The Road Home: July 6, 2012

(click here for today's pictures)

Last night before the kids really went to sleep, Anderson and Campbell were goofing around and I drug Anderson in his sleeping bag to another part of the room.  He was well aware that I did this and even laughed about enjoying the ride.  But around 3 this morning, he was pulling on my shirt telling me that Campbell was in his spot.  I couldn't figure out how Campbell could have moved that far but Anderson was the one that had moved to his old spot.  I tried to show him that his blankets and sleeping bag were on this side of the room but he was sure that he had been sleeping in his original spot.  I finally agreed and moved everything back to where he thought he was sleeping.  
Around 6, Graham climbed in bed with us.  Keaton was in between us and Graham was laying on the other side of me on the edge.  I was trying my best to keep my hand on him and Keaton but must have loosened my grip on him.  I woke up to a kerplunk and then Robby leaning over me saying to him "you're okay, hop up."  He didn't seem to mind too much and was probably still asleep. 
We didn't stay in bed too long because they started hammering in this hotel pretty early.  Campbell kept asking "why are they banging?"  It wasn't that loud and didn't bother us too much because it was nearly 9:45 when we pulled out of the parking lot.  What also took a bit of time was getting the girls dressed-Reagan, who never ever wore shorts last year, only wants to wear shorts this year and today's outfit was not shorts.  She didn't complain to much buy Campbell had plaid shorts to wear and she did NOT want to wear them.  This was her second time to wear them on the trip and her second time to throw the biggest fit.  They are actually Reagan's shorts (yes, Campbell can wear Reagan's shorts) and maybe that is why she doesn't like them.  But she doe NOT like them and lets everyone know about it.
I passed out breakfast in the car-pop tarts, donuts and peanuts.  Yep, peanuts.  The kids saw them in the snack box and wanted them.  So I obliged and we finished off the entire jar for breakfast-what am I going to do when they are all teenagers?  We drove, drove, drove this morning.  We actually didn't stop until almost 1 when we had lunch at Krystals.    The kids were sadly unimpressed with the little Krystals burgers.  
But they were very impressed with the train crossing the train track that we saw a big later.  Campbell screamed the entire time shouting "train track, train track."  I did hand the kids out a prize today-a book of mazes.  Reagan and Anderson did most of theirs and seemed to enjoy it.  I thought that Graham would have been able to do more but he gave up quickly and I had also thought that Campbell would have enjoyed coloring on her book but she did not!  So that prize was a bust!  Actually I had given out some other little trinket earlier in the day and it was a bust too.  I am out of prizes and we are still too far away from home for that to happen.
But let's talk about coming down off of a high.  Disney is surely a high but driving between Valdosta and Huntsville today is most definitely a low!  Ha!  Our route today was Valdosta to Huntsville with a stop at a battlefield in between.  We had talked about visiting a Civil War battlefield since Reagan and Anderson would learn about the Civil War this year in school.  And even though the drive was a bit longer today because of our battlefield stop it was fine because we considered it to be educational.  So we drive up, take our pictures outside and then go inside.  As we were looking at the information center/museum, Robby noticed that this battlefield wasn't from the Civil War-it was from the War of 1812.  Ha!  That was fine too but we probably would have skipped it had we known it  wasn't from the Civil War!  We did need an activity today and this did fit the bill.
We were at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park.  Anderson was so happy to see the cannon out front.  He asked for me to take a picture of him, frame it and then set it next to my picture of when he was the "powder monkey" on another trip.  Later he was playing like he was loading the cannon, and then that child ran away, counted down and covered his ears until his cannon fired in his imagination.  This reminded me of when he was a baby and screamed all during a cannon demonstration in Mississippi.  
After driving the park loop road, we were then on our way.  We passed a small country church on the side of the road and Campbell started asking "why we go to church? why we go to church?"  And yes, it is her new thing to repeat everything twice.  It is enough to make a person go crazy, it is enough to make a person go crazy.  See what I mean? see what I mean? Enough of that, enough of that.
We made it to Birmingham during rush hour and the kids were going wild.  That was probably because they had only been out of the car at lunch, one bathroom stop and at the battlefield.  We found an O'Charleys to eat supper at and went in.  Campbell tried to tell the waiter that she wanted a diet coke but we quickly reminded that child that we were no longer on the Disney dining plan and it would be water from here on out.  
Reagan was being very adventurous and tried some of my broccoli.  Actually, it wasn't "my" broccoli, it was just on my plate.  I don't really like broccoli unless it is on recipe-smothered in mayo.  Graham decided that he wanted to try something new too so I gave him a bite of my tomato.  He gladly took a bite and we asked if he liked it.  He replied yes and kept chewing and chewing and chewing.  Finally, we saw him gulping his water.  I asked if he wanted some more and he declined.  Maybe he didn't like it after all.
Our hotel is in the Huntsville airport.  We have stayed in airport hotels but never one connected to the airport, so that will be fun for the kids in the morning to really get to see.  The rooms are pretty small so we are wall to wall luggage and kids.  After everyone's baths, they all laid down.  For some reason, which I now can't remember, I started dancing and Campbell quickly joined me and then Anderson did as well.  We had ourselves a little dance party before bed.  Poor Graham though, his foxy didn't make it inside tonight.  Hopefully he will sleep fine without it.  I am 75% sure that it is in the car but the other 25% unsure may just keep me up tonight!  Okay, if foxy isn't in the car we are fine-I just checked ebay and can get one there.  Tomorrow is a big day-the unclaimed baggage center and space camp!  Woo hoo!

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