This may be crazy...

Joe is going to Florida for a week in February for work.

February is one of the worst months of weather in Missouri. Usually, it's cold. Snow. Ice. Yuck.

I am not that crazy about being alone with a 22 month old and 4 month old 24/7 while Joe is out enjoying 60 degree weather, gorgeous beaches,and uninterrupted sleep.

So how about we all drive 12-13 hrs and enjoy the weather and beaches with him.

I am not sure if this is the best idea ever, or the worst,or mostly good with some bad moments, etc.

The thought is that we will drive through the night mostly. Luke has so far done well with long road trips, Matthew sleeps well in his car seat. We will get a beachfront hotel--there are several options in the price range Joe is allowed to spend--the boys and I will spend the days on the beach, obviously too cold to swim but Luke loves just being outside and picking up rocks, then have time with Joe when he is done working. It would be pretty close to free, travel is covered, hotel is covered, food will be close to covered.

Still...two kids under 2 on a roadtrip? In a hotel? On my own with them during the day? 

My first idea was to enlist help via my mom or sister. My mom is a no. She just had her gallbladder removed and can't go away for a week after missing work from that. I haven't asked my sister yet. My fingers are crossed. Otherwise I may try to figure out how to hire someone as a mother's helper there, just to have an extra set of hands. I don't need a babysitter but imagining trying to drag all of the stuff and 2 kids down to the beach for a couple hours, on my own, does not sound super exciting to me. We would save outings for when Joe is around. But the alternative, being stuck in Missouri in the cold on my own with them does not sound exciting to me either.

I have asked around others' opinions. The response is 75%-GO! and 25%-no way. It is too bad we cannot just rent a condo (which are the same rates or even lower as hotels for that week! ugh. annoying.) It would be a no brainer to go if we went the condo route, but that's not going to happen (free hotel vs. paying entirely out of pocket, free wins to my husband.) I am leaning heavily towards going, if nothing else to rain on Joe's childfree parade. (He keeps saying even if he goes alone it won't be a vacation for him...yeah right. I wouldn't trade my kids for anything and would not be able to leave them for a week anyway...but to eat meals without a toddler...sleep...etc. I am going to be way bitter about that if I'm here while he's there. He would be working 8 hours a day, not exactly slaving away.) Anyway, obviously I won't do it if I think it would be miserable for the kids or myself. Matthew is pretty happy as long as he has boobs. Luke is happy as long as he can be outside. I like roadtrips and I think it will be good family time for us to unplug. (Joe working is sort of a good thing b/c we don't do so well together 24/7 in a small space under stressful conditions. I think we'll actually get along better in this situation then we would with our stubborn personalities on a normal vacation.)

Anyway, I am leaning heavily towards going, hopefully with some help, maybe without it. He has to get his plan to drive approved, but his coworkers have done it and said it shouldn't be a problem.

Hopefully it will fall into place.