Boys vs girls.

We drove, and drove and drove. It took us twice as long as Scott did, but I figured it would. It might be hard enough when you have your own needs to consider, but I had 3 other beings that needed almost constant attention. Switch the DVD! Get your Seat belt on Megan or I have to pull over! I am hungry! I need to go to the bathroom. Then there was diaper changes and blanket requests. It did not matter if these requests we an hour after we were driving for an hour or 5 minutes after we left that last stop. They had to be addressed.

I am forever thankful to Phillips for the most amazing 9 inch dual screen monitors that are loud enough, easy enough to strap in and are just plan wonderful. I know we couldn't have made the trek without you. Stopping near Metropolis, IL, was sure a treat for Owen and we played Superman on the Phillips the next leg our our journey.

We added an extra night to our trip and spent the night in Nashville. It was wonderful. We arrived early and found a nice place to stay, the Drury Inn. I recommend it to anyone traveling in the south. Getting there at the right time, we were able to check in and eat their complimentary finger food dinner. What a perfect match for my troop of youngsters. Chicken fingers, hot dogs, meatballs, veggies, fruit, were a warm welcome to hungry kids and a mom who didn't really want to drive to find a place to eat. The previous evening in St. Louis we had an awful experience with the hotel restaurant, and I didn't want to repeat that. Did I mention that they had complimentary cocktails with the finger food. Following dinner we checked into our room and went swimming outdoors. Everyone relaxed and was at ease in Nashville.

I am glad that we spent that extra night. Scott was beyond anxious at this point and kept calling us  for updates on where we were and when we would get there. The drive from Nashville to Knoxville was gorgeous. I think they call that part of the Appalachians the Cumberland Plateau. I may be completely wrong. Forgive me, I have a steep learning curve. I am glad we drove the during the day and I am glad we arrived to Knoxville early in the day.

We let Scott know when we arrived. He had shopped all weekend anticipating our arrival. Among the purchases was a new 4 person tent the kids could play and sleep in. His thinking was that the kids could sleep in it, as our beds wouldn't arrive for a few nights. He spent the weekend we were traveling shopping, cleaning and calling us.

When we arrived at our rental house, Scott surprised us all and came home. Eager to see us all again, he was ready to go. Excited. Happy. With plans. Lots of plans. He took us out to Puleo's Grille. We coined the term KEF for Kids Eat Free. Then he took us on a driving tour to downtown Knoxville. The last thing in the world the four of us wanted was a driving tour. I mean really. Wasn't 1,200 miles enough the past 3 days enough?

Not only did we go to Puleo's Grille, we also went to World's Fair Park and the top of the Sun Sphere. Kids had a blast, because they finally weren't strapped into their 5 point harness seats. They could run. They could play. They could hug.

But that is the difference between the girls and the boys. The girls, well were were worried about silly details. Megan was wondering if this was her new house, why wasn't her princess bed here. I was wondering when bedtime was and how I could make it work. Megan asked where the pool was at the hotel tonight (aka new house). I knew Scott was going to be disappointed that the three kids didn't waltz into the tent he had purchased and fall asleep within moments  I was growing anxious that we were out past bedtime...again.

The boys seemed to have no trouble. They played. Hard. Aidan sure held restraint and did not just run right into that fountain in the park, but mom intervened and there was tears. Owen ran and climbed. Aidan ran and climbed. Scott ran and climbed. They seemed oblivious to the world around them. The fact that we still had to drive the 20 or so miles home, it was past bed time and we still didn't have sleeping arrangements ironed out left no impression on their mood. Megan asked again where here princess bed was.

That is one of the many differences between the boys and girls in our family. No one is right. No one is wrong. Just differences. Boys vs girls. The girls could have relaxed more and not worried about what was next. The boys could have planned ahead, made plans for a smother bedtime routine, realized we didn't want to drive in the van anymore. After all, I added a day to our trip and had a evening in Knoxville so we could arrive at a respectable time.

 Turns out it doesn't matter much, because that first evening was perfect. We didn't have to wake up the next morning and drive all day. We had played hard, laughed loud and ate wonderful food. We had finally arrived to our new home.