Trip to Kansas

I have had people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them about my trip to Kansas. I actually find it quite miraculous. My grandma (my dad's mom) lives in Kansas and has never met my kids, so this was something I knew I wanted to do while we were in the States. But Kansas isn't the easiest place to get to with two kids. Growing up, we usually drove to Kansas, but it takes 8 hours from Dallas - and we're starting in Waco..so make that a 10-hour car ride there AND back. I thought that would be near-child cruelty so I decided we couldn't do that. We could break it up and spend the night in Oklahoma..(woohoo fun!) and realized that would take us 4 days just to get there and back. again decided that wasn't a good idea either. oh and one other small note....Pete wasn't coming:)

So I came up with a brilliant plan and here's what our day looked like:
5:30am Wake up, get ready, feed Noah
6:00 Wake Livvy up, get in the car, drive to the airport in Dallas (2 hours)
Stop at Starbucks in Hillsboro and put Noah's pacifier back in:)
8:15 Arrive at airport - somehow get 2 kids, 2 carseats, and 1 bag to the terminal (alone!) and meet up with my mom (I had to have some help for this trip!)
9:50 Fly to Tulsa, Oklahoma
11:00 Arrive in Tulsa and rent a car
11:30 Start the 2 1/2 hour drive to Girard, Kansas...my grandparents hometown - a place of many many fond memories from my childhood!
1:00 Eat lunch at Braum's - yum! Where noah had his first taste of ice cream - see video below
2:30 Pull up at Grandma's and see her for 1 hour. It was a VERY sweet time together. I think it was a very special time for her to meet my dad's grandkids. We all cried, of course.
3:45 Left grandma's and drove back to Tulsa
7:40 Flew back to Dallas
8:40 Arrive in Dallas and get in car. I planned to stay at my friend's house in Dallas, but as I got on the highway, I was feeling pretty good. I was about to turn around and head back to Waco (another 2 hour drive) but there was bumper to bumper traffic and so we stayed the night in Dallas. If it weren't for that traffic, I think I would have driven back to Waco that night!

Crazy, I know. but my kids were miraculously AMAZING. Livvy didn't have any fits or tantrums, she was obedient and LOVED flying on the plane. Granted, she watched about 6 hours of Dora on our iphone..but, hey..you do what you have to do, right??? Noah did awesome, he slept in the car on each trip and was awake and happy when we were out of the car! I am SO thankful they did so well! my mom and I didn't do so bad ourselves either.