Pain-in-the-Ashton!

After much complaining over cereal, juice type, and seating location at breakfast, we piled into the car and headed to Alamagordo for a morning of sledding on white sands. So much fun!  Despite the 96 degree weather in the valley, we lubed up with SPF 70 sunscreen and played in one of nature's giant sandboxes for over an hour!  We sledded, ran on the dunes, kicked a soccer ball all over the place, and the kids even befriended other kids. Zach made a sled train with two twin 7 year olds who were visiting White Sands from San Antonio. Along with the sunscreen, we made sure that we stayed well hydrated with water and juice. So, after a fantastic morning, we then cleaned all the sand off of our bare feet and set out to find some NewMex for lunch. That I'd when things tuned south...

Got in the car, just passed a restroom stop, Ash throws up.  Luckily, I brought an extra set of clothes for him. We get everything cleaned up and Ash cleaned up and set off again. A few miles outside of the park on our way back into Alamagordo, Ash throws up again, this time hitting Zach. Now there are no more changes of clothes, Zach is screaming like a girl. Derek claims he needs a drink.
Luckily. Have the magic iPad with Verizon hookup. We can map search anytime, anywhere.  We search for our favorite designation when in a crisis- Walmart!  We get to Walmart. Zach and I step inside ready to search for towels, wet wipes, new clothes for Ash,and fabreeze. We have not been in the place 2 minutes when their power goes out. Joy!  Tommi grabs cell phone and calls Derek for a pickup.  We as parents are defeated. No clean clothes, car smells like spoiled juice, and no yummy lunch is in the near future. Meanwhile Ash is completely passed out in his own filth in the back seat. At least someone is happy.

So, we return to the cabin (50 min drive). Ash gets a shower. We all pile back into the car and head to a NewMex restaurant called Comal in downtown Ruidoso. Totally yummy!  Derek had great Mexico City style steak tacos and I had a burrito with Christmas (both red and green chile). Meanwhile Ash is now over his car sickness/too much sun and is eating enough chips and beans to feed Texas. (lucky Zach gets to sleep with him again tonight!). We decide that there has been enough excitement for one day and head back to the cabin for a quiet afternoon. We read, play games (Zach taught me a card game which he learned at summer camp called Trash. It is pretty fun!). Ash loved playing Go Fish and Matching. Everyone was all doing their own thing and just relaxing when I realized that Ash was coloring the carpet with crayons!  Ahhhhhhh!  Luckily I was able to clean up the carpet with a wash cloth and a bit of dish detergent.   Can't take your eyes off of them for a second! But then they can be so darn cute!

Everyone is now enjoying a dinner/snack of PB&J (them) or popcorn (me).  Then it will be time to shower off sand and puke remnants and drool at the mountain some more!  Yay!

Until the next episode...  (meanwhile living with Ash lately is sort of like having a moody teenager stuck in a tiny body!  Although he was much more congenial after passing out for over an hour in the car!)