The road trip part II

This summer, we took the kids on a 3 week road trip into America. I wish that I could describe the beauty we encountered as well as even one picture taken along the way, but we all know how futile that would be. Instead, I'd like to describe some of the pictureless moments. After a couple of days, we each fell into a flexible routine that could be grafted onto whatever landscape we happened to be traversing. Ted did the day driving and I took the night shift. The kids, totally open and uninhibited, never wondered why they'd fall asleep in the plains and wake up in the Rockies, or why they'd need winter coats one day and bathing suits the next. They were just eager for the Frisbee to be tossed, or the horses to be saddled. Every morning before the coffee was made, Charly would crawl up into Robby's nook, the two of them would snuggle while listening to music. Robby learned that when I get tired, I get silly, and when I get silly I have zero control of the situation. This realization culminated in many many displays of public embarrassment for the rest of the family. I think Maddy may have even rolled her eyes once or twice because of our antics. We know each other within the context of arches, mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts, sand dunes, forests, and bear tracks. No amount of daily grind can displace us from those memories.