“Are we there yet?” was yesterday’s mantra. Up at 5:00 am, I caught the shuttle to the Tampa airport. Then Delta home to Atlanta, and now on my way north in the family SUV...Missouri bound.

Yes, we’re on the road, headed back to our home state for a few days of visiting family and friends before plopping down in The Elms resort in Excelsior Springs, for ATN's Parenting Traumatized Children conference.

It’s been a whirlwind week for this stay-at-home mom. First the NACAC conference and now off on my next adventure. Overall the mood is light, but a bit edgy. So it is when we take LuLu on the road.

We have the portable DVD player and “bag o’ meds” – a full 10-day supply. We have chargers and adapters galore to keep each of us plugged into our “necessary” electronic device. It’s a far cry from playing “I spy a license plate from...” like we used to as children.

In fact, I wonder how we survived car trips as children. No air conditioning in the car, no video games or ipods. Instead, we counted cars, read books and sang three-part harmony with Dad. And made memories.

Well, the making memories part still happens these days. We’re off to make memories (although making memories in a special needs family is done just a bit differently.) It just takes a bit more planning and imagination, and sometimes a redefinition of what a special memory is. Ours is an uneventful car trip (i.e. no meltdowns by anyone) and stops at restaurants that have something without casein on the menu.

And our idea of “vacation” is a term used loosely. Yes, despite all the hard work of planning ATN’s conference, it will definitely be fun to be there again. Where else on the planet can we bring the unique needs of our family and not get a sideways glance, and have access to all these therapists, professionals and other parents who really care about our kid?

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