Boys Weekend

I'm not sure if it was courage or foolishness that made me think driving solo with two kiddos for ~7.5hrs would be a good idea. I think it was probably both. Regardless, we packed up and made our way for a Labor Day Weekend trip to Nashvegas while Ms. Schwangston was preparing to head on her first solo adventure in quite a while. 

Carter's enthusiasm for the trip carried us through the mountains and made the trip pretty easy on both Owen and myself.  He began by packing his own suitcase the night before.  What does a toddler pack in a suitcase, you ask?  Well, a few books, Buzz Lightyear, a wrench, some cars, trucks, his Zebra & Bear, a soccer ball, and one toy for Owen (such a good big brother right?).  Although he decided later that the toy for Owen was a "baby" toy and should be for Baby Olive instead (sorry about your luck O).  He was prepared for the long weekend.

The trip started at about 5:15 AM as I loaded groggy kiddos in the car and began the trip in the dark.  It was a good strategy as we made quick time and were kinda quiet/content to ride along for the first few hours.  Carter and I passed the time by acknowledging the major cities that we passed on the way -- Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Hickory, Statesville, Asheville, Knoxville, Cookeville, and Nashville.

We made our first stop in Hickory for some pancakes and to stretch our legs.  From there, we powered through the mountains and discovered to the awe of tunnels.  Carter was less impressed with the mountains but thought driving through the tunnels was great fun.  We stopped again in Knoxville to meet up with Mark and get some more food at the BFF of obesity COOKOUT.  We ordered a hamburger combo that came with a side of chicken nuggets and french fries and a shake.  The three of us pretty much ate from one COOKOUT meal.  Knoxville's health is in trouble if this chain grows in the area.  We found a new orange hat for C and then made the familiar trip from Knoxville to Nashvegas.

I was surprised how well the boys handled the trip.  Carter didn't sleep much, where Owen was asleep about 12 of the 15 hours on the road.  We missed our copilot tremendously. After rolling home much more fatigued from the trip, lack of sleep, etc., I don't anticipate repeating this solo adventure any time soon.

Thanks for reading...