Weekend Trip Planning

Hello my online family!

The weather has been amazing in the valley here in Hillsboro, Oregon. It's so gorgeous outside I did not feel like sitting in front of my computer and typing. 😁

We went to a toddler friends birthday party on Saturday morning. We had lots of cake! Then we went to a baby gender reveal party. Our friends are having a BOY! We had lots of cake there, too! After all that intake of calories, we decided to do some skiing and snowshoeing on Mout Hood, which is where we spent our Sunday. Ali tried the skiis for the second time this season. And she loved them and enjoyed it so mcuh! Lizzie tried walking in the snow, and did some rollie pollies! Unlike Ali, Lizzie loved the snow! I remember when Ali was a baby, and we brought her to Mout Hood at the same age as Lizzie, and Ali just spent the entire day crying. She was not a fan of the cold and the snow. Things have changed for the better, since then, in her relationship with the snow and the cold. I guess, after all, like any true Elsa fan, the cold does not bother her, anymore. ⛄ After skiing for a short while, Ali got tired and soon after came the "pick me up", so my husband carried her in the Deuter baby carrier.

 I was carrying Lizzie in the Lille baby carrier on my chest, and I had the hiking snacks backpack on my back. Boy, oh boy, are my shoulders sore since! After snowshoeing for 5+ miles (about 8 km), we were just about done. But, the hike was so much fun! When we reached the final point, we got to enjoy views of Mount Hood and enjoy some good food and healthy snacks! 

Weekend trip plannig starts almost 6 days in advance. I refer to the National Weather Service website, to get an idea on the weather situation for my location of choice from the day of interest to the next couple of days to get an idea on the pattern of weather in that area. The next thing to do is to look at the driving directions on Google maps, and get an idea of where the rest stops will come along the drive, and where can we stop for diaper changes, stretching our legs, and eating our snacks. Once I identify the number of stops we will need to make along the drive, I get an estimate of the time it will actually take to reach my destinations. For example, for the Mount Hood drive, the time it takes to reach Govt. Camp from my home, is about 1.5 hours. But, taking into account my life's reality, I know it will take me 2.5 hours. Doing the back calculations, as all moms do, I get an estimate of when we need to leave home, and by when we need to be done with breakfast. And when do I pack the car? Oh, of course, I pack the car the night before! What should I pack?

Depending on the weather trend, I get the clothes ready to be worn for the next day. I always pack 1 extra set of clothes because there are accidents with kids - the diaper can blast, the kid can vomit, there can be a spill, someone pees their pants. 😅 A jacket and rain boots are always part of the packables because who wouldn't want to jump in muddy puddles! A few days before the day of travel, I get the approprate snacks. Orchard Valley snacks are my go to. They are healthy, they are filling and they come in individual pocket size packets which are easy to carry in the hiking back and snack on as we hike the trails. I get fruits like apples, bananas, grapes and oranges all peeled, chooped and ready to go in air-tight containers. I get carrots, celery and snap peas in air-tight containers, too! For lunch, I usually pack deli meat sandwiches. So, rotisserie chicken sandwiches with pickles are my family's favorite and I make these with either mayonaisse or barbeque sauce or buffalo sauce, per my mood. 😋 The water bottles are washed and ready to be filled the morning of the drive. I keep 3 trash bags: 1. to get rid of organic waste, 2. to get rid of recyclable waste, and 3. to get rid of dirty diapers/vomit clean ups, and general trash. I do carry 3 blankets in the car. The kids like to get cozy when they fall asleep in their seats. And I just tend to be cold most of the time, so, I need my blanket, too. 😇

Our drive does involve music. Ali gets her pick with Miss Rachel's Songs, and Huz and I get our picks turn by turn. Lizzie's favorite so far is Baby Beluga and Country Roads, so we play those songs for her. Huz and I are both fans of country and country rock, but only songs that belong to this genre from the 50s-70s, not Country music from today. So, we listen to Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Don McLean, Kansas, Dolly Parton, ABBA, The Carpenters, Cliff Richard. Sometimes we listen to symphonies. Our favorite is Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. I have hyperlinked Vivaldi's YouTube video here, just so you can listen and have a good time. I am not getting paid to put in the link. 

Once we reach the destination, then it is all about having fun, spending quality time, and may be quarrelling a little bit. I sometimes do get into power struggles with Ali. 😓 Those are my worst moments, and I regret them bitterly. But all in all, we spend some good time as a family and unwind from the stress of our work lives. 

We leave from our destination to make it home in time for the nighttime routine. Since the next day is a working day, Sunday night becomes a school night. So, bed time CANNOT be compromised. 

As we end our weekend in high spirits and happy smiles, we are ready to take on the next work week in all its might! 

What did you think about by trip planning for a one-day trip with two and a half kiddos? 😉 Share your thoughts with me. Send me direct messages with questions, or how you do things differently! There is no one right way to do these things, becuase all kids are different, and we all have different personalities, and a myriad ways to cope with the stress that comes with travelling, let alone with kids. I would love to hear back from you, but until then, it is good bye. 

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