Road tripping with a two year old.

    Dear people in the restaurant, please stop looking at me while acting like you're not looking at me. I KNOW my 2 year old is crying. Believe me. He's sitting right. next. to. me. Those sideways looks that say "MY child never did that" are not helping. In fact, as you look at me, I'm looking back at you and calling you a liar in my head.   I know, I know. That's not nice of me to think.  Anyway, while I'm at it...
    You parents or future parents that tell me that children only freak out in restaurants or scream during car rides because the kids aren't exposed to travel? Well, I'll put our travel miles next to yours any day. We have traveled the heck out of these kids. My 2 1/2 year has been to Disney. Twice. We make the 3 hour trek to visit family nearly every month. The kid just doesn't like long car rides. Our daughter hated car rides too. She would cry non-stop. It was torture on both sides. We continued to travel, and she continued to scream. If only kids would follow the "If this, then that" protocol. If I tell you to be quiet, and happy, then YOU be quiet and happy!  But what can we do? Our little guy is 2 1/2 (the most difficult age I've dealt with thus far). He has very strong feelings without the communication skills to tell us what those feelings are or why he has them.
    I don't know why my little guy happily asked for macaroni and cheese for lunch then started crying and refusing to eat anything for the next hour. Maybe he expected macaroni and cheese to instantly appear as soon as we asked? News flash, angry little boy, she's a waitress, not God. She can't speak macaroni and cheese into being. We have to wait. As I've said though, that shouldn't be news to him. We eat out all. the. time. This kid should know the drill. Mom and dad give people a list of food. We wait.  Food eventually appears. All is right with the world.  **sigh**
    So can you guess what I did today?  ;)  In all seriousness, we just got back from an especially relaxing weekend with our friends and family. Yes, the drive was less than fun, but I know these loud, unhappy car rides will be over before we know it. Not that we'll stop traveling, but the crazy creature that our two year old son has become will eventually turn into a normal, happy child again. A child who doesn't insist on stripping off all of his clothes and chewing on them when he's angry.  Really, WHY does he do that?!?!!?
   Until next time...
   

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