How we survived the great rush hour ride, AKA Crack n’ snacks
26th April 2007
Yesterday I got the second worst call a Mom can get: my husband was sick at work.
He was dizzy, bouncing off walls trying to walk. And nauseous. Which meant he couldn’t drive.
Which in turn meant a two hour round trip during rush hour. Around dinner time. With Lucy. IN THE CAR.
Remember the trauma of the last long car ride? Now you know why I was fretting with worry not only for Eric (plastic lined bucket for possible highway vomitting? check. baby wipes for clean up? check.) but for our very souls, which could quite possibly get eaten by a screaming toddler.
So thanktheeverlovinglord for the following two products, which I will never again leave home without.
The Munchkin Snack Catcher: The top of this is a soft, circular cut-out plastic. You fill it with snacks (in our case, Cheerios), and Lucy has to push through the top to grab food. This is awesome because a) it’s a novelty for her, b) it slows 
down the eating process, as she can only get a few at a time instead of 25 smashed in her face hole, c) no spills! I’ve seen similar products, but the Munchkin one has handles to use as leverage for maximum grabbing.
A kids’ music CD: This stuff must be made by the same people who created Cheerios — they’ve somehow figured out how to fill the airwaves with the same crack the cereal is made of, because Lucy immediately stops whining and crying. Like instantaneously. I don’t know if Lucy is just drawn to the kids’ voices or what, because she certainly doesn’t settle when I crank radio music. She gets a glazed, mellow, rather stoned looking happy face when the first sounds fill the car — sometimes even yelping in between songs because she needs her next fix. (Thanks to everyone who suggested this!)
So, we survived. And are armed for the next big journey.
(I’m taking Eric to the walk-in clinic now. Hopefully it’s something minor — ear infection?)
Possibly related posts:
Thanks for the tip on the Munchkin snack catcher. I almost bought one a while ago (for Christmas, maybe), but didn’t know if babies could figure out how to use them. So, if Lucy can work it, she can baby-talk instructions to Eirinn on how to get the food out. Kind of like how Eirinn baby-talked instructions to Lucy on how to turn the tv on and off and on and off and on and off……
good think those worked, I also never leave without snacks and music…. Like I said earlier Baby Einstein works wonderfully for us… I also bring her favourite dolly for her to pay with…. Glad to hear everything was good with Lucy and hope all is well with Eric……
Please keep us informed about Eric and send him my love. I must suggest those Munchkin Snack Catcher’s to my associates at work. They sound awesome.
Funny I think that this cold/flu/virus is going around…tell him to stock up on the Pepto and expect to lose 10 pounds ! I am still with it and I started on Sunday, although today I am much less dizzy. I hope he feels better and thanks for the recommendation on the snack thingies !
[...] we love Munchkin products at Chez Foster-McDougall (most notably the Snack Catcher, which strangers ask me about all the time) so I had such high hopes for insulated Big Kid [...]