Roadtrippin'

I've seen those cars on the highway, the ones with the kids in the back seats, eyes shut, streams of drool hanging from their bottom lips and the happy parents grooving to some of their "own" music in the front as they head on down the road.

I will never have a car like that.

My kids don't sleep in the car (unless heavily medicated).

My kids aren't entertained by a tiny little DVD player either (we lent it to some friends).

My kids make obnoxious noises with their Gameboys and then get them confiscated (whoever invented that DS game that requires "blowing" on the screen - actual blowing by young children involves overspray - is insane, or stupid, or clearly not the parent of a boy).

My kids shriek if we turn up the volume the tiniest bit when it's a song that the grown-ups enjoy in order to mask the sounds of their voices (it's not like we make them listen to ABBA or anything, sheesh!).

My kids, while seeing some of the most extraordinary views in the world, just want to see the hotel (imagine their surprise when the hotel turned out to be an authentic log cabin, complete with log cabin scent, plumbing and lumpy mattresses!).

But . . . in spite of all their high-maintenance ways, I wouldn't trade them for the world. For all the bickering, complaining, car-sickness and "mommy I need to go potty" (for the 33rd time), all the goofy faces, the silly noises and the "mommy, hold my hand" requests, they are pretty great kids.

Even if they get on my nerves.

I was all for staying here, at the "Hobo Inn", but when I mentioned it to Wyatt, he said "if that's the hotel, I'm sleeping in the car". What kind of kid am I raising? Who the heck wouldn't want to sleep in a train car? I must spend the rest of the summer showing him the finer things in life, like roughing it.

Aren't old, run-down trains cool? We think so.

But not as cool as free telescope machines . . .

In Paradise. No, really, it's called "Paradise".

Which is enjoyed best on the shoulders of your Daddy.

The view takes your breath away. Or maybe it's the altitude? Either way - gorgeous!

Roughing it, for real. Wyatt was probably dreaming of that train car farther down the mountain when the whole place lost power in the morning!

The kids and their cousins and the giant piece of tree.

One of the moments that makes it all worthwhile.