3 children, 4 days, 1500 miles, 1 uncomfortable wedding

Last weekend we took a quick trip up to Minocqua, Wisconsin to attend Derek's step-dad's wedding. It has barely been a year since Derek's mother died. Being at that wedding was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I could barely keep breathing. It felt so very, very wrong to watch him get married to someone else, someone not like Sally at all, in the kind of ceremony that he and Sally had never wanted. And then the best man toasted and told the story of how they met (a very light, happy version) and said something like "you never know what twist of fate will bring two people together." I'm sorry, but Sally dying so Charles could meet someone else is not a twist of fate we can particularly appreciate. I mean we do not want him to be miserable and alone for the rest of his life but YKWIM. Then Charles and his new wife Lynne got up to speak. I expected some mention of Sally... not her name or anything obvious but at least a recognition of what had come before... a comment about how he was in such a bad place and Lynne saved him... anything. But there was none.

So, moving on to brighter and happier parts of our trip. We were in the car 5-8 hours every day but the kids did remarkably well. Poor Ronan, every time he fell asleep someone needed to pee and we had to stop and he got woken up. But for an 18-month-old he did really great. Wisconsin is absolutely beautiful. We had gorgeous weather everywhere we went. On the 4th of July we spend the night in Minneapolis, made a quick trip to the Mall of America and the cool aquarium there, and saw some great fireworks by the riverfront. I got to spend four solid days with my husband whom I rarely see these days. And it felt great to get back home at the end of the trip.

Lessons learned:

1. Pack however many toys you think will entertain your toddler, then go back inside and pack 3 times more.

2. If you go see fireworks in an unfamiliar town and you don't know where to park, do not under any circumstances park in a parking garage (or "ramp" as they call them in Minneapolis) and especially not on the 8th floor. I thought we were NEVER going to get out of there.

3. Saving the DVD player for a true emergency is a smart move. See #2.

4. Put your camera in your purse instead of the car bag, or the only pictures you will have will be of the kids sitting in the car. Mom of the year, here I come.

5. Do not hand your toddler a breakfast burrito to eat in their carseat.

6. If you cry at a wedding people will assume you are crying for good reasons and not bad.