Getting there is half the fun????

Last Thursday Jack and I took off on a little adventure. We headed up North to see my Aunt Patty and cousin Alison who live in Schaumberg. Even though it had been suggested to me by many that Jack and I would have a much easier time if we just took the train, I was more than confident in my driving and mothering skills. I knew that we would make it just fine.



We left Newton a little before 9 am with Harrison in tow. I dropped Harrison off at the babysitters and we were on the road by about 9:15. The GPS that my sister had loaned us told me that we would arrive at our destination in 3.5 hours. PIECE OF CAKE I thought, we would probably arrive by 1:30 at the latest. Jack was giggling he was so excited. Most of that excitement was brought on by his new portable DVD player that allowed him to watch Spongebob on the ride. He had on his headphones and was in heaven. I figured it was smooth sailing all the way.



We made it to Charleston and the polar pop that I had purchased at BP (is it still BP?) was already empty. I needed another diet coke. I went through McDonalds. Jack cried because they were not serving Happy Meals yet. Jack mentioned that his ear hurt. I assumed it was from the headphones he was wearing to listen to his DVD player and told him to take them off. Diet coke refill and we were on the road again.



Almost to Tuscola and Jack starts crying, saying his ear hurt. We pulled over at the outlet mall for me to check it out and go to the bathroom. Jack is crying, he says his ear hurts. I let him ride on one of the coin operated rides on the sidewalk hoping that would help. He is still crying a little bit but that seemed to help. We walk by the Stride Rite shoe store on the way to the bathroom and I tell Jack they have the bouncy ball shoes he had been asking for (damn you Nick Jr) so we went in to check them out. At this point he is crying again pretty hard. He still wanted the shoes. We find the shoes. He tried them on and we purchased them.





HERE ARE JACK'S COOL NEW BOUNCY BALL SHOES--they have bouncy balls in the soles.

After a trip to the bathroom, deducing that Jack does not have fever and loading up the crying boy into his car seat we were on the road again. I figured he would go to sleep and all would be good.

Almost to Champaign. Almost to the exit that would take you to the mall and Jack proceeds to vomit and vomit good. He's crying, asking for water. I take the exit, look for a gas station or McDonalds and then see Target (i love you Target). I pull into the parking lot and use an entire container or wipes to try to clean Jack up. I threw every single one of the used wipes onto the ground of the Target parking lot (please forgive me Al Gore). Jack is crying for water. He is disgusting. His car seat is disgusting. I put him in a cart and take him in. Get Jack his water. Realize I should have brought in clothes to change him. Buy him new clothes and more wipes and head to the bathroom and clean him up the best I can. Go back to the car. Use the new wipes to clean the car seat the best I can. I am getting closer to being able to get back on the road and realize I can't find my keys. The Target employee who was rounding up carts (and staring at the huge pile of wipes I had left on the ground) was nice enough to use her walkie talkie to call into the store and send someone into the bathroom to look for my keys. My keys were in my pocket. She LOVED me.

Jack seemed better so I decided we would still try to make it. I think it was 11ish at this point. It still looked like we could make it by 2 or so.

Jack fell asleep and all seemed ok.

I was out of diet coke but did not stop for another one for fear of waking Jack. I was so thirsty that I had to drink water.

All seems well. We were getting closer. Out of Kankakee and the traffic picked up. Getting into the city, more lanes to drive in, a little scary. Jack wakes up. The GPS begins to give me directions. We are getting much closer, 26 miles to our destination. Then it happens. I listen to the GPS, sometimes it says stay right, sometimes it says exit right. Not sure if those are two different things. The GPS would route me back around. I went through the same toll booth three times. I made sure to go through different lanes, I would hate for the toll booth operator to notice me and figure out what an idiot I was. At this point I hate the GPS and I am fairly certain that it hated me. I could tell that it was mocking me by suggesting I make U turns in places that a U turn was not possible. Jack is mad and still does not feel good. He hates the GPS as well and asks me to "turn that left and right thing off". We are getting closer only 10 miles to go. The gas light comes on. I make some bad non GPS endorsed choices and we are now 18 miles away. I stop for gas. I somehow manage to get us (or so the GPS says) about 5 miles from my Aunt's house and I call her to tell her we are almost there. She asks where I am. I am not in the right place, she tried to get me back on a main road. The GPS is now my mortal enemy. I hate her so much yet I still need her. Jack does not feel well. Pull into a grocery store parking lot just as Jack pukes a little more and I am on the verge of tears.

I call my Aunt and turn the GPS off and she gets me to her house.

FINALLY WE MADE IT.

Is is now 10:30 p.m. ..............

NOT REALLY, it was about 4:00

When we got out of the car I felt like I had just got off the ship from my tour of duty in WWII and wanted to kiss the ground!

A couple hours later and Jack was fine, we ended up having the best time! I suppose we could have made it by 1:30 like I had originally thought we would, but how boring would that have been? What kind of story would that have left me to tell and would there have been any cool bouncy ball shoes?

Pictures of our weekend coming soon.....