{Road trip} Kids sharing space

Pardon the poor quality, I wasn't turning on the lights ...

Hey, mommas, so, really, how do you get two young kids who are used to sleeping in their own dark rooms to sleep in a shared bed in a hotel room when they are excited? 

Yeah, I don't have the answer either. I just have a recent experience to which other moms and dads may be able to relate.

Really, I guess the best answer is: It just takes time. And separation until the youngest is asleep. Maybe Greg and I should have just sat out in the hallway. I usually only bring my kids to a two-room suite room. That division is a life saver. 

But we picked a Fairfield Suites in Knoxville, Tenn., based on location as our pit stop on our way to Charleston, S.C. And, well, its one-room suite with the little half wall divider that really is useless when the kids can see our bed and light from their bed. Still, I have no doubt it was better than the Motel 6 that was across the parking lot. 

My boy, who turns 3 this week, wouldn't stop talking to his 5-year-old sister long enough to give into sleep so Cate came to sit with us while Ben was ignored long enough to be still and quiet. 

Then not long after Ben fell asleep, we told Cate to quietly get in bed with him. She was asleep five minutes later and snoring after three more minutes. Then Greg and I broke out the Nerds and Nestlé Crunch from the snack bag. I continued to edit my friend's book and play Words with Friends with several people, including my husband to whom I kept whispering even though he was sitting right next to me. Thankfully, for the rest of our trip the kids were separated in different bedrooms.

Of course, road trips mean time on the road. Often Cate will sit in her booster seat in the third row in our mini van while Ben is in the middle in his car seat. We had both grandmas along for this trip, so both kids were delegated to the very back so adults could have the middle captain's seats {and more leg room ...}. Ben was so excited to sit back there with Cate, so much so he slept far less while riding than he usually does. Having them back there together was another chance for them to share a smaller-than-usual space. 

I heard many "He's touching me ..." comments, but, thankfully, there was some laughter too. On the way home, one of my all-time favorite sibling conversations took place: 

Cate to Ben: "Stop touching my hair!" 

Ben, sweetly: "It's so cute." {Much laughter in car.} 

Cate to Ben: "Your hands are sticky!" 

Me: "Ben, stop touching her hair, even if you think it's cute." 

Ben, loudly with a growl: "I love her!"

Traveling with kids always makes for entertaining stories. What stories do you have about sharing hotel rooms or other small spaces with kids while away from home?

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