I am thrilled to share Paula Schmitt, The All Sports Mom with you. Enjoy!

On The Road Again
By Paula Schmitt, The All Sports Mom 

Listen to Paula Read her Column Here

We recently returned from Florida where we attended my grandmother’s funeral. We will truly miss my grandmother – she was one terrific lady and the sweetest thing on this earth.

We were away for six days. We drove from the state of Vermont to the state of Florida in a GMC Yukon – two straight days and nights there and two straight days and nights back, while visiting family in Florida for a total of two days. Only our three younger kids went along on the trip, leaving our two older sons home alone – are we nuts?!

Most people think I am crazy to begin with, driving, and not flying to Florida. I disagree. I enjoy being couped up with a 14, 11 and 4 year old for hours on end in a vehicle singing Old McDonald Had A Farm and listening to LOUD rock music that gets your head spinning – why wouldn’t I?

Heck, just think of all the wonderful reading one can accomplish (which I did) from the millions of billboards along the way. There were a few doozey’s too, especially for my two younger sons to chuckle about that read, “We Bare All” Exit 49 and “Ultimate Massage” Exit 20, oh, and let’s not forget the sensational billboards for Hooters with their eye-catching, half-dressed Bimbos. I think you get my drift.

Then we had bathroom and chow breaks every few hours. So when the time came to get back in the car and strap in, my four year old daughter decided that she was going to walk. My sons were grand with that decision and voted, YES without hesitation.

The embarrassment came from what we were driving – a filthy, mud and salt covered northern SUV. The further south we drove with clear blue skies and the sun shining brightly, we quickly began our search for a drive through car wash, which happened in the beautiful state of Virginia. The kids don’t mind. As a matter of fact, they love this. This is, by far, their biggest excitement of the entire trip. After three minutes of a scrub-a-dub-dub, we were all pretty and sparkly clean again and on our way.

So, now we are home again (Thank God) and back to our normal routine…and out of that car, which, by the way, is once again a filthy, mud and salt covered northern SUV.

Paula Schmitt, author of Living In A Locker Room: A Mom's Tale Of Survival In A Houseful Of Boys (2005), has been published in hundreds of publications. She has appeared on numerous radio talk shows and in print publications such as Adoption Today magazine, Adopting for Tomorrow magazine, Kids VT magazine and The Herald of Randolph. She is the Founder and Editor of The Mom Writer's Literary magazine (2005) - "A literary magazine for mom writers who have something to say". In addition, Paula will be launching her radio talk show, Mom Writer's Talk Radio this coming fall of 2005.

When she isn't writing, editing, or taxiing her children to their sport events, she prefers to spend quality time in central Vermont with her husband and five children. To read more of her columns visit www.paulaschmitt.com and for some much needed adult conversation email her at paula@paulaschmitt.com.