Meet Scorpius.

He hitched a ride with us home from Texas. Honestly, we thought he would be dead. And I was okay with Bridger having two dead pet scorpions. Then my husband pulled him out of the reusable bag it was stowed in and said, "It's Alive!" Cue eerie haunted mansion music.

We transferred the scary little shit to Snappy's (R.I.P. Snappy) old cage and right now it is living in the main floor bathroom. You totally want to come visit me now, right? It is strangely fascinating. Last night I took the Wood's lamp out (my daughter has vitiligo) and shined it in the cage (as Scorpius was devouring a cricket). Kind of cool. But not really. Super freaky.

Did you know that scientists froze scorpions for an extended period of time and when they thawed them back out, the scorpions came back to life like nothing ever happened. Goosebumps.

So we have a pet scorpion and I am not really sure about this whole deal. Bridger is ecstatic, mommy and daddy not so much.





This is not a scorpion. In case you were wondering. It's a bracelet. It's pretty.




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Highway 83 Across America

 Things I learned on this drive:

• Nebraska is flat.
• Kansas is flat.
• 99% of other vehicles on the highway will have "Oversized Load" signs.
• They are not fun to pass.
• It's hard to find gas stations that aren't totally scary-looking.
• Texas has a lot of bugs. 
• On the way home, it's probably NOT A GOOD IDEA to take a totally different route, that you may think is faster. Because it is definitely NOT.

Free Shower! Sweet!






















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You Capture - Black and White

A few more shots from our visit with Christy and family in Texas...

(Theme is Black & White!)





Join the weekly You Capture challenge at Beth's site here!

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Texas, Day Three

Yesterday, Christy and I loaded up the kids (minus one, he was at camp) and drove to Fredricksburg, TX to meet Lisa for lunch. Three adults and seven kids. You can probably guess who was running the show.

The Mo', Mensi, & Anderson Clan:







Lisa, Christy, & I (photos by Averie):





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Texas, Day Two

We love The Frio:



Rhino Beetle:





The Girls:





The Boys:





Our pet lizard (he later escaped):




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Texas, Day One

Playing in the Frio: 



The Girls:



The Boys:



The Critters:









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Lissa Joy's Guide to Surviving Road Trips with Children

The kids and I are about to embark upon a mega-road trip across America, all the way from North Dakota to southern Texas (1300+ miles each way). You may think I am crazy (hell, I probably am), but really, we love road trips! There is nothing better than showing the children different parts of the country and making memories that will last a life time.

That said, as a mother of four kids, I know a thing or two about making road trips successful and fun.

I will now present Lissa Joy's Guide to Surviving Road Trips with Children:

1. iPods. Our iPods get used. A lot. We just bought the twins iPod Nanos for their birthday, and Averie just ordered an iPod touch with her birthday money (hopefully it gets here today!). I bring mine along, too, and plug it into my car speakers. It really does make traveling so much better when you can listen to your favorite music the whole way! You can also load TV shows and movies onto all the iPod varieties, except for Shuffles.

2. Mr. Mystery Magic Ink books. Maybe you remember these from your own childhood, I love my kids love them. Hours of (independent) fun!

3. Water bottles. It is so much more cost-efficient to bring your own water bottles, rather than buying them for a couple bucks each at every stop! Plus, then you have bottles to use once you reach your destination! I still use our Sigg bottles (even though I refuse to purchase from them anymore), and I love my Kor Water bottle.

4. Books! Lots and lots of books. We are all big readers in my family (except for my husband!) and I can never go wrong bringing lots of reading materials for the kids. I also bring books and magazines for me, in hopes that I can catch up on some reading at night when we stop! My current read:  The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. So good!

5. Sketch pads, notebooks, pens, crayons. The kids can draw, play tic-tac-toe, hangman... the possibilities are endless. Our new thing in my family is to write down all the different license plates we find! Ashton The kids are OBSESSED with this. My 7-year-old loves this book: License Plates of America.

6. Snacks. Bring a variety for everyone, although I suggest avoiding anything chocolate during the summer months. I may or may not be speaking from experience. The individually-packaged snacks work GREAT for road trips! Also make sure you bring some plastic bags along and stash them under the seats for garbage!

7. Baby wipes. A must-have for cleaning up sticky hands, messy faces, and spills. Also great for wiping down surfaces at hotels where germs fester!

8. Portable video games!! Nintendo to the rescue! We love, love our Nintendo DS(s) & DSi. Mario and Luigi rock. That is all. Car chargers are essential, too.

9. A camera. Don't leave home without it! (photo by Christy)

My husband is going to give me a refresher course in changing tires this afternoon, as well as loading a 9mm. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

What are your must-haves for traveling with children? Or do you just avoid it all together?

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