Over the river and through the desert, to Grandmother's house we go

We arrived yesterday in El Paso relatively intact. Here are some trip highlights:

Loaded up the kids at 5:30 am. Both of them were so PUMPED by the prospect of going to El Paso, neither of them even pretended to stay sleepy. Then commenced the frantic search by the parental units for the CHEWABLE DRAMAMINE. Bev and Anthony had gone to 4 stores on Monday night to find these pricey pills which would prevent us from having to do the roadside cleanup. We both remember them being on the countertop. After 30 minutes of looking, we decided the Grinch must've stolen them. No pharmacies were open at 6 am, so we stopped at a 24 hour grocery store, but they only had the swallowable kind. I took a taste - bitter! Fortunately, I convinced the kids to eat them in a little piece of banana. Anna wailed that it tasted bad, and Colin made an awful face when he swallowed, but hey! Mission accomplished.

Most of the morning we drove in a white fog. I had been looking forward to the sunrise, but it just got brighter and hazier. We stopped in Sonora for breakfast at Sonic (Anthony likes their breakfast burritos); Anna got and devoured a Jr. Hamburger. We stopped in Ft. Stockton for gas, and it was time for more Dramamine. I knew the banana wouldn't work again, so I bought the kids an ice cream sandwich. Anna was too savvy and wouldn't let me slip the pill in her ice cream, but I snuck it by Colin and he was the one who really needed it.

The kids watched Totoro, Nemo, Ice Age, and Mary Poppins. We didn't even have to stop for the last 3 1/2 hours, and we were there. No accidents, but no poop either with all the inactivity! Since she visited by herself last spring, Anna "showed" me where everything in my parents house is, like the bathroom. Colin picked up and shook several breakable items but everything survived.

Today, Anthony and I ditched the kids as soon as my sister Emily came into town. Not really, but it kinda felt that way. We headed north to Ruidoso for a night away alone. We're staying at a great resort. Our room is nice, and when we got here we felt like some physical activity -- we went for a jog around the lake at sunset. Then we relaxed in the hot tub and had dinner. We'll head back tomorrow after a hike. So far, its a great holiday season.