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my6angels
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:37am | IP Logged
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Hi everyone!!
We are leaving for vacation in 2 weeks. We are heading to a log cabin in Michigan (about 7 hours drive). I would love any tips you might have for a nice peaceful trip ( especially keeping the kids entertained in the van). Any packing tips also - luckily there will be a washer and dryer so that helps! We haven't been on vacation for 2 years. Now we have two more children who are babies so any advice would be helpful! Thanks so much!! 
God Bless!!
Gina
Wife to Mark (12 years)
Mama to Cecilia 10, Savanna 7.5, Leo 6, Neve 4,
Fintan 22 months and Aurelia 10 months
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anitamarie
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 12:44pm | IP Logged
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DVD Player.  I know a lot of people don't like them. We only use ours on trips . I think it's easier on them, since they have to be strapped in so tightly in ways we didn't.
Also, my dh and arrange the seating in the van so that whichever parent is not driving is between the 2 youngest dc to help entertain. My youngest loved to have her foot and hand traced on a Magnadoodle. That and repeatedly drawing Elmo was good for about 300 miles once. And we separate, to the best of our ability, anyone who is not getting along.
Everybody gets a bag of stuff. Sometimes we put new little things, books, puzzle books, crayons, small toys, and a new DVD in each bag. Sometimes they fill it themselves, with supervision.
If you go the route of putting new stuff in the bag, you can also time when they can pull out something new. Maybe make copies of the map and circle points along your route. Then they can watch each point get closer along the way.
My dc are very high energy and so we stop for long picnic meals and even for snack to let them blow off steam. It takes us longer, but it is a lot more pleasant. Some of the rest areas now have playgrounds  . Love those states!!
Good luck. Enjoy yourselves.
Anita
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 7:04pm | IP Logged
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We bring along lots of fun CDs like Jim Weiss and Hank the Cowdog.
I spy books for the four and up crowd, plus lots of other books even for the toddler.
Lots of snacks!
Try to plan the bulk of the driving very early or very late so the kids sleep!
The funniest advice I ever got for toddlers on a road trip was to give him a box of band-aids to play with. He has fun opening them and sticking them all over himself. Also, a box of tissues to pull out to his heart's content!
I always pack light if there is a w/d. Three outfits per child (except the baby), one on, one clean and one in the washer.
Good luck! A log cabin in the woods sounds lovely!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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stellamaris
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| Posted: July 22 2009 at 7:21am | IP Logged
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The most successful drive I ever did with the children was to Florida. We traveled about 6-7 hours of driving time each day. Every 2-3 hours we stopped at a site of interest on the road. I tried to pick places that involved walking or some kind of active play. We stopped at a natural park walking area, a children's museum, and St. Augustine. Each stop was about 1 1/2 hours, but it was worth it to keep the trip easy. If you can't find any place to stay and sight see, even just getting out for 15-20 min. to play frisbee is helpful. Also, try to work it around naps, and, like Molly said, plenty of snacks! Fun activities include: a cookie sheet and magnetic colorforms/letters, felt books, picture books (especially lift-the-flap ones), one of those magnetic sealed pictures with the iron filings and wand to make "hair" pictures (kwim?).
Have a great trip!
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In Christ,
Caroline
Wife to  dh 30+ yrs,ds's 83,85,89,dd's 91,95,ds's 01,01,02,grammy to 4
Flowing Streams
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my6angels
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| Posted: July 22 2009 at 8:03am | IP Logged
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Thank you do much for all these wonderful tips!! You've all been so helpful!
Have a wonderful day!
God Bless!
Gina
Wife to Mark (12 years)
Mama to Cecilia 10, Savanna 7.5, Leo 6, Neve 4,
Fintan 22 months and Aurelia 10 months
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: July 23 2009 at 6:00am | IP Logged
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We'll wave as you drive by Gina! Hope the weather warms up a bit for you. It's been wonderfully cool here in our part of MI, but not everybody finds that so wonderful!
I just wanted to second what Caroline said about stopping periodically. It was SO HARD to get my husband to do this the first time. But the kids were so much more peaceful and actually took longer naps after playing at a rest stop for a while, that now we plan in lots of stops when we take a trip.
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: July 23 2009 at 9:47am | IP Logged
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We don't do longer stops, we find they rile everyone up usually just after everyone has finally settled in. And we go through the whole process of settling in again.
Exception is if it's a really long trip (12 hrs or more not just 7ish) we will do a longer stop midway for a meal and play.
My kids do much better with streamlined bathroom stops and being kept in the car where they can resign themselves to the fact that we're IN THE CAR for however long.
I also find that less is more.. the more stuff I brought and did to entertain them the more they thought they were supposed to be entertained for the entire ride.. 15 minutes of a new thing and they were clambering for something else new.
Yes they can bring books or simple toys, we don't do a dvd in the car partly because I can see the battles looming over who gets to be closest and how loud it needs to be for those in back vs those in front plus with littles still rearfacing that presents other problems when they need the most entertaining (siblings are best at this)
And I do bring snacks.
But I also allow them to be bored and stare out the windows or nap or whatever.
OH! and if we're going to be traveling in the evening as it's getting dark but the toddlers aren't ready for sleep.. they'll scream just from having to sit in the dark. One of those glo-worm type of toys with the face that lights up real softly when you squeeze the tummy... tie a bandana around the tummy to keep it lit and it's just enough light to calm the toddler but not enough to bother the driver or other vehicles.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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Mary K
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| Posted: July 23 2009 at 10:18am | IP Logged
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bring a list of out of car games-ones that have them looking out the windows. for example: find something Color, shape, texture,etc.; the alphabet game or counting 0-9. the minister's cat (use adjectives of a particular letter to describe the cat, when a word is repeated choose a new letter, little ones can say anything about the cat).
my children made up an active car game: lift feet at railroad tracks, duck head when going under an overpass,, sway by flags, etc.
mary-ny
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my6angels
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| Posted: July 23 2009 at 8:55pm | IP Logged
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Wow, these are all great ideas!! I'm printing them out right now 
Thanks so much!!
God Bless!!
Gina
Wife to Mark (12 years)
Mama to Cecilia 10, Savanna 7.5, Leo 6, Neve 4, Fintan 22 months and Aurelia 10 months
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Vacation tips needed
