Before our kids were born, Mary and I took quite a few road trips. We went to the beach, visited friends and family, and even enjoyed romantic getaways. Now our ventures are usually few and far between, but our mileage picks up in the summer.
"Daddy, but how are we getting to the beach?"
"We're on our way. We're driving on the highway."
"But why are we driving on the highway?"
"Because we can go fast."
Sometimes we feel like the questions and wining will never end, but we can thank Dora for helping to ease the pain of long trips. Her annoying friend ("I'm the map!") has helped Noah understand how journeys work and how to plan a trip. After both of us got frustrated during his line of questioning, I reached behind Mary's head rest and drew an imaginary map on the square surface, "First we'll drive over the mountains. Then we'll drive through the train town. Then we'll drive through the woods. Then we'll drive on the really big highway. Then we'll drive around a city to our hotel." The specific description of our plan and landmarks for him to spot worked pretty well if you don't count the six times he asked, "Can you show me that map again?" He also felt special when we'd tell him that we were looking for a rest stop with a great playroom for him to run around.
We did the same thing for our trip to Boston, and the exciting people-mover walkways and security "checkpoint" helped as well. We just have to make sure that we don't forget any important details on the itinerary. Otherwise Noah will chastise us for not following the plan. Anuj, Maria, and Nujy's parents took turns playing "knock down" with Noah, where he knocks them down on the grass and they get up for more. Noah also fell in love with Indian musical TV. Squal's wedding was a blast and well worth the trip, and he knocked us off our feet with three big surprises. Their official on-the-alter wedding kiss was a coming-home-from-war makeout session; They had an impressively choreographed wedding dance; The grand finale was Pasqual singing Bon Jovi with the band at the reception as if he were true blue Jerz.
Whether you're living on a square or living on a prayer, hold on! We just might be halfway there.
