Digits

Yes, Elvis is back!

(Sha-pung)

***sound of spotlight***, duh.

Except I have no flashy jumpsuit and I don’t look bloated and haven’t had anyone throw their underwear at me…

uh…this is getting weird.

But, hey—thanks for hanging in there and checking back when I faltered to return to bloggy-land on time.

I won’t bore you with all my life goings-on like making new bib/shirts for Katie, prepping kids for school and deciding I was spending way to much time checking email and removed myself from at least 15 blog and business email subscriptions--

Oops…I think I just bored you with the details.

I will, however, share nitty gritty stories, hilarious photos and goofy insights on America and travelling next week, but here is our trip by the numbers:

• 5 million bugs were killed on the windshield, hood and grill of our van—I’m pretty sure gnats are on the endangered insect list now
• 5,803 miles driven (give or take a couple hundred)
• 621 photos taken
• # of states driven through: 20  MT, UT, ID, CO, KS, OK, AR, TN, KY, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC MO, IL, IA, NE, SD, WY if you were wondering. And all you IA-ites we drove on the far western edge of the state, but wish, wish, wish we could have headed east!
• 43 lbs. of snacks spilled
• 100 (including children) people visited or bonded with (Thanks to all who laughed at all my lame jokes!)
• 12 beds slept in (thank you to all our hosts!)
• re-packed van/bags 5 times
• 4 kids (ages 9 1/2, 7, 5, and almost 3)
• 2 pages of scribbled notes taken while driving
• 1 me with now slightly more grey hair.

All in all with all jokes aside (hey, that’s 3 “alls” in 7 words!—now 4!) it really was a wonderful and memorable trip.

The kids did really well and I actually, shockingly returned home rested and refreshed. In all honesty there were a few times when I saw the merit in spanking children but I refrained. There were also a few times when I wished I hired a nanny, a masseuse and had a zip-line installed on the ceiling.

Join me next week for some tips on travelling with young children and my thoughts on America (or the almost half that I drove through).

Oh, and pictures—lots of pictures!

And funny stories—lots of funny stories!

And door prizes—lots of…wha?

See you next Wednesday!