It's Always an Adventure on the Road

The Curly Girlies and I were driving up to meet The Doctor at his meeting 4 hours away from home. The Doctor has been on a business trip since Wednesday, and all of us were excited to meet him at the hotel.

We got on the road about an after school let out. The trip started off uneventful enough. The girls tuned in to their movie, I jammed to some tunes and talked to my Sister From Another Mister. After we hung up, I got into a great groove and started to enjoy myself.

Doing this drive by myself is a huge deal. I hate driving. I try to avoid it at all costs. I've driven long trips by myself before and my transmission died on the turnpike about halfway to our destination. I was hoping this trip would be less adventurous.

There is about a 2 hour stretch of turnpike where there are no rest areas whatsoever. Before we left the house I told the girls to go to the bathroom.

As we were walking out, I asked, "Did everyone use the bathroom?"

"Yes!," the girls chorused in unison.

We stopped off at MickeyD's for a snack of fries and juice boxes and hit the road.

About halfway across the long, no pit stop stretch of highway, one of the girls cried out urgently, "I have to use the bathroom!"

"My darlin', I'm sorry. We have about an hour to go before we come to a place to stop."

"Unnh!," she replied.

About 10 minutes later, she cried, "How much longer, Mommy? I really have to go!"

"A little less than an hour," I replied. "Didn't you go before we left the house?"

"I tried," she retorted.

"'Tried?' When I asked if everyone went, you replied 'yes'. If all you did was try, you should have told me. I would have had you go before we got on the highway."

"Unnh! I have to poop now too and I can't hold it," she said tearfully.

"Ok," I said, easing my car onto the shoulder and putting on my four ways. "Get out the passenger and do your business right next to the car."

"Here?," she asked incredulously.

"Do you have to go or don't you?," I asked impatiently.

"I do! I do!," she cried, scampering out of the car.

"I have to go too!," another sister called.

10 minutes later we were back on the road and my girls had a new experience to file away. The drive was going swimmingly and I was thrilled I was doing a great job.  All went great up until 30 minutes away from our destination.

I was traveling in the right lane and it had been raining nearly the entire time. There was a car on the right shoulder (potty break, perhaps?) and without looking, the driver swerved into my path. I immediately moved into the left lane, to avoid hitting this guy head on and felt us get hit from the back. My car went careening into the left grassy median, heading straight to the guardrail. I spun the wheel and ended up hitting the rail with the drivers side of the car. We kept careening down the median until I shifted into park and we coasted to a stop some 300 feet away from the point where we were hit.

I pulled out my phone to text The Doctor and as I was writing, I received a text from him saying he had landed. All 3 girls were hysterical, but completely uninjured. My car, however, wasn't so lucky.

Now, I know the most important thing is that we are all ok and we are. Totally and completely. I must admit, I'm devastated about my car. It was a brand spanking new Honda Pilot that I've only had for a week. I love this car so much that I actually felt like hugging it the other day (I settled for caressing the steering wheel and proclaiming my love for it). It wasn't totaled, but it'll likely be close to a month before I get it back. *sob*

I did my best to keep calm in front of the girls and The Doctor scrapped his plans of going to his meeting. He rented a car and drove out to meet us. It was only after we were all in the rental car that he pointed out that I never bothered telling him all, of us were fine until he asked a bunch of times. I told him we were in an accident, airbags deployed, EMS was coming and I was on with 911. How he  managed to stay calm enough to rent a car and find us is beyond me. Had it been me, I would have been freaking out. I guess that's why he's The Doctor!

At some point during this, B moaned, "I've always hoped I'd never be in a car accident, and now I have been!"

"Everyone gets into at least 1 car accident in their life, B. I hope this is the only one you're ever in," I told her.

After The Doctor arrived in the rental car, he settled the girls in  while I gathered my things and my emotions in my Pilot. After I got into the rental car I asked the girls, "Are you all OK?"

"Yes, Mommy," said B. "How are you, Mommy?"

My heart about melted and a fresh new wave of tears started.

I keep thinking how much worse this could have been. I wish it hadn't happened, but you know what? All of us, including the driver who hit me, walked away without any injuries. That is the best thing in an awful situation. I know I have a guardian angel, but that's a story for another time.