Preparing our cross the world drive...

Are nosotros crazy? I don't know. We are inwards the midst of planning our cross dry reason drive. My hubby is at SOBC inwards Connecticut correct forthwith together with I am staying alongside family. In a few brusk weeks nosotros volition travel loading upward our vehicles together with driving across the US of America of America, due east coast to westward coast.

With 4 kids, the oldest beingness half-dozen together with the youngest beingness eleven months.


I'm freaking out.


It sounded similar an peril before, but the to a greater extent than I hold off at all the operate nosotros receive got to exercise to pack for the drive, excogitation the drive, together with and then make the drive (with 4 kids), the to a greater extent than my tum turns to knots together with the to a greater extent than I only desire to bury my caput inwards the sand.


Why did I concur to this?


I was going to fly... nosotros were going to send my van... together with forthwith nosotros are driving both our vehicles...


But hither nosotros are. My hubby appealed to my sense of adventure. I agreed. We receive got a room total of things to pack at my parents' house. We receive got 2 vehicles to drive across country. We receive got a game excogitation together with it is almost fourth dimension to execute it.


Since nosotros are taking both of our vehicles, my hubby together with I volition travel caravanning. We excogitation on splitting upward our 4 children, he alongside 2 together with me alongside 2. We also call back that nosotros volition travel able to motility the auto seats only about on dissimilar days if that helps alongside sibling fighting, though to start nosotros are putting our 4-year former twins inwards the Jeep alongside him together with our 6-year former together with infant inwards the van alongside me. I'm hoping our 6-year former helps alongside the infant, since has done that on yesteryear route trips. We are estimating this to accept us five or 6 days. Before this route trip, our longest route trip alongside children has been viii hours on Google Maps, 12 hours genuinely driving it.


What am I doing to larn ready for our drive across the US of America to our novel duty station?

1. Packing
   Before my hubby finishes SOBC, I am trying to pack everything that I can. Since nosotros moved to my parents' theatre only about January, nosotros receive got small-scale wintertime wardrobes hither for myself together with our 4 boys. I also receive got a bin of the side yesteryear side size upward summertime have on for babe #4. I spent the other morning time rolling these wearing clothing from the three bins they previously occupied into i large bin. (Let me enjoin you... rolling wearing clothing compactly alongside the assistance of 2 4-year olds together with an infant takes a long time.) I'm trying to larn those kinds of things packed forthwith hence that when my hubby gets here, nosotros tin focus on packing the wearing clothing nosotros volition postulate for the drive (and the wearing clothing nosotros volition postulate earlier our HHG are delivered).
   
2. Collecting entertainment
   I'm trying to get together things to assist choke on the children entertained on our drive. With 4 children, I would genuinely similar to avoid markers that tin stain (or only brand a huge mess). I'd also similar to avoid things alongside also many pieces that tin autumn off their laps or trays easily, such equally markers alongside lids or play sets alongside lots of pieces. It is real frustrating having 4 children crying for things that receive got fallen every pair miles. Thanks to my helpful friends on Facebook, I'm feeling much to a greater extent than confident most our amusement choose handgrip of bag. Here are the things that nosotros receive got collected hence far for our non-electronic amusement choose handgrip of bag:
   
   -Water Wow yesteryear Melissa together with Doug: the cool matter most the Water Wow compared to Crayola Color Wonder is that the Water Wow pen is refillable together with never dries out. The colouring sheets tin also travel reused i time they dry! Amazing! I call back these volition travel a stride upward from the Color Wonder pages that nosotros receive got used inwards the past.
   
   -Melissa together with Doug Reusable Sticker Pads: my boys dearest these pads. I flora the scene pads, similar My Town together with Vehicles, because I call back they volition travel able to play equally they exercise those. We receive got other Melissa together with Doug Reusable Sticker Pads that nosotros love, such equally the Make-A-Meal, but I'm hoping these scenes tin assist ignite a petty imaginative play equally well. I chose pads that they don't already ain to convey inwards the "new" chemical constituent on the route trip.
   
   -Fubbles Bubble Light: I never would receive got idea of bubbles. H5N1 friend suggested bubbles together with I'm running alongside it. I call back bubbles volition travel swell at remainder stops equally good equally inwards the hotel rooms. I also picked upward bubble refills hence nosotros are never out of bubbles (until i of the children dumps the bubble solution, but, well, yous can't win them all, eh?).
   
   -Melissa together with Doug Secret Decoder: I bought some additional Water Wow books for our twin 4-year olds, but I idea they were a petty immature for our 6-year old. I flora these Secret Decoder books together with picked him upward two. He's lately told me that he is going to travel a scientist detective, hence I call back they volition travel correct upward his alley.
   
   -Usborne Build a Train: I'm obsessed alongside Usborne. I experience similar they only larn together together with create upward one's hear on amazing books that children volition dearest together with and then that is precisely what they make. I'm pretty excited most these construct a prepare books. I flora these Build-a-Train books for our 4-year olds together with the side yesteryear side degree upward Build-a-Train mass for our 6-year old.
   
   -Usborne Moving Sticker Book: Even to a greater extent than exciting of a break is this Usborne Moving House Sticker Book. I dearest it. It talks most packing upward the former house, moving to the novel house, together with putting your things inwards your novel house. It volition travel a swell conversation starter alongside our boys who are real nervous most this move. I picked upward i for each of our three older boys. Such a swell break for our state of war machine family!
   
   I flora these things at a local children's toy store that offers a purchase 2 larn 1 gratis on Melissa together with Doug pads together with On the Go books-- a perfect sale for shopping for my older three boys. This store also sold the Usborne books. I'm nevertheless gathering things similar these magnetic play sets and a few to a greater extent than Usborne drawing books/sticker pads, but I call back our non-electronic amusement purse is set! This should handgrip us over for our route trip equally good equally when nosotros brand it inwards Washington province together with are waiting for our HHG to travel delivered (and patch nosotros unpack! *shudder*)
   
   For our electronics, nosotros receive got the park DVD players, i tablet (for our kindergartner), an iPod (again, for our kindergartner), together with books on tape. I dearest books on tape. I'm borrowing the Harry Potter audiobooks from my parents for our drive. Jim Dale is such a fantastic reader together with the boys and I dearest listening to him. It is enjoyable for me equally the driver to hear to audiobooks equally well, far ameliorate than listening to DVD's loop over together with over again. A friend of mine also reminded me of the Disney Song together with Story CDs. These were pop alongside our oldest when he was a toddler together with I had completely forgotten most them.
3. Booking hotels... form of
   I've booked the hotels for the kickoff one-half of our trip since nosotros receive got a pair stops nosotros desire to brand together with non a ridiculous publish of miles betwixt those stops. For the minute one-half of the trip, nosotros excogitation on driving each twenty-four hours equally far equally nosotros perchance can, hence we've made a spreadsheet alongside possible hotel stops for us; nosotros excogitation on making reservations equally nosotros go, calling from the road.
   
   The of import matter when booking a hotel inwards advance is to mass DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTEL, non a third-party site. KNOW THE CANCELLATION POLICY. I chose hotels alongside a 24-hour, no deposit cancellation policy, important I tin cancel the hotel room UP TO 24-hours earlier the reservation without consequence. I receive got a listing of the hotel reservations I've made alongside telephone numbers together with confirmation numbers hence if anything changes, I tin telephone band together with cancel or conform our stay.

Have yous e'er driven across dry reason earlier alongside or without children? What did yous exercise to brand the drive better/easier? What are your route tripping tips alongside children? Please portion alongside me! :)

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