So, you picture something happening; someday. Then when it actually happens it isn't quite how you pictured it. Welcome to Sarah's world! Sarah is my friend from grad school who heroically offered to drive across the country with the girls and me. She claims she has always wanted to drive across the country...driving with two five-year olds was the part she may not have always pictured.
Sarah claimed she really likes to drive. And, that turns out to be the truth. With the exception of me pulling the minivan in and out of two hotel parking garages (and I seem to remember driving from the hotel to a Target in Illinois), Sarah drove from Montana to Virginia. I rode shotgun, dispensed snacks, changed the DVD player and "navigated" (This means I sat with a road map on my lap, double-checking the directions given by the GPS) while Sarah and I chatted for 3,000 miles.
Sarah also did cool things like show Madeleine and Emily how to do handstands and somersaults in the pool! Introduce us to the silly bandz craze and braid the girls' hair into a whole bunch of little braids; resulting in the the desired "wavy hair". Not to mention, putting up with the girls' mother who is sometimes a bit "cranky" when in an enclosed environment for a long period of time.
You would think we would have a photo of the girls with Sarah, but no! We kept meaning to take one and then Sarah became a bit camera-shy as the trip went on because of a small, suspicious rash that developed on part of her forehead about the third day of our trip. Turns out - shingles! Yep, travel with us and the stress brings out dormant viruses. Current reports are that the shingles have basically healed on Sarah's end...and we are past the Chicken Pox incubation period on our end (whew!).
Shockingly enough, Sarah claims she is mentally planning next summer's route....we shall see!
The only state we hit driving east that we missed driving west.
The "informative sign" at the rest area says it all...."Wild Madeleine" on the left and "Wild Emily" on the right.
This was a major disappointment for me. Mom and Dad and I saw the Crazy Horse Monument in 1999 when we drove from New York after I finished grad school. It basically looked like this - photo taken in 2010. I thought there would have been major progress, guess not. It seems they don't take any government funding and are apparently having a bit of an issue raising money.
Emily (L) and Madeleine (R) entering the Avenue of Flags at Mount Rushmore.
The three of us, and a few others, in front of the four gentlemen.
Madeleine asking a park ranger what her job entails. While at Mt. Rushmore, the girls became "Junior Rangers" for the U.S. National Parks. This involved filling out a booklet of questions, passing an oral exam and swearing an oath to protect the national parks.
Emily in yellow and Madeleine in purple taking their oath. (The oath was pretty prescribed, but this ranger was great. She added on a whole bunch of stuff about telling other kids not to climb the rocks, listening to parents and getting along in the car!)
Ranger Emily! Her badge blends into her shirt a bit...but you can obviously see the certificate!
Ranger Madeleine! Her badge is visible - and so is the glee on her face!
Not only did we get to go right by Sturgis, SD during the week of the Sturgis Rally,
we got to do it on the 70th Anniversary year. Talk about lucky timing!
Many would not consider a child sleeping in a car photo-worthy. Sarah and I beg to differ. This was the ONLY time either child slept in the van - BOTH directions.....after Rushmore. The nap lasted for about 30 minutes. Madeleine.
Emily
Back to the Ingalls' Homestead and driving covered wagons. This time Theodore (class mascot) got out of the van too and went in the wagon with us!
Going to school on the prairie. Madeleine on the left and Emily on the right.
Emily making rope.
Madeleine making rope.
Grinding wheat using a coffee mill. Laura wrote about this in The Long Winter.
Heading out.
One day we used the GPS to find a park after we got to our hotel. We thought the girls might want to play on the playground...not an overwhelming success (lots of tired people, plenty of "grumpies", hotter than Hades, a mother with NO patience, etc.), but we did stumble upon a community event where they had set up a misting station. Sarah in the background with one of us - guess we do have a photo!
Emily and Madeleine reading maps they picked up at an Indiana rest area...look closely and you will see little hands holding the maps.
Our last night in a hotel (Charleston, WV) and we have silly bandz and braided hair! Emily on the left and Madeleine on the right...not pictured, HOURS Sarah spent doing hair!
Theodore was so excited to see Virginia again, he jumped up on the dashboard as we crossed the state line!).
Emily (L) and Madeleine (R) ready for the first day of school 2010-2011!! (There is not a significant height difference - just posture in this particular photo). There was some serious consternation that we could not wear sandals with our dresses, but the school rule is "playground shoes"! So be it.
Madeleine's response to being told we could go out to lunch after I picked up the girls from school.
Emily's response to the same announcement.
The girls showing off the Disney princess rings we made yesterday. It was requested we wear these to school. The request was vetoed. The rings were worn in the car, but did not go into the school building.
Emily (L), Madeleine (R).
Madeleine's end result (please excuse the bedding in the photo and the lack of the rest of the hand...I took the pictures in the dark while the girls were sleeping).
Emily's nails.
