too squirrely to go inside, so we just took pictures outside of the pioneer cabins and schoolhouse. Not that impressed, although I probably would have been more impressed if we actually went inside.

• East Canyon Park, Cedar City, UT: Loved it – the kids played in the river.
• Cousins’ House: The fam put together a delicious dinner for us (yay!) and gave us a stress-free place to crash. They even have kids’ toys in the basement.
• Fredonia Park: The equipment was metal. It was hot. The kids were not impressed. They did get out of the car, though.

• Grand Canyon: Amazingly enough, it wasn’t too hot. The parking lots were almost empty. We went, we saw, we bought souvenirs. Kids were impressed, and so was I – even though it was “just a hole in the ground”.

• Bow and Arrow Park, Flagstaff, AZ: A small and not-too-impressive park, it still kept the kids very happy for a while, and let them get out some steam. Not so much Bonnie, however, who said “Can we leave yet? How about now” about a hundred times.

• Walnut Canyon National Monument: Whoa. Cliff dwellers were impressive - making a home on the side of a cliff, as well as farming there? Amazing. Sadly, Sophie pooped out on this one, so we didn't stay very long. Very, very sleepy girl.

Although she is faking sleeping in this picture.

All in all, really enjoying myself. And tomorrow we start driving with the caravan! Then I’ll have adult help and we’ll hopefully have even more fun.