So says Ethan as we headed out on our road trip to visit Grandma and Pop last week.  Most of the time we visit the grandparents the whole famdamily road trips which means Daddy drives.  (What is the deal with that anyway, why do the mens always feel the need to drive?)  But this time it was just me and the kids which is a whole different experience altogether than when Daddy takes us on a road trip.

For example, when Daddy comes along we are all up at the crack of dawn and we are in a hurried frenzy to get on the road as soon as possible so that we can get where we are going as soon as possible so that we can fall asleep on the sofa when we get there at noon.;)

Road trips with Mommy start when we damn well please, we lounge about eating breakfast in the morning, checking email, doing some laundry.  We are in no hurry whatsoever and if we get on the road by noon, so be it.  For Daddy, the day is half over at noon so this would be a NO GO.

When we road trip with Daddy, we DO NOT STOP.  The only officially sanctioned stops are to get gas, to go potty, and the occasional luxury of stopping at In N Out Burger.  Now of course if we can combine all those things in one stop all the better, God forbid we have to stop several times, THE HORROR!

With Mommy, we might run an errand before hitting the road, we might stop by and see Daddy at work before hitting the road, we might stop at Krispie Kreme’s just because we can, we might stop at Starbucks to stretch our legs and let the little lady scoot all over the floor (she makes an excellent floor cleaner, better than any Swiffer).  We are really in no hurry. We meander and might get there by nightfall.

My husband and I are so completely different on so many levels… he is hurry up and get there which means that sometimes he misses out on what is actually happening in life.  I am into meandering and enjoying life, I am easily distracted, which means that sometimes I am late for things or unable to keep commitments.  I don’t think that one way is better than the other, but I do think that we balance each other out.  He reminds me to keep my focus, I remind him to stop and enjoy the journey. I think we were both attracted to the opposite qualities in each other… I knew I needed a little order to my life and he knew he needed a little chaos.;)

I can’t wait to see how our kids turn out, which side of the hurry up and wait or lollygag about spectrum they will fall.  I would love it if they could fall somewhere in the middle, like I have any control of that whatsoever.;)

Regardless, I agree with Ethan… life on the road really does ROCK.