I’m taking this giant trip (11 days, 81 hours in the car – remember?) and I can’t for the life of me figure out how to make the list to pack. It’s killing me a little. I think about it often. I’m not losing sleep over it (yet) but I do ponder the contents of the bags needed for this trip daily at least.

We are hiking, we are swimming, we are being tourists, we are in and out of hotels almost nightly. I generally choose to stay in condos or rent vacation homes so that I have access to laundry while I am away. This time, I will not likely have that luxury.

I need to pack for 11 days (with children who always, ALWAYS, get dirty somehow) in a concise space to cover a bunch of destinations with minimal schlepping. I don’t want to carry 7 bags into every hotel, every night just to carry them down to the car again in the morning. Not only is this inefficient (I really dislike being inefficient), but it’s just not practical. With kids and bags and too many things for this mommy to keep track of, something will eventually get left behind or forgotten.

In my head, in a perfect world, I could find inexpensive duffel bags that I could have labeled with our names and our destinations so they would look pretty in the car. I could pack a bag with everything that everyone would need for a day in 1 bag. It would be awesome and very organized. However, I’m traveling with a teen and tween who will not be able to plan what to wear on day 8. Or who will get day 3 outfit wet and need 2 outfits from day 5 to substitute… I’m picturing a clothing tantrum by day 3 if I do things this way. Even though it makes perfect sense to me.

So, now that I’ve determined I will be schlepping all of the bags every day, what do I pack? Do I even have enough clothes for 11 days where everyone will be sweaty from walking outside in the summer sun? The safety gear alone is baffling – how do you pack a nebulizer so its accessible if you need it but out of the way if you don’t?

I’ll take all of your best packing tips and tricks. I need help. I need a list.

Related posts:

1. Great American Road Trip: The Plan
2. Great American Road Trip: The Itinerary
3. Easy Family Travel: The Road Trip Bag

“I could never do that.” and “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

More than 400,000 kids are in the U.S. foster care system — some live with extended family, some hope to be reunited with their parents, and nearly half are waiting for an adoptive family. If everyone who had thought of doing foster care actually did, there would be far less children waiting and far less stress on the foster homes that are available.

The problem is, that phrase was always, always followed with “but…”

“I don’t have enough money.” Is there ever enough money? If we all waited until there was “enough” money to have children, I’m fairly certain the human species would be endangered by now. We realize adding a child or two to our family may have a minor impact on the budget, but we stick to grocery deals, focus on free family fun, and work hard to teach our children that people and kindness are more important than money and things.

“Our house isn’t big enough.” Yeah, mine either, but we’re making it work. Our office is in the dining room; we eat in the kitchen. The girls share a room; the boys will too. Foster kids require 50 square feet per person and their own bed — that means this house that “isn’t big enough” has the bedroom space for up to 3 more kids.

“My husband/wife/family would never let me do that.” Okay, I’ll admit this one is a big deal. The whole family has to be on board, but have the conversation. You’ll never know how the rest of your family feels about it, if you don’t at least bring it up. I thought I might have to do some talking with my own husband, but he surprised me by jumping on board as soon as I finally sat down and started the conversation.

“I could never let them go.” Oh, yes. You can. You’ll love them. You’ll get attached. And, it will hurt to say goodbye, but you can do so much good while you have them. And, here’s the thing — parenting hurts. A lot. That doesn’t mean you don’t do the best you can with the time you’ve got. If the attachment is truly a struggle for you, consider respite care. It’s short term (basically babysitting) but really helps relieve the stress of foster families and provides another support system for kids in need.

We provided respite care last week for 3 siblings, giving their parents a much needed break. The kids were sweet, loving, and a lot of fun. We spent the day with 6 kids, then sent half of them back home to their foster/adoptive family in time for bed.

Respite care sometimes includes overnights, weekends or extended care while foster families travel or manage illness and hospital stays. The thing is, anyone with a heart for these kids can find a way to be helpful.

If expanding your family through adoption is not for you, perhaps you could provide a temporary family for foster kids. If fostering is not a good fit, please consider respite care. And if nothing else, you can provide additional support through donations, fundraisers, Project Linus or the Pajama Program.

Related posts:

1. Maybe Just One More
2. Take Care of You
3. Who takes care of me?

We have exactly 11 days to cover 4 time zones, 13 states, 5,200 miles and no time for any drama. (That’s a tall order with this group.)

We leave on a Thursday and return on a Sunday, 10 days later. It is a huge undertaking requiring a ton of logistical planning. The negotiations and amendments to the plan are not over yet, but we have a rough outline for the Great American Road Trip.

Thursday 5pm Leave Indianapolis and drive 16 hours to Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Friday Arrive in South Dakota at 10am (allowing time for gas and food stops along the way) and check in to a hotel to be discovered in the very near future. We spend the afternoon at the National Park (getting a passport stamp!) and that night in the hotel.

Saturday wake early and pack up the car to head off to Devils Tower National Park (a short 2 hour drive). We plan to spend 2 hours here before driving further into Wyoming to Yellowstone National Park (that’s right, 2 places to get passport stamps!). We will check in to yet another hotel and relax for the evening, after the 7 hour drive.

Sunday We spend the whole day hiking in Yellowstone National Park. I’m overjoyed to cross off this 40×40 item and share the majesty with my family. (Majesty is a fairly dramatic word, but I feel that strongly about this event.) We will be tired enough from all of the driving and all of the hiking that we are staying the same hotel this night.

Monday We drive (and drive and drive) 15 hours to San Francisco. At this point I will welcome a glass of wine and a bed in any hotel.

Tuesday We spend the whole day in San Francisco! Alcatraz! GOlden Gate Bridge! Pier 30! Painted Ladies! Cable Cars! Oh, the excitement. Alas, it is only one day, but the agenda is packed. Alcatraz in the morning followed by walking across the Golden Gate Bridge. we will do dinner on Pier 39 and probably call it a day. I will miss some of my other favorite sites, but as time is limited I’ll drink in every moment of this glorious city.

Wednesday The family drives to Los Angeles, about 5 hours away. They will spend the evening with NBF’s sister and checking out the Hollywood sign. I am staying behind to meet a dear friend in Napa. I will reunite with them that evening as I fly to Los Angeles for dinner. I will miss the drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, but my college roomate has agreed to make the drive to meet up for a day of wine tasting.

Thursday, August 1st We call this day “VEGAS BABY”. Even though it is only a drive through with lunch (and a stop at Hoover Dam for a passport stamp) we will drive down the strip. I promise to only play craps for 30 minutes before we drive on to the Grand Canyon. (Holy drive time, it’s another 4 hours). We are finding a hotel and spending the night.

Friday, August 2nd A breif stop at the Grand Canyon for pictures, a passport stamp and lunch before we head off to Colorado Springs (10 hours) to see Aunt Dana. At this point, I’m tired. We will sleep well!

Saturday, August 3rd It’s a long way home, so after lunch we drive to Kansas City (a point of contention in the negotiations at this point). I find this city to be welcoming and beautiful. Also, it is home to the most water fountains of any city in the USA. This isn’t a sight seeing day, we are really just stopping to sleep.

Sunday, August 4th 8 hours left to get back to Indy. The kids will be cranky by now. I will have long run out of games and wondered why we didn’t get some sort of internet service for the car, but we will arrive home grateful for the journey.

Whew. It’s a lot of sights in a short time frame. But, we have this whole beautiful country and our children are only getting older. It won’t be long before we can’t find the 11 days necessary to take them on such a trip. When they tell their kids one day about that time we went on that crazy cross country tip, I’ll be glad I spent the time and money to make it happen.

I have told the story of my own cross country trip before. I’m using those photos and those memories as my guide. What special trip of your childhood do you want to recreate? Or, what is one thing you want to show your children while they are young?

Related posts:

1. Great American Road Trip: The Plan
2. Easy Family Travel: The Road Trip Bag
3. My Guilt is Your Guilt (In other words, I will not go on the field trip)

They’ll get a swimsuit, new towels, flip-flops, and little summer toys. A book, a clearance toy leftover from their holiday wishlist, and some DVDs, and the baskets runneth over. Just add Easter candy — and oh, boy, does Hershey make Easter the best candy season EVER — and you’re done!

This year I’m really having trouble narrowing down my DVD selections to one per basket. There are so many awesome new movies being released this year! How do you pick just one?

Here are 10 must-haves for your kids’ Easter basket:

• Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess: Sofia the First is the newest princess in the Disney family. She’s an adorable little girl whose life transforms into a fairytale when her mother marries the king. If this sounds vaguely Cinderella, you’ll be pleased to see the famous princess make an appearance in the movie to help Sofia ease into her royalty. (Also guest appearing in the movie are 3 fairies we all know and love — Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.)
• Veggie Tales: A Very Veggie Easter Collection: We love the Veggie Tales. Is there anything more fun than Larry’s Silly Songs? This DVD set features both Twas the Night Before Easter and An Easter Carol.
• Care Bears: Totally Sweet Adventures: I have a serious thing for sharing my childhood favorites with my own kids. The girls know why I say “Showtime, Synergy” when I enter an address in my Google maps. They know how to Walk Like an Egyptian. And, they know every Care Bear by the symbol on the tummy. Now, they’re back in an all new series in this debut DVD.
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: Easter Collection: The Chipmunks are another holdover from my childhood, but the recent movies have surged them back into popularity. This set includes several Easter-centric episodes the kids will love.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles: You guys, the Turtles are back! Can you believe there’s a new TMNT? Donatello was my favorite — and not just because he wears purple.
• It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown: There’s nothing more classic than a holiday Charlie Brown movie. Less famous than the Great Pumpkin, the Easter Beagle is just as enchanting in 2013 as it was in 1974.
• Rise of the Guardians: Jack Frost, a tattooed Santa, and an Aussie Easter bunny? This is pretty much the perfect movie for any holiday! We saw it in the theater for the tween’s birthday, and I know she would love to own it to watch over and over again.
• Hop: I was hesitant when I first heard the premise of this movie — a would-be Easter bunny who just wants to rock? But, it’s surprisingly touching and completely hilarious.
• Wreck-It Ralph: This is officially one of my favorite kid movies of all time. It’s fun, features the best old-school games, and just melts my heart. If you can swing it, get the Blu-Ray, and then pause it! Trust me on this one. The “intermission” features are simply awesome.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days: The latest installment in the Wimpy Kid series was a huge hit with the tween. She’s a fan of the books and the movies, and this one would be top of her list right now.

I received an Easter basket from Hershey and a Care Bears DVD from Lionsgate to facilitate this post, but all opinions are 100% real.

Related posts:

1. Christmas Memories, Mine not Hers

If you hadn’t noticed, that is a LOT of stamps in my National Parks Passport (giddy beyond belief for this part). But, you cant take kids out for an 11 day, cross country trip without doing massive amounts of preparation.

Now, we are about 5 months away from travel and I’m getting serious about the planning. I’m starting with the car. We need entertainment, safety gear (I’m a safety girl) and some non-essential, but really important items to make this easier on me during our 81 hours in the car. (That’s a round trip figure, still, YIKES!)

Safety First: I always have a first aid kit in the car. But a trip this long, and with this much hiking, may require some extras. I’m adding general daily medications for me and NBF, benedryl to stop any allergic reactions, the inhaler for the littlest, sunscreen, a pain reliever, cool packs and a few ankle wraps. Let’s hope I need none of this, but with hiking and all outdoor activities, I want to be prepared.

Entertainment: Everybody has a handheld gaming system, I bought new earphones, batteries, a new game and extra car charger for all. This way they have it handy in their own backpack at their feet.

The non-essentials, but really important to have: I bought tissues for everyone to keep in their backpack. I have hand sanitizer gel and sanitizing wipes. I have bottled water (like the zombie apocalypse is tomorrow) and granola bars at the ready. I’ve subscribed to a new magazine for each of the girls and I have comics for littlest. I have an arsenal of movies at the ready and I’m prepared to stop at redbox every day.

Now, that I have the kids figuratively settled in the car, I can map our route and make some hotel reservations.

Watch here every week for a new update on our progress. I can’t wait to show the kids the sites in the west. I hope you follow along with us. Let me know if you have great ideas for me. All those hours in the car may just finally drive me completely insane.

Photo Credit: Flickr user photopaige

Related posts:

1. Easy Family Travel: The Road Trip Bag
2. My Guilt is Your Guilt (In other words, I will not go on the field trip)

Now, I didn’t buy it, but the nice people at Glow Crazy did send me a different product recently. And THAT is what made me realize I should have trusted my gut and bought the Glow Dome. Things that glow in the dark are infinitely entertaining for all involved.

So, when we got the Glow Crazy Distance Doodler, I didn’t exactly know where to put it. I debated sticking the glow sheets to the top of the bunk bed so the princess could play with them there. But, I’m super glad I didn’t because she’d never go to bed with that much fun in her face. Also, it glows pretty bright at first. We hung it on the bulletin board in her room, still usable from bed, but not quite in your face. (This is after we spent an hour in the bathroom playing with it first while it was still daylight.)

So, you use the magic light up pen thing and start doodling from across the room. AMAZING! We fought about whose turn it was to doodle. What we would draw… really, I may like it more than she does. Or, I like it as least as much as she does. Serious fun.

Being the inventor of all fun spelling activities, I figured out that you can totally practice spelling words in magic glow in the dark fun! (Glow in the dark spelling — I did that.) The only draw back here is space. When writing words from 5 feet away, you tend to write pretty big. So, we flipped the glow wand around and used the paint brush thing from a little closer. But, still way more fun than writing them on regular paper that doesn’t glow in the dark.

The Glow Crazy Distance Doodler has become a toy we play with nightly. For my tween, that’s a big deal. She struggles with growing out of toys all together, but this is way to cool to worry about that. I personally use it with her three times a week. We play Pictionary, write notes to each other, tic-tac-toe….endless opportunities. I may need an intervention soon, because I’m hooked.

I did receive the Glow Crazy Distance Doodler for free, but the opinion is all mine (and the princess too). I was not paid for this review. I did, however, buy the Doodle Dome for the little man. It will be arriving soon. I promise if you buy one too you won’t regret it.

Or, you could WIN one here — I’m giving away a Glow Crazy Distance Doodler! Simply leave a comment here, and tell us about your favorite in-the-dark games for kids. You can earn additional entries by:

• Subscribing to our site by email or RSS
• Following @MiscMom and @FairyTaleMom on Twitter
• Writing about this giveaway (blog, forum, public Facebook note)
• Sharing this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest (Sample tweet: Win a Crazy Glow Distance Doodler from @MiscMom! {link})

For your extra entries to be counted, be sure to leave an additional comment directing us to your entry. Only one additional entry per method (i.e. While multiple tweets are appreciated it, only one will count as a drawing entry.) The contest runs until 3/12/13 at 11:59pm est. One winner will be notified by email on 3/13/13 and receive a Crazy Glow Distance Doodler. Winner will have 48 hours to complete the claim form or a new winner will be chosen.

I was provided with a free Crazy Glow Distance Doodler to facilitate this post, but the opinion is 100% real.

Related posts:

1. Laundry Tips for Busy Moms (Plus Home Ec 101 Book Review & #Giveaway)

While I am still reeling that my little girl is growing up, I had to suppress all of that to host a sleepover for her brithday. Generally I think this is the easiest party to throw anyway, so it all worked out. I learned a few things after this one that you may find useful the next time your house is full of 10 tween age girls.

1. They need just a little direction to get things going. We had friends from school, friends from an old school, dance friends and girl scout friends. With people from that many groups, I was worried that they wouldn’t mix well or that someone would feel left out. I started the party with a round of party themed “Would you rather?” questions and it seemed to get them all talking and mingling among themselves.
2. They will eat vegetables. The food was all themed, but really just creatively named for the party. I put out a fruit salad (in fancy ice cream cones), a vegetable tray and chex mix to go with their pizza. The first thing to go was the vegetable tray. I’m not kidding here; I have a witness. And the fruit was all eaten — the cones were found in the trash. The lesson? Skip the junk food; they were happy with healthy snacks.
3. The party needed a little help around 9pm, and I didn’t have a game planned. Generally, kids take care of the entertainment themselves. With such a big group they needed direction. I got them to play “honey if you love me you’ll smile”, which led to “killer frog”. This lasted for 10 whole minutes until they were back on track giggling about Josh Hutcherson and Justin Beiber.
4. Breakfast was so much easier since I made it the night before. I found a recipe for French Toast Casserole (made with Udi’s Gluten Free bread) and just had to toss it in the oven in the morning. After being up way too late making sure the party was under control, an easy morning was exactly what I needed.
5. Themed parties are easier if your talented friends help out. I am not crafty and I don’t decorate cakes, but I have a friend who is great at party themes and my best friend does all my cakes. So, I enlisted their help, and it was perfect.

A sleepover remains the easiest ever party. The kids stay up late and giggle, but really after you feed them (and feed them and feed them), the hard part is over. They just want to laugh and tell stories and be together. When 10:30am rolled around and the house was back to quiet and empty, I was a little tired but glad that all those loud girls had a good time.

Related posts:

1. 3 Reasons I Hate Toys (And the New One That Won Me Over)
2. Packing School Lunch Formula
3. Laundry Tips for Busy Moms (Plus Home Ec 101 Book Review & #Giveaway)

We haven’t really made any changes around here to get ready just yet, but the girls are constantly preparing for their new sibling. They talk about what he might be like. They ask where he’ll sleep and make plans for his room. Our 7-year-old calls him “Brother” as if that’s his real name.

“Where will Brother sleep when he moves here, Mommy?”

“Do you think Brother would like this?”

“I made this picture for Brother at school.”

I’m preparing in my own way, too. I can’t stay off the Adopt US Kids site. I’m following more adoption resources on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve even created a Pinterest board for boy stuff. I know it will be a whole, new world, and I can’t stop imagining it.

We have a long road ahead of us, and there will be plenty of challenges along the way. But, it’s a little like pregnancy that way — and the dreams are all about the good stuff. I can picture a sweet little boy. I can imagine the girls loving on a little brother. I just can’t see what’s next just yet.

And, we’ve been down that road before…

Related posts:

1. Maybe Just One More

When I picture growing our family, I don’t see a baby. Or even a toddler. I see a little boy, fitting in just under the youngest. Since this is exactly the opposite of how I saw all of our other children, I knew there was something to it.

And, so, we’ve decided to expand our family through older child adoption.

I’ve always thought I would foster one day. In fact, I put it on my original 40×40 list. But, I’m just not sure how well I could handle it when they have to leave again. Plus, we’d like to permanently expand our family. Instead, we’ll be going through the foster care system, to adopt a child who needs a forever family.

My emotions are all over the board right now. I’m excited, nervous, happy, and even a little sad. Sad that there are so many children waiting for a family. Sad that for us to have a son, a little boy will have to go through so much first.

Mostly, though, I’m just in awe of the potential. I wonder what he’ll be like. I wonder how I’ll parent a boy. I wonder how the girls will take to a brother. And, I can’t wait to see how the youngest handles the role of big sister.

I can’t wait to see this amazing dad with a little boy. I can’t wait to watch a third generation adoptive dad as he learns to father a son. I just can’t wait to add to our family.

Which is why I started filling out the adoption packet today, even though we originally said we’d wait until the New Year. We still will, really, because our agency doesn’t have the required classes until January. I just like knowing the process will get started.

And, having the illusion of a control, at least for a little while, before we begin this roller coaster ride.

We have moved and merged and changed traditions a few times over the last few years. We have added to our family and included amazing friends. Along the way, we’ve built a few traditions with all of them. One of my favorites is sharing holiday movies.

The princess and I adore musicals. We love the classics and the newer Christmas movies. We make it a point to sit together and watch them all, usually with hot cocoa.

Tonight, we were privileged to get an invitation from the Indiana State Museum to watch one of my absolute favorites on the IMAX screen. We saw The Polar Express there together when the movie was first released, and I assumed that she would remember. But, I was wrong.

For her, it was like seeing the train come at you for the very first time. That may have made it even more special for me. As she gets older and loses some of the childlike wonder, I got one more glimpse of her smile as the beautifully told story unwound in front of us.

I highly recommend taking your family to see it all over again in the amazing IMAX theater. It’s so much fun to watch the little ones try to catch the snow flakes.

I don’t know that there was a better kick off to our Christmas season than this.

My thanks to the Indiana State Museum for hosting us. The tickets were free, but the opinions and memories are all mine.

Related posts:

1. On Holiday Expectations
2. Getting Ready for Christmas (and a Birthday) With Ubisoft Games
3. On Memorable Vacations (and the GMC Acadia)