Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?

Don’t you just love Road trips?

Now I know what you are all thinking……”Are you kidding me?”

But really, what could be better than getting up while it’s still dark, blurry-eyed and bundling the kids into the car, heading off before they even know what hit them. What could be more fun than 6 hours in the car with a constant barrage of “Mum, he just hit me” “Mum, she just ate the last piece of candy” “Mum, he won’t turn down his music” or my all-time favorite has to be “Mum, are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? No, really, are we there yet” What could even compare to spending that much time in a confined space with someone who had eggs and beans for dinner the night before (What? I didn’t mention anyone’s name!)

Ahhh, good times I hear you say!

In 2009, we took a year out and lived in the USA for a year. We wanted to see as much as we could while we were over there, so we made lots of car trips, and when I say lots, I mean LOTS! The USA is a big place and we wanted to make the most of every opportunity.

Every time we would mention the words “car trip” the kids would start whining and complaining. As much as they wanted to see the sights, the thought of being in the car again for any amount of time more than 3 minutes through a drive-through, was just too much for them to bear! So I got creative……. I removed the words “car trip” from my vocabulary and replaced it with the words “Family Adventure”

It’s amazing how changing 2 words can change the whole situation. Now, these dreaded “car trips” were something to be looked forward to. Where would our next “Family Adventure” take us and how much candy could we consume along the way?

Now don’t get me wrong, we still had the occasional fight (between the kids that is, well ok, maybe between Phil and myself too!) but things improved immensely. I was intentional about our time in the car and used the time to connect with the kids about all sorts of things, and learned stuff about the kids, and actually I learned a few things about Phil as well that I never knew, by playing those “What’s your favorite, or what would you do if” kind of games. We chatted about all those trivial things that you are “too busy” to talk about at home.

So today we are going to take a 6 hour “Family Adventure” to see my parents for my Mum’s 70th Birthday. I am super excited, not just about hanging with my family, celebrating my Mum’s birthday, and the fact that I don’t have to cook all weekend, but I am excited about another Family Adventure. I am looking forward to getting up at the crack of dawn, having 6 hours of undivided time with my family in the car, and of course, eating copious amounts of candy along the way!