Riding in Cars with Boys - Part Four

So I was doing my carpool thing yesterday afternoon and I happened to have a catalog in the car with me. Mitchell found it and and started flipping through it. Mitchell: OhMyGod! This is so badass! You need to get that for your ear! Me: (glancing at the page where he's excitedly pointing) Don't you think I have enough metal in my ears already? Mitchell: Heck no, lady! This is too cool. You need it. Killian: Lemme see! Mitchell holds up the catalog so Killian and Justin can see it in the backseat. Justin: I don't usually comment on girl jewelry, but I totally think you need that. Killian: It is badass. I agree. It should be yours. Me: I don't think I have room for that with everything else up there. (11 piercings are probably more than anyone needs...) Justin: Just weave the dragon through some of those rings. It'll totally work. Me: I have to say, I find it really sweet that you're all picking out jewelry for me. Justin: Well, when we eventually get girlfriends, they probably won't be the kind of girls who let us pick out cool dragon earrings for them. Me: They will if you pick the right girls. Killian: She's got a point. Mitchell: Yeah, but where do we find girls like that? Did I mention that I'm the luckiest car pool mom in the world? Yeah, I heart all those boys of mine. So this is the earring of wonder that they think I need. Also, if you've missed them, older RICWB posts can be found here, here, here and here.

The Field Trip

Okay, before I tell you how awesome the field trip was, I have to tell you how awesome the bus ride wasn't.

We had to be at the school by 4:30 am in order to board the bus to leave at 5 am. So armed with pillows, blankets and backpacks, we shuffled onto the bus, collapsed in our seats and got underway. The chatting was minimal as the kids talked quietly and the adults tried to fall asleep. That wasn't to be. Instead, we had to watch a twenty minute safety video on how to ride the bus properly. When it finally ended, I thought, "Yes! Sleep!"

Again, that wasn't to be. Apparently, someone thought we should all watch Finding Nemo at the loudest setting possible. And when that was over, A Bug's Life and when that was over, Charlotte's Web. The live action one with the giantass evil spider (yes, I know Charlotte's nice and saved Wilbur's life, but she's still one of Satan's Snowflakes) and it freaked me out. No matter how much I tried to look away from the multiple screens, I found my eyes inexorably drawn back every time I heard Julia Roberts' voice.

The kids were hyper and bouncing off the ceiling, several of them having brought cans of Monster with them. Seriously, there's no way 12 and 13 year olds need energy drinks. But as annoying as the movies, loud, spastic kids and cramped seats were, it was nothing compared to the ride home. Kids screaming, standing in the aisle and my favorite part of the ride, the bitchy adolescent girls and their equally snide, bitchy moms. Let me just say that if my kid were saying horrible hateful things about other girls in their class, I sure as hell wouldn't be giggling and agreeing with them. And we wonder why kids think it's okay to bully.

Oh well, at least I got some knitting done.

The bus tour of the ninth circle of hell aside, the field trip was great. For those of you who don't know, Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island is a 3.8 square mile hunk of heaven smack in the middle of Lake Huron. There are no motor vehicles allowed on the island. All deliveries are made by horse drawn carriage or wagons and bicycles. Need a taxi? You get a horse drawn carriage. The only way to the island is via ferry - about a 20-30 minute ride from the mainland. Or, in the winter, you can take a snowmobile across the ice.

The island was strictly populated by Native Americans until the Europeans began arriving in the 17th century. It played an important part in the Great Lakes fur trade and during the Revolutionary War, the British built a fort there that's been beautifully restored. Several battles during the War of 1812 were fought here and the island became a popular place to summer in the late 19th century.

I took a ton of pictures, but these are some of my favorites.


One of my favorite spots on Lake Michigan. I would love to live in that house off to the right. Sigh...
The Mackinac Bridge from the Lake Michigan side.
A gorgeous view from the fort.
Another gorgeous view off the front of the fort. (Click picture to embiggen to see how pretty it is.)
Reenactment soldiers.
Northeast corner of Fort Mackinac.
A shot of an ore freighter over the soldiers' barracks.
A typical sight on the island. I would have rather been on horseback than the carriage, but we had to stay with the group. *pout*

The Grand Hotel (where the movie Somewhere in Time was filmed) and our horse Charlie's bum.
One of the three small cemeteries on the island. The only way you can be buried on the island is if you were born there, lived there for fifteen years or had a business there for fifteen years.
A view from our carriage ride.
Overlooking Lake Huron near Arch Rock.

Arch Rock.
One of many gorgeous houses on the island.
Throwing rocks in Lake Huron.

Guh

The last dream I had before I woke up was that an avalanche of books fell on me and was smothering me. When I woke up, I was gasping for breath will a well-timed asthma attack. Well done, subconscious, but I promise, I didn't need the visual. I'm well aware of where I'm sitting...or huddled, as the case may be.

Matt's been gone to Russia for twelve days, and I'm going a little nuts. You'd think I'd love having that big bed to myself, but nope - I'm still over on my side. We're having trouble talking. The internet connection in the hotel he's staying in, is for shit. So he, and the rest of his team, hang out in the lobby trying desperately to get a connection to talk to people at home. I'm sure the employees must think they're all a little batty, sitting in the lobby at 2 and 3 am Russian time, frantically typing away on their laptops and constantly moving around the room trying to get a decent signal. Thankfully, he's coming home on Saturday. I can't wait!

In other news, it's the 6th Grade Field Trip of Doom tomorrow and I stupidly volunteered to go. Actually, what happened is that Corwin asked me to go, and then blink those big blue eyes at me. I told him that I'd go on this year's field trip, but not next year's. Every year, the 7th graders go to the Holocaust Museum, and while I agree it's an important part of history that should never ever be forgotten or overlooked, I just can't bring myself to go and see the photographs and stare at the endless piles of children's shoes. I just can't do it. I'd be a sobbing mess.

So yeah, the boy child and I are riding tour buses and heading up to Mackinac Island tomorrow. We'll be gone from 4:30 am to about midnight. yippee. I promise to post pictures Friday or Saturday depending on how exhausted I am and how far behind with work I am. I've got a giant list of stuff to accomplish before I crash tonight, so I guess I'd better get to it!

Can you all do me a favor?

I'm blogging over at Oh Get a Grip today about mothering, and I'd appreciate the support so I'm not all lonely with no comments and stuff.

However, a word of warning, while it is a mothering post, it's not the Riding in Cars with Boys variety.

Riding in Cars with Boys - Part 3.5

Guh! I'm soooooooooo far behind on just about everything that I could cry, but I wanted to share a little snippet conversation from yesterday's car ride.

Mitchell: Oh man! I can't believe it! I broke my nail!

Justin: *incredulous noise from the back seat* You're a dude! Man the fuck up!!!

Killian: You're not gonna start obsessing about Twilight now, are you?

Oh, how I love those boys of mine. :D

If you missed the last installment of Riding in Cars with Boys about personal space, click here.

Still Recovering

Last week, the lovely Carol Lynne came to visit. She stayed at Brynn's and we all hung out and had a great time. At 5 am on Saturday, we drove to Ohio for the last little bit of the RT conference.

We went to the book fair. It was huge, poorly ventilated and crowded as hell, but still fun. I got to meet Carolyn Crane - she's freaking adorable and so nice, Jim Butcher - stood around forever waiting for him to sign a book for Matt, but he was very nice (and I'm pretty fond of my husband, so totally worth it,) Leanna Renee Hieber - who was just the sweetest thing. I also got a chance to meet Holly Black and Laura Bickle. I can't wait to read all my new books - you know...sometime when I'm caught up on work. *SOB*

I met with my RP editor which was great! I talk to her on the phone all the time, so it was wonderful to meet in person! We had lunch with some of Carol's readers and later went to the TEB party which was pretty freaking awesome! The owner and her administrative assistant hung out in our room with us afterward and talked - as did the lovely Genella deGrey, who I finally got a chance to meet in person.

The next morning, there was coffee, more chatting with editors, lunch and then we got back on the road for another 6 hours. I was beat. Now, I have to catch up on all my neglected work and try to get laundry done so Matt has clean clothes to take to Russia and clean my hideous train wreck of a house before company comes.

Who needs sleep?