Overnight trip

Last Summer My sister and I met our cousins in Salado Texas, a very cute, quaint town that is all Texan. We really enjoyed it and found a great little stamp store. I actually did all my Christmas shopping for my Grandmother there that weekend. I also enjoy stamping and got myself some really cute stamps. Now I know my Grandmother is 90 and has not gone on many trips, but this town is not too far away, and one or two nights should be manageable for her. So I suggested while everyone was on vacation after Christmas we should take a family girls trip to Salado. IT was talked about a few times of canceling between my sister actually getting one of the girls in her house back on the 3rd, and my knee, and ... We thought about postponing, but then I was feeling fine, my sister's husband can take care of the one girl, and the weather has not been too cold so we decided to go on Thursday, January 3rd and return Friday, January 4th. So here is the story of our trip...
Joy and I started out at 8:30 Thursday morning we picked up my Grandmother from her house around 9:00 and went to my Mom's. At my Mom's we switched all Joy's stuff, my stuff, and my Grandmother's stuff to my Mom's car. Including the car seat. I was a little nervous about this, but my Mom has a new car and therefore has the latch system and now I desperately want a new car just for the latch system! So that was an easier than imagined task (it took me at least half an hour to wrestle the car seat into my car the first time). We then headed North to my sisters where we picked up her and her luggage (she wins the prize for the most luggage after Joy). Finally we are on our way. Vicki (my sister) and I had discussed a few days before that the directions from her house took us through College Station, and I figured by the time everyone was in the car and we were on our way College Station would be the perfect lunch stop. My sister notified her friend Tracey who lives there and we decided we would contact her to let her know when we were in the area. So when we got close to CS my sister called Tracey and we decided to meet at Cheddars for lunch. My Grandmother also has a friend who recently moved to CS and she called her spur of the moment and also invited her. So the 7 of us stopped for lunch in CS at Cheddars. Vicki and Tracey caught up, Grandmother and Dixie caught up, and Joy got out of the car seat only to be buckled into a high chair (although I did let her wander through the restaurant before and after the meal since this was her only free time so far that day). After a long lunch and much visiting we got back on the road and again headed north. We debated over directions, I had some printed from Google, but my mom asked Dixie about how she would go and although Dixie did not have clear directions it was decided to not use my directions. Now you see I get car sick, you would think a 31 year old would have grown out of it, but hand me a map or anything to read in the car and puke will follow. So that left my Grandmother and sister to figure out the unclear directions. After many small (no dirt, but one without a center line) roads we made it to Salado, and first stop was the stamp store. My grandmother was happy and we looked around a little. Joy finally got to walk around a little and was very happy playing with the baskets. She also enjoyed terrorizing the "most handsome store kitty". Joy was very interested in the kitty or KIT as she would say. The cat however was a little terrified of the tiny person. Now Joy is not bold enough to go up to the kitty, but she will get within a couple feet and corner the poor thing. This adding to the fact that no one in my family likes cats nor can we breath around them. My allergy being the most severe, then my Mom's coming in a close second. Anyway since their are few fabrics in the store the kitty did not bother our breathing too bad. Joy did like watching it from about 2 feet and by the time we left was ready to pet it if it would let her. Anyway my grandmother filled one basket but left it for tomorrow to only check out once. We then did some other shopping and checked into the hotel. After checking into the hotel we did a little more shopping and then the town closed down at 5:00. Dinner then the hotel was the decision made (for Joy) and so we found a little BBQ place and had an eh dinner then went back to the hotel. At the hotel I let Joy play about half an hour before putting her down and going to my Mom and G-mom's room for a little while to chat and whatever until we got tired. So day one was over and everyone survived.
Day 2: Joy got up around 7:10 her usual, and I just let her play in the dark in the room (since my sister who gets up at 4:30 every morning was still sleeping). When Vicki woke up Joy continued to play. She finally did realize that she had not eaten and was hungry so I fed her a few snacks (she had the option of Cheerios or goldfish and she ate the fish). She continued to play and eat while we got ready with visions of breakfast buffet dancing in our head. At 8:30 when we got to the Coffee Shop we found the buffet is weekends only! This was very sad news. Next we learn they have no fruit. At this point I might as well have taken Joy back to the room to eat her canned fruit and more fish, but I was also hungry so I ordered her a pancake (which she eats at home). Breakfast was good except Joy did not want to be there and was not interested in the food ordered for her or given to her off others plates. Finally breakfast was over and we headed back to the rooms to pack up and get ready for some shopping. I had already asked Vicki (who doesn't care about stamps) to watch Joy while I shopped the stamps. An hour later we were done, but G-mom of course was not so we went off shopping while G-mom stayed shopping at the stamp store. Around 12:30 my Grandmother called to let us know she was done (with a hefty bill I am sure). o we had lunch, Vicki continued to shop a couple more shops and then we headed home. This time I drove my mom's car and we took highways. It wasn't my original directions and who knows how much extra time we were on the road, but I drove and their was no drama about the route. So we dropped Vicki off first, then G-mom and then we stopped at my Mom's house around 6:30 to again move the stuff and the car seat. The car seat did not take 30 minutes, but I realized too late and too tired to fix it I made a small mistake. That and I didn't feel I could putt it tight enough since I could not properly lean on my right knee. Rob will be fixing that in a couple min now that I remember.
All in all the trip was fun, I won't suggest another for a few years, and maybe then Joy will want to stay with a friend for a couple days instead of going with us. It was nice to be with family and my Grandmother was ever so grateful for the idea and the trip. Who knows I may forget the little things in another few months and offer another small trip somewhere for my Grandmother, she did love to travel at one point in her life.
Okay this blog really went nowhere, but I wanted to share my little story of our trip. It's always good to be home after a trip. And after a few weeks it's always nice to think fondly of the trip! For now I am still worn out and poor Joy is afraid every time we put her in the car seat it will be another 3-4 hours before she gets out, or worse it will be 2 minutes in 2 minutes out 2 minutes in 2 minutes out. Needless to say she got whatever she wanted today since she had to put up with so much the previous 2! Now I am off to fix the car seat and see about actually making a path in my craft room so I can use some of the new stamps I got!