The Physics of Traveling with Children

Parenting has its own physics, much of which seem to be aligned with Murphy's law (and I don't mean our dog- though read on, sometimes I do.) Take our "vacation" for example. It was a lovely ten days off, but it did include a total of approximately 12 hours in the car, spread over a week and a half. Here are some traveling with small children physics laws I have learned over the last couple of weeks, and years:

1. Being a proficient Tetris player will allow you to more efficiently pack the back of the mini-van. Your husband may even ask you to "tetriscize" the van.
2. Packing for a ten day trip with a toddler and five-year old will erase any bad "oh-my-gosh-i've-become-a-soccer-mom" feelings you had when you bought the mini-van.
3. Though spacious, the mini-van will not accommodate all the gear you need for said ten day trip AND a black lab, comfortably. The lab will have to curl up under someone's feet.
4. If, during said ten-day trip, you feel bad for the crunched up lab, and invite him onto your lap, he will invariably a). fart and b.)won't get down, no matter how hard you try.
5. The toddler will fall asleep five minutes before you arrive at your destination. ALWAYS.
6. The toddler will poop five minutes before you leave your destination. ALWAYS. Lesson learned: don't pack the diaper bag.
7. The bottle will be dropped in an unreachable location, most likely under the dog.
8. No amount of good, loud music can drown out a screaming toddler.
9. During said ten day trip, you will understand why your father once said, "Don't make me come back there!" and "I'll give you something to cry about!"
10. Your cargo will somehow expand. What fit perfectly on day 1, with a clear view out the back window, will eventually expand by 56%, leaving you no view out the back, even less room for the dog, and an explosion upon opening the back hatch.
11. The children's appetite in the car will be 78% more than normal. Pack more snacks than you think you need.
12. Old McDonald Had a Farm is a miraculous song. It can cure whining, screaming, hunger and car sickness.


We really did have a GREAT time, and Aidan has the patience of a saint. Hardly a peep out of him during all that time in the car -most of the time anyway.

During our time off we saw everyone in our families and even enjoyed another year of the Fitzpatrick New Year's Bash at the cabin - Aidan even made it to midnight! Other highlights include my first ice fishing experience, drinking wine out of a sippy cup, xc skiing with Aidan, Fitty and Aidan skating for over an hour in below-zero windchill, and Rowan's fan fix. He's in withdrawl over it now that we're home. There were fans everywhere we went. For a while all the Fitz-Thuente cousins thought he was talking about their sister, Sophia. He says fan as "Fee-yah" and says "see fan" as "S-fee-ya." He pretty much walked around the Fitz cabin the entire time whispering "S-Fee-Ya, S-Fee-Yah."

I do have a request. Any of you family members out there who actually remembered to take pictures, unlike us, please send us some!!!! Thanks in advance.

Happy New Year!!!!