The Crayola Factory, Traveling, Naming of sicknesses

A year after we moved to New Jersey my wife found out about the Crayola Factory in Easton, PA. It is only about an hour from where we live so for us it is an easy trip; one my wife has made multiples of times. I have never been so I can only speak from secondhand experience. I do know this, she loves it! I suppose I will have to go before we leave the area so she can show me just how much fun it is – because that is what she loves most about it, sharing the experience with someone.
Those she takes with her enjoy her exuberance almost as much as actually participating in the fun. I always hear the most exciting testimonies of pure enjoyment from everyone she has taken. I almost feel left out…almost.
Today’s trip we no different. She had in her entourage three girls and two boys. Jake has, of course, been several times, since he has been with Mama Kim the longest. I think now he goes just to watch her. Among the newer visitors were two first timers. I have not heard their stories but I know I will soon. Sadly I had to leave just as the party was coming in the door – I had a meeting to go to at work prior to beginning my twelve hour shift. (What fun things they think up for us!)
Since the Crayola Factory is an hour away, it seems a stretch to many people in this area, but we are used to the idea of traveling distances, whether great or small to get to the areas to which we need or want to go, other than work. After all we travel almost five hundred miles each way to go to the orthodontist in West Virginia – but there are extenuating circumstances for that trip.
Growing up in Texas it was not unusual for us to travel over one hundred miles for a day trip and raising our children on a farm in West Virginia, it was necessary to travel over sixty miles just to shop at certain stores when we needed. I am looking at a job in Texas that would again necessitate routinely traveling such distances again. So it is not a difficulty for us when we have the time to make the journey.
It is humbling to realize that we have good friends that travel over an hour each way to get to church three times a week. In Texas that would be common, not so much here. Not something we spend too much time thinking about, it is something we do for our kids regardless of the cost.
I can think of no better reason to be broke.
My daughter tells me that my grandson was diagnosed with “hand, foot and mouth disease”. That is one I have always had trouble understanding and it has not changed over the many years since my own children were likewise diagnosed. I always wanted to get more clarification from a doctor. Why not call it hand and mouth or hand and foot disease? Either of those would make so much more sense.
But far be it from me to figure out the nomenclature of an ancient viral infection. The only question I would like to have answered is, is this a case of athlete’s foot of the mouth or fever blisters on the feet?