"Yep, that's all corn."

No, we weren't looking at a field, or a farm, or a market, we were looking at the one and only Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. It just seemed logical that on our way east from Mount Rushmore, we would make a quick detour to see something with such an intruiging name. Now, I must admit that the only reason we found out about this tucked away gem was from the roadside sign, but I now feel the need to spread the word and inform others who might be on a similar adventure (or might just hop in the car after this post) of the "majestic, and uniquely American folk art icon" in the interesting state of South Dakota. My husband and I were more curious than anything and the kids were just happy to be stopping again, so we hopped off the interstate and followed the signs. After about 5 miles we knew in an instant that we had arrived. Who could have missed the enormous building artfully decorated with thousands of colorful corn? And the best part of the whole experience?? It was all free! We actually learned that it has been around since 1892 - who'd have thought? I can't say we'd ever stop there again, but it was fun making that unplanned detour and stretching our legs for a bit. Oh, and the kids getting their picture taken with a giant corn cob.


Side note: We're in Michigan, and have been for almost a week, (i've been trying to finish this particular post for three days) and our friends live out away a bit, so the Internet connection is pretty spotty, so posts have been few and far between but...soon we will be heading south through Kentucky and hopefully I can keep up a bit better. I do have other fabulously interesting tidbits to share, so stay tuned and I'll catch up shortly.

P.S. ~ Tip of the night:

When you get your son up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and it's all dark because the power is still out, make sure the lid is up. Don't just assume he will check it and don't think the sound that you hear is pee hitting the water, because you'll be wrong on both accounts. (okay, maybe that last part should only apply to me, but i just want to save others from the same messy fate)

"Well, some people just live in motels."

It all became clear when I walked into the 'lobby' to get a room. I should have known something was amiss when the girl on the phone said that only rooms upstairs were available. I had told her that was fine - semi-wondering why she would make a point to say that, followed by an expectant pause - but I just shrugged it off. But then when I went in and got a key, and she told me again about there being only upstairs rooms open, it hit me - perhaps just the ground floor was really for nightly use and the upstairs was for, um, longer stays. When I inquired what exactly she meant by 'the upstairs' she simply said, "Well, not the ground floor." Oh, okay. So we unloaded and settled in. The kids were excited to be anywhere, especially anywhere with a pool, and hubby was so laid back about everything that I felt a bit guilty not wanting to even take off my sandals in the room. Fast forward to that evening as we walked around, looking for a place to eat, and I happened to say something about the hotel being more like a residence. My daughter quickly began the inquisition and I said what I said and left it at that. So...here are some observations that might come in handy if you're in the Mt. Rushmore area:

Rapid City, SD is about 23 miles from Mt. Rushmore, and off the main highway, which makes it a great stopping point for the night. It's part-tourist, part-resident with plenty of places to stay and eat. Hotel prices range from $66+tax to over 100 a night.

Keystone, SD is within a few minutes of the Memorial and is quite active. Lots of shops and activities and hotels boasting low, low prices for rooms. Unless you're a single person and need only one bed, then the $49.95 price will not apply to you. Nevertheless, the increased rate for a two-bed room might be well worth it.

Based on my experience, I would recommend staying in Keystone and paying (what would have cost us) $10 more for a room that is right in the hustle and bustle of town with access to a pool and gift shops and dining, OR, staying in Rapid City (and paying a bit more that $79+tax) where things have more of a local feel and where you can resume your highway journey easily.

Quick synopsis of our day in South Dakota: drive straight to Mt. Rushmore from campsite in Sheridan, WY - $11 a car load and full access to everything. Hike up to memorial, snap some pics, check out the gift shop, look for a place to stay. Outside dining at Mexican restaurant next to 'motel' when storm comes in and hail starts falling like crazy. Move inside, power goes off and we finish our meal in the dark. Walk back to motel, still no power, kids go to bed and hubby and I join the locals on the balcony and watch the lighting. All in all, an adventure as always and our kiddos now take anything that comes their way with such nonchalance that I sometimes wonder if they're even paying attention. But, for those of you who have not traveled much with kids, know this: It gets easier with each trip. Know that things will not be perfect nor easy nor clean, but also remember that the more you do it, the less of a hassle it is (i'm talkin' to you sarah!). So pack your bags and hit the road!

"Just wear the same underwear - it's clean enough."

Everyone knows that the rules change when you're traveling...right? I wouldn't say something like that at home, surely, but I really didn't see the need to waste a perfectly clean enough pair of undies. I explained how we should save our clean stuff, like underwaer, for other times, like when we're around our friends, but since we weren't staying in Missoula for very long it didn't really matter if we wore the same clothes again. Besides, we'd be putting on our bathing suits after breakfast anyway. All this I said to our 4 year old while my oldest proudly used himself as a visual example. Now, I can see how all this might be a bit confusing for a little kid and quite blatantly go against all that he has heard us tell him, but I felt it was time to let him in on the rule changes. He still resisted and insisted he needed new undies, but I'm sure, in time, he will come to embrace this new view and gladly wear the same clothes over again. Let's just hope he doesn't get too comfortable doing that.

So, speaking of Missoula, here's some info that might be helpful if you're in these parts: Splash Montana is worth a summer visit. This waterpark is located near the old town, in a residential area. It has 3 big water slides, a long lazy river, and plenty of things for the littler ones to enjoy. Our family of 5 spent under $22 for an all day pass. We had a lot of fun (until we had to get out for a while due to lightening in the area) and I would definitely go back (if Missoula is on the way to wherever we might be headed).

Next stop: Mount Rushmore

Road trips make you more creative

I had the talk with my girl this morning as we embarked on our month-ish long road trip. You know the one: We'll be traveling for a while, we won't have all the comforts of home, we must adapt and make the best out of what we have, etc. To my surprise and delight, she stopped complaining about the bread and ate her sandwich. The peanut butter sandwich, I must tell you, that I made using the only spreading tool I could come up with - a straw. I had 3 hungry kids, a jar of peanut butter and bread, and no knife. The kids thought I was pretty ingenious with that little trick. It was the perfect example of the point I was trying to make and I don't care that it happened totally by accident.

On the Road with Mommylingo

It's summer and summer for our family means some sort of trip. This year we're taking a road tripping adventure across a big chunk of the US and I'm inviting you to come along! Well, not literally, unless of course you live somewhere in Oregon or Michigan or Tennessee or any state along the way... If so, then you're welcome to join the adventure. But for those of you in other areas or not into traveling for hours at a time in a van with 3 kids, then you can share the joy just by reading.

I'm thinking of adding a few things to the blog, depending on how inspired I feel (also read: depending on how tired I am):

+ Some pics of local quirkiness and cool sights we encounter
+ Some tips for traveling with kids
+ Some tips on what not to do when traveling with kids


If you know of something cool we should see, do, eat, etc. along the way, I'd love to share it - along with your site/blog! Just send me your suggestions and you'll see a post about.


Our first planned stop is Missoula, MT at Splash Montana. We're heading out next week, so I hope to hear from you soon!

Next stop: Mount Rushmore, SD! Anything good to see there???

practicalmama@gmail.com

"Just forget about the snail, dude."

- Guys, I found a snail! Guys, a snail! C'mere, look at the snail! I saw a snail...right here! Come back and see the snail! Hey! You guys, I saw a snail! Come back, there's a snail! Guys, a snail! I found a snail!! -

While I admired my son's enthusiasm, it was clear we couldn't let this go on too much longer or else it just would have turned ugly. So my hubby gently verbally nudged him along while physically encouraging our little guy to get back on his scooter. We were headed back to camp this morning to pack up after a nice stroll by the water. Our first trip of the summer and it was great. This was just the beginning of a summer of travel and the kids just couldn't get enough, so I hope their excitement remains strong once we hit the long road east!

"Has the little guy flipped you off yet?"

You gotta love older siblings, especially ones who sincerely have the best interest of their younger brother/sister at heart. But you don't have to love the information they share with them, even though it might be done with the best intentions. Apparently, at some point, our youngest must have had his middle finger up, by itself, and our daughter, in the hopes of protecting and educating her little brother, told him that doing that meant a bad word. So that was all it took to pique his interest and make him want to do it as much as he could. And to further encourage him, albeit inadvertently, she would gasp and give him a short lecture on how he should NOT be doing that. We immediately talked about better ways to discourage him from doing that. Now I can't remember if I asked my hubby the question or vice versa but the answer was the same: Yes. (you know, one of those things i didn't think i'd ever have to say as a parent) So...we're working on it and there has been improvement, but, for those of you who might come in contact with my son - Sorry. Don't take it personally. Yes I know he is doing that. No, it's not okay. And yes, we're trying to get him to stop.

"Aw shush, I just kicked the dragon."

I just wanted to quietly get in bed and go to sleep. My husband was already cozy and the lights were off. The kids were asleep, the dog was passed out at the foot of our bed, and there was peace in the house. Peace...until that darn dragon roared to life. At first, I didn't even realize that I had touched anything, but my toe must have just clipped it as I slithered into bed. Suddenly, there was roaring and wings flapping and flames shooting out of nowhere. The dog jumps up (as quickly as a 12 year old dog can) and my understandably startled husband mumbles something about a cat. I whisper my explanation as I fumble for the offending toy, grope for the off button and try to regain some of the tranquility that I just shattered. Oops, sorry, g'night.

"I guess I do smell like gum."

My response to my son's question, "Mommy, why do you smell like gum?"

I then started to explain why I would smell this way when I realized that my daily hygiene regimen includes soap infused with grapefruit, blueberries in my facial cleansing wipes, and peaches in my lotion. Hmm, I guess that's one way to get your daily servings of fruit.

"Freaking out is an automatic time out."

I would like to expand this rule to include adults, please. I think it should be posted on business walls, right below, "No shirt. No shoes. No service." And in employee handbooks in the "Workplace Expectations" section, right after, "Employee has regular and punctual attendance." I don't believe the consequence is too severe and I do believe that it would be effective in reducing stress and possible embarrassment. Feel free to change the font, laminate it, and display it proudly in your home. You're welcome.

"But your tongue doesn't have eyes."

Watch out - this quote stems from logic and might be difficult to follow. If you're getting too confused at any point, feel free to consult an anatomy book and flip to the 'head' section. Here is only my side of the conversation (solely done for added distraction):

It does smell good doesn't it.
Don't look at it, then.
You know the deal, buddy. Open your mouth, it's small.
No, this is a different one. Really.
Good idea, just close your eyes. All your eyes.
But your tongue doesn't have eyes.
No it doesn't. Just your face. Just your eyes are your only eyes.
Those are called 'taste buds,' not eyes.
Yes they do, but they're not. I'll show you on the computer in a second.
Just open!
Nice. Now let's go find some tongue eyes.