We went to a party this weekend, which involved driving out of the suburbs, through the next county, and into the suburbs of an Actual Big City.

Amazingly, we made the drive without requiring a bathroom break. Not even for me. (There was one false alarm on the way home involving a certain four-year-old insisting that he had to go potty, so couldn’t we go back to the party? But when assured that we would not be turning around—half an hour from home at nearly ten o’clock on a Sunday night—he decided he didn’t need to go after all.)

Important factoids gleaned on this trip:

- There are 951 Starbucks-peddling locations between our San Diego suburb and the Los Angeles suburb that was our destination, including the three we passed before getting on the freeway and the two we passed after exiting but before finding the house where we were headed. We didn’t keep count, we actually looked that up ahead of time. Because there are bathrooms at Starbucks. And usually coffee and junk food, which one never knows when one may require.

- Raspberry sorbet is even more exciting with colored sprinkles on top. (I suppose we could have guessed that.)

- When jumping in an inflatable bounce-house outdoors in 95 degree weather, my children turn very very pink. Pinker than the raspberry sorbet.

- Drinking cold water will not restore their original color, but air conditioning will.

- A book will keep Abigail content for a three-hour drive. A book will not keep Owen content for any amount of drive. And nothing will keep Audrey content for a three-hour drive. (Again, probably could have guessed… and maybe already knew that…)

- It is possible to contradict anything I say. (KID: “I want to get out of the car!” ME: “I’ll let you know when it’s time to get out.” KID: “No! Don’t tell me!” ME: “Alrighty then.”)

And that about sums it up. Important stuff, I know.