Tips for traveling with Children...and a Husband

Everyone survived the road trip!

I can say the trip was a true success because it was a puke-free vacation. Any vacation without vomit is a thing to celebrate.

Now, here are some of my "tips" to make sure things go smoothly:

1. If your husband supervised the children packing, find some way to double-check what was packed. Even if he assures you that they have enough underwear and pajamas, it would be wise to make sure they have not packed jeans and sweatpants when the vacation destination has weather in the 90s.
2. If your husband packed his own clothes, find some way to double-check the number of outfits he decided to bring. A minimum of one outfit per day is recommended, especially when the weather for the trip is supposed to be in the 90s every day of the vacation.
   
3. If you put your cosmetic bag near the remaining items to be packed, make sure it gets packed and that someone has not kindly put it back in the place where you always keep "that little bag?" at home.
4. Do not pull away from the house before checking to make sure everyone has what they wanted to play with in the car. "I left my magnadoodle in the living room!" is something you do NOT want to hear twenty minutes after leaving.
5. Expect frequent bathroom stops, and then be happy if you don't need to pull over at every rest area.

I had a great time getting away from the house for a few days. St. Louis was amazing and the weather was awesome. Here's a glimpse of our activities in Missouri: swimming in the hotel's rooftop pool, visit to the St. Louis zoo, making build-a-bear animals at the zoo, swimming, eating dinner at a restaurant that has a bartender who makes the strongest martini I have ever tasted, having more than one martini (grown-ups), visiting a famous hat factory, buying shorts for the children, swimming, visiting the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (arch), Going to the Museum of Westward Expansion, visiting the Old Courthouse where the first two decisions concerning Dred Scott were made, going to see the movie Cars, and, finally, a trip to White Haven (historic home of Ulysses S. Grant) to round off my Civil War Generals' homes tour. There was more to do, but we only had two and a half days in St. Louis. There were more museums and the shopping looked like it was quite nice in some of the suburbs of the city.

The rest of the vacation was lovely, too. There were plenty of animals to observe on the many farms we passed. Yes, horses! cows! llamas! I saw the llamas, too, so I know it's true, but I hesitate to mention the camel that was sighted since I didn't see that with my own eyes. But you never know. It's an amazing world.