Nov
28
Traffic was a pure misery during our drive on Wednesday, it turns out that there’s generally quite a few people trying to leave town the day before Thanksgiving. By the time we crawled through Portland we were stuck in a combination of rush hour and holiday gridlock and we finally abandoned all hope and ate dinner at a McDonald’s, and not even one of those well-groomed McDonald’s with a play area, just a filthy little highway stop with a bathroom containing what was maybe the most horrific collection of non-flushed toilet contents I’ve ever had the misfortune of being exposed to. Depressing.
Thanksgiving was nice, though. Riley was completely uninterested in eating a single thing or even sitting at the table (sigh), but the rest of us stuffed ourselves silly and had a great time.
We had another two hours to drive from Eugene to Coos Bay last night after dinner and while I’m happy enough to be here now I am even happier we don’t have any long trips planned for Christmas. I felt sorry for the kids, being stuck in the car for so long, and I felt even worse after I lost my patience with Riley during the last twenty minutes of the drive and threatened to smack him if he didn’t stop the goddamned whining.
The weather is cold but clear here on the Oregon coast and JB and I are going to try and go out to dinner tonight while the kids stay home with the grandparents. Riley went on a Jeep ride to the beach with his grandpa earlier, which got him good and geeked, and Dylan’s very busy scooching around the house looking for things to cram in his mouth. It’s all very laid back and mellow and pleasant.
Tomorrow I might get up at the crack of dawn and go hunting with the Menfolk. Not, you know, actually like creeping around with weapon in hand or anything, but just going along for the ride. I’ll be sure to let you know how that goes, assuming I don’t get trampled by a justifiably pissed-off bull elk. If anyone shoots anything, I’ll probably make a total ass out of myself by crying or some shit, so I sort of secretly hope their luck goes bad.
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In the above picture I can totally see that Dylan looks just like his uncle Joe.
Also, those are some big nuts to have laying right there on the table.
I hear you on the McDonald’s… I’ve had that road trip experience before and DO NOT want to relive it.
Must be a 3 year old boy thing to dismiss eating at Thanksgiving, as my own totally dissed us in favor of playing with his magnetic letters on grandma’s fridge. His loss!
And may I say the familial resemblance is quite obvious in that picture! Love it!
I had to skip the men’s huntin’ trip today, but I’d loved to have gone with them. Alas, I have to work at my county government job and miss out on the boys huntin’ in the sage brush here in Idaho! After dinner yesterday, I needed the exercise and not be sitting at a desk for 8 hours!
Well, Riley definitely looks like his uncle! He also looks just like his dad, of course!! ;-)
Carol
Holy Hell, is that your BIL on the left? Looks JUST like Dylan.
My three year old *never* eats at the table with us but we have to keep his seat free or there is hell to pay.
I feel you on the drive – we just drove one hour each way and I swore off it for next year. I just can’t do it – they are so miserable and I don’t blame them. People can either come to us or wait to see us until all of the kids are at least five. I always lose my temper too, with the kids and my husband, and it’s not worth it.
But that is a cute picture! :)
Ah ha! Dylan actually looks like grandma!
What a great family pic! My hubby took his sister hunting one year – just along for the ride. After 5 minutes of walking, she asked if they were done yet. When he stopped to look through the scope, she would jump and wave her arms behind him. She REALLY didn’t want anyone to shoot an animal. I’m not sure what she thought “hunting” was. Anyhoo, enjoy.
Perhaps on the drive home, a stop at the zoo would be fun. That’s probably half-way.
Oh good grief, Dylan does indeed look like your brother-in-law! I hear you wrt the long drives – we drove 8 hours to my parents’ house for our Thanksgiving (the Canadian one, in Oct) and I wanted to stab an ice pick in my ears by the end. My 2.5 year old’s whine is enough to make brains leak out your years. Consequently, we are also staying home for Christmas; the grandparents are coming here.
JB’s dad is so cute. He looks like a nice man.
Road trips can be either Totally Great or Just Awful. Mercifully I only have to make the 12 hour drive to Houston once in a blue moon. Not in a million years would I do it with kids. There is definitely something to be said for living *too* far away from home.
Great photo of a happy family looking none too stuffed. (Was this pre-dinner?)
Love the windows!
Good luck “hunting” tomorrow! I’m jealous.
Is it just me, or is your BIL’s fiance totally hot???
I was just going to say what Lisa said!
I hope you’ll post photos from Joe and Alexa’s wedding because I bet she’ll be a stunning bride.
We used to routinely make the 11 hour drive from Seattle to Gold Beach, Oregon when my children were small. One time when the girls were about 1 and 4, I made my husband stop on the side of I-5 so I could get out of the car and walk around. I told him he could either stop the car, or come visit me in the big house after I strangled the children. He stopped the car.
ps – what a great family photo!
I am gearing up for an 11 hour airplane voyage alone with my 3 year-old. Its funny, because she LOVES the airplane (she claims) while I dread these flights. I just do not have the patience or the boundless energy that they require. But when it comes to loosing my temper occasionally, I try to remind myself that it does a child no good to think that his/her parents are endlessly patient. I think that they need to know that there is a point beyond which YOU DO NOT PUSH ME. Otherwise you end up with those annoying, whiney kids that everyone secretly hate.
Also, the thing that has suddenly started being very effective with my daughter in situations where we are out and punishments are sort of difficult to arrange is that we give her these little cards called ‘Good Points’. I found a pack in the shop with fairies on them and every time she does something nice or helpful, I give her one, to be exchanged later for some sort of treat (TV, candy, an extra bedtime story, etc). When we are out, and she starts acting up, I just say that if she continues what she is doing I will take away a card. And then do it. I started giving her a 5 sec countdown to give her a chance to think about it but all I have to say now is the 1 and she jumps to attention. Its amazing how well this works.
It’s prolly been said more than once, but L, you have a GORGEOUS family. All eight of ya!! :)
Happy belated Thanksgiving.