We excitedly woke and had breakfast. I started piling the luggage, toys, food, and a fan into the back of the van. Each teenager was eager to dig into their buckets of snack that I had specially prepared and shopped  for the day before. The buckets were cleaned ice cream containers that I had lined with plastic grocery bag and then filled with their favorite snacks. Some had applesauce and dried mangos and other had cucumbers and carrots. Then there were the chips and each had a theatre box of their favorite candy. I had made three crucial mistakes though. I didn't realize it at the time. In fact we didn't realize that there was a mistake until about four hours into the trip and we had been in the car all that time and the first mistake was realized. I had packed a root beer for Lona and she had no outlet for all that energy. Soon after the next mistake was made known: beef sticks. Yes, beef sticks are a mistake when each teenager has one and they are strapped in by seatbelt in a car for hours. There broke out a beef stick war. Apparently beef sticks hurt when you are whipped with them. "STOP hitting me with the beef stick!" "I'm going to smack you with my beef stick!" I'm screaming at them "I'm going to take away your beef sticks and smack you with them." "No don't take my beef stick. I'll be good I promise."  "Beef stick I miss you. Can I have my beef stick back" "take that."  " ouch you hit me with my beef stick"  Seriously, Beef sticks cause back seat wars. We finally pulled into the parking lot and a child announced "I can't wait to get to the room to change my clothes. ""What's wrong with your clothes?"