There's something that's been on my mind for the last 4 months... my hometown of Hattiesburg, MS, and my grandparents who live there. They weren't able to come up and visit when Tacoma was first born, so now that spring break is almost here we are planning a trip down to see them. I have been making this trip with my parents and my brother for almost 15 years. First it was from Elizabethtown, KY, then Gonzales, LA, and now Bentonville, AR. After so many years of long trips in the car, I'm a veteran. I know what to pack to keep me occupied, I know what to eat to keep from getting carsick, I know when to take bathroom breaks because there won't be another chance for hours. But all of this is going to be completely different this time.... because this time, we have a four-month-old going with us.
The route we take is about 560 miles one-way, and takes about 10 hours without breaks for gas and food. Tacoma has been to Tulsa, OK, and Tahlequah, OK, but never a longer trip than that. He hates to be in his car seat for a long time, and he has just discovered the joy of his jumper. I am already trying to figure out what and how to pack. But more than figuring out what to put in the trunk, I am having a hard time figuring out what to have in the car to occupy his little hands and eyes. Tacoma loves to move, but since he will be in his car seat for at least 2 hours at a time, I know we will need several new and exciting things to keep him happy. One thing I'm planning to take is a portable dvd player with a screen that can be mounted on the headrest facing his car seat. Tacoma loves to watch Nick Jr. while he's in his jumper, so I hope that he will be satisfied with cartoons while he's confined to a car seat. I am also taking a few books (he loves Eric Carle books because of the bright pictures), his favorite car seat and stroller toys, and a musical stuffed animal. He's pretty partial to his mobile on his crib, and I already said how much he loves his jumper seat, but I'm afraid neither of these will be able to come with us. So what do I find to replace these essential items on this week long trip?
I know this trip will be long and hard on all of us, but I'm hoping the benefits outweigh the trouble. I want my little boy to know the sweet smell of honeysuckle growing wild and thick in my grandparents' yard. I want him to know the joy of hooking his own fish and reeling it in. I want him to go to the zoo that I visited when I was little. I want him to visit my Grandma and to get loved on while she gives him candy. I want him to stare at all of the unique and beautiful things that my Grandma has collected from all the different places she's lived. I want him to be held in the same weathered hands that held me when I was so small. I want him to know why catfish and hushpuppies made by my Papa are so much better than any fish you could get at a five-star restaurant. I want him to know how good it feels to sit in the corner of my grandparents' kitchen counter and watch my Grandmother make breakfast.And while I know right now he is too little to go fishing, or eat catfish, or have his appetite spoiled by candy, I know it will mean so much to my grandmother and papa and my grandma. I know it will be worth it.
Now I just have to figure out how to keep my busy little baby calm on the way there and back.
