Alamosa Trip--The play by play

We left Friday afternoon for Alamosa. I had spent most of the day packing up and getting ready to go. The only things I didn't pack were the electronics (computer and camera) and B.A.R.'s bag of stuff.

We drove south to Pueblo and stopped at Del Taco for dinner. Tiger got a quesadilla. I had put him in a pull-up so that we wouldn't have to stop in the middle of nowhere because he had to go. I then failed to make him go while we were in Pueblo. As we were heading up La Veta pass Tiger said he needed to go. We told him to wait, we would be there in an hour. Just then, Blanket poops and insists that he needs his diaper changed--no waiting! So, in a light sprinkle, half way down the other side of the pass we pulled off at a DOT area and changed Blanket's diaper. B.A.R. took Tiger behind the building to give him a chance to go, but he wouldn't. "Too cold," he said.

Tiger whined and cried, and I distracted, sang, counted oncoming cars, watched the sunset, and generally expended major effort to keep Tiger calm while we drove across the plateau to Alamosa. When we reached the hotel his pull-up was a little wet, and he peed for 30 seconds or so. I kept checking to see if he was done, and he was still going. I was so impressed with his capacity. It made me wonder why he is so lazy at home that he has accidents, or will just use his pull-up as an excuse not to go potty.

We got all set up for bed, and spent the night listening to the kids make all thier sleeping noises (and consequently, not sleeping). Blanket got up at 5 and I brought him to bed until 6. I actually got up with him and wandered around the lobby until 7:30 when the rest of the family got up and moving.

We then went down to the train station and prepared for the best part of our trip: the train ride.
We watched them get set up for the ride, and deal with a brake issue on the Antonito train.

We rode the San Luis and Rio Grande over La Veta pass. To book your own go here. Tiger didn't sit very still for the 3 hours we were on the train, but his favorite part of the ride was getting to flush the toilet with his foot.

When the train stopped in La Veta we had lunch at a little cantina. The mexican food tasted really good and Tiger had a quesadilla.



After lunch we went to this park next to the train station. I took Blanket to change his diaper. I went to the bathroom and noticed that I didn't have a clean diaper with me. I went back to a little general store we passed and bought 40 diapers so I could have the one I needed. Then I had to explain to my dear husband why I vanished from the park and it took me 30 minutes to change his diaper.

We spent the last few minutes before the train left to go back to Alamosa walking around the platform and taking pictures. The only way we could get Tiger to pose for the photo was to strap him the stroller and park him by the locomotive. You can't see Blanket in this picture because he passed out in the stroller shortly after the diaper disaster.



















Blanket stayed asleep until well into the return trip. Tiger started taking a nap (I have already blogged about that) about the time Blanket woke up. He is so much fun. I love getting to spend time with just him.

For dinner Tiger finished his quesadilla and we had a pizza.

We all slept more the next night, mostly out of exhaustion, I think. Though Blanket did get me up at 5:30 with a messy diaper and no desire to get back in the Pack 'n' Play. We began wandering the lobby around 6:15.

I thought we were in for a peaceful trip home. Somewhere on La Veta pass (about 45 minutes out of Alamosa) Tiger says he needs to go poop. I told him to poop in his pull-up and we would change it when we got to Walsenburg.

In Walsenburg I took him into a 7-11 and completed the impossible. I found no poop in his pull-up and managed to relieve him without the enema or warm bath I would have used at home. (This is #16 on the list of things I learned). I hope I never have to do that again.

For lunch we headed to Colorado Springs to have lunch at Texas Roadhouse. At home I spent the day recovering from a serious lack of sleep.

It was a great weekend, but like any vacation with little kids it is nice to come home and recover from the stresses of vacation.