Camping Road Trip with my Two Toddlers!

Last week we packed up a rented RV and set out on a 48 hour trip to a national park in our state.  Let's just put it out there that camping with toddlers is not the easiest thing ever.  But this was leaps and bounds better than tent camping we did next to a river (I made the kids where life jackets almost the entire time).  They were good little travelers.  Except I forgot ALL their clothes, so I bought a few shirts and socks from a tourist trap store and kept my fingers crossed that they'd keep their pants clean and they did!  Last time I didn't bring enough diapers and in very small towns, sometimes the convenience stores just don't sell diapers so last time we left almost a day early because of it so this time the diapers were packed and the clothes were not! 

We are in the midst of potty training both boys and having a toilet in the RV was a life saver so that we weren't back to square one when we got back home.  Dylan is a pottying king!  My goal is to have him in underwear by his 2nd birthday!  I'm so sick of changing diapers and buying diapers.  Diapering a newborn versus diapering a 27-37 pound toddler, two completely different things!  At some point, it just becomes gross:(

We have been busy this summer and partly it's because I've read over and over that people are happier when they spent money on experiences versus material possessions and we really concentrated on that this summer.  I love getting my kids out to DO things, they are like little sponges and I'd rather show them animals, planes and trains in person so they can see them move and listen to them versus just reading about it in books all the time.   I can't say orchestrating a one and two year old to go any where is ever easy but I've learned to just put on my big girl panties and go (around their nap and eating schedule) and learn that it's okay to leave if 30 minutes into it they melt down.

I've also come to realize that playdates and group activities aren't necessarily the key to having a well socialized, intelligent child.  My boys are great at sharing, they say hi to the other kids, they say, "Are you okay, what happened?" when they see another kid cry, and they are very smart.  And none of that comes from playdates....I think they've been involved in 5 planned play dates because during the week we are working so we don't plan a lot of evening activities and on the weekend we love just spending time with each other as a family. 

Dylan ALWAYS plays with my hair like this, but that's okay:)

DH and my two boys:)

We were driving about 15 miles per hour, I know perfect mothers everywhere I freaking out right now, but I was okay with it and they had fun!

Dylan

AJ

Dead center is a bear:)

Mt Mckinley in the distance

DH had to navigate this blind corner in an RV with no guard rail, I about passed out from being so nauseous when I looked down!