Repeat Without Rinsing

I had a couple hundred thousands reasons why I was not wildly enthusiastic about Steve's farm purchase and then I had two more. Although I can imagine a time in the not so distant future when Caroline and Edward will enjoy the chicken coop-turned-clubhouse as much as Patrick does, at the moment the place is just a giant death trap.

Oh that reminds me. I don't remember who left a comment about Wisconsin Death Trip but I laughed and then shuddered when I saw it. A few months ago I randomly brought that book home from the library and there are literally no words to describe how creepy it is (well, maybe in German - the Germans are so good at that sort of thing.) The book (in case you have never seen it and thus, unlike me, will not be haunted by it for the rest of your life) is a collection of photographs and newspaper accounts from the late 19th century about the county surrounding Black River Falls, Wisconsin and the INSANELY horrible things that happened there over the course of a few decades. My favorite (or least favorite as the case may be) were the people who successfully used what amounted to giant scissors to cut off their own heads. Steve found this improbable to the point of gullibility (mine and the contemporary authorities) but I don't know... it said it was suicide right there in the paper. Then there's cholera and murder and grim farmers and more murder and more suicides and coffins and children and children in coffins and it is just an awful awful book. So don't read it. Unless you are feeling exceptionally morbid. In which case, enjoy!

But, yes, commenter whose name I cannot remember from forever ago I, too, hope our rural Wisconsin experience involves far less decapitations. 

Which.... SEGUE BACK... is why we don't take Caroline and Edward down there yet because....

One house is inhabitable and the other has the floors torn up; the well needs to be shocked to remove bacteria ("I doubt the water would make you very sick," Steve temporized, "It wouldn't kill you probably" - note to self: avoid sinks) and if you trip in the pasture and the barbed wire fails to snag you then you will roll down a hill full of thistle and land in the unfenced pond.

It's about as family friendly as Saigon after the Fall.

So Steve and his friend have been doing tons of stuff to get it more live-able and that's great and all but it has left me at home and outnumbered by two to three children (depending upon the planned project Patrick has stayed home) A LOT in the past couple of months.

A few years ago this would have resulted in a quarrel but Steve and I have learned to communicate better (I no bite him!) and when I finally said "Aiiiiiiieeeeeee!" he said "Why don't you go out by yourself and leave me with the kids more often?"

I had to think about this because it sounds perfectly fair but for some reason it wasn't really what I wanted. I realized that what would make me happy (we are all about the meeting of individual needs in this our third and most enlightened iteration) is for us to spend time together as a family. He can go down to Wisconsin as much as he likes as long as he is more present when he is present. Don't check work emails during dinner, don't sit on the couch with your book while I'm still unloading the dishwasher at 9:30 at night and please make time during the day for me and Caroline and Edward so that they can go down giant slides more often. When it is just me we stick to midget playgrounds because I have a serious unshakeable phobia about falling and it KILLS me when I cannot spot two kids simultaneously - one at the top of the ladder and one on his way down. KILLS me.

And, I said, I want to join the Y again and I want us all to actually go. All the time.

So Steve said fine and I said great and we have been having a veritable Golden Age for the past few weeks. I expect some fresh hell will crop up in a month or so but for now I am enjoying pretty much everything. The house is kinda tidy. I had time to do a revise for my next REDBOOK essay in a single morning. We are doing a lot more with Caroline and Edward during the day. And I love the Y. I have always loved the Y. I love the retirees with their coffee in the lobby and I love the teenaged life guards and I love the mix of people in the locker room from the naked nonagenarians to the women in burqas who swim fully clothed and everywhere there are lots and lots of little kids.

Although the rest of the family ranges from being wildly pleased by it (Edward) to harboring a passionate burning hatred for the place (Caroline) it was Steve's apathy towards the Y that prevented us from going more frequently, thus forcing me to acknowledge that I was spending roughly $35.72 per mile I ran on the track. Not cost effective, so we quit. But now with my new farmboy leverage I fully expect to become so regular in our attendance that we will get that damned $20 a month health insurance credit AND I will finally run more than two miles in a row. Eventually.

[Caroline, for reference, does like the pool. She just hates the kids care place. A lot. I figure that Edward likes it enough for both of them.] 

Speaking of Edward

What's that on his head? A hat? No! It's... Little Red Car!

Technically it is Little Red Car II. I re-read that last post and got to the point where I said it looked like a birthday party goodie bag thing and all of a sudden I had an illuminating flash: Birthday party! Goodie bag! Thing!

After two weeks of not having a clue I suddenly remembered that I had gotten the cars in packs of four at Target in their party supply section for one of Patrick's birthdays and unlike everything else at Target (a retailer who seems to pride itself on getting rid of tshirts the instant I find one that fits properly) they still carry them three years later.

Hu-freaking-zzah.

I was all casual about handing it over to Edward in case he detected the substitution but he took it, studied it and then sighed, "Little red car" before rubbing it against his cheek. Then Steve discovered the original Little Red Car shoved between the crib rails and the mattress (d'oh!) and now we have two. This would annoy the hell out of Caroline but Edward has an accepting, not to say grasping, nature.

"Little Red Car an' annuder Little Red Car," he says complacently as he drives them around his face or the back of the couch or through the bathwater.

So that's Edward.

Caroline, as you can see, is still mostly naked but the duct tape is helping. She did finally pee on the potty a few times but she was so supremely unimpressed by the experience and the wild celebration we threw that I don't see this going anywhere soon.

When she's not naked - like when I came back from taking Patrick to school yesterday and was surprised to find her clothed - it's usually because Steve has duct taped her into her clothes. See the black strip across her back and at her chest?

"Mommy I've got stickers," she said. 

Or here you can see Steve fashioned a cunning little belt today.

I said, "Congratulations, Steve, you won the hardware store challenge and you cannot be eliminated in the next round!" and he skipped off to his office. Then I grabbed the child and untaped her because good lord does anything say Daddy Dressed Me louder than duct tape accessories? Besides some of us (ahem) are more easy-going about pee on the rug than others (AHEM.)

The biggest problem with keeping Caroline clothed is the fact that she does that Lethal Weapon thing with both shoulders. Remember back before Mel Gibson went crazy for real and he played the cop who could escape from strait-jackets by dislocating his shoulder? Caroline gets out of everything by hoiking her arms into improbable positions in front of her face and then she shimmies until something gives.

And then there are Patrick's lime green swim goggles that she has appropriated and wears everywhere around her neck like a pair of reading glasses. She took them on our walk and when we ran into neighbors she held the goggles to her eyes and kept them there

Between the nudity and the duct tape and the goggles we are amassing quite a dossier on her.

Did I mention that she has started calling me "Miss Julia" and Steve "Darling"? The darling I get as that must be what I call Steve (after Finky) but the Miss Julia has come completely out of left field. If we lived in the South, maybe, I could understand it as the Miss First Name practice is more common but here it's vaguely insulting, like, the miss acknowledges seniority while the first name underscores social inequality. But she's two. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I'm pretty sure she adapted it from the Little Critter books and the schoolteacher cat, Miss Kitty. Miss Kitty wears a peplum and it gives her an air of distinction. Caroline is fascinated by her.   

I do promise that we will eventually get around to housebreaking Caroline but we are driving to Vermont in a few weeks and this just doesn't seem like the best time. Which reminds me

WE ARE DRIVING TO VERMONT

What was I thinking? Well I can tell you what I was thinking, I was thinking I didn't want to pay $500 a ticket for the privilege of a layover in JFK with one of their runways down; that's what I was thinking. And to be honest I am still not sure that it won't be preferable to spend 44 hours in the car with Patrick and the twinkles but... it is close.

We are going to do four days and three nights each way taking time to see stuff and do things. On the way there we are going through Canada, which I am very excited about. I have fond memories of Ontario and Montreal is my favorite city in the world. Not sure if we are going to take the southern route back or not.

I would love any advice you have to offer on extended car travel with children. Anything. What do we need? So far I have written down: bottled water and plastic bags. Clearly I will want to add to this list. Also, oh Canada. If you were driving from Sault Ste Marie (good grief how IS that spelled?) to Montreal what would you see/do/stay? The internet assures me that Sudbury has a science museum and Patrick and I checked it out online. We saw that they have a treasures exchange program for children: you bring them your eagle feather and take home a stalactite. Patrick is convinced that Canadians will think Minnesotan pine cones are like unto pearls worth more than our tribe and has been collecting sacks of them in anticipation of bilking the museum of, like, slabs of gold. There is a lot of early European in Patrick, I fear.

Anyway that's our deal. Please advise. And you can tell me we're crazy if you like. I drove behind Steve for five miles today on our way to get the other car examined (it needs a new WHEEL - not tire but WHEEL damn it) and Edward screamed the entire time. Then he chucked his sandals at my head. Then he screamed some more. The problem?

"I want ride in LITTLE RED CAR!" he sobbed. Good luck with that, kid.

PS Featured Reader. Why do I always forget until the end? Featured Reader this week is Rudy Leal Photography. This is an internet friend of mine who I have known forever and ever and I encourage you to check out their site. Houston accessible and the rest of us can admire their work.

PPS I am done with featured readers in my queue so if you have a business you would like to advertise on my sidebar for free just shoot me an email.

PPPS And speaking of not-for-free advertisements please go look at whatever Domino's wants you to look at over here They are paying me a relative fortune and I feel like I owe them at least a look.

Comments

[Melissa aka cookingmel]

Hello~ I'm still smiling from your post. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to read your comments, but Mackinaw Island caught my eye as I was scrolling down. Since I am directionally challenged, I'm not sure if you are going that way, but if you are... I second that suggestion. It's a simply marvelous place - but might be better suited to the kids when they are all older. If you don't want to pop over to the island, then Mackinaw City is fun too. As for suggestions... books on tape are a godsend. As are Magnetic Paper Dolls. I recommend this kind because they come with a storage tin. (which is also the "doll.") http://www.amazon.com/Cinderella-Magnetic-Paper-Prince-Cloths/dp/B000K3FU2K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1274364581&sr=1-1 The little ones would enjoy these as well. Thank you for sharing your lives with us... M

[bethany actually]

Museum of Natural History in Ottawa! I'm sure someone else has mentioned it, but it's worth a stop. It's a lot of fun for kids.

Traveling with small children is practically one of my hobbies, since my husband's in the Navy and we move cross-country every couple of years. I'd say plenty of snacks and a bagful of newish (or not seen in a while) toys are key. Just cheapo Happy-Meal type toys are fine. I used to buy a bunch at the thrift store before a long trip, wash 'em, then dole them out one at a time in the car. A DVD player is a wonderful thing to have as well.

Good luck, and bon voyage! Say hello to Ottawa for me as you pass by (we lived there for a couple of years and I still miss it).

[Jana]

Oh, you get to drive across the UP, eh? (see what I did there?)

I recommend taking HWY 2 across the UP, along Lake Michigan and then you can pop in on Mackinac Island. If you do, please wave to my grandparents as you pass through Manistique.

Unfortunately, I have no advice on traveling with 3 small children. If I were the praying type I'd pray for you.

[Jan]

Hate to say it, but a portable DVD player might save you. Magnadoodle definitely. Love the map suggestion for Patrick. For Edward, what about seating him by a window and encourage a non-stop car and truck spotting game, for both colors and make (um, of course, you might have to participate). Also, license plates -- can he spot a number or a letter. I don't know if he's old enough to have a list of numbers and letters to tick off. ColorForms has an alphabet and numbers set. For that matter, what about Bob the Builder ColorForms travel pack for Edward -- or there must be one about cars and trucks.

[Tine]

Well, we haven't yet done a road trip quite that long yet, but.... Here are a few things that help our kids pass the time: We don't have a DVD player in our van (and never shall), so we download movies onto our iPods for anyone who can be trusted not to smash/hurl/otherwise destroy said devices. Wikki Stix (http://www.wikkistix.com/) have proven to be worth many hours of entertainment. Our older kid (7 yrs.) will read graphic novels (he loves the Bone series) for a looooong time. Little kid (4 yrs.) will entertain herself with a family of baby dolls for quite some time too. And of course, copious snacks. And naturally you know to stop every 2 hrs. or so to run/climb/pee/whatever.

I'm laughing myself silly over the duct-taped outfits. You really should share this post with Prairie Home Companion. It is an American Duct Tape Council commercial-in-the-making.

[Nancy]

Okay first of all, I LOVED the duct tape!!! Secondly, I grew up in Maine on a rather small farm but certainly was fraught with danger - ponds, wells, barbed wire, electric fence and lots of tall pine trees to climb. All four siblings in my family managed to survive and thrive!! Thirdly, when traveling by car, have a new bag of goodies - toys, games, etc. - to be given every time you enter a new state. Maybe the twinks won't be so thrilled with this but certainly Patrick would be.

[Jan]

p.s. would this steering wheel for Edward drive you crazy? It's recommended for 24 months and up, although there's also a small parts warning for under 3, but I don't see how he could get the small parts off...

http://www.amazon.com/I-Play-G02146-I-Little-Roadster/dp/B0007OSM4A/ref=pd_sim_t_1

[Jan]

Could this be mounted on the back of the seat or would that be a hazard? http://www.amazon.com/Small-World-Express-Dashboard-Adventures/dp/B000LFSQLE/ref=pd_sbs_t_4

[Melissa]

"A few years ago this would have resulted in a quarrel but Steve and I have learned to communicate better (I no bite him!) "

I truly laughed out loud, cackled really, in my office.

Always love seeing a new post, Julia

[Lylah]

We drove to Florida and back (to new England) with our 3 year old, 5 year old, and our dog recently. I wrote about how I planned and what I would have done differently in retrospect here: http://writeeditrepeat.blogspot.com/2010/01/tips-and-tricks-for-having-fun-on.html

But, in a nutshell: Old DVDs they already love. Fewer toys. More snacks.

[Elizabeth]

If you're traveling between Montreal and Vermont, I'd suggest driving through the Lake Champlain island. I forget what the road is, but you cross the border in upstate New York at a dinky little border crossing and then there are these picturesque winding roads and little towns that you drive through. At least, they are picturesque in February when we used to make our annual trip between Boston and Montreal for La Classique du Quebec (ballroom dance competition). I can't give you much advice about Montreal itself, as we went in February for the dance competition and spent most of our not-dancing time indoors so as not to freeze to death. We did get out a little, though, and discovered that china town in Montreal is the only China town I've seen with signs that were not in Chinese (on account of the language laws).

[Amy]

We used to make long drives in the summer when I was a child. As a parent now myself, I wonder what in the world my parents were thinking, but Dad would go buy a huge box of candy bars before the trip. Every time we crossed into a new state, we each would get one. The kids thought it was great in New England - a candy bar every hour! Yay! Not so great in Texas, though, especially when they melted in the heat. This is a long way of saying you might want to do something special to "celebrate" each time you pass into another state or province. But maybe stick with something that has a lower sugar content and a higher melting point.

[Stephanie]

Good suggestions already so I will try not to repeat them ~ but go to Target and the $20.00 spot (cuz that's what it costs me to get out of that area) and buy all the little stickers, pens, erasers etc., MANY small gifts work fabulous.

Buy the rectangle boxes with lids, the ones that are like 18" by 10" or so and store all their crap in them (crayons, coloring books, etc.,) they can also use them for desks to color on.

Diaper wipes!!!!!!!!!!!

Magana Doodles and Etch a Sketches. You can buy the travel sizes at Target and they are worth their weight in gold! If you have a laminator, you can also make up your own dry erase boards and those help alot!! Think paper doll stuff and race tracks for the erase boards.

For Patrick they have car bingo that makes you look for certain items and then you cross them off your bingo card ~ it's kind of fun and keeps you from falling asleep!!

Put snacks into snack size Ziplocs and let them have 1 or 2 in their box so that they feel in control of when they can eat etc., since they have no control over anything else, this really seems to help. Also you can buy them large suckers and tell them that they cannot talk until the sucker is gone and they cannot bite them. It sounds cruel ~ but has bought silence for an hour or so!!

Good luck!

[Nancy in CT]

WHen ShaoXi was little and we did a car trip, I had a cardboard (read: copier paper)that sat next to her carseat, full of books. I also had several ziploc bags of little toys that would amuse her, and would change them out every so often. We also did coloring books and crayons, and of course the inevitable kids music tapes/CD's. DVD's are always good for some. We never worried about how much snacks went down...we were on vacation, so threw all caution to the wind! We also traveled at night and naptime whenever possible!!! But 44 hours...YIKES! Are ya gonna be anywhere near CT? Are you taking RT 84 from NY into CT and then 91 up to VT? Cuz it would be SOOOO fun to meet up with you guys. I have just LOVED the Patrick stories, and now it is times THREE! Characters, for sure!

I'll see if I can think up anything else. The big key is...as little noise as possible, since you KNOW whatever it may be will be played over and over again, ad nauseum! :)

Hugs...Nancy in CT

[maggie]

Someone else has already mentioned this but DO NOT under any circumstances come to Toronto at the end of June. The G20 summit will be wreaking havoc. Even those of us who live here will be plotting means of escape for that time. Ottawa is lovely and is committed to public cleanliness (unlike my city) since it's the capital. I've been on the mint tour and it's interesting. Lots of other great museums, too.

[BigSkyMum]

So you're going through Ontario! Lovely! I grew up there. Be sure to try eating at these legendary Canadian franchises: Tim Hortons for donuts and coffee (our kids love a box of Timbits--donut holes) and try to eat at Swiss Chalet, they have great rotisserie chicken. Ottawa does have great attractions, including the several museums already mentioned. And you must have DVD players with headphones. My husband and I had great 'alone time' to converse during our most recent car trip (Wyoming to Tennessee) while the boys were watching movies in the back.

[Phoebe]

I still remember when you did bite him... I believe you compared yourself to a crazed ferret (or something like that). Thanks for the great post as usual and good luck with the trip!

[Val]

God yes, passports! Or those NEXUS cards or enhanced driver's licenses, if your state does those. Oy. We got stuck in Canada for 15 minutes simply trying to turn around b'c we took a wrong turn. They were very nice in Canada but still made us do all sorts of paperwork. Then, trying ot come back to the US was a hassle. Passports, Nexus cards or enhanced licenses. Definitely.

[Jan]

...
http://www.amazon.com/Create-A-Scene-Magnetic-Playset-Construction-Site/dp/B00000ISKK/ref=pd_sim_t_1

[Heather]

Zack's daycare uses the Miss Brittni and Miss Stephanie, etc and we live in Iowa. I find it adorable and much more well mannered than him just calling his teachers by their first names. Although calling her mom Miss Julia... maybe not so cute. :-)

[Cara]

I haven't read the other comments, so maybe this has already been mentioned, but Squishems are the greatest invention for car travel, for my money. Applesauce in a squeezable, capri-sun-esque bag. My kids love them. Have fun!

[Peggy]

A couple of suggestions for car distractions:
- audio books. Might be hard to find something that all kids will enjoy. Harry Potter books are great to listen to - the voices the reader does are great.
- scotch tape and pipecleaners. These have gotten me through many a long drive/flight.
- Crayola Color Wonder pens and paper. No mess on car seats or clothes.
- When I was younger we used to play the license plate game and the alphabet game on long drives. Car bingo is also good.

hope you have a great trip!

[Deb Koch]

Must haves, pull down sun shades that attach with suction cups or static cling material sun shades that move to different windows so you can block the sun from blinding the kids. Check out the camping section for a foldable drinking cup.

I've also found at Bed Bath and Beyond, little packages with travel hand soap, looks like little pieces of paper, that disolve with water.

Go to Michaels Crafts and buy the $1 tubes with snap and glow bracelets, 16 to a tube with connectors for fun in the dark.

Holders with pockets that you hook around head rests that hang down the backs of seats, that have pockets and even pull down desks the kids can store stuff in.

Diversions - a camera for Patrick, there are some nice kids digitals that take abuse, my son spent hours looking out the windows for things to take pictures of before there were digitals, I bought disposable cameras - if you go anywhere with pools, the disposable water cameras are fun too.

Magna Doodles, one piece with wand attached with a string, or an old school Etch-a-Sketch for Patrick. We once used one to signal a car next to us they had a tire going low.

Go back to the Target aisle with the party favors and stock up on those, sometimes something new and cheap diverts better even if it is a piece of junk. Noisy, but fun, those things you blow on and they uncurl. Check out the dollar store toy section as well. Remember those woven tubes - chinese finger handcuffs, you put your fingers in and pull and it tightens on your fingers. Put small toys and trinkets in paper lunch bags and pull out one every couple of hours for new and different.

Find some of those metal wire puzzles for Patrick, the kind you have to figure out how to take apart the pieces, or - don't know what they are called but they have little tiles in them, like an 8 x 4 or 8 x 6 square of tiles with one tile missing, you slide the tiles around to put the numbers in order, the letters in order, or make a picture.

Check out the travel games, there are travel versions bingo, find a horse a cow, different cars. Travel match games, where you lift two doors to find a match. You can make up your own scavenger hunt lists, with pictures for the kids. This one is fun for rest areas. Bring a blow up beach ball to kick around for a quick rest stop game, deflate and store when not in use.

If you come back the southern route, and go through Toledo, their zoo is fantastic, small with everything close together. There is also a hands on science museum COSI or Columbus Science Institute, has special floors for Toddlers an amazing place that Patrick will fall in love with. The big one is in Columbus, OH, but there is another one in Toldeo.

Once thing we found with munchkins in car seats, tie really important things like litte red car to their booster seats, that way if it's dropped, they can reel it back in and saves you having to stop the car every 5 seconds to retrieve things from the floor. You could use longer shoe laces, yarn, ribbon, pacifier leashes.

[Karen]

Canada::Niagara Falls. Definitely bring passports and don't plan on crossing the border with the kids with only one adult present - you'll need an affidavit from the other.

Entertaining car ride I::Mad Libs.

Entertaining car ride II::Car-i-oke.

[Deb Koch]

The boat tour of the Soo Locks is fun, takes about an hour or so, you ride up the river, through a lock then back down through another lock. Leashes on the kiddos work well for this activity. Not popular with everyone but keeps them from falling overboard.

[Erika]

Make sure you do a bathroom break before you hit any border crossings. It seems like there's no rhyme or reason for why sometimes we breeze through in 10 minutes and sometimes we sit in line for 2 hours. There is nothing worse than sitting there for hours waiting for cars to inch forward. Well nothing worse than that AND having a child in the backseat that needs to use the bathroom. Or having to go yourself.

[Frances]

The best thing I ever bought for car travel were portable desks made by that company Alex (http://www.alextoys.com/product/132744/507/_/Desk_To_Go)

In fact, it's called a Desk-to-Go. Buy three. My children, who are almost 9, love it still because they can keep all kinds of art supplies in the two pockets and it can be re-filled with paper.

When we did a Ontario-to-Nova Scotia trip a few years ago, we found having a soccer ball available for roadside picnic stops to be a great way to get rid of excess energy. We don't have a DVD player but do listen to audiobooks on iPod which has saved my life many times over.

I live in Toronto (in fact, born here which is strangely unusual) and would be happy to provide any more tips about Ontario...if you need them.

[yammeringon]

three portable DVD players. You will not regret it. I do still harbor some conflict about portable DVD players - it seems like such a shame for a child to be driving across the country and no actually *see* any of it. However, the twinkles wouldn't notice anyway and it's not like there's something more enriching on them menu. Do it.

Also, I must have the Wisconsin Death Trip book. Why have I not heard of this before. It sounds like the perfect read (for real. but then I dig stuff like that)

[Anna]

Books on tape! Or CD, or iPod...you can get them from the library and they are like magic for my 6-year-old in the car or anywhere else. So perfect.

[Emily]

Crushed ice. That kept our toddlers happy on summer trips in the car for hours. Just a big cup of crushed ice.

[Casey]

Haven't read through the comments, so I apologize if this is repeated information. If you are driving in the vicinity of Sault Ste. Marie, you will be very close (in terms of your overall trip) to Mackinac Island, Michigan. It is a once-in-a-lifetime place to see, complete with ferries to get there (okay, Cape Coders, it's a novelty in the midwest) and no automobiles of any kind on the actual island. It is horse and ferry or bike all the way. Can be touristy, but there are ways around that. If you want more info (or possibly connections) let me know.

One suggestion for the potty thing: tell Caroline that the, ahem, wee-wee and pooh-pooh (or whatever cute names you have designated) want to go to the wee-wee and pooh-pooh party (which of course it located at the end of the flush). Sometimes that has worked for us, and sometimes, frankly, it has not. But, another idea can't hurt.

Good luck!

[Anjali]

Get thee to the dollar store, make a treasure chest, and offer prizes for good behavior along the way!

[Shawna]

Oooohhh oohhh, are you coming to Ottawa?!?!

We're enroute to Montreal and there's tons of stuff to do here. I'll change my name-link to a new local blog I contribute to that talks about things to do with kids in our fair city so you can get some ideas...

[Jan]

Even better magnetic car games.
http://iqkids.com/imtrga.html
Sorry to leave all of these posts with links, but I'm so excited to discover stuff I would have loved to have had, I wish *I* were going along in the car... and were 2 years old again. Ha!

[Libby]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the plug Julia!! You are the best! We really appreciate it! I feel all kinds of special!

On another note, this post was hilarious. My goodness the duck tape!! The "I no bite" Steve! hahaha I am still laughing about that!

As far as tips for traveling with the kiddos, stickers (tons and tons) were always a hit with Sofia. I also suggest doddle pads and going to the dollar store or target and get a bunch of trinkets they've never seen before and dispense wisely.

Good luck and thanks again!

[Julie]

Ok, so you've solved a mystery for me! My book club just read A Reliable Wife (skip it!), which takes place in WI at the turn of the century. While discussing the book, none of us could understand the "insane" actions taking place in the homes around the main character's home. Now I get the references! Can't wait to share with the rest of the book club! Thanks!

[Liz]

It is required to have a passport or passport card to enter US from Canada and Mexico. The passport card is cheaper, http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

[Christa]

I can't decide if its cute or pathetic that I am just about to print out that picture of Caroline and show it to my hairstylist. I am only 36 years older than her. Is that look too young for me? Man is she cute!

[Brenda]

Books on tape unless you want to loose your voice reading. There have been a ton of good suggestions. but I know I read to mine when we drove across Oregon, Idaho and Montana. the insisted that I read. so I read until I could hardly talk. but it kept them from killing each other. I had made them all bags with their own cd player, coloring books and crayons little cars, etc.And each bag and that childs name on it. Also pillows.... with their name on the pillowcase which they got to design before we left. We were headed for camping and family reunions. so the station wagon was packed. But we all had a good time. That I remember.

[Amelie]

As a veteran of yearly cross country trips -
Lake MI to Boston and back again twice a year:
Small buckets - they can hold toiletries etc. that may leak - and then be ready in a flash for the inevitable car sick/ emergency pee at the border etc. problem.
Test drive a portable DVD before the long trip - they make one of my kids puke.
Candy. Big bags of candy. It is the only time my kids get the stuff. The small toys held their interest for a minute or so - but candy - yee hah!
Passports - my 2 year old niece was turned away at the border and we had to go the long way round. Bummer. And having a passport on hand will let you be prepared to go somewhere fun at the slightest notice.
Small plastic trash bags to be dumped at every gas station stop.
Wipes!!! Flashlights. A common overnight bag so that you don't have to unload the car every time you stop. Your favorite pillow for better sleeping at hotels.
We do a lot of power driving. The hardest times are transition times - getting back into the car after a run around stop always results in 20 or so minutes of misery.
Niagra falls is a fun stopping place, and if you make it an overnight on the Canada side there is lots of fun kitsch that my kids love.
Books on tape!! Jessica Harper CD's for bouncy kid songs. Something YOU can stand to listen to again and again.
THe worst trip ever was when my then 2 year old sang row your boat for 12 straight hours. With NO nap. Ear plugs would have been grand.

I love Caroline's duct tape. There is a duct tape prom dress contest - Caroline is just preparing to be the grand winner! As always, my favorite days are those with a new post from you...

[Jess]

passports?

sticker books. books on CD. puzzles. lots of rest stops.

[Jess]

(passports? meaning: i think you need them to pass through Canada now, but I'm not sure, since I've never ventured farther north than the UP.)

[Lisa]

Oooh Montreal! I have no advice for travel with kids but my hubby and I are heading up to Montreal in July for a mini first anniversary trip. Please post describing all the great stuff you end up doing!

And though I'm excited, I've never actually been to Montreal, but Vermont is MY favorite place in the world. So enjoy.

[Justin]

When I was a kid my parents used to drive quite late into the night then get a hotel room with a pool and we'd sleep and then play in the pool until later in the day and leave again in the afternoon. It worked really well. We were in the midwest so it was hot, we also tended to be more quiet and less likely to fight at night for some reason.

[Bianca]

Are you doing that family vacay place in Vermont again you went to last year? That place sounds incredible. I emailed them for info and am trying to convince my partner to have us all go next year, but between us we have four kids and it adds up (the cost I mean). One day I want to go, I stare at the website every so often before sadly closing the browser window.

[yammeringon]

When I was about 7, my dad, uncle, and I drove from Cincinnati to Jupiter, FLA (about 23 hours, I think?) For some reason my mom, brother, and sister had driven ahead of us. We were in a VW Rabbit, me in the back, no seat belt required. I remember leaving at 2 or 3 in the morning and sitting back there while they drove straight through. I believe they packed me a garbage bag (large, black) full of carrots, apples, and capri-sun.

I remember being freakishly well-behaved on that trip, but I don't think I'd recommend it.

Another vote for the magnadoodles.

[lizneust]

You DO need passports for all three kids to enter into Canada and return to the US. My husband is from there and it's a major pain in the a**

Magnadoodles, color wonder products, and a portable DVD player. If you don't already have one, BUY now. Costs about $150, and worth every single penny. (We do 8 hours each way over Christmas. Ick.) Also be sure to ask at the hotels and restuarants where the nearest playgrounds are. Complete life saver.

[winecat]

OMG "Miss Julia and Darling", I just spit wine all over my keyboard. Your life will NEVER be dull with Caroline on board!

[jen]

ust love your writing!

I have a nudist in training, and it is getting cold at this end of the world (Tasmania). Will go out and stock up on duct tape.

I second the ipod suggestion. I downloaded a heap of kiddy videos from youtube (using tooble - http://tooble.tv/ ). It was very useful when one child was sleeping and we wanted to keep the other quietly occupied. Next time I would also take child sized earphone because the plugging them back into their ears got annoying.

[Sarah]

I wish I lived closer to Ottawa, but you did get some great suggestions.

Re passports: I would just call and check. For Canadians DRIVING to the US, small children (I think 3 and under) can get by with a birth certificate. Everyone else needs a passport. Don't know if it's the same for the US to Canada crossings.

While I think having a DVD player is nice, we only used ours (laptop, actually) once on the trip to Colorado and back (6 days total of driving). My son (2 years old) was pretty happy to look out the window. Ironically, we were pretty happy with construction: tractors! diggers! etc.

We packed a big box of toys/markers/books that he could reach. We were also more lax in that I would let him throw a soft ball to me in the front seat as long as he kept it away from Daddy who was driving. The best thing was just frequent stops. If it looked fun, we stopped.