1. Other hands. This is a pre-requisite for leaving the house (and sometimes for staying!) I can’t do or go alone with my children. Simple as that.
2. Good weather. Can’t be too hot or too cold. Now, my kids don’t mind as much as I do, but rain or snow test my patience. Which leads me to…
3. Patience. A lot of it. I have to be in a patient mood to have a successful trip.
4. Good attitude on everyone. I know by now that someone is going to have a meltdown…it just shouldn’t be me.
5. Diapers, wipes, “binka” and a change of clothes for each child. It is the one time, the one thing, I forget that tends to be the one thing I need.
6. No expectations. So I spend $40 on Lambs farm for Jayden’s birthday, and both kids cry the entire time. Oh well, lunch was great!
7. Bob. And Handy Manny and Blue and anything else that will keep them occupied while we travel.
8. An act of God. There is no what to predict if it is going to be successful, so we pray it will be. If it is a park, or pool we have a better chance, but if it is shopping, or somewhere they can break something, we need to pray harder.
9. Coffee. Hot or cold, we can’t survive an outing without a little caffeine.
10. Food and drinks. Fruit snacks, Wendy’s nuggets, juice cups, or icee breaks, food is the best way to get an extra 10 minutes of “fun”!
All that to say, we try to get out and today we went to the Grayslake farmers market because we heard Blue (from blue’s clues) would be there. Now, I may have to mention, my kids are deathly afraid of characters, but there was food, an area to play, good weather, other hands, and I was patient, so I thought we could try it. And I am happy to say it went well and we even got and icee!
http://www.grayslakefarmersmarket.com/
