We packed up 4 adults, 1 toddler, luggage, snacks, and lots of on board entertainment in one car to get us through the trek to visit Uncle Gareth and his girlfriend Amanda for Uncle Gareth's 30th birthday.
St. Louis was pretty close to a second home for me growing up- my dad's parents lived there and we would try and get up to see them as often as we could. Alternating holidays and usually a few visits in the summer. There was one summer when we thought we might actually move up there so my dad could work with my grandpa {aka Pop-o}. That summer, we were either coming or going from STL to OKC every Sunday. Thankfully, my brother and I were older and could keep ourselves fairly entertained with books and travel games- we even had one of those awesome conversion vans with a TV and VCR combo. We were big time.
In preparation for the trip I perused the internet and racked my teacher brain {and my mother in law's pre-k teacher brain} for ideas to keep the toddler entertained in her car seat for 7 plus hours {much longer than our previous vacation on a plane with her}. Books, discovery bottles {there are some great ideas for some here}, an old clutch of mine with pockets to explore, bead necklaces, a few of her toys that I held back for a week or two to seem "new" again, and a few other odds and ends. However, we would get one thing out and then after a minute or two of playing with something she would say..."more?" She kept wanting to see what else we had, so things definitely did not hold her attention as long as I thought they would.
The hubs and I were pretty determined to try and entertain her for as long as possible without resulting to electronics {aka iPhone, iPad, or a portable DVD}. However, Ouma brought a portable DVD just in case {smart lady} and we did use it for some times when we needed a break and nothing else was really working usually a few hours into a leg of the trip. Same with the phones. We would watch and play along with her as she worked through puzzles and saw her friends Elmo and George or we would each have a bit of down time. And, even though there were a few moments when we were working hard to keep the little one sane- she really was a trooper and I was impressed by her road trippin' ability.
When it comes to the phone, MC's favorite thing is really just looking at and/or taking pictures. Here are some examples of her handiwork:
Besides the car ride- we enjoyed St.Louis {despite the cold, crummy weather}. We saw Gareth's apartment and listened to both Basset brothers on the piano, we visited the Science Museum, and ate at Rigazzi's on The Hill. Amazing Italian food from STL's version of little Italy. Add in my best friend and her husband--even better.
We also got to tour the Budweiser brewery. It is free! Plus, you get two complimentary samples at the end of your tour. The first leg of the tour is actually very kid friendly- we got to see the clydesdale stables and one of the dalmatians came out to visit. That dog was probably the most calm and people friendly dog I have ever seen- just freely roaming about the place and greeting people. The dog made MC's day. The horsies were nice too. After this portion, you can make a quick exit before the 45 minute portion of the actual brewin'. We took advantage as MC was telling us it was lunch time. Best not to push that one.
Thanks again, STL- until next time. Looking forward to sharing more of my childhood with my sweet ones.
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