How To Survive a Long Car Trip With Five Children.

This week we are getting ready to go to Nashville TN.  First we are making a pit stop in St Louis for a couple of days.

I get asked a lot about how we travel with so many kids, so I thought I would share my routine.

This is how we get ready to roll!

First things first - Make a Plan! 

A plan that cannot be undone.

A solid unbreakable plan.

Step Two - Do the laundry.

 I do this at least one week maybe two weeks ahead of time. This gives me plenty of time to redo all the laundry once it has been dug back out of the carefully packed suitcase and reworn.

I like to consider the first round of packing practice.  This saves me from going insane about the fact that I already washed and packed those clothes once.  It was practice.....

Step Three  - Clean the house. 

This is essential in case a burglar should enter the house when gone. 

While stealing all my items he will certainly be impressed with the cleanliness of the floors.  This may delay him long enough for the neighbors to call the police.I am a little OCD about the cleaning before leaving.  I would hate to see the headline in the Courier

 'Local Woman Goes On Vacation - Leaves Dishes in Sink.'

The shame.  

Step Four - Pack.

What do I pack?  

1. Clothes

2. Everything else Target sells.

Step Five - go back around the house and reclean everything the children have undone while I was packing.

Once I am done cleaning again i will surely have the pleasure of repacking everything the children unpacked while I was cleaning.

This will happen repeatedly...,,

Step Six - Freak out on husband about the things still left to do while he stares at me like I have lost my mind.  

Step Seven - Drink the beverage he just handed me.

Step Eight - Go to bed.

Let him pack the rest, whatever it may be, I'm sure it will be fine.

Step Nine - Wake up.  Decide it's best not to check the luggage to see what he packed. Just knowing  he fit 10 days of needs into half the space of a suitcase is scary enough.

Load it all in the van and GO!!

Step Ten - Throw the plan away.

1. We didn't need it anyway. ;)