Wagon Trail

We took a weekend trip recently to Seattle.

As we drove through the northern Rocky mountains, winding our way through beautiful scenery, I asked Joe if he could imagine traveling this route way back when. You know, way back in the days of horses and wagons.

We both came to the conclusion that it would have sucked. Perhaps that's why my ancestors settled in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Who wants to travel any further when you've got good land and good climate?

But then I got to thinking ... (I was driving at the time and Joe wasn't talking to me. He was singing along with Red Hot Chili Peppers) ... My mind tends to wander some times.

What was it like for the parents and the kids during the times of traveling across the country in a wagon trail?

On our trips, we are constantly bombarded with questions: Are we there yet? How much longer? Caitlynn is a stickler for time and wants to know every 20 minutes our ETA at the destination. She doesn't like my answer of "we'll get there when we get there." Too vague for Miss Fussy Pants.

After Caitlynn asked me for the 15th time that hour, "How much longer to the hotel?", I found myself pondering what sort of things parents in the 19th century told their children who acted like mine, asking lots of questions and wiggling in their seats as I look for a place to take a potty break. Did they get irritated (like we do) when you have a make a bathroom stop 15 minutes after leaving the rest area?

Overhead on the Wagon Trail:

• Hell if I know when we'll get there! Never traveled this far west with you dad and he's refusing to stop for directions. 
• How much longer? We'll be there when the gosh darn wagon quits breaking down. 
• What? You have to "go" right now? We just packed up an hour ago. Why didn't you "go" then? Can you run and pee? We aren't going that fast. 
• Can you "hold it" until we stop? It will be just over those mountains... they don't look that far away. 

But just think about traveling back then. There weren't any rest areas, no gift shops, no stores selling a thousand different types of snack food and soda pop. Heck, there wasn't even any gum for them to chew (it's our "shut up" tool on long car rides, along with Tootsie Roll Pops). 

Yeah, traveling back then would have sucked, especially with Caitlynn and Miles.  Glad I'm around now. 

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Love Bites

Love triangles exist everywhere... soap operas, movies, TV shows, and in Kindergarten.

Yep Kindergarten. Love triangles. You heard right.

For the past few months, Miles has been bullied at school by one of his classmates. This bully has punched Miles in the stomach a few times and has been sent to the principal's office for his wrong-doings (yeah, he better be sent to the office... that little turd muffin... hittin my kid... how dare he?).

Joe and I were worried that the bullying was a result of Miles's speech (he has a mild stutter). Oy vey. We even had a meeting at school about it.

But... I found out the real reason for the bullying.

The bully is jealous of Miles.

You see, Miles has a female admirer. I haven't seen this little girl because, frankly, I rarely ever see the kids at school (that's Joe's arena). However, I have met with his teacher and she thinks it's a good match and she didn't seem too surprised that Miles has a female fan. He's always had a fan club of sorts. Girls like him. Boys want to be his friend. Yeah. He's that awesome.

Matters get sticky whenever I bring up his admirer. Miles gets embarrassed and upset, so I try not to bring up the topic. Sometimes I just don't want to deal with a crying 6-year-old.

I wanted to learn more about his female buddy, so I waited until we had a chance to talk about his bully (the sneaky Mom trick). Miles was quite frank about it... his bully likes his female friend, but the female friend doesn't like the bully.  And ... it gets better ... they all sit at the same table. Every day, the kinder-love triangle gets played out for all to see. Yeah. Hollywood couldn't have written a better script.

The only thing I'm unsure of is if Miles likes his female soul mate. He's at the stage where "girls are gross" and he would rather not discuss matters of the heart with his mamma.

For now, he'll the elusive boy that everyone wants to be with but is waiting for his real soul mate to enter stage right or through the doors of the gymnasium that is decked out in balloons and streamers for the end of the year dance.

Or it will be until he stops thinking girls are made of smelly goo.







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