Journey from hell? Or heaven sent?

After yesterday, I will never complain about a car journey again or get cross with anyone I travel with. We spent the weekend in London catching up with old pals and generally having a lovely time. I say we, although N had to come back to Bristol on Sat night due to a complete overload of work! He missed his train and ended up having to spend £60 on a ticket but hey, that's life right?

So, I stayed with a very dear friend, we gossiped til past midnight (yikes!) and our kids played beautifully. On Sunday morning I met up with my antenatal friends for a rather fine roast in one of Tooting's eateries. All was well with the world and we departed at 2.30, in perfect time for O to have his afternoon nap and with F fed to the hilt so that she'd sleep too.

By the time we reached Newbury on the M4 I have to admit to feeling a little smug. Both kids were still beautifully asleep and the journey was going well. I even decided that I would pre-empt any meltdowns from the babster by stopping at a service station about 25 miles outside Bristol. This was largely so that I could tell Nick how thoughtful and responsible I'd been - last time we made the journey F lost it after I took the executive decision not to stop but press on for home! It was not something I would ever wish to repeat.

Am I glad I took that break. For a number of reasons... Three miles or so after our stop, the traffic was grinding to a halt. Nothing that unusual. When I noticed that there was literally no traffic coming up behind us and nothing coming in the opposite direction I realised there must have been a serious accident. I called N and tried to find out more from the radio. O and I finished a packet of mini cheddars and sipped some water (which thankfully I'd bought during our pit stop).

To cut a long story short, we didn't move one millimetre for three and a half hours. Me, a toddler and a baby. It was hard but actually very salutary. It taught me a lot, namely:

- In times of need, people are very kind and resourceful. I had lots of offers of help from women whilst lots of boys took the opportunity to play footie on an empty stretch of motorway!
- Driving is a hazardous pastime and I am extremely grateful that we weren't caught up in the accident. Some families' lives will have changed - possibly forever - yesterday.
- Live in the moment. What is happening now is what's happening, and there's no point wishing it otherwise. There were several moments when I almost lost it - F crying, O pouring water over the gearbox - but managed to hold it together. I know this helped the kiddies keep calm too.
- O is great company! We sang songs, pressed lots of buttons on the dashboard, counted cars and all sorts.
- Breastfeeding means you never run out of milk!!

So, no matter how hideous our next long journey is, it'll be hard to match a three and a half hour stationary delay!