Let's Go to the Beach...

We are off on our annual family trip to Florida in a couple of weeks. With the way we are all talking about it, you would think we were leaving tomorrow. The sun, the sand, the beach, the sun, the ocean, the sun, and oh, the sun. Did I mention the sun?

This year we are travelin' in style baby. Jet Blue and their roomy, comfy leather seats and all the television my kiddies can stomach. This is in stark contrast to our travels of last year. The Griswold family 24 hour overnight driving excursion to Florida. A three year old, one year old, hubbie and newly pregnant and oh, so nauseous me all shoved into an SUV. Let the games begin! Yeehaw.

Chris and I were so naively enthusiastic about our road trip with the kids. We would save money, have fun and truly bond as a family all at the same time. I start to giggle when I think about it. And then outside of Pittsburg, about six hours into the trip, Aidan started projectile vomiting in bumper to bumper construction traffic. I desperately tried to catch as much vomit as I could in an empty Target bag, but the sheer force and volume of the vomit had me beat. We had to pull over at a truck stop to fumigate the car. While Chris cleaned up buckets of puke from the back seat, I begged and pleaded for the boys to stop collecting all the cigarette butts littering the parking lot.

This was six hours into the trip. SIX hours. We all had to get back into the family car and drive the rest of the way with the stench of dried puke coloring the air. This was a hurdle for any person, but a first trimester pregnant lady? Forget it. I basically had to drive with my head out the window to stop myself from dry heaving.

Aidan swore he felt much better after his little fit. Hours later we stopped at a Wendy's in West Virginia for dinner. I have never received so much attention at a Wendy's before in my life. The heads swiveled and turned to follow our progress throughout the restaurant. If that wasn't enough, my children decided to add to the entertainment. As I waited with Aidan and Brennan at the table, Aidan glanced at me, and asked in that bell clear preschool voice, "Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Do you like penises?"

My head snapped as I turned to face him. "What?" I hissed. And then as I took in the horrified stares of the other customers, I whispered to Aidan, "We can talk about this in the car."

"Why mom? Why are we going to talk about penises in the car?" Just then Chris walks up to the table, shoots me a look and interjects, "We're going to talk about what in the car?"

Sigh. Just another Rockwell Family Vacation.

While the rest of the road trip passed somewhat uneventfully, I realized that Aidan had been somewhat scarred from the 24 hour ordeal. We arrived in Florida and headed straight to the beach to allow the kids to play with family that had already arrived. As it got close to bedtime, we told the boys it was time to go so we could all get some much needed rest.

Aidan looked scared for a second and then asked in a shaking voice, "Am I going to sleep in my seat in the car?" Poor kid thought vacation meant sleeping overnight in the family car. Heh.

Florida here we come... in two or three more weeks that is. Until then, Brennan is practicing wearing his swim goggles around the house: