It's Not Going in the Car Unless It's on the List!

We've been trying to get down to my dad and stepmom's house for weeks now, but something always comes up. We've stayed there for one overnight since we had the Twinkeys. Pre-Twinkeys, we stayed overnight usually every 4-6 weeks. We miss them very much. My dad is great...it just took divorcing my mom to bring out the best in him. And his wife is amazing. She's very kindhearted and has loved my boys from the day she met them. What's not to love, right?

Anyhow, they've always lived in condos in/around Boston. We usually tie in a city experience for the monkeys...Museum of Science, etc. Well, ever since my dad and his wife bought their house a couple years ago, the boys have a new favorite pasttime there...floating in their indoor pool.

Doesn't that sound g.l.a.m.o.r.o.u.s.? Picture beautiful tile floors and walls made of window pane. Beautiful, hmmm? Well, their pool room is, um, opposite of that. It's very Brady Bunch. And I don't mean this as an insult! It is such a fun place to be!! Complete with vinyl yellow seats (and bar! ;o] ), brown clapboard walls, and that fake-y green grass rug material covering the entire floor. We love it!

Top that all off with the recently installed disco ball and inflatable palm tree complete with Christmas lights, and we have ourselves a party every time. The monkeys are pruning within minutes of their arrival. They are very lucky to be able to have such a cool place to get away with people who love them so much!

We've been contemplating another overnight visit. Although, with only one pack'n'play and three monkeys who need naps, that would prove difficult (last trip, we brought the TWO swings). Usually the first afternoon we arrive is spent lugging in and setting up all our gear and the afternoon of the second day is spent repacking the car. Ugh. And the clothes! I know I have a problem. I pack like we're staying for one month, not one night. I really need psychological help in that department. I'm always thinking, "we'll need this if we go there and that if we go here," so eventually the contents of my entire house, including the closets, are packed into the back of our vehicle. Which, thankfully, (or not...because then I couldn't pack so much crap) has a large storage area, atleast until I order that 4th row seat I've been eyeing.

So, we decided that we might cut down on the stress for us (read: ME) worrying about packing so much stuff and make less of an imposition on them if we only stay for the day tomorrow. It's a 2.5-3hr drive. We're gonna throw kids in the car as they wake up...around 6am and leave to come home after suppertime so they can sleep on the return trip.

That sounded like the perfect plan until I actually started packing stuff a couple hours ago. The only thing I think I'll be cutting down on is clothing...and that's a big if, since I don't plan on throwing things together until after I finish typing.

My list thus far includes:
three Life Jackets
two Bouncers (for Twinkeys naps)
two Jumperoos (so they don't roll into the pool)
two Bumbo-style seats (for feeding cause I tried it once in the Jumperoos. HA. = M.e.s.s.)
one Pack'n'Play (for SpiderMonkey...hoping he won't be able to climb out...)
two Box Fans (one for each nap station...they need the white noise)
Bottles
Wipes
Diapers
Formula
Food
Spoon
Blowups for the pool
Snorkel sets we just got them
Swim diapers
Flip Flops (for the off chance they decide to leave the water for their meals)
Extra grungies (for the big monkeys plus KingKong)
Cell phones
Toll money
Basket of toys
Monitors
Oh yeah, the Monkeys.

I forgot I gotta wash their blankets. LadyKong's job is never done! *sigh*