Labor Day - Part 5 -- The Trip Home

Sunday morning after the game we had some breakfast, packed up the room, loaded up the car and headed out on our trip back home to MD. Mapquest said the drive should be about 7 hours (without traffic or kid-stops). We officially got on the road late-morning and after about an hour or so drive, we stopped for gas and lunch near Kingsport, TN. That's when our drive home got put on hold. As Matt was pumping gas, he smelled anti-freeze. UGH!!! He noticed something was leaking too, but he couldn't tell exactly from where. Double-UGH! So we found an auto-parts store and the extremely kind and helpful staff member, helped diagnose the problem: our water pump was leaking. We needed a new water pump or our car would over-heat! TRIPLE-UGH!! So we bought some supplies and headed to find someone who could install it on a Sunday--over a holiday weekend--in a town in Tennessee. Not a likely combination.... Our first stop, we were told by a Southern woman with a THICK Southern accent: "You are in the Bible Belt, son! No one works on Sundays 'round here!" QUADRUPLE-UGH!!! But we lucked out with Sears -- they were open and had a mechanic that could install a new water pump. But they couldn't guarantee that'd they'd finish before their shop closed at 6pm (it was 2:30pm at this point). So we quickly grabbed the stroller and some food and diapers for the boys -- and said some prayers -- as we turned our car over to the mechanic. We headed into the mall knowing that this could be a LONG day. The boys had already missed their nap time (which is normally 12-2pm). We initially tried walking them in the stroller, hoping they would fall asleep -- that didn't work. So we let Dylan loose on the cars at the mall. He was perfectly content to just sit in them (without them turned on).

But after one slip-up (on our part) of giving him one ride with the car turned on -- he threw a small fit and wanted it on continuously. Which we, being the mean parents, said no. Lesson learned: NEVER give in to a 2yr old (who's missed his nap time) again unless I plan on being broke OR being subject to a screaming fit in the middle of the mall.

Parker had enough of sitting still in his car seat and the stroller. He wanted DOWN! He wanted to play! I could only keep him from the floors for so long. So we got our anti-bacterial wipes ready and let him loose. He had a blast!!!

 After two hours of walking around Sears -- both of us were DONE! Make that all FOUR of us were DONE! Matt got comfy in the lawn-chair section and fed Parker.

 While Dylan slept for a few minutes in the stroller. It wasn't the perfect nap, but it was something. He actually was so tired that he ASKED to sit in the stroller and go "night-night"!

 About 2.5hrs later, we got some good news. THEY WERE FINISHED!!! We loaded the boys into the car. Gave Dylan some Goldfish for being so good -- which he proceeded to crush up and put in the bed of his toy pickup truck. (those are gonna be some fun crumbs to pick up later!)

 We then had to head back to the auto parts shop and return some stuff that Sears refused to use (because it wasn't "their" parts). And it DOWN-POURED just as were were pulling up! And of course, Dylan had to go to the bathroom, so we had to haul both boys in the rain into the store. (Our day keeps getting better) :)

After two more stops for dinner and then for coffee for us, we were FINALLY on the road for good!! And my boys were HAPPY!

 After the day we just had, Matt and I both wanted so badly to just sleep in our own beds. We were sick of hotels, sick of fast-food, and tired of living out of suitcases. Everything with kids just takes so much longer too. So we looked at each other, drank some coffee, and headed for home. Thanks to Matt's wonderful driving, Starbucks for caffeine, and Virginia rest stops for helping my boys to get some fresh air -- we pulled in our driveway at 1:30am! We didn't end up getting to bed for another hour -- but like I said, everything with kids takes longer. But it felt great to be home!!

All-in-all our trip to Tennessee was good -- and memorable. But I'm beginning to think I'm the one that is jinxing Montana games in Tennessee because of when we went to the National Championship in TN in 2009 and it poured rain the whole game. And our drive home afterward, we got stuck in Roanoke, VA because of snow. If there is a third game in TN in the future, I may just stay home! :)