ON THE ROAD AGAIN

It's road trip day with my two favorite chickee's - Elle and Little Hart. We're leaving the boys behind! 

Road Trip with the Girls

Our girls trips and boys trips have been a part of our family life almost since it's inception. The girls love to shop, shop and then shop some more - 11 hours is our record so far! The boys love watching every kind of sporting event under the sun. There is no sport they won't watch! On our family trips we try to get a good mix of what the girls and boys enjoy doing, but sometimes it's just fun to do what you enjoy doing all day and night long without feeling like the other half would rather shoot themselves. Thus, the separate trips.

Twelve years into our blended family - the trips are officially a Hartman Family tradition. A tradition that all the kids look forward to doing and talking about for years later. As you know, Elle is my daughter and Little Hart my step-daughter. The girls trips have really gone a long way in creating and cementing the bond between Elle and Little Hart, my relationship with Little Hart and the relationship between Mom and daughters. I really credit the trips for making our family closer as a whole closer.

Planning and actually going on the the Girls trips has taken coordination with the other families over the years, but a extra wrinkle has been that Little Hart is my step-daughter. Although I have always considered her my daughter, it's times like these that I'm reminded that I'm not in control of whether Little Hart can go on these trips. Raylan and Greta are.

Raylan has always been a big proponent of the girls trips; suggesting we go, finding the money to pay for the trips and helping (actually making ALL) with the arrangements. The girls love the count down to the day we leave, earning/saving their money for months prior - my house has never been so clean!

All systems are a go, except Raylan isn't coming along so permission is needed from Greta. Granting permission is a lot different today than it was 10 years ago. I've been a part of Little Hart's life for a long time now - Greta knows what kind of a Mom I am and how vigilant I will be with her child, but in the beginning what did she know? Not much! And in the middle years, Greta and I were often not on that great of terms.

Raylan handles all the coordinating for every single trip with Greta. Initially, Greta had to trust Raylan that it was a good thing for Little Hart and that she would be ok with me. Now, Greta knows how much Little Hart looks forward to and enjoys the trips and that I will watch over her like crazy! I know a number of Mom's who would not be able to let their child go alone with their Step-Parent. I owe a big thank you to Greta for doing what she had to in her own mind to let Little Hart be apart of the girls trips.

Lucky we have the opportunity to go, lucky to have everyone behind the trip (including Greta) and lucky that the girls have a blast every time!  On the road again - in our new car - never before tested road trip vehicle! We'll see it how it goes!