All threats made in the mealtime crazies post were empty and super funny. We werelaughing the time. But we still want him to eat the sandwich.

Stir crazy and still 6+ hours of road time to go. Art, the picky eater, happily ate his self-designed subway sandwich yestersay getting a good dose of protien for the long haul, so wee ordered again today. "I don't want the meat. Just the cucumbers." Says Ben, holding head in hands, "fuck!" We will have to endure whing, impossible to tolerate humgry Art if we don't get him to eat the sandwich. Says Ben when asked to help Art clean up a spill, "if ytou eat your sandwich." Art, "can I have some pop?" Ben, "if you eat your sandwich." Art wanted to back to the car and Ben said, "you have toeat your sandwich. I'm going to force you to eat that sandwich and stuff it down youtr throat."

Ben: "I just wanted to let you know that there's some blood in your bathroom." Attendant: (a little annoyed) "oh yeah.  I know."
–Sent from my handheld device.–

Says me, "well, that was a nice diversion."Adds Ben, "cup of coffee, some peanuts and a car fire."(Not our car…we were held up one car away from three fire trucks putting out a roadside car fire.)

I am writing from ben's phone to reprt that in gneneral this LONG road trip is gping really well. We stopped in Chicago to visit and stay with my cousin staci and her husband and 2 1/2 year old son. Had fun with his toys and a great breakfastt beforwe heading off to the Field Mueseum for dinosaur bones. Then we went to Millenium Park to see the fountians and the Shiny Bean. When Art saw the bean he stopped in his tracks and said, "whoh. I can believe it" and just stared at it, mumbling to himself. Then it was back to the car with our tired, cranky children to head for Ben's grandma's in IN. We are managing the road time with books on tape, which Art is loving, a big coolor of snacks and sandwich materials and frequent rest stops for pee breaks and frizbee throwing. Have you ever seen Art throw a frizbee? He may still collapse into a tantrum if his food spills on the floor but he can throw a frizbee better than most grown ups. Now we're in the long haul through Kentucky, Tenessee and onward to Myrtle Beach,SC.. Art is listening to a Curious George book and Lewis is studying the train page in a Richard Scarey book. I'm going to eat a contraband candy bar…

So, tomorrow we leave on a big trip heading east across the country to South Carolina. Along the way we’ll be stopping in Chicago overnight with Jessica’s cousin (in Chicago we’re planning to see a museum with Dinosaurs (!) and the giant ‘bean’ at Millennium Park as Jess likes to say). Then we’ll head to Wabash, Indiana, where my grandmother lives and where my mother is currently visiting (that would be TWO birds with one stone). Then, we’ll try and finish the rest of the trip over a couple days through Kentucky and West Virginia and finally arrive at the Meher Baba Spiritual Center in Myrtle Beach, SC (Jess and kids are flying back one way, I’m driving back with lots of books on tape…)

The Baba Center is a retreat for followers of Meher Baba, an Indian spiritual master who died in 1969 (I wrote more about him in a post from last year after our visit there). I often went there with my family growing up and last year was the first time our new family has been. It was a wonderful trip and even though we can’t really afford to go this year, we’re going anyway!

We’ll post photos and notes from our trip when we return in two weeks.

"Papa, this is weird. I'm half naked, and Lewis is all naked."

Jessica’s cousin Cait took this lovely photo of Lewis on his second birthday at her house. Jess and I love it!