Eric Clapton’s grandmother sure loved him!

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Here are some of my latest vintage finds:

The first is a black felt hat I found while thrifting. I’ve been casually looking for a hat of this sort ever since I saw Penelope Cruz in Vicky Christina Barcelona.  There is a scene where she, Scarlett Johannson and Javier Bardem ride bikes to a beautiful spot to have a picnic, and she is wearing the most amazing black hat with a gauzy white sundress. Ever since then I have been obsessed with the idea of a white sundress and a romantic black hat. So, I was amazed to find this treasure for less than $1. a couple of weeks ago.

The second is a knitted purple and hot pink cape that looks as if someone’s Granny could have made it. When I put it on, it makes me feel like a six-year old Super Girl, which is basically what I strive for in life. And the financial impact? A mere $1.50!

More detail of the cape:

I am thinking I will probably wear this cape with jeans, a t-shirt and knee-high boots, or a snazzy dress and sandals. We’ll see where the mood takes me. I will update with outfit pics when it makes its big debut.

Sweet dreams and good nighty-nights, my loves!

‘79 had her ultrasound today and “IT’S A BOY!” This is the best news and I am so excited for them. I can’t wait until June when the baby is due. Congratulations to her and Mike. I know they thought I would be disappointed if it wasn’t a girl, well I’m not.

You see I have had a dream for the last few years now. In the dream I am playing and talking to my granddaughter Stella Rose. This dream is not only vivid but Stella feels very real while I am dreaming. It is a reoccurring dream and I have it a few times a year for several years now. ‘79 had already decided to name the baby Stella if it was a girl. But instead we are going to have a beautiful and healthy new grandson to love and spoil.

So the dream was not prophetic or maybe Stella is still waiting to arrive at a later time. Or maybe the dreams happened so I could tell ‘79 about them and then she could relax and quit stressing out about getting pregnant. Or maybe a dream is just a dream caused by neurons firing in your brain and has no deeper meaning at all. It doesn’t really matter because even if I didn’t dream about Miles Gabriel, his Mother did and that’s what counts.

Do you ever have those moments in your life when there is just nothing in the world you can do to stop yourself from crying? I had one of those when I had driving practice with my grandmas friend. I am the kind of person that absolutely cannot stand to cry in front of people… so when I do, I get really embarrassed! The second time I went out driving with him, he wanted me to remember where we had driven that morning. I was driving in an unfamiliar area and it was freaking me out because he would not give me any hints of where to go. I was nervous and all over the road worried about missing a turn. He would yell at me and expect me to remember and pay attention. I was falling apart really fast. I survived the session without crying and I was quite proud of myself, but when I got back to the house that was a different story. It was time for dinner and my grandma had it on the table. While she was getting the last few things on her friend was quizzing me on where I had been. It was so annoying and exasperating. Emotions were building in me the entire hour we were driving and then… out of nowhere, when her friend left the room, I broke. I snapped like a twig. Tears came streaming down my face uncontrollably. It was so weird. I really thought I was going to survive without crying. It was horrible… I can’t even begin to tell you how awful it was. My grandma, I think was a bit shocked, but that is just how I am. I have a delayed emotional response sometimes. My grandmas friend came back into the room, which made things worse. I left the table feeling like a 3-year-old. I went back into my room and decided to just sit there in my shame for the next 20 minutes feeling bad for myself. The main thing that got me through this, was the fact that I knew it would be over before I knew it, and the reality that Jesus was, is, and will always be with me. In a week I would probably look back and laugh. When I had gained my composure I came back out and explained why I had gotten so emotional on them. That part took every ounce of courage I had, but I don’t really know what I was so scared about. I am really glad that my crazy adventure is over. I think the main thing I learned was not to stuff my emotions down and hold them in. #1 it is unhealthy, and #2 they will eventually come out! I also learned that I am not a super human and I have limits that I should learn not to go over.

Have you ever had an experience when you just could not control your emotions? What did you learn from this situation? What helped you survive it?

I go into Bartell’s the other day before work to buy some more pantyhose. I’m going to Bartell’s to buy pantyhose. I am in Bartell’s buying pantyhose. Already, I am a Grandma, but I have to wear pantyhose everyday for work (literally, it’s the uniform) and I’m running around so much it just beats them to shit. Ergo, I don’t want to buy expensive ones.

But today was a different pantyhose buying day because today I had coupons. Oh yes, I had coupons. I was going to get such a screaming deal on pantyhose.

So I walk to the pantyhose section. And start finding my kind. Another cute girl eventually makes her way over and starts perusing the pantyhose as well (this NEVER happens, I am usually alone in the pantyhose wearing, let alone a young hip girl looking at them. Weird. I’ve started something).

I get my pantyhose make my way to the counter, get my coupons out of my purse (Yes!) and put them on the scanner along with my pantyhose. The checker then informs me, “These coupons have already expired.”

Oh, gawd. So I was not only buying pantyhose, I was trying to use a coupon to buy pantyhose. and this coupon was expired. Sad state of affairs.

I paid full price.

But I had just got the coupon out of a pack of pantyhose I had bought last week! I am enraged! Where is my value on less that $2 pantyhose?!

Not really.

I guess this demonstrates how infrequently people buy pantyhose at Bartell’s.

And this was my lesson in humility. Or, a “sneak peak” into what my life will be like as an old woman. I think I may have received more sympathy for my coupons if I was older. The checker may have just assumed I had been storing those pantyhose for years in my house only to recently open them and find the coupon. The coupon was fresh, even if it was expired. First time it was looked at, I can’t see how its time had passed. But, to be accurate: FUCK PANTYHOSE, when I’m fucking 70. Sorry kids, I don’t give a fuck anymore so you’re going to have to bear witness to my varicose and spider veins and sinewy grandma legs. I put your parents on this earth or, I put my herb garden on this earth and kept bangle and swishy skirt makers in business with my purchases.

Time for work.

Grandma Ollie’s old Ice Box

Do you remember the old ice boxes?  I do.  My grandmother and mother had ice boxes in their kitchens when I was a little girl.  The Ice man would come and bring a large block of ice to the house.  He would chip it with an ice pick so that it would fit in the old ice box.  I also remember going to the ice house to get our own ice.  My sister remembers taking a red wagon to the ice house and getting a block of ice for Sunday’s dinner.  My mom would make a tub of sweet ice tea and put the whole block of ice in the tub.  Wow! What a difference now that we just go to our fridge and push a button and out comes the ice.  We can have it chipped, cubed or flaked, anyway we want it.  However, the memory of that old icebox still lingers in my thoughts of the good “ole” days.

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I’d like to put forth an obvious and topical claim, a thesis that has been rattling around in my head since the dog day’s of summer, unformed until today’s reminder of the late Dr. King reminded me. It’s simple. I believe that Cuban rapper Pitbull is our generation’s Martin Luther King Jr (or at least our Rodolfo Gonzalez).

I’m not sure if you are one of the almost 95,000,000 people that have watched Pitbull’s seminal hit from last summer on YouTube “I Know You Want Me (Calle) Ocho”, but in case you’re not, allow me to refresh your memory:

See what I’m saying? Pitbull didn’t just create a booty-dropping, ass-shaking, butt-gyrating, pulse-pounding club-thumper of a hit song, he created as poignant a political statement as Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant”. It’s all in the chorus. “1, 2, 3, 4, uno, dos, tres, quatro.” He’s not merely counting to four to give you a nice beat to squeeze a hiney* to, he’s bridging the language gap, welcoming us all to the beautiful, multi-cultural future that is a bi-lingual America, and he’s saying let’s all have fun doing it.

You might even say that Pitbull is more than a great unifier and sewer of not yet connected patches of our national cultural quilt, you might say he’s an educator. For years scientists have been discussing music’s ability to teach children new languages. There’s even a study that says you can teach a Monkey braille with a heavy bass line. And one of Eastern Europe’s most famous educator’s been on television for years preaching the educational benefits of song.

You know, if you watch Pitbull’s video then this one, you’ll  probably realize there’s a lot of amazing similarities between these two forger’s of young minds and shapers of tomorrow.

*I think it’s ridiculous that spell check doesn’t recognize the word hiney. My Grandma, if she were violent or used a computer, would do something violent to a computer.

One day there was an old woman called Jammy Nutella

Jammy Nutella went on a walk, and she saw a pink elephant and the elephant was called Bounty Truffle, Bounty gave Jammy a bunch of flowers. But Jammy ate them, next thing Jammy was sick a pile of sweetcorn so then the went home and played cooking mama kills animals on her computer, but then she fell asleep!!!! The end

What do you call a tradition that brings together a group of close friends and family members to lovingly support a new mother-to-be?

A baby shower, of course!  And what a wonderful tradition it is!

Our baby shower yesterday for my daughter, Abbie, also involved a  lot of noise (60 or so women talking simultaneously, re-living memories of their own children/childbirth and offering advice); scrumptious food that only women would enjoy (broccoli/slivered almond quiche, pink lemonade punch, tiny sandwiches); and narrowly escaping cars getting stuck in the snow nor any broken hips from icy, steep driveways.

All in all, it was wonderful.  And it was exactly what showers traditionally bring: wonderful comraderie among friends and family; incredible support for the mom-to-be; a chance to tell stories of days past; and mountains of gifts!

“Chick” food . . .

Abbie sharing a laugh with an aunt. . .

A diaper cake ?!?!

Abbie with high school friends, both now married, and one  a new mother . . .

Mom-to-be with grandmas-to-be . . .

This new baby is incredibly fortunate to be welcomed by THREE great-grandmas, shown here in their fashionable “great-grandma” tiaras!

Party favors . . .

. . . including Sweet Pea seeds that can be planted around the time of the baby’s arrival in March . . .

The incredibly delicious (chocolate!) blue duck cake, complete with bubbles(!), that Abbie’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law created . . .

Abbie trying on a baby-size “moo-cow” outfit . . .

My daughter and me . . .

We can’t wait to welcome this baby into the world!

Have you participated in this social convention, too, known as a Baby Shower?

Have you ever seen so much fun?

“Hang on Fran!”

Who watches Soap Opera’s? Or should I ask, who will admit to watching them? My mom never watch soaps but my grandma watched a couple. I can remember watching General Hospital with her when I was just a child. I don’t watch it anymore but I used to.

I can’t really believe it but back in the day when my boys were young, before I went to work, I watched 4 one hour soaps. The Young and the Restless, All My Children, One Live To Live and General Hospital. Once I started working, there was no way I could watch 4 so I cut them down to Y&R and AMC. Thank goodness VCR’s had come out so that’s what I recorded. I’ve been watching AMC since it’s debut and Y&R since 1975. There have been periods where I didn’t watch but I keep coming back to them for some reason.

I now watch Y&R, AMC and Bold and the Beautiful. That one is only 30 minutes and it’s usually when I eat my lunch. I’ve gotten so used to taping them that I still watch them that way and I only watch them late at night when I’m up alone puttering around in my kitchen.

The soaps may be leaving us. The Guiding Light went off the air a few months ago and I just heard that As The World Turns will be going off the air in the fall of 2010. That leaves only 2 soaps on CBS. Boy, I think that’s so sad. I watched a program about this and they said that soaps were just becoming a thing of the past. Boy, I can still see my MIL ironing and watching her shows. My grandma too and now me. I’ve gotten attached to Erica Kane. What can I say?? They were saying that game shows and judge shows are much cheaper to produce so that’s what they were going to. Just what we need, more judge shows! I don’t know about you but when Monty Hall did Let’s Make A Deal, it seemed so much better to me than Dwayne Brady now. Now when I see an adult with a diaper on and a pacifier, it just seems stupid to me so I’ve only taken one glimpse of that new show and I just couldn’t stand it.

Can you remember your mom or grandma watching the soaps? Does it give you warm feelings or do you just think they are dumb? I sure hope they don’t end up taking them all off the air. I know they aren’t like real life but hey, that’s what fantasy is and I’ve gotten so attached to my 3 shows. I’d be lost without them on at night. Do you watch any soaps?

Each and every Thanksgiving (the past two years) the tradition is to gather in the morning and play the “Turkey Bowl”. We meet at my Dads place and play on the back acres. Last year the weather was cold and cloudy. This year the weather was brisk but sunny and after about an hour, everyone had taken off their outer layers. Our turnout was substantially smaller but we still had enough to play a game of 5 on 5. 

Turkey Bowl contenders 2009

Just for fun. The Turkey Bowl 2008

My brothers Josh and Zach and Brother in Law Josh actually played football in high school and know the game. The rest of us are total hacks, armchair quarterbacks and slow runners. I possess all three of those attributes. I was dubbed “the interception king” after 5 interceptions thrown. My brother Josh was quick to tell me that I have a negative passer rating. What do you expect from a photographer? 

There are three types of Turkey Bowl players 

1.Serious players. Keep score and passer ratings, run hard on each play. Spend the rest of Thanksgiving sore. Think about how to “win” next years bowl game. 

2.Partially serious but kind of silly. Kind of know the score and run slower, maybe skip a play or 2 here and there. Think to themselves “Maybe I’ll play next year, if I remember”. 

3. Completely silly no seriousness. Don’t care about the score, skip every other play. Laugh a lot and think about the hot chocolate that is coming. 

How do all three play together? The serious players play their own game and everyone else just runs around. 

I lead the 3’s. It irritates some people. They have to deal with it because without us there simply would not be enough people to justify playing the game. 

Our only spectator

Our only spectator was more interested in licking himself than watching a bunch of pathetic jokers chase a football around. 

Housemade hot chocolate

As the game concluded my lovely wife brought her special “housemade” hot chocolate. Milk, cinnamon, chocolate and other stuff. It was so good. And yes, those are single mugs, not two stacked up. What a woman! 

The football family

Suzy, to be fair, also watched us play football. That kid is the perfect blend of these two. What a cute little dude. 

Jane and Joe after the match

The sunglasses indicate just how sunny it was at the end of the game. Awesome. 

The home of Lawrence and Debra Smith. Thanksgiving Day 2009

We usually do two dinners on Thanksgiving. It is a major gut-buster. The Smiths at 1PM and the Balls at 4PM. Yowee 

Dinner at the Smith household

Just another perfect Thanksgiving meal. How did Bailey get the head of the table? Lily made it onto Sam’s lap. 

Sam and her Mother

Sam has heard for years that she inherited her Mothers beauty. Here is empirical evidence. Thank you Debra. 

A brief repose from the vigorous Barbie play

For a moment Lydia bit into a roll and Lily removed her pink jacket. 

Time for a photograph by your annoying Brother in Law

I’ve got the Smith girls in an uncomfortable spot. When I point the camera at them they are obliged to look their best. It could end up on my Blog, you know. 

The final diner at the kids table

When I was a kid I ate turkey on cheezy paper plates with breakable forks on a flimsy pea green card table at Thanksgiving. 

These kids eat on a sumptuous slab of exotic granite. Michael was compelled to eat his plate before he could scamper off with his cousins. 

Grace and Grandma

This is what Grandmas do. They read to the Grandkids. Grace is holding the blankie that Grandma made for her when she was born. The book is a scrapbook that Sally made for her parents full of photographs of their married life together. 

Mom and Dad finishing the table

My Dad was assigned pouring the water. My mom was assigned everything else. 

Faking not noticing

Jake, my Bro. does not do a very good job at pretending not to notice me. Josh is trying his hardest to help Jacob but unfortunately they are both poor actors. 

Kevin being jocular (ˈjä-kyə-lər: given to jesting: habitually jolly)

How did that kid lose her shirt? This was one wild Thanksgiving dinner.

to post a video of their mom feeding their kid acorn squash? I suggest watching the following without the audio but then again my computer offers no audio anymore. Either way I have way to many acorn squash. Any ideas before I just go with a bisque….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7NijAAYI20

There are lots of silly people in the world.  Chief among them are those who think that you have to dress like a wooly mammoth to stay warm during the winter.  Chief Silly People among those people are the ones who think that the only functional winter coat has to be a drab, marshmallow-looking affair.  While I don’t deny the power of the puffy coat (I myself have two, and they’re fantastic), not all winter gear has to suck the fun out of dressing, even in frigid Chicago (my adopted city).

So, for all those of you who’ve been led to believe that cold and snow equals hibernation in ugly outwear, here’s a how-to that’ll change your days.

How to Buy a Practical Winter Coat (That Isn’t Ugly as Sin)

1: FIT!

When it comes to how a winter coat should fit, my advice falls somewhere between a grandmother’s and a stripper’s.  I disagree with the grandmothers of the world who say, “That coat needs to be big enough to fit five sweaters under it!”  Likewise, I think that owning a coat that hardly buttons over your…well, you know…makes little to no sense if you don’t live in south Florida.

Ideally, a coat should fit snugly with some room to move around.  When you try on a coat, make sure you can lift your arms over your head and bend your elbows up toward your chest.  Try the “hug test”, also known as “doing the wrestler.”  You want to be able to make a ring in front of you with your arms to be sure that the material has enough give in the back and sleeves.

Also, make sure that the length of the coat is appropriate.  Something too long or short can be a problem, depending on climate and personal style.  I find that anything too sweeping is impractical- it gets dirty when it drags the ground, gets icky in the snow, trips you up, etc – as is anything that’s cropped- you can only wear it with certain outfits and it doesn’t really work as a daily/regular ”winter coat.”  Sleeve length is important, too.  Make sure that sleeves come just to the wrist.  Too short and there might be a gap between your gloves and your cuffs.  Too long and you look like a kid playing dress-up in Mommy’s closet.

The shape of your body is important here.  Choose something that flatters you.  If you’re thin and lack curves, subtle ruffles or fun hems can give you some extra shape.  If you’re curvy or bottom heavy, a sleek silhouette can slim and streamline.  Collars that frame the face can add some extra sass to outwear that can get a bit boring.  Coats with belts and tailored middles are often a good choice for anyone, but especially those who need some extra definition in the waist.

2: STYLE!

The style and shape of your coat matters.  In winter months, it’s often the first thing people will see of your outfit.  Even if you’re decked out underneath, wearing an ugly or ill-fitting coat messes up your first visual impression.  Now, that wouldn’t be the end of the world, but this is a fashion blog, so we’re talking about looking good AND being practical.

Think about your general style- classical, preppy, funky, romantic, etc- and look for a coat that you feel will generally work with most of your clothes.  Think about your lifestyle, too, and choose something that works with it.  Choosing a long fur coat doesn’t make sense if you walk to work or school, especially if it snows where you live.  If you work in a conservative industry or one where you’re required to wear business-casual clothing, rocking out a funky plaid or crazy color isn’t necessarily the best choice.  Wool is almost always a good bet, provided that you have a back-up coat for days of heavy rain.

Check out the lining in any coat you buy.  Even if you’re buying thick wool or down, a good lining is essential to keeping out cold wind.

3: PRICE!

I’ve already established my cheap-skate-ness on this blog.  However, a winter coat is one of those things on which I’m willing to throw down some serious fundage.  I live in Chicago, where winter lasts longer than life, so having a quality coat that will last me for years makes a lot of sense.  After all, you only buy quality once, you get what you pay for, etc etc.  Still, it is possible to buy a good coat without breaking the bank.  Stores like Land’s End and REI have great deals (though not always awesome styles) and Filene’s Basement and lots of thrift stores can yield amazing finds if you’re willing to invest the time and energy to treasure hunt them.  I generally have a rule that anything under $300 is an acceptable price for something you know you’ll wear for years and with lots of outfits, but if you do your homework and take your time, it’s not difficult to find something closer to $100.

Here are some examples of stylish (but not totally astronomically priced) winter coats.

Ines-S, $198 CAD, Soia and Kyo

Teo-T, $177 CAD, Soia and Kyo

Yan-Z, $210 CAD, Soia and Kyo

Old Navy Double-Breasted Coat, $70

Faux-shearling coat, Victoria's Secret, $119

VIA button-up wool trench, Victoria's Secret, $119

Wool belted coat, Victoria's Secret, $79

Plaid Duffle Coat, American Eagle, $120

Red tie-neck coat, Dorothy Perkins, $125

Vintage Wool Coat with Rabbit Fur Collar, Milan Vintage on Etsy

You may have noticed I haven’t posted in a while. I don’t know what it is but I can’t seem to think of anything interesting to write about. It’s a hard time of year for me anyway, but I had hoped this year would be easier. You see 10 years ago my Mom died. We took her to the hospital on Christmas Eve and spent Christmas morning waiting for her to get out of surgery. She would be unresponsive for the next 10 days and I would have to make the agonizing decision to let her go. I would never get to say goodbye. I use to love Christmas and enjoyed everything about it, but since her death I am just not into it. I try and pretend for my family but I feel empty, no Christmas spirit. For example I brought a tree home and it is still not decorated. It just sits there with no lights or ornaments, no presents underneath, a sad picture of Christmas. Christmas Day will come and I will cook a great meal. The kids and grand-kids will come over and we will all count our blessings. There will be love and holiday cheer and a whole lot of eggnog. I will smile and pretend that I feel it, but inside I feel sad and lonely in way I can’t explain. How much time needs to pass before I feel a spark of Noel again, I do miss it.

This year has been particularly hard because of financial issues caused by the writers and actors strikes 2 years ago as well as the economy. I don’t think anyone realizes just how hard the entertainment industry suffered because of those strikes. The writers and actors and directors all benefited but the rest of us did not. We all lost benefits and many even lost their homes. We at least kept our house and we were lucky to have savings to live on, of course we can’t retire now.  I decided to go back to work so I could help out, but found I am not qualified to do anything, not even child care. Oh the irony of that. I think most people are having similar problems for various reasons so I shouldn’t gripe. But it’s hard to find the Merry when your worrying about how to pay the electric bill or you can’t find work. I want to end this post on a positive note so I am going to ask you to count your blessings, at least three of them. Post them on your blog or in a comment. Maybe it will make us all feel better.

These are mine:

1. A new grandchild on the way

I’m still working on the other 2.

What’s Happening Wednesday

Check out my featured post – Best Hotel Chains for Large Families     Thanks to Jamie at TravelSavvyMom for the opportunity to be featured on her great site.

I also have a featured post – 5 Reasons to Book a Hotel, Instead of Staying with Grandma During the Holidays   Thanks to CheapOair for having me. 

Don’t forget that CheapOair is now an affiliate of SixSuitcaseTravel  Find and book your hotel for your large family and  get your airline tickets too!

Ghirardelli White Mocha

The first time I truly learned about Oscar de la Renta was when I helped my grandmother pack some things that where to go in to storage. And as we are working on her closet she pulls out this beige garment bag, un-zips it and out she pulls this ornate floral cocktail gown. At this time I’m 8 and still very much into dress up, graciously my grandmother lets me try it on. To make a long story short. I helped finish packing in that gown, because I felt too much like a Princess to take it off.  Thats what I believe Oscar de la Renta’s pieces do to you, and I can say that because I have experienced this first hand. Oscar de la Renta’s first break into the fashion industry was getting an apprenticeship with Spain’s renowned couturier Cristobal Balenciaga. He later moved to Paris and worked for the House of Lanvin, eventually moving to New York in 1963, and after working for Elizabeth Arden, he would launch his own line that is now considered to be the premiere of all American fashion.

Here are a few pics of his Pre-Fall 2010 collection

TravelingLight

Last week, I blogged on the joys of homeschooling while on the road. I sent out a “HELP” email to one of my homeschool groups and received a fantastic (and quite humorous) email from another mom. So, thank you Carolyn H. for sharing the following tips with me and for allowing me to share them with the rest of the blogging world!

Carolyn’s  thoughts in black and red, my comments and observations are in green…

Oh, the joys of travel-schooling. 
 
On the subject of school subjects: We car-school often, with subjects the kids can do on their own with an occasional shout-out to Mom (unless it’s Math, since Mom can’t drive and write out long-division problems simultaneously).  There’s also the ever-popular (with me, anyway) “you can’t read/listen-to-audiobooks/talk/watch DVDs/play-with-cousins-at-Grandma’s until the books are completed” lecture.  Nothing like a little motivation.  (Donna says: Amen, sister!)
 
On chaos theory: Separating kids into different seating areas (if you have less than three kids and more than one backseat row) also helps.  I also make them responsible for bringing their own “other stuff to do,” as I’m not a packmule, I need to focus on driving, and I have to ensure that the school books are brought along.  Car organizers that strap to the back of a bucket seat have also helped us (you can even make your own to custom-fit your back “bench”-style seats).  Plus, even if it’s not an overnighter, pack the inevitable changes of clothes, shoes, etc. 

(Donna says: we ALWAYs forget something. Glad there is a Walmart close by!)
 
On favorite food stop: ChickFilA, since “God” is positively positioned in their mission statement and the food is great!  Remember to ask for sugar for the coffee you’re going to need.  (Donna says: love CFA, but a little pricey. Cut coupons as much as possible and use for the trips!)
 
On exercise: Put the kids out a couple of blocks before Grandma’s house.  Takes some of the sass out.  Nevermind what Grandma will say to you about her little darlings – she hasn’t been in the car with them for 2+ hours. 

(Donna says: snort, giggle, guffaw!)

 
On electronics: Take the GPS but don’t bet your life on it.  And no DVD-watching unless the sibling agrees or kid has brought earbuds.  Travel-size games are even better than electronic stimulation.  (Besides, car-games such as counting VW “bugs” and spotted cows didn’t hurt any of us!)  And on a serious note, this time can also be used for great discussions that might not occur with other daily distractions. 

(Donna says: as long as we have plenty of gas, we are EXPLORING. But when we get low on fuel, and are driving around in circles, then we are lost and looking for a gas station and directions)
 
Just a little pre-trip planning helps (and helps to have the kids be responsible for their own stuff, too) and makes travel a bit easier.  (Donna says: Good advice, Ms. C, for parents of kids everywhere!!)

Try this Bread Pudding Recipe – just like grandma used to make.

12. Thin slices, day-old white or egg bread

6 tbsp. Unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup. Seedless raisins

3. Eggs

2 cups. Half and half cream

1 cup. Milk

1 cup. Brown sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Grated nutmeg