We made the 1,500 mile (2,432 km) drive out to New Brunswick in our VW Golf. (Yes, you can fit 3 carseats in the back of a Golf, to the amazement of my SUV- and minivan-driving friends!) We broke the drive into three days: 6 hours to Eric's sister, 15 hours, and 6 hours. The second day was rough. It's hard for little kids to sit still all day. At the end of the second day, we erected a cardboard barrier between Dio and Inga to protect her from kicks and pinches.
A portable DVD player borrowed from Eric's sister helped the last two days go more smoothly. Eric was really opposed to the DVD player. "I don't want our kids to be plugged in," he said. But I insisted we at least bring it with us and use it when/if the kids became too restless. We put on movies about half the time, taking breaks until the kids started become very irritable and bored (meaning they started to hurt Inga, poor thing).
The second night, we stayed at a hotel with an indoor pool and hot tub. We swam in the morning until the kids got all their energy out. Definitely a must-do on the way home.
When we weren't watching movies, we ate snacks, sang songs, played "I spy", told stories, and listened to NPR. And somehow we survived the drive.
Our Golf performed beautifully, getting close to 50 mpg. I love my diesel VW!
Now if the weather would just warm up...it's been unseasonably cold and I didn't pack enough warm clothing.
That's awesome!! Any pictures? I've love to see how those 3 cuties fit in their seats in the back of it! :)
ReplyDeleteMy hubby bought our DVD player for an 18 hour trip to Chicago with two preschoolers, and I felt the same way your hubby did. But about half way there, I realized that I'd married a genius and that it was money well spent. They did fine, for the most part, but at 6 months pregnant, my pelvis and sciatic nerve were very angry with me for sitting that long. I hope your trip back is just as nice!
ReplyDeletePoor Inga! We used to start our road trips in the evenings so the kids would be excited for the first few hours. We'd stop for dinner at a mall after a few hours so they could get some energy out and by then it was bedtime. We'd drive for a few hours while they slept and then stop for the night at about midnight. A motel with a pool was always a treat as were the breakfasts. Then we'd to the rest of the trip with plenty of books on CD, snacks, games and bathroom breaks.
ReplyDeleteDo you have access to biodiesel in your neck of the woods? Are you able to run your VW on biodiesel in the warmer weather? I am thinking of moving to a rural area which would mean making my own biodiesel (for my VW Golf) for the 1st time.
ReplyDeleteWe are driving from east of Toronto, to Indianapolis in July, with three kids. I'm scared! LOL. We have a little 4Runner, and while they "fit", it means the one in the middle gets only a lap belt :( However, our in laws will be driving too, so we can share the kids with them! Yay! I'm wondering about possibly erecting some dividers too...
ReplyDeleteI loved my big ol' Lincoln Towncar, vintage 1989! It fit 3 carseats just fine, but alas it was on its last legs and I opted to trade it in, Now I have room for 7 but I only get 18MPG! :( Oh well lucky the farthest I drive is to Peoria, 16mi and church 9mi!
ReplyDeleteWhen you dont let your kids watch too many movies, the become a godsend when you need them! Mine whine that I ofen dont let them have any TV in a week at all, but when I do the sit there like zombies! My friends kids always have the tv on and they only sit for about 15mins of a new movie before they get up and run off!
Have a fun time and a safe trip home!
I would think your hubby would be more realistic now that he is on kid #3!!! Let him drive them himself if he has such crazy thoughts.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, I bet that 15 hr day was rough. We took our 3 kids on a 9 hr car ride (9 hrs on a Friday; 9 hrs back on Sunday), and it was pretty tough!!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed you got three car seats in the back of your car. We didn't realize that we couldn't get 3 car seats (2 infant carriers + booster) in the back of our sedan until we were coming home from the hosp with the twins. We ended up buying a Honda Odyssey that very week. Oy!