Dedicated daughter/grandaughter or glutton for punishment? A fine line.

Last week I lost my mind. Lost it. Gone. Rolled right out of my ear. Had to go find it. Apparently it was in California. Flying there was, unfortunately, cost-prohibitive (and would have eliminated all the looking-for-my-missing brain stops at rest areas and gas station bathrooms) and so we drove. All five of us. To California. 800 miles. With a newborn. To California.

It wasn't so bad.

Really.

I can see my own butt now. That's the benefit of spending so much time twisted around backwards, futilely attempting to hold a binky in the mouth of a screaming six week old who REALLY DOESN'T WANT a binky. I'm pretty sure I'll be stuck in that position for awhile.

No really, it wasn't so bad. Kiera had a hard time with the elevation changes going over the Siskiyous and Grants Pass, but when you consider she was born at sea level who can blame her? I'd love to say she fussed a little going up and then down, but sadly she couldn't sleep through the slightest rise. Sometimes she'd be able to settle down, sometimes we'd have to stop so she could nurse until her ears popped. Towards the end of each driving day she'd just be done being in her seat, and again-can't blame her. I was done, too. But all in all the journey wasn't to torturous, the other two did great ("Video games? In the CAR? ROCK ON!"-I'm paraphrasing Garrett here), and aside from the monster headache I developed on the way home it was fairly painless. Just long.

I should probably explain why we decided to do this crazy thing (aside from my absentee brain). For months I've been planning on a trip down to visit my family this summer, probably in August or early September when Kiera was a little more sturdy but still small enough to seem new to those who hadn't yet met her. Plans shifted when we found out that my Grandma, whom I haven't seen for two years, was going to be coming to spend two weeks with my mom. My aunt and uncle would also be there, but staying elsewhere (G-ma lives with them). My grandma's health is questionable, and not knowing if she'll make it to next summer when we want to go out there (to Arkansas), I just couldn't not take myself and the kids to see her-esp when we'd just added a new great-granddaughter to the mix.

This was the most complicated trek to Cali EVER. We couldn't decide exactly when or how we would go, how long we would stay, when we would leave, where we would stay, it was extraordinarily frustrating. In the end obviously we got it figured out (though it meant three days in the car for four days there), and are glad for it. It was a great trip, filled with loving people and much laughter. On the way down we were able to stay the night with Troy's Aunt and Uncle in OR which is always a treat, and a nice way to celebrate Troy's birthday (which had been the day before, but completely run over by trip prep). The kids love spending time at there house. It's very peaceful place to be, and we wished we could have stayed a bit longer.

Once in CA we stayed in a hotel in Stockton, a first for us but a nice change. It was good to have a place to stash our stuff as well as a place for little kiddies to crash minus the distraction of fun cousins and super-silly uncles. We did miss the quiet evening chats with my parents after putting the kids to bed, and didn't get nearly as much game playing done as we would have liked, but hey-we only had four days.

My grandma did great. We were all concerned that the whole thing would overwhelm her, but the opposite occurred--she had so much fun and was so distracted by the cheerful chaos of my family (when we're all together with spouses and kids, there are nearly 20 of us) that she didn't want to leave. We had the added bonus of introducing Kiera to my aunt and uncle, as well as my cousin and his family-including a son I hadn't met. The highlight of the trip was the ending day family outing to Bass Pros-and watching Troy marvel at how that can be considered a fun family outing. Hey-they have games, water features, a fudge shop, taxidermy galore, and it's free! Can't beat that! He refused to buy me the pink rifle and the gun safe with the painting of John Wayne on it, though. Broke my lil' heart. I'm still holding out for the pink fishing pole.

Above we see the three "babies," as we affectionately refer to the now 3 yr olds (Connor in yellow, my sister's; Chloe behind him, my brother Tony's; and Morgan) that were all born within 6 months.

Grandma meeting Kiera-she loves holding babies but throws them back the second they start to fuss. She says she's done her time.
Four generations of Sidell Women. Believe it or not, throw a grey wig on me and I look JUST like my grandma. I'm not kidding. I've done it. It's a little depressing. She's 84. Don't get me wrong, she's adorable-but I don't look like her at 30-I look like her now. At 84.

In the end, we had a great time. And the first night away Kiera started sleeping 8 hr stretches (which she continued to do until the last couple nights when she's been miserable with a cold), which it turns out was key to my finding my mind. It was under the couch all the time.