I remember when my first (and at that time only) child was a toddler (not quite three years old) and my husband and I decided to go on a beach vacation.
I carefully packed her things, including the bag with a change of clothes and a couple of toys. We ate a good breakfast, loaded her into the carseat (where she promptly feel asleep), and got an early start driving to the beach.
All was calm and quiet for a few hours. My husband and I talked, listened to the radio, and generally looked forward to our much-needed break from work.
At nine a.m. it was like a switch went off. Our daughter awoke.
“I’m hungry,” she said. “I wanna eat.”
Had I remembered to pack her a mid-morning snack? No, I had not.
Five minutes later. “Time to eat yet?”
“Not quite yet, honey,” try to wait.
Two minutes later. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”
Did I mention where we were at this point on time?
Yes, not only were we in the car, but we were driving on a fairly desolate stretch of highway out in the middle of “nowhere.” There was not a convenience store, not a grocery store, no fast food restaurants, nothing that sold food in sight — just miles and miles of empty highway.
Not even a minute later, starting to sob, “I wanna eat now, I want something to eat.”
She’s screaming now: “MOMMY, THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!!” (This from a toddler who is not yet three years old.)
We finally did come to a small town with a mom and pop hamburger stand and you’d better believe that we stopped.
I’m sure the wait staff wondered about the weird out-of towners who stopped and ordered burgers at ten a.m. in the morning.
Have I ever forgotten to pack a snack on a roadtrip with the kids since that time? You’d better believe that I have not. To this day we always travel with a well-stocked car.
This has been an entry into Lillie Amman’s It’s Funny Now group writing project AND the Family Vacation group writing project at Babylune. I hope you’ve enjoyed it!
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
17 responses so far ↓
1 Rowena Joy's LIFE!'s Journal — Flight Tickets Online // Aug 31, 2007 at
[…] she promptly feel asleep), and got an early start driving to the beach. All was calm source: My Family Vacation Memory Its Funny Now, But…, […]
2 Babylune // Aug 31, 2007 at
[…] at Writing Thoughts took a three year-old on a road trip to the beach. Perhaps this is the reason why the Family Vacation GWP hasn’t really taken off. […]
3 Lillie Ammann // Aug 31, 2007 at
Laura,
I laughed out loud at the “worst day of my life!” This is a great entry for both writing projects. Thanks for participating.
4 Mihaela "Mig" Lica // Aug 31, 2007 at
So, as usual, Laura shows us how productive she can be and catches two group projects with the same shot. 🙂
A very nice entry. Happy Blog Day!
5 Laura // Sep 1, 2007 at
Hi Lillie!
I’m glad that you found it funny. I always have trouble with humor. Something that I find funny might not be amusing to others at all …
Hi Mig!
Well, I wanted to do both GWPs, and had been thinking about the vacation incident for Lillie’s GWP anyway when I realized it would also fit the Babylune GWP. I want to do the MZM GWP too, but there’s no way this post would have fit THAT topic. 🙂
6 alicia // Sep 3, 2007 at
“MOMMY, THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!!â€
Haha, I cracked up at that!
7 A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye » Blog Archive » It’s Funny NOW, But Then … Roundup // Sep 5, 2007 at
[…] Laura at WritingThoughts writes about a family trip to the beach with a toddler. You’ll get a good laugh from what her not-yet-quite-three-old said. […]
8 Lillie Ammann // Sep 5, 2007 at
I’ve posted the roundup of entries, and I’m giving entrants a small thank-you gift – details are in the roundup post.
9 Laura // Sep 5, 2007 at
Hi Alicia!
I’m so glad that somebody beside me finds it funny! 🙂
10 ACTOR HEADSHOT L.A. // Sep 23, 2007 at
BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF THE FREQUENT ROQD TRIPS OUR FAMILY MADE! WE HAD 11 KIDS (SO MANY MY DAD BOUGHT A USED CAD. LIMO.TO HOLD ALL OF US) MY MOM BECAME VERY ENTERPRISING AT PACKING FOOD FOR IN BETWEEN MEALS FOR THE TRIP. BUT ONE TIME I REMEMBER SHE ONLY HAD COCOA COLA AND MARSH MELLOWS LEFT. YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO BE THERE!!! TODD
11 Laura // Sep 25, 2007 at
Hi ACTOR HEADSHOT!
Thanks for stopping by. I think most of us have these types of memories. They are much fun at the time, but looking back …
12 44 Top Family Vacation Blogs // Aug 8, 2010 at
[…] My Family Vacation Memory – One woman’s memory of her first family vacation with a toddler. […]
13 Anya // Aug 3, 2011 at
We all have first-road-trip-with-a-kid stories!I remember making a 10 hour drive to my brothers wedding with my 4 year old. As we were driving through the desert, she needed to pee.(Why does it always happen in remote spots?)My husband pulled over and I tried to help her squat near a bush and pee. She sat for a minute and then said “My potty wants to go to the wedding too!”
14 Ray // Sep 1, 2011 at
@Anya “……..then said “My potty wants to go to the wedding too!”
I just love those memories you can pull out at a future family occasion like an 18th party! If you think that’s a bit too mean you can at least tease her with it when she’s older.
15 Joel // Nov 2, 2011 at
Laura, this part really hit home with me – ‘Yes, not only were we in the car, but we were driving on a fairly desolate stretch of highway out in the middle of “nowhere.”’
“I WANT TO EAT NOW!”
I just had the exact same experience on a road trip with my young family. Lesson learned, and I guess it’s nice to know I’m not the only one this has happened to.
Thanks for sharing.
16 Laura Spencer // Nov 8, 2011 at
Thanks Joel!
I think many with young children would relate. 🙂
17 It’s Funny NOW, But Then … Roundup : Lillie Ammann, Writer & Editor // Jun 2, 2012 at
[…] Laura at WritingThoughts writes about a family trip to the beach with a toddler. You’ll get a good laugh from what her not-yet-quite-three-old said. […]