A Long Ride Home Can Ruin Everything

Connor hated the car when he was a baby. In fact, he was around 14 months old when he stopped screaming in the car with virtual certainty. And that was a blessing. It completely changed my willingess to use my car. Prior to that, rather than drive to the grocery store about a mile away, I would walk if I just needed a few things and Connor was with me. We'd walk everywhere we could, in fact, or I would run my errand when Ed was around so Connor could stay with him rather than get in the car. Ed did the same thing.

When we finally attempted our first long trip to Chincoteague, we left the house around 5 in the morning, drove until Connor woke up, played at a park, and then headed to Chincoteague at naptime. We were not about to risk awake car time. And even though Connor is quite pleasant in the car these days (although Helen is exhausting with her non-stop chatter), Ed and I still think twice before we get in the car. The memories of the screaming are strong.

After our very wonderful Chincoteage trip over July 4th, this past year, we drove home. Neither Helen nor Connor were excited to be in the car. And they let us know.

By the end of the car ride, we were all in  a negative frame of mind, and Ed and I were really doing our best not to let that anger show. At some point, Connor let me know that it had been a horrible vacation.

So right when we got home, we made two lists. First, we made a list of the things Connor insisted we do the next time we went to Chincoteague. All of the items on this list were put there because he either didn't get to do them and wanted to (and complained mightily about the injustice on the way home!), or he didn't get to do them as much as he wanted.

1. Get a toy.
2. Go to Mr. Whippy
3. Ride the ponies at Chincoteague Pony Center.
4. Ride the convertibles. (Little tiny cars that can be driven around Chincoteague.)
5. Golf - and not on Sunday because Connor doesn't want to play on the course with bumper baots. He wants to do a new one. Helen, however, likes the golf course with bumper boats.

Next, we made a list of all of the things we did get to do in Chincoteague. Connor had so much fun making this list, that by the end, he had remembered what an incredibly fun trip we had. It turned his whole mood around.

1. Rode the ponies at Chincoteague Pony Center.
2. We went to the beach.
3. We went to the golf course with the bumper boats.
4. We went to the Nature Center with the touch tatnk and Connor and Eamon held horseshoe crabs.
5. We went to Mr. Whippy's.
6. We rode Captain Barry's boat.
7. We rode bikes.
8. We played Trouble. (Thank you, Eamon!)
9. We ate cheese poofs (contributed by Helen).
10. We played with Helen's toys. Helen played with the cooking pot.
11. Connor rode a wave.
12. We went to the carnival.
13. We saw fireworks.
14. Mommy bought a pink hat.
15. Helen got a cupcake and Connor and Mommy got doughnuts.
16. We bured Helen and Connor in sand.
17. We went clamming with Captain Barry. Mommy found a lot. Connor, Helen, and Eamon dug them out.
18. Therese cooked periwinkles and we all ate them. We picked them with Captain Barry.
19. We went crabbing with Captain Barry and ate them for dinner.
20. We built a fort and animal hospital on the front porch.
21. We caught toads.
22. We walked to the lighthouse.
23. Connor crawled when a wave tried to wash him away.

Next time, I'm going to try and get Connor to make this list in the car rather than once we get home. It might make the drive more pleasant!

Elaine