Road Trip

Just one more day before the great 800 mile road trip to visit family up North - our first ever with Mandarin. 

Away We Go!

The timing for a virus to come and set up shop couldn’t have been any better. Lately our wee morning hours evenings have been worrisome; Mandarin gasps for breath and coughs relentlessly, wakes herself up, cries and reaches out for me. The distinct barking-of-a-seal-cough commonly known as Croup has invaded our camp. Begone! Pestilent virus! 

If only it were that easy. 

And so. Packing light. NOT happening - at all. Honestly, how does one pack light for freezing weather? We will be out a total of 6 days and with the forecast of snow, showers and more phlegm for Mandarin, I feel the overwhelming need to be prepared and to make sure she’s snug as a warm bug. Also, in light of recent health developments, we’ve decided to invite a fourth passenger into our car: the vaporizer. The only known weapon to create humidity and attack the croup with it’s power of steam particles. Beat that Tony Stark. 

I rock my snowflake jammies. 

Living in the Bay Area we have undoubtedly mastered the art of apparel layering. We’re used to our cool yet manageable upper 40’s. I notice this because ALL my clothes are for layering. No one definitive thick sweater, even my turtlenecks are thin. The general forecast for WA state weather: The week ahead they will be warming up to the 40’s. Warming being the operative word here. 

Mandarin being sick is a pain for me to watch. The coughing, shortness of breath - I wish I could suck this virus out of her and spit it out like snake venom.  Being sick for Mandarin pretty much means I’m not letting you and your Muumuu out of my sight, I will toss every single Morsel of food on the floor, and I will scream if you try to feed me Spinach ravioli one more time. And she did. Bloody murder, with her tongue sticking out. 

Meanwhile, our luggages are 99% packed. I remember coming across the simple truth of this quote somewhere in the nook and crannies of the internet. 

”When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.” 

- Sophia Loren

Packing for a child and for cold weather is like mental olympics. There’s a parade of outfits involved, some stretching and the whole sport of being here there and everywhere to get everything folded, rolled, bagged, tied and vacuum sealed. And when all is done, we still think what else we may have possibly left behind. 

The kitchen sink, perhaps?

Tweet