*On the Road Again...

*Alternative titles: "The Gambler" or "Take this Job and Shove it."

So we are once again driving across the desert to return home. Car=repaired. They even washed it.

$500 car wash.

So I need to backup to remind you of the only incident we had on Christmas: My #1 son opened some books that Steve bought for the family (Watership Down and two of the LOTR series) and prior to opening any other presents threw himself face down on the floor in front of the Christmas tree (he told me later it was so no one would know he was sad which says something about his hiding skills) because he didn't want to have to read them? My poor husband really loves to read to the kids and it makes me sad they are not excited about being read to as he and I both were as kids (or so we remember). We have made it through HP #1-7 as well as partway through the Hobbit so I guess that says something.

Fast forward to today.

I am driving, listening to some newly loaded tunes on the Ipod when I hear a commotion in the back of the car. My son has gotten bored of the reading of Watership Down (what!) and claims he is SO bored his brain hurts. I feel so sad for my husband who has been twice rejected now by his children and I start laughing. Casey asks, between tears, why I am laughing and I told him it was because I was trying not to cry I felt so bad for daddy. He said I was really mean and he wished were in another family (I think we said "too bad you were not born into another family" to get him started along that vein) and then the whole car was in chaos--girls fighting over seating arrangement as well as why little sister couldn't listen to the MP3 player, etc.

What came to the rescue? Time Bandits. Steve's sister picked it up for him for Christmas and voilá the Little People bring back peace. Steve's comment: Good thing we have this DVD player in the car since nothing else we try appears to work. Amen my brother.