{The Best of 2012}

My snow picture really doesn't have anything to do with this post. It's pretty and a nice way to end the year.

Sights and sounds and smells often take me back to particular moments. With 2012 ending, I decided to list some of the places, shows, words, sounds and activities that have been part of our year. Our is the key word. Obviously, "Land Before Time" wouldn't be part of my life this year if it weren't for my kids. Even so, most of these are more my answers than anyone else's.

{And speaking of  the approaching new year, nobody has gotten the right answer to my end-of-the-year game that includes a calendar prize. You should go play.}

Restaurant : Zaxby's and Chick-fil-A

Recipe : Sausage Balls

Games : Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Trouble, Uno

Sports : Murray State basketball, t-ball and youth soccer for the first time, UK basketball {Hello, national champions!}, St. Louis Cardinals baseball

Kids' movies : "The Lion King," "Land Before Time" and its many sequels

City : Charleston, S.C., which we visited twice

Music : Needtobreathe in general, "Mercy" by Dave Matthews Band, "Some Nights" by Fun, "Rest Easy" by Andrew Peterson, "Rise Up" by Matt Maher, Slugs & Bugs, "Third Word Symphony" by Shaun Groves

TV shows : "Parenthood," "The Good Wife," "Bones," "Downton Abbey"

Movie : "What to Expect When You're Expecting"

Books : "James: Mercy Triumphs" by Beth Moore, "7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker

What about you? What sights, sounds and smells will bring you back to 2012 for years to come?
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This post was inspired by (in)courage's "The Best of Everything 2012." Want more? Subscribe to get "Insights" in your inbox. Or follow me on Twitter.

{Road trip} The Numbers

 In the first 32 hours of our trip, I asked my kids to ride five hours then sleep in a hotel before riding six more hour to watch basketball for 5 1/2 hours one evening.

668 miles from our house in Murray, Ky., to Charleston, S.C. The party of eight included my family of four, my mom, my mother-in-law, and my aunt and uncle. Together we rooted for two teams -- Murray State and St. John's -- who played each other once.

And this was our second trip there in five months.

Two trips to the Charleston City Market. Several Christmas present purchased.

Two delicious seafood meals -- one at Hyman's Seafood and the other at Charleston Crab House, both of which have UH-MA-ZING hush puppies.

 Two victories for Murray State and one loss for a second-place finish in the Charleston Classic.

One night in a hotel, three nights in a vacation rental house and one night at my aunt and uncle's house on a lake.

Zero days of sunshine.

 One day spent at Lake Murray, S.C., where my aunt and uncle live. One boat ride included.
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More photos are posted on Facebook. You can read all my Charleston-inspired posts here. Want more? Subscribe to get "Insights" in your inbox. Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram.

{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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More photos are posted on Facebook. You can read all my Charleston-inspired posts here. Want more? Subscribe to get "Insights" in your inbox. Or follow me on Twitter or Instagram.

{Road trip} Melting down

Post melt down, sleep came.

I held him as huge tears rolled down his cheeks. He took a breath in a coughed up all the snot that had multiplied. He swung his arms in frustration and muttered dramatic words about Daddy leaving without giving him a kiss.

We were at a basketball game that was getting ready to start well past his usual 7 p.m. bedtime that he created for himself when he was tiny. Daddy had just left for the bathroom; I had no doubt he'd be back.

But when you're tired, the little problems seem like natural disasters. I know about this because even at 33 years old this still happens to me. I knew my {nearly} 3-year-old boy was exhausted from five days with little napping and vacation fun that kept him up late.

So I held his hands, even though he yelled, "You're hurting me!" I was thankful to be surrounded by people who knew I wasn't hurting him. I firmly, yet gently held him close. I reminded him Daddy was coming.

And I didn't let go.

My uncle was sitting next to me and didn't speak until my boy had stopped crying: "A lesser woman would have given up." By this time, Daddy had returned and now held a calm, almost asleep boy.

I handled this one. I didn't give up. Not this time. 

But there have been other meltdowns that I responded to with overreacting emotions. I've yelled when I should have soothed. I've ignored when I should have embraced. I've said yes when I should have said no and no when I should have said yes. I gave in when I should have remained stubborn.

Motherhood is my classroom. I've learned much here and I have so much more to figure out. Some days are hard, even {especially?} when you're on vacation to watch your favorite college team play in a tournament in a city you love.

But I've learned days are going to be hard at home and on the road so I might as well embrace the adventure to experience places and moments with my family. I do have to remind myself that means bedtime will come later than usual and nap times could get lost. Even so, wherever we are and however everybody is feeling, I'm not giving up. On them. Or on me. Or on this adventure called life.
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