Adventures in Real Parenting: Road Trip, The Sequel

We've returned from our road trip to Athens.

Now I am relaxing in front of the computer, as best as possible. I do keep watching my unread rss feed counter click upward. That's not so relaxing. I have to go to the office tomorrow. How will I ever catch up?

So how did the road trip go? Well, it did not disappoint.

Cupcake declared from under her covers that she wasn't going. When I discovered that while I was showering, she'd gotten back into bed with wet hair and half dressed, I didn't even pause to talk nicely to her. I went in to full tilt mom-bellow. She moved out of sheer terror, I suspect, but she cried, begged, and attempted to bargain her way out of this trip. I would not budge.

After that drama, I discovered that we are out of Dramamine.

It took us four trips up and down the stairs, forgetting things, retrieving things and slinging things around before we finally pulled out of the garage and got on our way. Cupcake cried in the backseat, The Actor grumbled "oh shut up" under his breath next to me. I turned the radio up and remembered why we didn't take more trips or get out more.

We hadn't gone ten miles before The Actor announced he had to go to the bathroom. We were going to meet The Dancer at the studio where she would leave her car so I suggested that he go to the bathroom there. "Maybe you should go too, just in case," I said to Cupcake. She refused.

Thirty miles later, Cupcake was in dire need of the bathroom. Of course. We made another stop so Cupcake and The Actor could go to the bathroom at the WalMart in Marietta. You know, their bathrooms leave quite a bit to be desired. Thought you'd want to know in case you're ever passing through on I75.

We finally got on the road to make some real progress toward UGA. MathMan called and we talked briefly. He's having a great time in D.C., doing some really cool things. I'm so happy for him (no that is not sarcasm, pouting, or martyred derision dripping from my voice).

I was not wrong in thinking that I would see the semi-digested contents of someone's stomach before the day. We'd gone maybe fifty miles when Cupcake started to smack her lips and make funny faces that indicate that she was about to blow. Thankfully, I'd had the foresight to line a small paint bucket with a plastic grocery bag. The Dancer tossed the bucket into the backseat, The Actor caught it and handed it to the now gagging Cupcake just in time.

The Dancer, The Actor and I responded inappropriately by laughing uproariously. Then The Actor, who was sitting next to Cupcake in the backseat, realized that Cupcake really was throwing up and jammed his fingers into his ears and started singing All the Single Ladies to drown out the sound of his sister's retching.

I used to be one of those people who would gag when anyone around me threw up. After three kids and multiple cats who throw up alot, I can be in the middle of a meal and get up to clean up vomit and never even stop chewing my food.

We finally got to Athens and drove around the campus to get more familiar with it. We had lunch at The Varsity while Cupcake hid in the bathroom. The Dancer, The Actor and I considered making a break for it then. We didn't. Really, we didn't. Well, she caught us sneaking away so we had to bring her with us....

The University has a lovely campus and Athens is the perfect college town, much like Bloomington, Indiana where MathMan and I attended school, met and got married. I could see The Dancer at UGA. Now I need for her to see herself there.