Last word about The Trip.

Several months ago a parenting expert gave a fireside for the MBA students and spouses.  I didn't attend for one reason or another, but a friend shared with me one of the things she learned during the fireside: it is critical that our children be cast as a hero.  This sounds so simple, but I realized that I more frequently share humorous stories about my children than I do heroic stories.

During our trip, all of the kids had some issue or another at some point.  Nothing too serious, but of course it was an abnormal situation to be in and we all had our little ways of dealing with it.  Cat and I had been frustrated with each other and I knew that sharing a story in which she was the hero would help.  So one night at bedtime, I shared the following story, which is 100% true.  Not only did it help her to know that she is loved and appreciated and important to us, but it was a good reminder for me as well.

Once upon a time there was a family, who had to go on a long journey.  The journey was so long that they needed to bring lots of clothes: shorts and shirts, socks and shoes, sleepwear and underwear.  The journey was so long that they needed to bring lots of things to keep them entertained while they traveled: books and balls, movies and music, computers and cameras.  The journey was so long that they needed to bring lots of things to eat and drink: crackers and carrots, bananas and bread, walnuts and water.  The journey was so long that they needed to bring lots of things to help take care of their bodies: toothbrushes and hairbrushes, medicine and make-up, bandages and barrettes.  They needed lots of things.

Unfortunately, they didn't have a great big car.  They only had a medium-sized car.  They bought a carrier to go on top of their car to put all of their things in, but all of their things didn't fit in the carrier on top of the car.  They put things in the trunk of the car, but all of the rest of their things didn't fit in the trunk of the car.  So they put things inside the car.  And when they finished putting things inside the car, they squeezed themselves into the car.  All six of them.

Mom and Dad sat in the front of the car.  Big Sister and Baby Brother sat in the middle row of the car.  Big Brother and Little Sister sat in the back row of the car.  And because of all of the things in the car, nobody could move, including Mom.  Mom couldn't go to the back of the car to pick up dropped toys, to hand out snacks, or to gather trash.  She couldn't go to the back of the car to calm the baby or play with the kids.  She needed help.

So Mom asked Big Sister, in the middle row, to help.  A lot.  Big Sister handed everything from books to bottles of water to Big Brother and Little Sister in the back row.  She handed everything from trash to broken toys up to Mom in the front.  She gave Baby Brother his pacifier and made sure he didn't have sun in his eyes.

Sometimes Big Sister didn't want to hand things back and forth and take care of Baby Brother.  Sometimes it was annoying for her to help Mom because she'd rather be reading a book or watching a movie or taking a nap, but Big Sister helped anyway.  Big Sister was a great helper, even when she didn't want to help.

Throughout the journey, Mom was grateful for Big Sister and all of her help.  When they finally arrived at their destination, she made sure to tell Big Sister what a great helper she'd been.  She said, "Big Sister, without your help, I don't know how we all would have gotten through this trip.  Thank you for everything you did.  You are my hero."

Our (general) route.
9000 miles in exactly 7 weeks.