practice

I'm trying to think about how we can simplify, simplify and then simplify some more when it comes to traveling. Not an easy feat when traveling with five other active human beings!

I am looking at our local trips as practice trips and fine tuning at every turn. We're headed out tomorrow on a day trip to see the Dead Sea Scrolls about 2 hrs away. There will be two adults and six kids in a suburban.

What to take, what not to take.....what works, what doesn't.

One area that needs some work is the tote bags the kids bring. It's great that they are in the habit of bringing them, but they are also in the habit of stuffing those bags as full as they can. Then those bags EXPLODE all over our vehicle.

And getting a cranky 6 yr old to pick up a bag full of stuff spread over a suburban is no easy task. In fact I usually opt to pass on trying to get him to do it when we get home. But then inevitably some other family member ends up picking up the stuff, and if I'm lucky, it happens within 24 hrs of the explosion. Otherwise we have Max stuff kicking around the car for weeks on end.

On the Michigan trip I was very strict and the bags were only allowed two or three items. Then I was even stricter with Max, an older brother got to have the bag and he was only allowed one item at a time out. Boy what a difference that made!

I think we'll be trying that again tomorrow.