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You are here: Home / All Posts / Driving Long Distances With A Toddler Scares Me, Frankly

Driving Long Distances With A Toddler Scares Me, Frankly

Published March 26, 2015. Last updated November 16, 2019 by Liz. This post may contain affiliate links.

Brian and I are taking Nolan on a road trip to New Jersey this weekend. The last time I took Nolan on such an ambitious trip he was only 10 months old. He was at the peak of his sloth and at that time, his idea of fun was watching his toes dance to and fro from the confines of his car seat. That was a portable child.

photo 4

But now?

Not so portable anymore.

Nolan is one and a half, and his body is in perpetual motion. I have no idea how we are going to contain him on a road trip that will look like this:

photo 2

Nolan has promised me that he’s going to use the time in the car for “silent reflection” of his developmental milestones, his unhealthy attraction to cheese, and his goals for the next six months both physically and spiritually. I suspect that he’s going to use the car time to soil at least 4 diapers and to hone his pterodactyl-like shriek.

Things I will be packing for this trip:

  • A taser gun (Not sure if I’ll need this for protection or to subdue Nolan or possibly Brian in a pinch)
  • Pack N Play (aka bed and cage rolled into one convenient package)
  • Beaver traps (to stop Nolan from running out of the rest stop bathrooms. If I position them at the proper angle between the doors and the hand dryers I think these should be effective)
  • Twine
  • $700 in Dunkin Donuts gift cards (plus $75 in Starbucks gift cards because we will be in NJ and sometimes Dunks is elusive in NJ)
  • 16 cartons of Goldfish crackers that Nolan will demolish and a few pouches of veggies that Nolan will ignore
  • Coscto-sized carton of Tylenol

I’ll try to post an update from the road, time permitting. Sunday night they are announcing the 2015 Bloggies winners, and I’m very excited to see if we prevailed in the Best New Blog category! I appreciate that so many of you took the time to vote! If we win I will wake Nolan up immediately and let him bathe in champagne. I won’t let him drink it because that is totally irresponsible.

Wish us luck! (Both in Jersey and in the Bloggies. Mostly in Jersey, because gridlock with a toddler trumps anything that may or may not happen online).

photo 5

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Filed Under: All Posts, Parenting

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Riley

    March 26, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    The good news is you have Brian to help you, I took my 1 year old son on a 5 hour roadtrip to Nowhere, Nebraska. It is a car ride that is exactly 4 hours and 30 minutes too long! Lol good luck!

    Reply
    • Liz

      March 26, 2015 at 8:49 pm

      Haha I love it! (The 4 hours and 30 min too long part). That sounds about right 🙂

      Reply
  2. BJ

    March 26, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    Good luck on the Bloggies! You (and Nolan)have my vote! )

    Reply
    • Liz

      March 26, 2015 at 8:48 pm

      Thanks BJ! Nolan and I thank you. If we win you can join us in a champagne bath. Actually wait, that sounds creepy.

      Reply
  3. Katie

    March 26, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    Fingers crossed! Thinking of you!

    Reply
    • Liz

      March 26, 2015 at 8:49 pm

      We can use all the good thoughts we can get!

      Reply
  4. Paula

    March 26, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    Good luck with the trip and the bloggies. Don’t worry about what he eats on the journey, as long as it keeps his mouth occupied for more than five seconds!
    When my children were little I’d buy small toys that I knew would occupy them expressly for long journeys. Have fun.

    Reply
    • Liz

      March 26, 2015 at 8:47 pm

      Thanks Paula! Yeah, I figure healthy eating will not really be my priority for this trip. This will be a desperate times calls for desperate measures situation, which means unlimited Goldfish 🙂

      Reply
  5. Candace

    March 26, 2015 at 9:16 pm

    Make sure you use the Waze app! It will re route you around traffic. I live in NJ and it’s a necessity in this overpopulated state (especially with a screaming baby in the backseat). Good luck!!

    Reply
  6. Karen

    June 4, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    Hahaha! I’m adding twine and a taser gun to my packing list 🙂

    Reply

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Welcome to the Mothership!

Hi! I'm Liz, mom to 3 young kids. Like all of you, I have tons of free time on my hands to ponder the complexities of motherhood. Ok I have almost no time, these kids are taking me down. I write this blog to find camaraderie with the rest of you in the trenches. Welcome! Read More…

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