We made it to the beach… and the kids have kept us laughing… most of the time. Last night we were looking for a hotel in Birmingham, AL. J seemed to think we had left the States… “Look at that Taco Bell… that’s not how they make ’em in America!” I’m not sure where he thought we were… despite what some may say, Alabama IS one of the fifty states. We reassured him we were still in America.

Then there was this gem: We pulled back out of a hotel that did not have a room for us and J spotted his current fast food chain of choice: “Hey… they have a Burger King!” To which S pipes up, “Well, duh!” Oh we laughed and were treated with various inflections of “DUH” from that little voice for the next 10 miles!

Since it was late, and we kept hearing there was NO room at the Inn, T starts this fun family game: I’m going on a vacation and in my suit case I’m taking… to which family members must remember everything that has been packed, and add to it. Goofy tends to be the name of the game, and about the third round (remember it’s around midnight) T announces he’s taking panties. S shouts, “Not MY panties!” Hysterics! S’s turn follows T’s and she packs “My panties.” More hysterics.

Now, every other member of the family must pack panties AND S panties. And each time some one packs the first pair it’s “NOT my panties” and when the second pair is packed it’s “Don’t touch my panties!” When J packs HER panties, S states, “Boys are NOT touching my panties… Never, ever!”

I think she needs to keep that mindset… forever and ever!

We did finally find a room two small rooms to split the family between. Girls in one, boys in the other. S and K decided to make it hard on Mommy and we finally all get to sleep about 1:30. S has one more trick up her sleeve… her asthma kicks in about 3:30 (I think dust from a sleeper sofa got to her) and I spent the next 45 minutes trying to get her settled in my bed without any meds… Note to self: PACK MEDS – it’s much faster. We do settle and she sleeps in bed with me the rest of the night.

I hope tonight is better!