Yesterday we did the Sternwheeler cruise with brunch, on--is it the Columbia River? It is in Oregon, a long drive away, and very beautiful. The weather was fine, the food was good, the captain looked just like a captain with his white full beard. He commented throughout our 2 hour ride on the history of the area and other facts. There were what looked kind of like odd docks at certain intervals on the river, and he said they were used by 4 Indian tribes for fishing! On our way into the parking lot, and Indian(I think) was selling salmon out of his pickup!

I had to borrow a diaper from a mother of a 1-year old, because I neglected to bring diapers on board! When your toddler's poopy on a boat, dipes in the car won't help. And I just couldn't grin and bear it for the whole time. Our waitress, who was fabulous, was kind enough to ask the mother. I was working up the courage, but my mom mentioned it, and she secured one for me in nothing flat! PTL!

The drive home, William did not fall asleep. It was honest to God such a nightmare, I really don't want to relive it. He cried and yelled and fussed and moaned and whined enough that I would have been exhausted enough for deep sleep if I had done a fraction of that myself. We didn't know where his pacifiers were, so he was without that very important, calming, crutch. At 2 and a half, you think he should be done, right? Bad timing for weaning him off that. He is not very sensitive or responsive to yelling or even physical pain like the other 3 were. I have a completely different kid this time--goody--I "finally" got one of those "strong-willed" kids that you have to read books about to know how to handle. Nothing I said or did would shut him up. So, finally, I had to just let him keep yelling, "Momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma, momma," to infinity and beyond. I was sitting next to him cuz I though it would help. My blood pressure was very high. I was staring at the road ahead and not moving--just enduring. I couldn't talk to anyone. My ears were turning warm and red with anger and stress and suffering. He finally got sick of being ignored and wanted comfort, which I gave him, and then he wanted to yell again about the injustice of driving for hours. Finally, after a flare prayer, I said very businesslike and purposefully, "ARE YOU GOING TO STOP YELLING??!! IT'S GETTING REALLY OLD!!!! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!!!" That actually sunk in for a minute, and when he tried being a jerk again, I said something very similar. He then clung to my arm for a few minutes and fell asleep. Can you say ARGHHHHH!!!! (Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, as Dory would say.)