We haven't even carved our pumpkins yet and already I can't stop thinking about the holiday. Not the pumpkin holiday - the evergreen tree and sparkly lights holiday. I know a lot of people have begun their shopping, but that's only a small part of what's on my mind. (Though considering how close I cut it last year, perhaps it should be a bigger part.)

My thoughts are mostly stuck on the journey.  I don't mean some metaphorical journey, I mean two weeks of a Midwest winter visiting both sets of grandparents (in separate states) that will involve five days trapped in a car with four antsy young children.  Does any part of that sentence say "vacation" to you?

Though it may not be the trip of my dreams, it has rarely been a nightmare.  We've made the journey many years now and since we're planning on doing it again, it obviously can't be that bad.  It just takes some careful planning along with a willingness to throw the plan out the window if things start to head south.  (Now I'm speaking metaphorically, we'll need to go south to get home.)

Packing for the trip will require many hard decisions and I'm not expecting much help from my husband.  Last year we had just traded in my Accord for a Grand Caravan.  We knew we'd need the van once the babies were born and it seemed like a good idea to upgrade a bit early for the trip.  Any time I tried to suggest there was something we didn't really need to take with us, D's response was, "But we have a van now," as though it was some sort of magic van with unlimited storage space.  Despite my best efforts to pare down our supplies, we still ended up with a pile of stuff in the back seat.  This year we will have kids in that back seat, kids who need stuff, too.  Are you starting to see why I'm already fretting about where we're going to put everything?

Clothes are the simplest area to save space.  We'll bring one big suitcase for all six of us, no more than three days worth of clothes for anyone, and just do several loads of laundry while we're visiting.  Since we'll be staying with family this is pretty doable.  The catch of course is that these will be bulky winter clothes so it will still be a very full suitcase.  Also, my cold-blooded husband will want extra sweaters just for hanging around my parents' house, even though Mom did crank the thermostat all the way up to 67 for us last year.

The funny part is how the smallest travelers seem to have the biggest travel needs.  The babies will need a place to sleep.  Both my parents and D's parents bought a crib when they became grandparents, but we'll still need to bring something for that other baby.  I'll feel better with the travel bed anyway since we've learned the hard way that you can't count on hotels to have cribs available.  The babies will need a place to eat, too.  We have one portable high chair.  Do we buy and pack a second or make the babies take turns eating?  Then there's all the little things that add up quickly... sippy cups, spoons, bibs, baby monitors, toys, diapers, baby food, wipes, etc.  Which items are truly necessities?  Which ones can we buy along the way?  And then there's that biggest question of all, the dreaded double stroller.  I'd really, really like to have it with us and I'd really, really like to not have to make room for it in the van.  This may become a game time decision.  And it may be one I regret.

Since it will be Christmas, we will also be bringing presents.  This makes that shopping, whenever I get around to it, just a little bit more difficult.  In addition to the usual considerations of price and whether or not the recipient might hate it, I'll have to think about how much space the item will eat up.  I'm not complaining.  I know it sounds like I am, but I'm really not.  Despite everything, I look forward to this trip every year and I know we are all going to have a good time... even if it kills me.

Mandy appears weekends on TriangleMom2Mom.