The fun doesn’t just happen spontaneously, but through strategy. My “Nanny-Car” is READY for the 2.5 year old BBB’s! [Side note: If you are not a multiples Nanny, BBB is the symbol for all-boy triplets, as GGG would be all-girl and so on. I digress….] Any adventure that we decide to take takes preparation.

You know your kidlets! A little personal thought and preparation can make your car rides a fun, stress-free place to be. Oh and don’t get me wrong, I am not saying let the toys take over your car – if you are like me that can add more stress than help! A little planning can calm chaotic moments from ever happening! Yours may be very different, but here are some of our “Must Haves”! (I’d love to hear your “Must Haves” and comments!) 

I’ll be honest that I haven’t had to use this yet in my current position, and hopefully that day doesn’t come. With three busy boys it’s a nice to know that it is there. Ice pack, band-aids, tweezers and other basic essentials that will assist in the time of need. 

Never know when a mud puddle will find bare feet. Or sand will find a mouth…..three times. Mother nature can be crazy with kids, so enticing! I started keeping a junk towel and water bottle after having the “I wish I had a….” thought. And since my “Nanny-Car” is also my “Personal-Car”, I try my best manage the dirt. (My heavy-duty plastic floor mats placed 6th on this list. Wonderful. Get them and you will love yourself and me, ha ha. ) 

So I am pretty much a sunglass fein. You’ll find me some days without my wedding ring or any jewelry, but rarely will you find me without my D&G’s. At the dollar store one day I saw these kids plastic pairs so I bought them. It was hilarious watching the boys maneuver them on their faces for the first time. N wore his upside-down, H had trouble getting them over both ears so he wore them lop-sided, and although T could get them on perfectly, he opted to push them atop his head like I wear mine when there is no sun. (You should see the pictures!) So they started out as a toy/distraction, but now HTN will request, “sunglasses please” when the sun shines in the window – – rather than whine or hide their eyes. Score. 

Once again one of those “impulse buys” by the register at Target with the boys. A special treat since they don’t really have any at home yet.  This is now my “save the moment” distraction, because once in awhile I need to hear my own thoughts. A small item to keep their hands and thoughts busy can go a long way. “Who wants to hold a car?”…”I do!” I used to use little Scooby-doo stuffed animals, but they are done with the dog. They’ve matured. Cars. Trucks. Choo-Choos. Anything on wheels. I’m sure someday it will be something else, but right now, Ah….Matchbox is genius! *Disclaimer: I told them, “If you drop the car, it’s gone.” They learned quickly. 

We are a musical bunch. The boys have their own playlist on my iPhone. I know that I must look crazy sitting at lights, but that’s my chance to join in on the dancing and singing. We play everything from your ‘Kids Classics’ to 70’s disco. It all goes back to the day when H was learning to talk and was babbling “BAH BAH BAH”…in my head I heard …”BAH BAH BAH BARBARA ANN”. We sang it constantly and when the boys heard it on iTunes for the first time you should have seen their faces. From then on out we have discovered lots of music together. (Someday I will post our current playlist). The boys will request songs and take turns choosing what we sing. They will do dance moves – finger pointing and fist rolling that Travolta would be proud of. Raise the roof. Clap your hands. Pretend to snap. “Air guitar” and “air violin” (long story on the latter). N does a nice head bang. H has perfect the “Charlie Brown”. T-man likes an easy sway. Music is where they heard a lot of their first words. In fact this week I was pointing and explaining to H what a baseball stadium was and I referenced “Take me out to the Ballgame” – one of his favorites. They now sing multiple lines of the songs. They love it. I love it. Music adds so much to our car rides!