Only Nine Hours!

We drove to Gammie's house today. When we undertake a trip to Texas, we never know exactly how it's going to go, but all trips seem to take on a personality of their own. This one was actually a pretty good one. We only stopped four times, there was a period of forty-two whole minutes when all three of the Wells brothers were actually asleep at the same time, Big Boy Micah told us when he needed to go potty and was able to wait until we made it to a good place to go, Conner played on his Leapster, Micah watched Backyardigans, Joey slept and ate his bib...and the trip that took me twelve hours a couple of months ago took us only nine! We discovered the secret to making this trip shorter, and we're never turning back -- don't feed the baby! Noooo... Joey just wouldn't eat. I actually think that if he could talk he would have said, "Mom, Dad, stop sticking that bottle in my mouth. I do not want to eat! I would rather watch my Conner and my Micah." This meant that there were no stops made just because Joey needed to eat, and at no point were we just hanging out waiting for him to finish. Thanks, Joey, for taking care of us!

And speaking of Joey, I must share the dilemma he's found himself in for the past few days. He loves to suck his thumb. He loves to suck his pacifier. (We call it a plug.) He loves to chew the plug. He loves it all, and often just can't decide which one it is that he needs or wants to do...so he ends up doing them all at the same time. In his head, I think it goes something like this: "Man, I'm getting tired. But Conner is reading a story to me and Micah is standing on his head on the couch. Can't...close...my...eyes...or...I'll...miss...something... Mooooom! I'm mad! Need some help here! (Insert the plug, latch on, eyes roll to the back of his head.) Oh, this is perfect. So good...must put hands on face. Oh, there's that thumb. It's good too, maybe I want it. (Thumb goes in the plug, suck-suck-suck-chew-suck-chew-chew, etc...) That's so good...maybe...it....won't....hurt.....to.....close......them......for.......a.......few........minutes........" One of our stops was at the Bass Pro Shop in Denham Springs. Bret had a couple of things that he was needing to pick up, and this store just happens to be really cool -- almost like going to the zoo or the aquarium. While Bret was shopping, the boys and I went in circles walking up the stairs and then riding down the glass elevator that went through the fish pond. Then we would walk past the catfish/huge snapping turtle pond and do it all again. Too cool! I don't know why we haven't been making this stop more regularly. Now we're at Gammie's house. Poppy's yummy gumbo (if you like that kind of thing anyway!) and ribs for dinner, caves made of couch cushions, lots of toys and books, Gammie and Poppy and Aggie and Uncle Kevin...life just can't get any better!

I hear there's something special in the works for tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see!