Packing Strategery

So, my big challenge this week is to pack for our next adventure.  And if this was simply a road trip, well, I don't want to act like we got it all together, but we pretty much got that nailed.  There is a permanent snack basket under the front passenger seat, a permanent bag of interesting toys, a basket of books, and now that our entire music/audio book collection is on a portable device, we are good.  We have figure out how the laptop works as a DVD player, where is sits the best.  We have internet with us always through our phone.  Sure there is the normal cranky snags in the best laid plans, but really, we got it under control.

This next adventure, however, is entirely different beast.  It's a hybrid.  See, we are taking a total of 5 road trips and 2 plane trips in the course of 10 days.  We will be heading to Grand Rapids (4 hour road trip), then boarding a plane for the hour and a half trip to Baltimore.  Then, our dear friends EJ and Renee will be picking us up and taking us back to their house in Manassas.  Then, just because it sounded like fun (no, really we have three sets of supporters in VA to see) we will hit the road to Smithfield (you know, where the hams come from), then to Roanoke, (not the same one as the disappearing colony), and then back to Manassas (and if you pay even remotely attention in 11 grade American History, you should realize that this area of the country is ooooooozzzzing with History.  Simply oooooozzzzing.)  We are thinking we might hit the National Zoo, or take the boys to see the where Barack Obama lives (Forrest is certain his house isn't white, it's blue).

Anyway, all that to say, I have had a challenging time packing.  How do you pack for a road trip, followed by a plane trip, followed by another series of road trips in a vehicle that isn't yours, followed by yet another plane ride, and then back your vehicle for one last road trip?  All with preschoolers.  And in a day and age when the airlines will charge you for just about everything you want to bring with you.  We have settled on 2 carry on suitcase, checking one big suitcase and 4 backpacks.  Oh, and a stroller (free) and a car seat (also free). 

There has been a whole lot of strategy and lists, and note taking, and more lists, and backpacks, and suitcases, and a bit more strategy.  If it was Noah and I, oh , man, give me a backpack and we are off.  But the whole two preschoolers thing complicates it just a bit.

So, we'll see.  We are trying to pack light, and yet, not leave ourselves out to in the dark on some things. Thankfully Grandma and Buela have supplied some new interesting car/plane trip actives and toys.  And with some favorite snacks, I think we should be good.

Oh, and aren't the boys' backpacks the cutest things you've seen in a while?