We survived our first semi-major road trip with Pumpkin to Florida and back and, I must admit, it was not bad at all. In 16 hours of driving, we only had one minor fit and I quickly learned that was a combination of hunger and car sickness. Of course, the fact that Pumpkin was a traveling pro should come as no surprise. First she is Mee Maw's namesake and that apple didn't fall far from the tree. More importantly though, the thing I should quit being surprised about is surprises - I need to just learn to expect the unexpected when it comes to raising kids. Take this morning for instance, the only thing that I was dreading more than the car trip was the first day back at school after 10 days of non-stop fun and attention. My fears escalated when the first words out of her mouth this morning, when she realized mama was dressed for work and not in "play" clothes, were "no school." We arrive at school and I take a deep breath before I open the c