The Robison Round-Up: Trip to see Uncle Doug (or Road Trip #1)

Two weekends ago Mason and I packed up and hit the road to go visit my brother, or Uncle Doug, in Stillwater, OK. Doug is a busy man and it's hard to catch him on a free weekend in the summer or fall so we jumped at the opportunity to see him and his new house! This was my first road trip with Mason that Sean wasn't on, so I turned his seat forward facing so that I could easily hand him things (he has since been switched back), and was prepared with music, snacks, and videos. We left at 10:00 so that we could drive for two hours before lunch, stop for a break and to eat, then drive the other two hours with the goal of him napping. He did nap for a little less than an hour, but I can't expect more than that in the car.

We were all excited to see each other and I immediately enjoyed a much needed beverage while Doug gave a tour. The backyard and Doug's dog, Walker, were of course Mason's favorite and we hung out outside for as long as we could stand the heat before moving back in. After playing with Mason, a quick trip to Lowe's (where they sell John Deere tractors), and feeding Mason dinner, I put him down so the adult fun could begin! Doug made an excellent steak dinner followed by (too many) cocktails on the patio. The next morning came a little early, but nothing a little coffee can't cure!

After taking a walk and playing around the house Saturday, we went to downtown Stillwater to grab lunch and check out some of the shops. Mason was, for lack of better words, a complete terror at lunch. We're talking tons of food throwing, chunking a full kids cup of water across the floor, multiple time outs, and the feeling that I should pick up everyone's lunch in the restaurant. Oy vey. This was very stressful for me, and I'm sure my brother too, who isn't used to dining with toddlers. Thankfully one of the shops nearby was a children's boutique that had a play room in the back. Mason quickly became his sweet little self again and the lunch was long behind us. Let's just say I may not be dining out with him again anytime soon.

After Mason's nap we found a great, shaded park by the lake to take him too. He had a blast playing with Doug and pointing out all the trash cans. We had already decided not to go through with our plans to grab Mexican food for dinner (I was NOT looking for an encore performance), so we stopped by the store on our way home and picked up the ingredients for a delicious, healthy and spicy chicken and Szechuan noodle salad. My brother has become quite the cook and entertainer and I enjoyed every second of it!

While I packed up on Sunday Doug helped watch Mason. This of course means getting soaking wet in the hose and needing an outfit change before we even leave. ;) Then they played together at the piano which was so sweet to see. Doug is one of those gifted people that can just walk up to a piano and whip out some Mozart out of thin air. I hope Mason picks up some of his musical gifts. I'm glad they had fun and look forward to visiting during football season so we can take Mason to his first game!

We were home for less than 48 hours, just enough time to unpack, do laundry, and pack again before hitting the road for road trip #2 to Lake LBJ. More on that later. Thanks for a great weekend Doug!