1530 miles of harmony

As I was sitting in the OB office with Andi this morning, I read a copy of American Baby. There was an article with all manner of wonderful travel games to play with your kids on vacations. Learning your ABC's by finding signs beginning with sounds. Learning to add by adding the numbers on the license plates of cars as they pass. Practicing your memory skills with the "I'm going on a trip and I'm taking a ............" game. Guessing the number of seconds it will take to get from point A to point B.

That's all well and good. We've even done a bunch of their suggestions in the past. I've even played a game where we see who can get the most things that start with a certain letter from one mile marker to another - combining several games into one. We are just wild like that.

But I'm here to testify about the power of the almighty buck. The greenbacks speak volumes. My trip meter shows we traveled 1530 miles last week without a single fight in the car. Not one tear shed. Not one hair pulled. Not one person was hit - except for slug bugs.

500 dimes were thrown into the trip fund for the person spotting motorcycles, U-hauls, planes, Super 8 signs, Cracker Barrel signs and a variety of other things over the course of the trip. Any arguing over who "got it first" and you were out of the game. Nobody was ever expelled - because there was no arguing.

I'm sure this mode of bribery isn't for everyone and that's fine. But for me - it was the most peaceful trip I have ever taken and well worth every cent. Now I just have to survive the shopping frenzy to come that $171.00 will buy for four happy kids.