~Poop On Jelly~

Our Family's Bitter/Sweet Life



Monday, January 4, 2010

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here. I am back from a big bloggy break! 2010 is finally here and I say, BRING IT ON! I love starting off each year with a clean slate and new expectations. Truth is, each year I fall more and more in love with my husband and kids. Each year we all learn something new about ourselves and each other. We continue to grow closer to God and strive to be all that He desires us to be. Each year is a blessing, and for that I am grateful.

Despite some terrible weather and frigid temperatures, we did take a short trip to see Nurse Boy's family. We spent 17 hours in the car. I am sure you can imagine the love. My heavenly kids NEVER bicker, fight, or get grouchy. Nope. NEVER. ;0)

We also rented a brand new car for our trip in hopes of not breaking down on the road. Good thing, since our van refused to start upon our arrival home. Here's hoping 2010 includes the purchase of a newer van with a fabulously inexpensive car payment. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?!

Well, it is Monday and it is time to start off with some randomness regarding our trip:

~Mad Libs are a ton of fun. Stupid fun. Fun that will send kids into delirious fits of laughter.

~There is nothing peaceful and quiet about riding in a car with 3 kids, 10 and under. NOTHING.

~Thanks to all of the new seat belt and car seat laws, my kids never sleep in the car. Of course not. THAT would be heavenly.

~We never wore seat belts on long trips as a kid. Who am I kidding? We never wore them on short trips. We couldn't even dig them out of the scary crevices of the seats. It really is amazing we are all still alive!

~Grandpa and Bruiser have the same sense of humor, as was proven during their identical fits of laughter during a New Year's Eve Three Stooge's Marathon.

~Don't rent a new car for a trip. It will only cause envy and highlight everything quirky or lacking in your 10 year old van. Especially when you have to tow it to your mechanic upon your return home.

~Yes, we have a personal mechanic. We know him WELL. I am pretty sure we have put several of his kids through college. You're welcome, Mike. You are welcome.

~I miss that new car smell. I am pretty sure our van lost that new car smell on day 2 of our ownership. Yes, all of our kids have pooped, peed, and puked in our van. Let's just say that our van smells like... well, it just smells.

~We also got a taste of satelite radio. Definitely LIKE!

~I remember traveling in a huge station wagon with a blanket, a pillow, books, and an ice scrapper for the inside of the back windows. My kids are spoiled with heated seats, video games, and a DVD player. Yet, they STILL find reasons to complain.

~I love heated seats. Toasted buns are strangely delightful.

~Nurse Boy and I are officially familiar with every. single. exit. between here and his parents' house. I do believe we have stopped at each and every one of them over the past 13 years.

~Sweet Pea has a new talent. She likes to scream, "Bruiser is teasing me!" I am convinced that Bruiser delights in these squeals. It is my childhood haunting me. Yes... I was the one squealing... I'll admit it.

~Payback is never pretty, is it?!

Seriously, we had a lovely Christmas, a delightful trip, and are thankful to get back into a regular routine.

BRING ON 2010!!!

10 comments:

Kmama said...

17 hours with 3 kids under 10? Nope, I don't think I could do it. Not at all. God bless you.

Lori said...

17 hours in a car doesn't sound fun... toss in three kids and I say PASSSSSSS! sounds like you survived. thanks for stopping by my blog.

Jewel said...

Hey, Mrs. NB! So glad to see you back!! :-)
Our son is an only child, so our vacays and trips were pretty mild and uneventful, behavior wise. I've heard some horror stories from friends who tried to vacay with their broods. But it sounds like you all still managed to have a great time adn you made it safely home!
Yes, a new vehicle or very nice pre-owned vehicle is always such a treat. I'll be praying that you all will be able to upgrade this year. In Jesus' Name!!
Again, so glad you're back!
AND I have a chicken recipe to share when I get the time!! :-)

He & Me + 3 said...

I wanted to rent a new car to take on our trip, but we decided to take my ole van after dropping 800 into repairs. She got us there and back, but I would have liked to have the nice perks you had. Warm buns...ok well maybe not in the summer, but now sure sounds great.

Wendi said...

About when we were kids- I remember sleeping in the back window of our car while my Dad was driving, sipping on a beer. a LOT has changed! A new car rental sounds fun!

lsnellings said...

I love heated seats too! The other night my hubs and i went out on a date and we didn't take the minivan because you know it isn't very cool so we took his car. I totally regretted not taking the van when my buns were still chilly 10 minutes after we left the house!

Mrsbear said...

We took a 16 hour trip a couple of years back with our 4 and fun was not a word I'd use to describe it. Wow. Talk about restless. And we broke up the drive over two days.

I miss the new car smell.

Glad to see you're back from your bloggy hiatus. Hope you had a wonderful holiday. Wishing you a happy 2010.

Hillary @ The Other Mama said...

We will be looking for a van soon and I think I will have to go with the heated seats. Especially this time of year, who wouldn't love a warm rump?

Here's to our toasted buns in 2010!

Mummy McTavish said...

Oh man. I was just managing to convince myself that driving down to my in-laws sometime this year wouldn't be as bad as I thought (I'm talking about the drive, in-laws are fine!) now I'm about to break out in a cold sweat and I think I may have a twitch developing...

Happy Randomness! Glad to see you back.

Kari said...

Good post! Made me laugh! Mad libs are the best. I just bought some for me and my 31 year old brother. Yep, we're still dorks like that.

I'm with you on the whole 'car seat bondage' thing. My kids don't sleep in the car either. How can you when your head is dangling off your neck and bouncing around? Ouch.

I've never had toasted buns while driving. Does sound delightful :o)

Glad you had a good trip! But, 17 hours a tad long with bickering. But what would a family car trip be without it?