Off Topic

Well, I have decided that our first stop will be at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (http://www.nps.gov/sucr/index.htm).  I've consulted with the kids, and in the interest of getting there with enough time to enjoy the visit, we'll plan just the one park for the day.  I figure that if we leave by 4:30 AM, we'll be there by 3:00 PM and have 2 hours to explore and absorb.  Now I've just got to look up the child safety restraints, meal & gas stops for that first leg of the route. 

Otherwise, my only progress has been in scoring for $20 off Craigslist a brand new, still sealed Super Mario Brothers game for my oldest son's Nintendo DS.  He will not get to use it until the commencement of our trip.  That should keep him absorbed for hours on end and content to sit contained and restrained.

Off topic, however, I wonder if anyone else believes in dream divination, or journeys and meetings of the soul in dreams?  I had a mild nightmare (compared to those that leave me reeling in emotional agony for days) Friday morning that I had taken my boys to an indoors amusement park.  While at one of the attractions I met a fine lookin' fella and found myself caught up in exploring the possibilities with him.  I let my children run off to pursue the other rides while I focused on the guy.  After an hour, more or less, the interest faded, and I looked around for my boys.  At that point my oldest ran up to me, alone.  I asked where his brother was, and he did not know.  Nor could I find my youngest.  I had neglected my son, and he was lost to me.

That nightmare woke me, and I jumped out of bed to cook breakfast.  Suddenly my youngest was just standing there in front of me. I hadn't heard him come in, nor had I seen any motion.  He informed me that he had woken from a nightmare in which he was lost and could not find me.  He didn't remember the details, so I don't know how much more his dream paralleled mine.

Just Not Keeping Up

I'm not keeping up with this thing, and I know it.  Sorry, if anyone is reading it.  If so, do you know of any good podcasts?  That is one of the items I forgot on my list of things to do in preparation for our trip:  collect music. 

Also on that list is to review the child safety restraint and passenger laws for each of the states we'll be travelling through.  My oldest is 8 and sits in the front seat.  In our situation that is safest because of his autism condition.  When he's in the back he's wreaking such havoc that I can't pay attention to the road.  Our passenger airbag also turns off, and the seat goes far enough back that there's no chance of airbag injury.  California allows for passengers of 6 years or more to ride in the front, so given our situation, that is how we travel.  However, do other states require children to be older than 8 to ride in the front?  What about car seats?  Is a booster seat enough in all the other states for a 4 year old?  Do any actually require a booster for an 8 year old (I'm thinking California may have them beat with our state recommendation to keep kids in one until the age of 8.) 

I also want to see about travel DVD players.  I think they could make a big difference in our sanity.  There's only so much of the alphabet game you can play.  Nor do I know if my 4 year old can survive that game. 

Then I'm realizing that in order to visit 2 parks a day, I'll pretty much have to drive to one the night before so we can visit it first thing in the morning, and select the second one within about a 4 - 6 hour drive.  That may not be realistic.  We may really only be able to stop at one attraction a day.  I've really got to sit down and start the heavy planning and mapping.  It was on the agenda for this weekend...