Road Trip

#1 came back from 4-H Congress this morning. He did not win a medal at the presentations competition, but I am very proud of him just the same. He had practiced and reworked the speech so much that by the night before he left he could nearly say it from memory. AND he showed emotion when he spoke. That was probably the biggest accomplishment. Anyway, he had a good time, though I haven't gotten much information out of him yet, and he wants to go again next year. He wasn't home 10 minutes when I sent him outside to start raking grass. We have to get everything done today before we head out on our "Road Trip" tomorrow. I am excited about it. The kids are interested, but excitement is missing since their friends aren't going with us. Hubby is looking forward to it, but excited isn't a common emotion for him either. We will spend a day and two nights with Hubby's brother in Indy. We don't get to their house very often, maybe once every few years, if that. It will be a long ride to get there, but then we can take the rest of the trip slower. I checked out books on tape, borrowed movies from a friend, borrowed a GameBoy from another friend, and there is schoolwork and books to read. I think the kids will be just fine. #1 was complaining about coming back from WV last week with no movies. I said, "You know that trip we're getting ready to take? When I was younger than you I went ALL the way to California, and we didn't have a video player." "Yeah, but you didn't know any better," he answered. Touche. I think it will be great though. We are starting the real site-seeing with the Badlands in SD. They are similar to the Grand Canyon. We may take the scenic route through it to also see the National Grasslands. We will be reading Battle of the Little Bighorn as we go through that area. (Colonel Custer) Then we get to Mount Rushmore. We are thinking creative photographs there. The next big stop is Cody, WY. That was the home of Buffalo Bill. #1 dressed as Buffalo Bill and gave a presentation on him when he was in first grade. The boys (and their grandfather) love cowboys, so it should be a great stop. Besides that, #2 and I will get to sleep in a teepee in Cody! Touristy I know, but he is happy with it. Then we will finally get to Yellowstone. I looked at the weather and it is to be lows in the 37-39 degree range. Packing sweatshirts and planning on wearing layers. After that there is not much planned. We may see the Grand Tetons, Cheyenne, burial site of Sacajawea, a Pony Express station, a railroad museum with sod house, lots of options. Toward the end of the trip we will go to Hannibal, Missouri to tour the land of Mark Twain. We have books on tape and regular books for that adventure as well. Then we head to St. Louis for the tour of the Arch. I have a lot done so far, but still more to do. A friend is keeping the boys for a few hours while I try to do the last minute packing. This was a rest period for me. I will try to blog off and on through the trip to let you know how it is going, and of course to post pictures of the bison that we are definitely going to see. Thinking positive.