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We are in the thick of packing and all of the final arrangements for the big move...and the kids have found ways to entertain themselves in the craziness. I felt a little overwhelmed last week, but Saturday we got so much done that I have felt pretty calm this whole week. Kelly's Mom and Brother will be here Sunday and we will start our drive on Monday. It will take 3 WHOLE days to drive to Spokane...I am racking my brain for activities for the kids in the car. If you have any great ideas PLEASE let me know!
These are all the men in the neighborhood trying to move our piano from our house to our neighbors (it obviously didn't make the moving cut). It was quite a task, but they accomplished their mission...as you can see, Kelly is so happy to get rid of things, the less to move, the better! this is his motto
And, on a much different note, Laynie has been trying out her potty skills. Am I completely insane to be packing up my house and trying to potty train at the same time??!! Okay, I have to admit, it hasn't been a huge effort on my part, I figure after we move we can really get serious. But I am sure tired of 2-yr-old diapers!! nasty!
We are in the thick of packing and all of the final arrangements for the big move...and the kids have found ways to entertain themselves in the craziness. I felt a little overwhelmed last week, but Saturday we got so much done that I have felt pretty calm this whole week. Kelly's Mom and Brother will be here Sunday and we will start our drive on Monday. It will take 3 WHOLE days to drive to Spokane...I am racking my brain for activities for the kids in the car. If you have any great ideas PLEASE let me know!
These are all the men in the neighborhood trying to move our piano from our house to our neighbors (it obviously didn't make the moving cut). It was quite a task, but they accomplished their mission...as you can see, Kelly is so happy to get rid of things, the less to move, the better! this is his motto
And, on a much different note, Laynie has been trying out her potty skills. Am I completely insane to be packing up my house and trying to potty train at the same time??!! Okay, I have to admit, it hasn't been a huge effort on my part, I figure after we move we can really get serious. But I am sure tired of 2-yr-old diapers!! nasty!
8 comments:
I highly recommend buying/borrowing/renting a TV and DVD player. It works really well for my niece's and nephews on long trips.
May the force be with you!
Another thought: You could fly there with the kids and hire someone to move all your stuff! That would definitely be the best option. ;)
We let our kids each take a small back pack/ bag and fill it with coloring books, crayons, books, things they can play with in the car.. Then they keep their bag next to them while we drive. We also have a tv/vcr combo (we will be up grading to DVD soon since we sold all the videos at the garage sale!) But it works wonders!!!! I am not big on tv at home so it is a big treat for my kids to get to watch hours of Bob the builder, Dora, Blues Clues, and Disney movies! Good luck!
Oh my, I do not envy these last few weeks of your life in PA. Talk about exhausting! I'd be one grumpy momma!!!
I just read some great ideas in our Family Fun magazine for long car trips. One idea that we have done is buy a roll of masking tape for each of the kids. Then let them have at it!!! I'm not sure how Laynie would do with this but I bet Addison could think of all sorts of creations to make or tape up.
Let's see...
--I always buy new DVD's and have them wrapped up. Then periodically we unwrap a new movie.
--Stop at a bookstore someplace on your journey and let the kids pick out a new book or activity book to do (the Dollar Store has a ton of activity books)
--Wrap up small presents and then let them up wrap throughout the trip
--Here's a cute idea from Family Fun:
REWARD GOOD TRAVELERS
When it comes to road-tripping with kids, getting there isn't always half the fun. So Kelly Leavitt came up with this thrifty idea for encouraging harmony while teaching her children -- ages 4 to 10 -- the value of a dollar. Before each trip, the American Fork, Utah, mom buys a collection of car-friendly activity toys -- washable crayons and pads, craft kits, handheld travel games -- and then labels them with different prices. Every 30 minutes to an hour, Kelly gives good passengers play money, which they can use to buy a reward. "Whether they save their money for a larger item or give in to an impulse buy," says Kelly, "the kids want to behave so they can earn their money, which ends up being nice for my husband and me too!"
Travel Games: Inventing, Finding and Counting
by Susan Fox
Make the trip go by faster with FamilyFun
Signpost In the course of logging about 60,000 travel miles with my kids in the past eight years, I've found that most complaints from the backseat can be tempered with simple solutions that can actually make it fun to travel as a family. A good game, for example, makes the miles fly by. In addition to games, I've developed many activities and strategies designed to amuse the most bored backseat passengers (click on the following links to see them all: audiotapes for the road, car-ride treats, classic road-trip games, getting-to-know-you games, scavenger hunt for the car, scavenger hunt for the plane, tray-top games and the ultimate travel activity bag). I hope they'll help smooth your own family's journey.
LAUGH OUT LOUD
In the privacy of your own car, you can laugh as loud as you want or shout out the answers to questions. So don't hold back when you play these games--laugh, yell or sing your hearts out. The ideas are well suited to driving, as they don't involve writing.
THE CAR NEXT DOOR: Invent stories about people in the car next to yours. What do you think they do for work? What's their favorite food? Where do they go on vacation? Get into lots of details, such as whether they snore loudly or are afraid of spiders. Give them names, hobbies, pets and so on.
BUZZ: This is a team effort to try to reach 100 without making a mistake. Take turns counting, beginning with one. Every time you get to a number that's divisible by seven (7, 14, 21) or has a seven in it (17), say "Buzz" instead of the number. If one person forgets to say "Buzz," everyone has to start over. If this is too hard, say "Buzz" for every number that's divisible by five. If you want a real challenge, try Fuzz Buzz. Say "Fuzz" for every number with a three in it or that's divisible by three, and "Buzz" for every number with a seven in it or that's divisible by seven.
ALPHABET WORDS: Starting with A, find words on signs that begin with each alphabet letter. The first person might spot a billboard with the word "all" on it. The next person might spot the word "brake" on a road sign. After you get through the alphabet, find all the numbers from one to 100.
WHERE DO YOU DO IT?: One person mimics a sound, and everyone tries to guess where this sound is performed. For example, you could make the sound of computer keys tapping, and the answer would be "in an office." This game can degenerate quickly into bathroom humor, which may be why kids love it.
BUILDING WORDS: Take turns saying letters and build words together. Someone starts with any letter, maybe an R. The next person thinks of a word, such as rake, and says A. The next person thinks of a word, such as rabbit, and says B. Each player must have a real word in her head before speaking. If you challenge someone and they don't have a word, they're out.
I SPY: Someone says "I spy with my little eye something green." Whoever guesses correctly goes next. You could limit the items to what's in the vehicle. Or, you could get tricky and play I Spied, selecting items that you've already passed.
When I've traveled long distances in the past I'd stop at the dollar store and pick up a bunch of little activities, treats and toys. Then throughout the trip I would randomly pull one out when I sensed boredom. The kids like having something new. Also (if you can tolerate it), I've downloaded a ton of Disney music to my MP3 and made a playlist for Averie. When we are in the car for any amount of time, long or short, she asks me to play "her" music and it keeps her pretty happy. GOOD LUCK!
Hey more Ditto's
It's Katie Schmidt Tucker, I've been catching up on your blog for a little while and just realized I can't remember if I've ever commented on here. It's been great to see your family grow and congrats being able to go back west. My sis Shauna still lives in Spokane, on the south hill somewhere. I've always wanted to move there, it's such a great place. Well good luck moving I know I'm not looking forward to it again. My tips, get kid books on tape, make their own individual moving care packages put them in ice cream buckets or backpacks. Lots and lots of snacks, make a routine in the car, like snack, movie, reading, nap or something like that. Good luck with everything, check our blog out sometime when you get a chance.
KT
hey friend! congrats on the job change and the move to spokane! that is really exciting. i can't believe how fast these life changes pop up! good thing you came to visit when you did since it may be a long time before we live on the same coast again. i hope everything goes well with the rest of the move and stuff! i can't wait to read about your spokane adventures!
Davy <<< Herman >>> Clarence
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