FV 2012: Cleveland to Niagara!

By our standards everyone slept in today which was great!  We had a nice breakfast at IHOP and did our other shopping.  We headed into Cleveland to go to the Cleveland’s Children Museum to let the kids run around and play before we finished our drive to Niagara Falls.

Big Red Barn Exhibit

Brad hasn’t ever joined us on a trip to the children’s museum at home so it was nice to have him along.  There was a climbing structure that Joel spend a majority of his time in.  A “Big Red Barn” display based of the book The Big Red Barn, it is one of our favorite children’s books.

Joel climbing

Joel in the climbing sculpture

Like any children’s museum it has a water table.  This one was set up so that you could build a dam, there was a lock system you could play with and a water wheel with a pump you had to operate to make it work.  Brad had fun explaining it all to Vince.

Vince shopping

 Joel spent most of the time in a climbing sculpture.  He went through it three times and after the third time we had to wait at the bottom to grab him as he came out so we could show him the rest of the museum!

Proud builders

After that we hit the road again!  Since we got the motorhome we have tried several different arrangements traveling down the road with the kids to make sure their car seats are in safely and everyone is easily accessible.  When we started our trip the kids car seats were all lined up on the couch (without the cushions because they fit better that way), Joel was at one end, Cecilia was at the other and Vince was in the middle.  Basically the same order as in the truck.

Fireman Vincent

Cecilia likes it that way because Vince will talk to her and play with her and she appreciates that.  I can can sit at the table and easily talk to her as well.  Vince and Joel are next to each other so when I put on movie on the laptop they can both see the computer.  This trip it quickly became apparent that I was spending entirely too much time out of my seat.  “Mommy can I have my juice.” “Mommy I am hungry.”  “Mommy I need to go to the bathroom.” “Mommy I want to play one of my games.”  “Mommy I want a different toy.” “Honey can you get me a drink?” “Honey can you get me something to eat?”  “Mommy Joel’s pinching me!”  “Mommy the movie isn’t working right.” You get the picture.  None of the requests were unreasonable, but everyone would be doing well and I would sit in the passenger seat, take a deep breath and then another request would surface.

Cecilia stretching out as we filled up the RV with fuel.  As strange as it sounds the dashboard is the safest spot for her to stretch out without getting stepped on by her brothers.

After a few hours of that I decided on a new game plan!  If the kids weren’t going to give me a break long enough to talk to Brad and Brad wanted someone to talk to him then one of the boys were going to sit up front.  The kids sit up pretty high and have a nice view from their car seat and they get some one on one attention.  Joel and Vince use the same car seat on pretty much the same settings so it works beautifully!

Vince fell asleep while eating.  It was the first of many times on our trip.

There are still requests, but not as many and since there is one less car seat on the couch I can sit on the couch between the other two kids and give them more one on one attention.   I do miss sitting in the front but for now this is what will make our traveling easier.

Goofing off!

I love listening to the conversations Brad is having with the boys.  He was teaching Vince about mile markers and having conversations about which numbers are bigger or smaller.  Vince was also learning the value of looking quickly when Daddy points something out because if you don’t you will miss it.  At one point I heard Brad point something out and then I heard Vince say “missed it!” and then Brad said “there is another one” and Vince said “got it!”   I think Vince’s favorite part so far is seeing all the tanker trucks, they are currently his favorite kind of truck.  With Joel Brad mostly points things out and talks to Joel.  Joel sometimes babbles back.  Joel has been very excited to get to sit up by Daddy!  He seems to understand it is a big deal to ride in the front.  It has been nice daddy son bonding time!

Relaxing while we set up camp

We arrived at our campground near Niagara Falls just after 8pm.  We unpacked and settled in for our 3 day stay!

First night camping near Niagara Falls.