Escape from New York

Last week we put more than 1500 miles on the new car, traveling to North Carolina and back.  Driving gave us more flexibility than flying, and we didn't have to spend Kyle's college savings on airfare.  It was a risky trip, with Jennifer being less than three months away from giving birth.  Fortunately, she had no difficulty.  She said the drive was more comfortable than our trips in the Corolla, which is not surprising, since the Corolla was a low-budget, no-frills model, and its seats were made out of rocks.  When Jennifer was pregnant with Kyle, her back would start hurting almost immediately after I turned the ignition.  This time she felt fine most of the way down to the Tar Heel State.

Kyle did well, too.  He enjoys traveling, especially when he has a bag full of books at his disposal.  He no longer needs us to read them to him, as he prefers to just thumb through the stories, pretending to read aloud as he looks at the pictures.  I was happy with this development, since it's hard to read children's books and drive at the same time.  Kyle's new window seat also made the trip more enjoyable.  When he was not reading books or napping, he loved to look out the window and point at the many roadside attractions, including cows, water towers, and billboards featuring erotic dancers. 

This was a very good trip for Kyle.  He was able to escape the city for a little while and see what makes the South so special: the good ol' Southern hospitality, excellent food (which he didn't eat), homes with yards, and free parking lots.  Kyle also spent a great deal of time with other kids, including his 10-month-old cousin.  We were happy the two got along, since this might be a preview of what will happen when Kyle gets a younger brother.  Of course, Kyle's attitude towards babies might change once he has one waking him up throughout the night.  Mine certainly did, and I'm just now starting to forgive our son.

Last week the little guy wore a suit for the first time.  He was the ring-bearer in a wedding, which meant he had to look impressive as he walked down the aisle in front of family and friends.  The job also enabled him to spend a great deal of time with the flower girls.  As I said already, this was a very good trip for Kyle.  For much of the wedding and reception, I didn't even know where he was, as he followed the girls everywhere.  They played games together, ran around our dinner table, and even practiced some new dance moves:

Kyle was fine after his spill.  He wasn't hurt physically, though he did bring shame to himself and the entire family.  Apparently he struck out with the flower girls, too, as they have yet to return any of his phone calls.

As for me, I also had a great time being far away from the city, where there are wide open spaces between houses and highways without potholes.  I came very close to embracing the suburbs, but then, towards the end of the week, I tried venturing outside for my afternoon coffee fix and became stuck at an intersection when traffic prevented me from making a left turn.  At that point I realized that I don't want to move out of the city anytime soon.  I like being able to walk to my destination.  While I certainly enjoyed driving the new car around, I'm glad it will be parked for the next few days.