The Caveman and Alien Go To Visit Elmo part 1

So I think that I was crazy to think that I could pull off this whole family vacation thing.

Here is a time line of our first day adventures of going to Sesame Place.

8:21am- We leave the house fully packed ready to go. Well actually not quite as we first have to stop by Crazy Grandma and Dude-pa’s house to colalect the soda we left from the Bugg and Dr. Richie’s birthday party. Actually if I’m honest the Crazy Grandma doesn’t believe that Big Papi and I are capable of taking her children across state lines on vacation. Seriously she comes out in her robe and then adjusts the way we have something in the back of our Durango. Finally after we get the soda we head out and go past the fire station. The Caveman is way into the fire trucks, and literally screams with the passion of groupie. “FIRE TRUCKS!!!!!!!”

As we drive off Big Papi is imagining a bug attack (not happening, I think we need to start calling him Crazy Big Papi). Just realized that we forgot the pack n play for the Alien to sleep in at the hotel and have to go back to our house to pick it up and try to squeeze it between the cooler with drinks and food and the rest of our luggage. Seriously I believe that nomadic tribes cart around less stuff than we have packed for a three day trip from Virginia to Pennsylvania. We are not even camping. I am pretty sure there is a Target somewhere.

Arriving at our house we notice city workers in front of it weed whacking the drainage ditch in front of our house. How nice until I realize that they are also blowing said weeds onto my lawn! Grrr! Seriously, City of Hampton stop being silly and just give me a sewer therefore you don’t have to spread weeds on my lawn.

Off topic, finally hit the road.

8:48am- Okay not really on the road- stop at 7-11 to buy ice for the cooler. We are bringing a full cooler of Caveman/Alien/Parent friendly food for several reasons but the big one is the fact that cavemen and restaurants don’t mix. He doesn’t understand why he has to sit at the table and not scream at the top of his lungs. Plus we’ll save money for more important things like the dinner Friday night with our grown up friends to remind ourselves to never take a vacation with our children again.

9:02am- No, not on the road yet, in line for Chick-fil-a. I have a slight obsession with their sweet tea and chicken biscuits. As I am on vacation the carbs do not count. The line, like at any Chick-fil-a is long, but so worth it for that incredible chicken. Suddenly Big Papi rushes out of the car and runs literally like a little girl- arms flapping about to the trash can to throw away something. As he runs back I am looking him like my husband just jumped off the short bus. Finally get our food, and get on the interstate, finally officially on our way.

9:41- Joy, the first temper tantrum from the Caveman as we are barely leaving the Peninsula area heading to Richmond. We are currently listening to what the Caveman describes as ‘drums.’ Drums are songs that have good amount of drumming in them because he likes to drum along. Really cute most of the time but not when the radio starts breaking up and suddenly my adorable Caveman becomes a two year old hysterical maniac. It gets so bad that I threaten to take us home if he doesn’t stop we will turn the car around and there will be no Elmo ever. At that moment I have become a full fledge grown-up.

10:19- I am informed by the Caveman that the car is in time out. No wait he wants to listen to Coldplay’s “Viva la Viva” and is drumming away.

11:00- Make a gas stop in Fredericksburg and I need to potty. Of course Big Papi being a man suggests that I simply use the restroom at the gas station. Okay, maybe I am a snob but since I am a girl I don’t want my lady parts on a restroom at a gas station. Particularly a gas station that isn’t set up for public use. I do not have a germ phobia, but still the thought of using the bathroom that only the employees use, creeps me out. How do we know when the last time that bathroom was cleaned properly? I realize that this could and does apply to public restrooms but at least most places will attempt to keep those clean. I use the excuse that the Caveman needs to run off some energy so I suggest we find a McDonald’s with an indoor playground and let him play for a half hour. Big Papi agrees, and I use the potty- very clean with toilet paper and soap thank goodness. And we let the Caveman play while snacking on French fries.

I realize at this moment I should have brought the camera inside because Big Papi in all his 6’7 glory is trying to go through the tunnels of the play place with the Caveman. Hilarious.

After about a half hour we inform the Caveman that McDonald’s needs a nap and we have to leave. The Caveman isn’t buying it and screams so loudly people must think that my husband and I are kidnapping him.

11:10 am – Caveman finally calms down when I put in Drowning Pools “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor.” He is happily drumming along; I should be mommy of the year.

1:00 pm- Near the BWI airport and stop at an office complex to have lunch. At this point both kids are over being in the car seats. After out lunch both kids are screaming and Big Papi is getting on my nerves because the kids are getting on his nerves. I am now realizing that maybe I should have planned spa weekend with the girls. Family togetherness is just silly. The Caveman is now rocking to Rage Against the Machine’s “Renegades of Funk.” We are half way there, thank goodness.

1:55 pm- Finally I-95 to New York. Seriously the Caveman is in his second timeout. Car timeouts consist of mommy taking away his drum sticks and no music at all. This time out is because the Caveman doesn’t want to listen to what mommy and daddy want to listen to. Is he too young for his own i-pod with ear phones?

2:08 pm- We are on a bridge outside of Baltimore that is really high. Completely forgot that Big Papi hates really tall bridges. He is breathing in and out which I find hysterical. I know I shouldn’t be making fun of a real fear but the world’s tallest man can’t handle a bridge.

Bridge is over and coming up to a toll plaza. $5.00 dollars for a toll- outrageous! The song on the radio is “Apologize” by One Republic. Caveman still isn’t excited about the song selection and Big Papi still looks like he needs a valium. Alien is eating her own foot.

2:51pm- Saw a giant billboard that says “I hate Steven Singer.” I don’t know who Steven Singer is but that is a really expensive way to show that you hate him who ever paid for that billboard. Song of the radio is “Love Song” by the Cure.

3:01pm- Outside of Philadelphia and we encounter a police car. Not a state trooper, no this was for the postal police. The post office has its own police department? Maybe that is why the stamps are so expensive.

I stopped taking notes after this because we did get a little confused about an exit- not clearly marked. The best part about that was a car next to us asked us for directions. Yeah did you not realize we are in Pennsylvania and our plates say we are from Virginia. The car is also looking for the exit we are trying to take and when we inform them we do not know where we are going they decide to follow us. I feel a little like the Amazing Race as do your own direction getting folks!

After that we finally find the exit and glorious sighting of the hotel is in front of us. We check in, the room is clean and we are renting a mini fridge for $10 dollars a day. Big Papi unloads the car as I am trying to keep the Caveman from opening the door and the Alien out of the toilet water. I prepare dinner for the kids and then the Caveman and Big Papi spend two hours in the pool. The Alien and I spent some quality time of tickling.

It is now almost 9:00 and I am beat. The Caveman and Alien are wiped out and Big Papi and I are watching CBS comedies and sitting in the most comfy desk chair in the world. More adventures to come tomorrow.

"You're in control is there anywhere you want to go" Wait.. not you guys!

So the other night was an event Big Papi and I had been looking forward to for months. Coldplay was in town and we had lawn tickets.

Now for those who are unaware, the Virginia Beach Verizon Amphitheatre is a great venue for seeing concerts. Big Papi and I, before our adventures in parent land, saw Coldplay there and they were AMAZING! What a fan based show. If you love Coldplay you should so see them live, seriously a great show.

Because of my devotion to Coldplay we purchased tickets the minute they became available on the lawn- which is a large grassy hill with first come first serve seating. A few weeks ago the Amphitheatre announced that they would be offering discounted tickets to some of their upcoming shows. The Fray, another favorite in the Alien/Caveman household, was part of that group- but they had Pit tickets right in front of the stage on sale- so I got two for Big Papi’s father’s day gift. Then, because curiosity got the better of me I thought why not look at the Coldplay tickets and see if there happened to be better tickets on sale.

YES! Seriously could not believe my eyes when I saw that I could get Pit tickets for Coldplay for less than $30 dollars each! Immediately I place my ticket order, and sure enough received two emails confirming ticket purchases.

Now what to do with the extra Coldplay tickets?

I decided to give them to friends of ours, Dr. Richie who is the world’s best vet, and the Bugg.

So the night of the show the kids are at a babysitter’s house and Big Papi and I head to will call to pick up our Pit tickets. First, the lady at the will call office does not have our tickets. Then the lady checks my last name and sees that yes we purchased Coldplay tickets. She prints out said tickets but they say “LAWN.” I am beginning to get upset. I say, “I paid for Pit tickets! Where are my Pit tickets, I know I have lawn tickets but I also bought Pit tickets!” The lady gets her manager, who proceeds to tell me that the Amphitheatre has not had Pit tickets for Coldplay for almost a month. I explain “well your website let me buy Pit tickets when y’all did the sale!” The lady said she would love to see the email, which of course my dumb butt didn’t think to print out. So there we were with lawn tickets, no pit tickets and oh yeah the Bugg and Dr. Richie are on their way!

I call my credit card company who ensure me that yes I did in fact make two purchases for tickets. Okay, so at this point I am upset because I might not be able to see my most favorite band on the planet because of a missing email! I convince Big Papi to drive across the street, losing our great parking space, so that I can check my email at the TCC’s library. Sure enough I did not purchase two Coldplay tickets but four Fray tickets.

I am in tears at this point, thinking that I am going to have to give up my tickets all together. Big Papi says no we are seeing this concert! So we get back into traffic and get into an argument because since I was the one to make such a huge mistake that we should buy new tickets and let the Bugg and Dr. Richie use ours. Big Papi does not like this, and tries to convince Dr. Richie of it but Dr. Richie was right that they were our guests and we should buy tickets. So Big Papi agrees finally and we head to meet them at the front gate.

As we are heading up they call us and say that why don’t we just see the show. They are going to another friend’s house to smoke cigars and drink beer.

At this point I am so ashamed of my mistake and also mad that Big Papi didn’t immediately say “look our bad we’ll get new tickets.” So when we get up to the ticket gate I see the Bugg and Dr. Richie off to the side and I want to go over and say I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t face them. You see these two guys are great; every person should be lucky enough to have friends like these. Here I am screwing it up over money basically and the fact that I did not make sure that I had the correct information.

The show was great, in fact Coldplay actually did a set on a stage in the lawn which I have never seen done. Yet, the whole time I felt horrible, especially during the song “Fix You” where the song starts:

When you try your best, but you don't succeed

When you get what you want, but not what you need

When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep

Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face

When you lose something you can't replace

When you love someone, but it goes to waste

Could it be worse?

Seriously at that moment I couldn’t stand the way I behaved that I once again let my emotions get the better of me. After the show we called the boys, and they sounded like they were having a fine time. Dr. Richie even told me a story about how he messed up an online purchase recently and that it could happen to anyone. I did offer Dr. Richie the other pair of Fray tickets since I originally gave him the pair of tickets, which he gladly accepted. Then he said something that amazed me and showed me why I want to be his friend in the first place. He said, “I was just honored that you would give me the tickets in the first place. That was really cool, thanks.”

After I wasted his time he said thanks to me. I have never been so humbled.

Now I am trying to convince the Bugg to let me buy him a ticket to the Fray if he also wants to come. He hasn’t called back yet, though I did talk to him the morning after. My hurting him is worse because for the last six months he has been one of my biggest supporters in dealing with the decision to attend UVA. If I call he is there- and not just because he is my pastor but because he is my friend. And I think I blew it. It just sucks to let down friends. I just don’t know how to say to the Bugg and Dr Richie “and I will try to fix you.”