Just about a month ago, we loaded the girls (including Sadie) into the car and headed west to Boise! We have made the drive maybe a couple of times a year for the past few years, and always try to drive if we are staying for a week or longer.
The girls did so SO well on the trip. That’s not to say it wasn’t long and everything was perfect, but really, we didn’t have any major toddler drama and naps actually happened! The biggest issue we had was that at the end of both trips (so right outside of Boise and right outside of Seattle) we were nearing Daphne’s feeding time, so she started getting fussy (and I don’t blame her!). Instead of stopping 20 minutes from our final destination, we just stretched and gave her a little bit of a later feeding. It was slightly stressful having a fussy baby after being in the car for almost 10 hours, but overall, it was a great trip!
In our pre-kid days, Aaron and I used to stop just once for lunch/gas/pee break and make the trip in under 8 hours (it is 500 miles, so that’s impressive). We also had a diesel so we could actually make the trip on a single tank if we wanted to… Flash-forward to having two kiddos and the trip was closer to 10 hours. The first time we made this road trip with Eloise (when she was four months old too) we split the drive into two days, staying overnight in Pendleton, Oregon. Even though it took so much longer to get there, at the time it was great because the road conditions were snowy and icy since it was December. But, since then, we have decided it is worth it to just buck-up and make the entire drive in one day. Daphne’s feeding schedule of 3 to 3.5 hours was sort of perfect and we ended up stopping just three times for her feedings, and for the rest of us to pee/eat/get gas/get out our wiggles. Eloise took a nap during her usual naptime (after lunch) and while it was more of a cat nap on the way to Boise, it was much longer on the way home! And Aaron had downloaded the Daniel Tiger “movie” (which is 45 minutes rather than the usual 20-ish minutes of a normal episode) and Eloise was delighted to watch it one time per trip! {We are really strict with screentime still and Eloise gets to watch one show per trip, whether it be a 4 hour plane ride or a 10 hour car ride.}
{I always pack finger foods for a picnic lunch (and other snacks) since it is the easiest to pack and eat while on-the-go. Plus, this is Eloise’s favorite way to eat all of her meals!}
{Selfies with Baby D.}
{It is the best feeling to see your final destination after being on the road all day. I will never tire of seeing my parents’ house. So many memories from when I was a kid!}
{I always get my haircut while in Boise, and this time the entire family came with me. The plan was to have Eloise’s hair cut too, but once it came down to it, she backed out. So Daphne got hers trimmed up!}
{My mom kept my old Fisher Price dollhouse and Eloise played with it the entire time we were visiting.}
{And playing with Aunt Kelly.}
{And Baby D with Aunt Yaya.}
{And my big brother (Uncle Jason) with Baby D!}
{And a cheesy grin from Daphne with Aunt Kelly.}
{I promise she wasn’t this sad about Aunt Dollie the entire time! This is my oldest sister Keri, but my sister Anya and I have called her Dollie our entire lives, and since Aaron’s sister is also named Cari, we use Dollie so it’s not so confusing!}
{This kid loves putting things in order or lining them up. Takes after her mama!}
{Purple play-dough with Grammie is like Eloise’s dream come true.}
{Family dinner at the Eversons’ house. And maybe a first date for Eloise and Deacon??}
{Reading Stella Goldilocks and the Three Bears which Eloise memorized (and now recites all the time) while we were in Boise.}
{Meeting Paga’s new horse.}
{Finding some shade. It was over 100 degrees our entire trip!}
{And Aaron on the new horse. With all of the sun protection.}
{Baby D taking a bath in a bowl. That is pretty much a requirement for all babies, right? She LOVED it and hasn’t cried in the bath since! Also, I totally thought this bowl was going to be way too big for her, but I was very, very wrong.}
{A playmat date with Boyd who is just one week younger than Daphne!}
{Catching up with the girls at a big family dinner.}
{Meg and her family were in town, and Beth so nicely hosted all of us even though it was her birthday!}
{Eloise and Violet with some post-dinner entertainment.}
{The reality of trying to get a group picture with four mamas and seven kids. #toddlermeltdowns}
{The best we got. LOVE you ladies and your kiddos! *Not pictured were all of our amazing husbands!}
{Staying cool by the pool with Baby D.}
{Jen gave us her old jumperoo (as you have seen Daphne in in recent pictures and videos) and she has loved it from the beginning!}
{Playing Alphabet Soup with Grammie. My mom always has the best ideas and does all sorts of projects with Eloise.}
{Daphne with my dad, Paga.}
{She loves him!}
{And lots of stripes. It runs in the family so I come by my stripe obsession honestly!}
{These girls at a pit stop in Prosser, WA. Such great little travelers!}
We always have a great time in Boise and can’t wait for our next trip! It was wonderful to see my family and friends, and introduce Baby D all around. Love to you all!
M