When Good Trips Go Bad {Car Sickness}

My 7-year-old was asleep as we drove the twisty road to the top of the mountain where Caesar's Head State Park is located. His older brother chatted with me as we climbed higher and the fog got thicker.

After arriving at the top, my youngest awoke and we all completed a fairly easy 2-mile hike before getting back in the car to head to our next stop. On our way down the mountain, we stopped to check out Bald Rock. Then we were on our way to Poinsett's Bridge.

The roads to Poinsett's Bridge were hilly but not that curvy. Apparently, it was all too much for my 7-year-old. 

As we passed the bridge and I was trying to figure out how to turn around to get back to the parking, I heard this sound that is recognizable to mothers everywhere...a dry heave. And then it happened. Everything a little boy had eaten that day came back up. His brother in the backseat next to him hollers as he throws up again. The second time cleared out what was left of his stomach contents.

So here I am in the middle of no where (there is a gravel parking area but not restroom facilities) in the December cold with a sick child covered all down the front of his coat, pants, and car seat. It took me a minute to gather my thoughts and figure out what to do first.

Thankfully, this was not a tourist hot spot swarming with people. We did see one other family as I was cleaning up the mess. The wife offered me a look of sympathy but I'm not sure she fully understood what I was dealing with. I wouldn't have expected anyone to offer to help me clean up the mess anyways.

The first step was to get a boy out and changed. I dug another outfit out of the suitcase in the back and had his brother stand with his coat open to block the view of anyone who might pull up. I found a plastic bag in the trunk to put the dirty clothes in. 

It was winter and the temps were in the 30s and 40s most days of our trip. We only had one winter coat, so I had to find another jacket.

He still needed to be able to ride in his car seat to get to our hotel 30 minutes away. My dad's pack rat habits paid off that day because in the trunk was a gigantic trash bag ( I call them body bags). It was big enough to wrap the whole car seat so my son could sit in it without getting dirty again.

When we checked into the hotel, I asked the clerk for directions to a car wash and laundromat. She gave excellent directions to both.

At the car wash, I used the power sprayer on the clothes and car seat to get rid of the caked on layers. Then we grabbed supper and spent our night at the laundromat washing clothes.

I was so proud that I survived! But I will pass on having that experience ever again.

When Good Trips Go Bad {Pack a First Aid Kit}

On our last trip, most of the time it was just me and my two boys. Things were going well! Maybe too well. 

We'd survived the first leg of our journey. I had jostled my memory and managed to navigate the streets of Atlanta safely and successfully. Now we were off for adventures in uncharted lands. 

OK, I had a Google map printout with directions to where we were heading and GPS on my phone, but it was new to us.

We had stopped to see the scenic view at Bald Rock as we were leaving Casear's Head State Park in South Carolina. The rock was damp from fog and mist. Surprisingly, my boys' still had energy to burn and were running around. 

I had warned them to stay away from the edge, so they went running back up the hill while ignoring my request to stop running. 

Then it happened.

My youngest fell down. He didn't tear a hole in his pants, but the fall hurt enough that he felt he needed to show me his knee. So, scraping a knee isn't earth-shattering but it is a reminder that it's a good idea to pack a first aid kit.

When we returned to the car 5 minutes later, he showed me his knee. It had started to bleed a little. I tossed our first aid kit in the back seat and told him to put on some Neosporin and a band-aid.

The first aid kit had been a project for 4-H for the State Fair. It taught my boys about being prepared and came in handy on our trip. 

What should you include in your first aid kit? Ours was a small one, so we were limited to essentials. Here are some suggestions:

• Band-aids
• 1-inch-wide roll of medical tape
• 4" x 4" medical bandages
• Tum or Rolaids
• Pepto Bismal
• Small bottle or sample-size ibuprofen and acetamenophin
• Neosporin
• Anti-itch cream
• Plastic gloves 

If there is something specific that your family needs, then be sure to include it. What additions would you make?