May 09 Movie

SuperMom May (aka Travel Tips)

Okay, I'm sorry, but no one is a SuperMom when they are moving. NO ONE. So this is the one and only fancy-shmancy SuperMom thing we did in May. Do I feel guilty? Not at all. Why should I? I was single-handedly packing up our house and preparing to move 3,000 miles away! Plus, I fed them. And with everything I had to do, that in and of itself was quite the accomplishment. :)

Hand and Feet Prints

Alright, so in lieu of the whole SuperMom kick, I thought I'd list all the things we brought/did on our nearly 70-hour cross country trip in May. Just in case you want ideas for any upcoming drives you have. (A couple of them have links to the product in case you don't know what I'm talking about.)

Travel Tips

cheap cookie sheets (to act as a flat surface for drawing - and the lip keeps stuff in!)
colored chalk and black paper
coloring books
stickers
crayons, markers, etc. and colored paper
window markers
movies
cds of kid songs (my kids *love* the Little People cds from Walmart)
children's books
the Friend magazine
picture booklets (with pictures of themselves, grandparents, cousins, etc.)
nail polish
pipe cleaners
rolls of tape
bubble wrap
koosh balls
sun glasses
slinky bracelets
letter and number magnets (which work perfectly on the cookie sheets!)
cheap watches
band-aids (are mine the only kids who think they are fun?!)
movie character figurines (we got the ones from Cars, Toy Story, and Wall-E)
sidewalk chalk (for rest stops)
foam brushes and plastic cups (to paint with water at rest stops, then you chuck it all because they were cheap)

we ended up having to drive on Sunday :( - hence the fancy clothes

Cross Country Trip, Days 1-4

DAY 1: In the Beginning

Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Destination: Centerville, Ohio
Miles: 496
Estimated Time: 8 hours
Actual Time: 8:45 hours
Potty Stops: 3

In the beginning we thought eight hours was a long drive. Ha, ha. We spent our first night at my Uncle Dan and Aunt Val's. Val was my escort when I went through the temple, since my parents lived in Chile and none of my immediate family could attend. I love her dearly!

DAY 2: And the Baby Screams

Location: Centerville, Ohio
Destination: Midland, Michigan
Miles: 326
Estimated Time: 5:15 hours
Actual Time: 6 hours
Potty Stops: 1

We left early and actually spent most of day two with my brother Trenton and his family. Enoch was tired and cried most of the drive. Don't be deceived by the innocent sleeping face, this kid could scream you to insanity. But I still love him like crazy. :)

DAY 3: A Baptism

When my niece Alex told her mom that she hoped someone would come in town for her baptism, her mom gently explained that Michigan was really far for family to come and that it probably wouldn't happen. Well, Alex got a tender mercy because it just so happened that Sam and I were planning on being in Michigan that weekend! And best of all, Alex's COOLEST aunt even got to give a talk at the baptismal service. :)

DAY 4: Last Minute Vacuuming

Location: Midland, Michigan
Destination: Papillion, Nebraska
Miles: 790
Estimated Time: 12:15 hours
Actual Time: 15 hours
Potty Stops: 4

Fifteen hours. Three kids, ages 3, 2, and nearly 1. One small car. Need I say more? We left late because Elijah had to get in some last minute vacuuming we were having so much fun with Trent's family, so we didn't get to my sister's until the middle of the night. But, we did take a break halfway to stop and see Sam's house in Iowa City (they lived there when he was in second grade).

Cross Country Trip, Days 5-8

DAY 5: Sam the Dog

We took the day off to visit with my sister. The highlight of the day was visiting my sister's in-laws and watching Sam's confused face whenever they'd yell, "Sam! Be quiet!" and "Sam! Stop barking!" I guess that's what happens when you share a name with the dog!

DAY 6: Getting Fancy with the Spices

Ever since I saw Ratatouille I have wanted to try saffron. By some luck I happened to get a new bottle for free, which is amazing since saffron is the most expensive spice in the world by weight. The bottle cost $20 and was only 1/4 full brand new! Cara and I made some Arroz con Pollo. My niece and bro-in-law loved it, my sister liked it, and I only thought it was okay.

DAY 7: Mount Rushmore

Location: Papillion, Nebraska
Destination: Rapid City, South Dakota
Miles: 587
Estimated Time: 8:45 hours
Actual Time: 11:30 hours
Potty Stops: 2

Confession: one of our potty stops was actually about two hours at Mount Rushmore. :) It was amazingly beautiful - we were really impressed. Seriously, everyone should go to Mount Rushmore once in their lives. I definitely want to take the kids back when they get older!

DAY 8: Sister Missionaries Rock

Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Destination: Billings, Montana
Miles: 374
Estimated Time: 5:15 hours
Actual Time: 6 hours
Potty Stops: 1

No, really. They do. I not-so-secretly hope that Seara goes on a mission. So day eight we spent with my mission companion Sandra and her hubby Austin. She has a six week old baby that is just about the cutest thing alive.

Graduation

University of Baltimore Student Center


Old class buildings on the left, New class building on the right

WOOHOO!!! Sam is finally done with grad school!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I could put enough exclamation marks in this post. I am so excited and so relieved. And not only is he absolutely amazing for doing two years in one, but he also graduated with a 4.0 cum gpa. I know, the kid is a genius. It's amazing that he and I can even communicate. :) His program director, Stephanie, and his mentor professor, Amy, were just as impressed as I was.

Sam's parents came in town from Arizona, so they came with me to graduation. We weren't crazy enough to bring the kids, but I did get a picture with them afterward. :)


So graduation was held in the Lyric Opera House and it was AWESOME. Let me tell you why. First, you need to understand that the demographics of Baltimore are such that about half the people graduating were black. Now, at BYU graduation is a ceremony and cat-calls from the audience come across as very rude, disruptive, and disrespectful. In Baltimore, however, graduation is a celebration and cat-calls from the audience come across as rejoicing, encouraging, and elated. Many graduates danced across the stage, and husbands, boyfriends, and fathers yelled out at the top of their lungs, "YEAH! DAT'S MAH BEBE! DAT'S MAAAAAAH BEBE!!" I think I spent half of graduation laughing. Every graduation should be like that. Give up the pomp, bring on the party!

Eastern Excursion 40: Arlington

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

What better place to bid farewell to our home in the East and to our Eastern Excursions than by visiting Arlington National Cemetery? We met up with my sweet mission companion Sister Johnson Sarah, and spent the entire time laughing and re-living our adventures from Senhora da Hora (including dumpster diving, food poisoning, accidental hangovers, and stalkers). Those were the days!


Anyway, Arlington is actually the former estate of Robert E. Lee, Confederate General during the Civil War. The view from the Arlington House is absolutely spectacular - you haven't seen Washington DC until you've seen it from Arlington. (The house is above, the view below.)


Speaking of Robert E. Lee, did you realize that his wife (Mary Anna Custis Lee) was the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington and step-great-granddaughter of George Washington? Oh, the irony. And while I'm being random, let me just throw this picture in. I have no clue what the statue is for, but I thought it was pretty cool looking.


Veterans and military casualties from every one of the nation's wars are interred here. Until you see it with your own eyes, you can't even fathom how many graves there are in Arlington. They go on forever and ever. It was pretty sobering. The Tomb of the Unknowns was pretty incredible too, especially watching the changing of the guard.

As usual, the highlight of the trip had nothing to do with the trip. We found a little turtle crossing the sidewalk. It was so cool. The kids loved it.


Alright, I'm signing off from my Excursion posts. Goodbye Baltimore, goodbye DC, goodbye Eastern Excursions!