Sister-Cousin Spring Camp & Making Memories! #2023 #Family #Sister #Cousin #Blessings #Connections #SistersAndCousins #TartSpringBreak2023 #SpringBreak2023 #Friends #WateringFriendships #PurposefullyBuildingRelationships #FamilyAndFriends
March 27, 2023
Sister-Cousin Spring Camp
The week of Spring Break for our county was also the Spring Break week for one of my nieces!
While I had an adjusted work schedule because rec classes were taking the week off, Spring Break Camp at WGVG was in full swing and my also-on-break-college driver wanted to make her own “cousin camp” with fun trips, crazy baking escapades, and lots of memories made!
The girls spent time making crafts, dropping in to Spring Camp to do fun stuff, took at least one beach trip, at least two “mushroom park” trips (aka Trout Creek Park, where there is a mushroom you can swing from), chased the escapee bunny that they let loose quite a few times, used the big floor blocks to make several castles and rooms, baked all kinds of egg-free Anastasia-safe goodies (I got to taste some), Christina and Jaquline made unique suppers and lunches, Christina went to a Celtic Festival,
I love that Christina is making these amazing memories with her sisters, brother, and cousin! She doesn’t have many limits on where they can go – and just like we’ve always done, everywhere is usually “free” (aka just the cost of gas). Christina filled her few days of break with loads of “taxiing mom and gymnasts” back and forth (competitive team didn’t take off spring break). She also got to drop all the siblings and cousin at gym one day to spend a perfect day with her best friend – who was also home from college!
When I was watching Katy, Buddy, Becca, Charley, Stacy, Dorothy, and Mary doing special outings and making memories with my oldest girls, I dreamed of my older girls continuing with their siblings, cousins, and friends. There were memories like “Monster Truck Show outing,” shopping with aunts, Alligator Farm trips, “Special Day” outings, long walks to the ice cream shop, beach days, park days, camping nights, firepits and roasting marshmallow visits, and other just “visit” days.
Now I see my not-so-littles being purposeful in their connections to their friends, younger siblings, and cousins – continuing to water those friendships. It makes me so happy! (A few pictures included to enjoy)
Random faces at the Mushroom Park
Hair SweepingSpider-Swing gone oopsLaughing!
Swinging Antics
KimmyJaqJillyAnastasiaLucas & Thea
These were their “look like yourself portraits” that crack me up! Christina perfectly captures each of their respective personalities in these funny pics!
Beach Trip…
…and they are always at the top of something or trying something daredevilish….
Each one is now looking forward to summer and the next trip(s) they get to do… even if it’s just friends and cousins over at the house playing with critters outside, swinging, reading, having a mega Frogger challenge, or the fifteenth Among Us game with every mobile device in the house, or the next life, monopoly, clue, or catan board game and resulting laughter! And food… my family does revolve most everything around cooking, eating, and cleaning up food (who really doesn’t?).
Dress-Up Meet and Impromptu Visit – Sometimes we need to reconnect and slow down! #2023 #Family #Friends #Friend #Blessings #Blessing #FriendshipIsAwesome #ILoveImpromptuVisits #GymnasticsMeet #WesleyChapelTrip #CharityChallenge2023 #GodsHandIsInEverything #SpecialVisit #IHaveTheSweetestSisters #TheaShowsOff #SistersAndCousins
March 24, 2023
Dress Up Meet And Impromptu Visit
My kids are a little strange (don’t we all think that at one point or another?). Sometimes, even my 19-year-old likes to dress up. Today’s story has my competitive gymnasts dressing up for their final meet before states!
The final meet before states was the Charity Cup Challenge. One of the longest drives, but the girls got to dress up in cute tutus and thought that was fun. Kimberly’s team of teenagers even started dancing in them – that was cute! Louis took Jillian down for Friday. I didn’t get to see their antics, but I can imagine from the pictures…
WGVG Silver Team at the 2023 Charity Challenge in Wesley Chapel, FL
Jillian came home saying the “entire place” smelled like fish nets. I couldn’t stop laughing at that!
Kimberly, Jillian, Thea, and I drove down in the wee hours of Sunday morning for Kimberly’s meet. Most of the time they slept and I listened to “My List to Joy” (a youtube mix I created ages ago).
We passed a sign that said “50 miles to this city” (where a sister lives now) early in the morning and I wondered if texting this early was a good idea. Nahhh… I’ll wait until normal nightowls have had coffee.
At the meet, Jillian found Ellie (another Silver Team member whose sister is also Platinum) and Thea got into the gym-sister encourager mode. Girls weren’t even doing anything but dressing up and Thea was like, “Marie’s got this!” and “Go Ellie!” (this made Jillian and a random team mom or grandma from another group laugh) Thea didn’t see how funny it was being a sideline cheerleader while the Platinum Team was wiggling around in their tutus.
WGVG Platinum TeamOur CharityWGVG Platinum TeamThe three travelersJust Kimmy and the mascot
We watched the girls do their amazing thing! Honestly, as my youngsters move up in skill and level, the competitions get more and more interesting to watch. Thea keeps going, “wow! I want to do that!” I had to grab this wanna-be-future-gymnast from hurting her neck as she was showing off on the awards floor trying to push up in her bridge again – she sang as she did: cartwheel, cartwheel, handstand, bridge! (but bridge arms were not straight!) It’s the mom clash between, I let my kids do stuff and I am not watching you break your neck, toddler! I pulled a protesting Thea into my lap with, “careful, your arms have to be straight first.” My just-4-going-on-teenager-attitude goes, “I know mom, I know,” with crossed arms. I heard quite a few chuckles from other random experienced moms on the benches behind me! Thea is definitely part of the entertainment wherever she goes.
On the ride home, we stopped to visit Aunt Becca and Anastasia!
I love visits when we can. It’s so easy to think things like: it would be bothering her, she’s not expecting a visit, maybe she’s not in, maybe they have plans… etc. Every one of those and many more popped into my head trying to prevent me from considering the visit – and we were literally passing by!
NO! Don’t think that way!
Text, call, or just drop by! It’s the human connection part of us that loves that!
(Yes, I did use my car’s voice-text to have almost an hour texting conversation with her letting my sister know we were coming – which was funny because my Platinum in the back seat was so engrossed in her texting with friends and totally ignoring my Silver in the front and our conversation that as we stopped she went, “wait, this isn’t a gas station, why are we stopping?”) And this is why in the wee hours when my moody teen snapped, “I don’t want you to come” to Jillian, I responded with, “well I do; she’ll talk with me instead of disappear into her phone.” I always try to stop and see family if we travel close to their home (close to me is like within an hour – more if we’re traveling far).
We chatted, Jillian ended up staying over with Anastasia (next day started Spring Break and Anastasia was coming to stay with us anyway), Kimberly, Becca, and I played a nice game of Upwords, we snacked on stuff (my sister being a chef, even her “thrown together” snacks taste amazing), and enjoyed each other’s company. I got to see the grand tour of the lovely oasis my sweet sister and niece call home. The girls played basketball – of course, as they are our children, it got competitive very quickly!
I love just being together! I love car trips because usually, the people trapped within play word games (i.e. I’m going on a trip, Famous People First-and-Last, Alphabet or Numbers game) or talk to each other. I love visits where we just “hang out” – nothing planned, nothing crazy, just board games or talking over food or watching the kids play. Becca said it was a “God-timed visit.” I love it when God lines everything up to fill our spirits with reminders of His provision. I needed the dollop of Becca time too – God knew it. We needed each other’s encouragement and smiles. The cool part was that I didn’t realize I was missing her so badly until we got to connect for those few hours, but God knew.
Sadly, a bad thunderstorm cell was coming our way and Louis warned us to “please not get stuck in that driving” so we said goodbye and Kimberly, Thea, and I headed home less one passenger. At least now, Kimberly was in a very chatty mode and we were able to talk about all kinds of stuff all the way home!
Go visit! Find or make a break in your schedule to pay a visit to someone you have been missing. There is so much work and schedule and life that sometimes we miss the part of our soul that whispers slow down and sometimes that close connection is just what we need to help us reset. It gives us a recharge to jump back into the craziness of life and makes a happy memory we cherish – and it can be so simple as a quick lunch, a brief hello, or even a phone call when visiting isn’t practical.
The Miracle of Friends – aka down to one car on a meet weekend with college and work too!! #2023 #Family #Friends #Friend #Blessings #Blessing #TheBlessingOfFriends #TheMiracleOfFriends #OpenHearts #FriendshipIsAwesome #GymnasticsMeet #SavannahTrip #Kupets2023 #GodsHandIsInEverything
March 21, 2023
The Miracle of Friends
It was Wednesday, March 1st. I was on the floor stretching with my little preschoolers and talking about what color butterflies they were pretending to be today.
My phone, however, received this from my oldest daughter who was on her way to work from college:
Car trouble rn
I am going to be late to work. I actually don’t know if I’ll get to work.
Followed thirty minutes later (I still hadn’t come off the floor so hadn’t seen these) by:
Daddy has me.
I’m not gonna make it to work
Letting Thea know
Thirty minutes later (I still hadn’t seen anything):
ACTUALLY
Nvm
I will be there right on time.
I only saw her arrive at her normal time (4pm) as I was working. I didn’t even know something was up until about 7pm when I finally looked at my phone!
Our Buick decided to shut all electrical systems down on the interstate! We had a meet in Savannah that weekend! Louis and Christina took it to the closest dealership because this poor car was new when Louis got it but has spent a greater percentage of time getting fixed than any used one we’ve had! (Nice that it is still under warranty!)
Thursday arrives: at noon, the dealership still hasn’t even looked at the Buick! Christina has to go to college on Friday. Louis had requested the day off work Friday to take Jillian to her meet in Savannah. All the potential rides for Jillian weren’t able to do this one. (So many meets would have been missed without all of the amazing friends who have driven one gymnast or the other over my three years!) We looked into renting a car for the day – so far out of budget. Christina looked into staying over with a friend so she wouldn’t need a car for college but no one could get her back to work in time and she just doesn’t drop school or work. I was going to ask Jillian’s coach how to go about scratching (missing the meet, we’ve never done that), when Louis called (I was sitting at a school waiting for kiddos to get in the bus). He had contacted the dealership at 2:30 & they said they would look at the Buick on Monday. He had told his boss he didn’t need the day off because he didn’t have a way to get Jillian to Savannah – his boss loaned him a van!
Jillian didn’t even know. She didn’t know how close she came to missing her first meet. (She did hear the story through when she’s like, “wait where’d we get this van?” on Friday in the wee hours.) She and Lucas went down with Dad and had a great time!
His Best Buddy is here!Sharing the Nintendo SwitchThree Best Buddies!Photos by Louis Tart & Mikaela ReppertSilver Team at the Kupets Meet 2023
Sometimes we get busy and forget about the amazing miracle of friends. God gives us friends. People who honestly care about us and whom we care about. The miracle of friends is that they are always there. Sometimes we miss out on a blessing and being a blessing because we forget to ask. How do we know someone needs anything unless they ask us? How can friends know we need anything unless we ask? I love how children don’t have these “I shouldn’t bother them” issues because they ask friends everything! From, “your sandwich looks good, can I have half?” to “help me fix my ribbon, please!” to “I’m sad, can we sing?” and everything else in between.
A scene from an old movie makes me smile: a girl says “oh I forgot to buy a ladder!” and turns to go back inside the general store. Owner of said general store laughs, picks up his ladder leaning against the wall and says, “country folks don’t buy ladders, they borrow them.” He is trying to impress on this family that people around care about them and want to help in any way possible.
I love that God gave us the miracle of friends. Sometimes we don’t see them for a long time (ages, it always seems) and sometimes a pop-in visit is needed and God arranges that.
I’m so thankful for the friends and family around us. Our people bless us so much! I pray we can return blessings when they need them!
In our church Sunday, the pastor spoke about how Enoch was one of his heroes because he was remembered as one who “Walked with God” by faith. I thought about that.
In my life, there are several people no longer here whose legacy includes: “they walked with God.”
Am I living my life so that part of my legacy will be: “She walked with God?”
What does walking with God look like right now?
My translation is that it means we communicate openly with God. We listen as well as speak when we pray. We remember to ask God’s direction in everything in life – jobs, moves, vehicles, routes for the day, etc. We have a type of open communication where we speak to God as if He were a very close friend. Don’t you have friends whose advice you seek out when making decisions? God should be primary in such things.
One of the ladies I was privileged to know once told me that she “breathed in God every morning to start her day off right.” She woke at 5am every day and had her coffee outside on her little porch or in her garden. She talked about God like He was a very close friend. All of her stories included “so after praying,” “after discussing it with God,” “well, I asked God but it wasn’t what I wanted to hear,” etc. She lived life full and open. She was far from perfect, but she wanted to be as godly a woman as she could be.
She ran her race and finished strong.
Examine your heart and see: are you in a close friendship with Jesus? Would you say that you ask His advice first? How do you interpret “walking with God?” Are there mentors or friends in your life, here or in heaven, who you would say “walked with God?”
Thousands of years after he died, Methuselah is remembered for having the longest recorded life, but Enoch, who lived about 1/3 of the standard lifespan at his time, is remembered for “Walking With God.”
A friend was showing us her flower
arrangements: she said, “expectation versus reality.” To me, both arrangements
looked amazing – her husband had given her a few bunches of flowers which she artistically
set in two gorgeous table arrangements.
She thought one was excellent and the other so-so.
Instantly my heart dipped backward
in time. In the time it took to blink,
my brain chattered.
Expectation: University of Missouri
Rolla’s aerospace engineering degree PHD
Reality: a two-year college plus a
scam university for a BA in Business Administration with Healthcare Management
that I’ve actually never used.
Expectation: 14-y-o dreams of my perfect 1996 jeep wrangler softtop with big black rollbars, a bike rack, removable doors, and my Lady (German Shepherd) hanging out in the passenger’s seat.
Reality: any paid off vehicle with
enough capacity for everyone’s booties and our doggos works.
Expectation: an old fixer-upper,
huge farmhouse style two or three story house sitting on at least 5 acres with
established trees and room for animals and farming that my children could grow
up in for their whole lives.
Reality: several homes we’ve bumped
in and out of through all of Christina’s 16 years, each seems to be smaller and
in worse condition than the last. This last one sent me to the hospital and
messes with everyone’s breathing. I can’t
wait to leave.
This all flashes in my mind before
my eyelids shut in the blink – isn’t that how fast the enemy attacks us?
I complement her beautiful
arrangements, which are bright and absolutely lovely, I can’t see how she sees
one as “not very good,” but then I’m not a flower arranger just a woman with a
true appreciation of all growing things (maybe
I’m secretly a hobbit).
Before I step back into the office
though, the mental assault continues…
(Someone
mentioned that this year was tough for them and I couldn’t possibly understand)
This year? I lost my father, my Daddy, the professor who
was always ready to delve into deep philosophical discussions and my Mary, my
baby sister I was always supposed to protect.
It’s this year I find myself crying over clouds, sunrises, songs, scenes
in movies, even lines in sermons.
BUT!
I stop it there. I am a daughter of the King of Kings, I have
been bought by my Savior’s blood, loved from when He knit me together in my
mother’s womb, I have the power to renew my mind through God’s word!
I remind my mind: ever heard of
Joseph, Moses, David, Paul? They didn’t
get exactly what they wanted in life – their expectation didn’t match their
reality, but God gave them better!
I combat those “expectation” teases
with:
Reality: I came to Saint Augustine
because I missed UMR’s 80% scholarship by 10 SAT points! God directed me to my
amazing life!
Reality: who cares what vehicle you
drive as long as it gets from point A to point B?
Reality: we have always had a roof
over our heads.
Reality: I am thankful! I love my life – all the crazy, wild facets
of it! I am super thankful that I
followed God’s nudges in pivotal points in my life that led me to this
wonderful time I am now at. I pray that
He continually places me where I can touch others, reach more people for Him,
impress on my children’s hearts, and be used of Him as He wills. I have totally surrendered to Jesus. I trust God’s will in my life.
You know why? He knows me way better than I know myself. I can’t imagine life without Louis – in two years, I will have spent half of my life knowing Louis. He is my best friend, confidante, cheerleader, and life partner. I love being connected to my “soul mate!” I can’t imagine life without any of my children, nieces, nephews, or gym girls! I am so thankful that God sees me fit to witness to them, encourage them, and build into them.
I’m human. My own voice is the worst danger to my
mind. But I have the power to renew my
mind by reminding myself of the good things God has given us and of the
promises in His Word – He will never leave us.
All things work together for good.
Thank you Jesus for leading my life journey and please keep my eyes
always on You despite what my mind tries to say.
The one who first called me mother
is sixteen years old. Thank you, Jesus. I am so grateful for being blessed with
Christina! I can’t imagine life without
her.
I truly understand that God entrusts
us with raising his children. There is
such a wonderful humbling feeling in being able to watch my little baby grow into
a young woman of God.
For nine months I felt this tiny life growing inside of me. We prayed over her (not knowing who she would be yet) and loved her from the time we imagined she would come. She was born the eldest grandchild to both sets of grandparents – imagine such a crazy double blessing!
Fast forward to today: she’s driving and we’re on the way to her job and Kimberly’s classes with Thea and I riding along (so I can take the car back home and Thea was just up with us so got to serenade us – she sings to music now).
I thank God daily for each of my children. I know we aren’t promised tomorrow. I treasure every day. Every time I get to hear Thea sing notes (no words yet, just “aaaahh-ooooh-aaah”) to music, every time Lucas builds a train track that snakes all over the front room, every time Jillian is jumping like a pogo stick because she learned a new skill or mastered a math concept, every time Jaquline makes something new, every time I get to see Kimberly march (in Civil Air Patrol) or practice some new flip (gymnastics), every time I see Becky snuggle with Lucas, Thea, and Jillian on my bed reading “Angel and the Ring” (Lucas’ favorite), every time Christina ranks up or encourages someone else… every time I get to spend life with my children.
They don’t have to come to me when they need to talk about something or ask personal of difficult questions – I thank God that they do. They could bury themselves in isolation from “the parents” but I’m super thankful that they choose to be around us when we are home. In this precious time while they are close, I want to talk, snuggle, read, play games, cook together, watch them build, invent and grow, and see them climb closer to Jesus. I am so thankful for the time we’ve been given together.
I became a mom on December 24, 2002. My little life began inside me and I excitedly whispered it to my mother on Christmas Day because I knew she wouldn’t think it odd that I “felt” my angel start inside me. My first pregnancy journey ended with my beautiful young woman who is driving beside me now. There is something humbling and awe-inspiring when you hold that first tiny human and realize that God has gifted you with one of His children to raise up. Once through that, I felt the same huge responsibility and humbling gratitude each time I felt the little life start.
Life is a vapor; you look at your tiny child in your arms and when you open your eyes again, she’s been flying a plane and driving a vehicle, doing college classes and working a job. Though she is nearing the time she can choose to leave your home you carefully built for her, you continue to enjoy each day, each opportunity to be around her. You pray thankful for the time you’ve had and for her safety and future.
Those years speed by. The love you carry never leaves. No matter if your youngling is plucked early to fill heaven with joy, your love remains as strong as the day you discovered them growing inside you – a mother’s love never stops.
Teenager now has a learner’s permit… Mom is going nuts!
January 8, 2019
Newly Licensed
I’m a bit freaked out.
(Okay, I’m frantic!)
My oldest child is now legally allowed to drive my car…
(AHHHHHHHH!)
Seriously, I’m sure she’s watched my driving enough to know how to be safe (um… she’s also watched Louis… I’m FREAKING OUT again!)
At one point yesterday at the DMV, I had to sign an electronic document that read something like “you are assuming responsibility for everything this minor does in a motor vehicle.” I laughed because it reminded me of the pages I signed for her Camp Blanding encampment that read something like, “your minor child is at risk of major bodily damage including death and you verify that you understand this and promise not to sue us.”
At the end of this ordeal (I just signed some documents, presented my address and identity as her so-called legal guardian), I walked out with a fifteen year old girl next to me who now has a tiny plastic card that allows her to sit next to me in a 2-ton vehicle and maneuver it down roadways filled with crazy drivers.
My teenager has a learner’s permit.
(*Giant gasp, frantic breaths, mentally remembering where I put my inhaler*)
Okay, maybe you can drive to Publix… but she’s disappeared because she doesn’t want to make the left turn from Publix back onto Wildwood just yet.
Nothing has changed. (YIPPEE)
It’s just one small step toward independence for Christina, one giant leap in freaking out for Mom.
My little unborn angel is rolling around and kicking, punching, or whatever inside me with such force Lucas and Jillian keep giggling at my stomach bouncing!
What an honor it is to be able to carry a new life!
From the first flutter-kicks I felt of Christina’s 15 years ago, I have been awed by the honor of being pregnant.
So, maybe my body isn’t always so happy about it, but that’s fixed. With Christina it was routine, wake up, eat, attempt a prenatal vitamin, upchuck said prenatal, get to work, run to the bathroom, there goes breakfast, and snack on some grapes or tuna salad very slowly throughout the day praying for no puking.
When I was pregnant with Becky I was under a midwife’s care and learned a ton about how nutrition affects pregnancy – then I managed to only upchuck every prenatal vitamin, mix, or powder I tried. So I stopped trying new supplements and simply focused on very healthy foods.
Just as Kimberly started along, my sister introduced me to Shakeology (a meal replacement nutrition drink) and the nausea with every successive pregnancy was gone! Great nutrition and my body tolerated it! I was over that hurdle.
Today, as our baby entertains older siblings, I’m answering standard questions: “How big is my baby?” (Lucas says this baby is HIS baby) “What color will baby’s hair be?” “When will my baby come out?” “How can baby be so strong already?” (This as Jillian’s hand was kicked off my belly.)
Their curiosity about new life reminds me of how fascinated I am by the whole process. I have general answers to give: “about this big,” (thanks to our scientific knowledge) “only God knows,” “when Baby is ready,” and “because Baby is strong like his big sisters and brother.” (I don’t like to say “it” when referring to the Baby, so if I have to use a pronoun, it’s going to be a masculine one – most of the time I can manage to just use “Baby” instead. The kids pick the one they want to use.)
My favorite question comes from Jaquline today (and I know she’s a veteran of two water births and about ready for a deeper explanation, but for now she’s still just eight): “How did Baby get inside you?”
“God took a bit of Daddy and put it in Mommy and mixed it together and He started Baby growing.” (Very simple, but literally truth. God set up everything and if He doesn’t choose to give the spark of life, the other stuff doesn’t matter. That has been my standard answer to that question for 14 years.)
This makes Jillian giggle while Lucas lays his head, ear down, on my tummy and says, “I love you, Baby! Thank you God for my baby!”
I wish I could pause that moment for a while.
Seconds later, they have raced back about daily things: Jillian is outside helping with morning chores, Lucas is vrooming a vehicle (I think it’s a wooden car) up the side of the couch, Jaquline is doing her schoolwork at the big table where Kimberly and Christina already have work laid out (although they popped up to take a break and feed livestock and pets) and Becky is lumbering about as she slowly wakes up. Life.
Today is full of impending activity: midwife appointment, college classes for Becky, college field trip for Becky (Louis will drive everyone to the park and make a fun day out of it; perks of big sister in a marine biology class), work (coaching) for me, work for Louis, normal stuff.
I’m swiping a few minutes just sitting here relishing this rumble in my tummy and thanking God for allowed me to hold His little child. Baby seems to realize the audience is gone and slowly curls up to rest. Baby is always most active with Lucas comes and explains something (why cars roll, what the sky looks like, how the big rooster is scary to snakes, how an orange tastes, how excited he is for “Baby to finally come out so I can see you”).
I love you, Baby Tart! Thank you, God, for my baby! (All of them!)
Ever wondered what kind of things Moms think about when they are planning to get in a vehicle? Length of trip doesn’t matter!
December 28, 2017
Trip Planning
We have to be at a distant location at a specific window of time on a specific day. Easy enough, right? Wrong! Everything in our house is a sporadic adventure!
Mom: It’s only an hour and two minute drive.
Christina: Then we leave at 8am.
(We are not supposed to arrive at said location until after 11am.)
Mom: Oh, no. If we leave by 10, we go right by Grandma’s, pick her up, get lost, make 5 potty stops, and still have enough time to get you there.
Christina: Ahhhh! *facepalm*
(I think my teenager loves me.)
Seriously, I have learned a few things about planning trips with toddlers, teenagers, and husbands:
Plan to leave at least a half hour before you need to go (this allows for shoes tossed into the pond, a preteen sleepwalking back to bed four times, finishing any last-minute chore like making the list, and misplacing your keys which are already in the running vehicle)
Always pack like you will be gone for a week (diapers, wipes, four spare shirts, at least as many pants as diapers, spare shirts for anyone who may be carrying said baby, carrots and apples so you don’t get trapped by fast-food hunger, and 2 or 3 cases of bottled water should do it)
Whatever you do, plan 10 minutes extra to turn around (you forgot something you can’t leave home without – like baby’s special blanket, your toddler’s choice toy, your preteen’s library card, your sanity, or your husband’s totally non-standard phone charger)
Remember your wallet! (and make sure some toddler didn’t remove your license because he loves to play with mommy’s picture – that will be the day you will be pulled over for a faulty brake light or an oddly rocking vehicle)
Count heads (the children, toddler in carseat, hubby, take the dogs back inside, catch toddler who turned into carseat Houdini, now missing two! Oh yeah, hubby is unlocking the door for one who forgot to go potty)
Enjoy your 5 minute shopping trip! (or your entire day of travel)
Bonus fact: Music calms savage beasts and makes your vehicle a noisy dance-while-in-seatbelts rocking machine. Maybe DC Talk, Skillet, and Capital Kings are a bit rocky, but everyone dances to Deadmau5 and Disney. As long as you have your license, roll down the windows, crank up the music, put on shades, and enjoy the ride!
