The Toddler Perspective

With very limited internet access this past week I wasn't able to really blog, but wanted to share one story from our roadtrip up to Boone, NC...

The set up is this...in the days prior to leaving, Mackinley decided to start incessantly vomiting and then pass it on to Heather.  Somehow Sydnie and I managed to escape, or so I thought.  About 3 am last Friday, just hours before our departure, the dreaded sickness caught up with Sydnie.  So our 8 am departure turned into 1 pm.  By this point I'm a bit frustrated.  I have snapped into "let's make good time" mode which is a bit difficult considering we look like the freaking Griswolds!  We have two vomiting kids, a 90 pound dog, a car packed to the ceiling and now on top of the roof (thanks to our new Thule rooftop bag).  By 2 pm we have gotten lunch, driven 3 miles from our house and already stopped because Mackinley is now expelling out the "other end" all over her car seat.  I realize this is probably more information than you probably need.  At this point I'm thinking we'll be lucky to get out of Florida by nightfall.  Needless to say, the trip up had us all a bit frazzled.  But here's the point...as they have so often done, our kids help put things in perspective.  It's now about 8 pm and we have just changed the girls into their pajamas in hopes that they would fall asleep in the car as we drive the remaining 6 hours of the trip.  We are exhausted.  None of us are feeling great.  The car smells.  The dog has taken to constantly biting and itching himself.  The rooftop carrier is helping us get about 6 miles to the gallon.  I haven't had any coffee in several hours.  We hardly slept since we'd been up all night with the vomiting kid.   And then Sydnie made her proclamation in her most exuberant voice..."I'm so happy!"  Perspective returned.  The kid got it right.  The kid was unfazed by the circumstances and instead was focused on the gift of the family getting to take a vacation together.  It couldn't have been more timely.  It's amazing how quickly I can lose sight of the good in life.  I was grateful to be taught by my almost-3 year old.

Thanks for reading, assuming you've made it thus far.