Packing up the fam...

We're leaving...tomorrow...and I have done NOTHING to prepare. Nothing. Well, I've cleaned my house reasonably well (based on my low standards), which was silly, since my children will destroy it today so when my MIL drives back with me she will see it in all its glory. Oh. Wait. I stopped cleaning for her about 8 years ago, so she already knows. Poor thing.

And I went shopping for car food.

And that is it. Today I will look in the children's drawers and decide if I can scrape together enough clothes for a one week trip or if I have to do laundry first. Then I will make piles on my bed...Andrew, Lily, Michael, car supplies, last minute bag, me, leave a space for Jeff. Then downstairs I will also make piles...car boxes (my boxes full of games, etc that my kids only get for the car), food for car, dog supplies, cooler.

Oh, yes, we are bringing Shadow. Which is fine...she will love it once we get to Ohio, and she will probably not even mind the drive...she doesn't get car sick or anything. BUT, it means that we will have to make the 10-11 hour drive with no restaurant stops, no stopping at Cabella's in WV, no stopping at anything but a rest area where we can get the dog out. But no worries...it's only going to be 90 degrees on Saturday, so that should be Sah-Weet!

Enough! I chose to take this trip! I am excited to take this trip! The kids are excited! And I must remind myself of the 6 years that we lived too far away to drive home. In those days I used to wish that we just lived close enough to make a spontaneous trip. To have the freedom of a car ride rather than getting stuck on planes, layovers, etc. And this drive is really very easy. We don't pass through any big cities, the mountains aren't too big...cake. Just loooooooong.

Enough!

Quickly...Last night Lily and I were going through her bedtime routine. She is obsessed with Gerald and Piggie, and so she gets to keep these particular library books in bed. I get only one a week. This week we have Watch Me Throw A Ball. I read it when she wakes up in the morning, once before nap, and once before bed. That's 3 times a day, 7 days a week. It's actually a really good motivator to get me back to the library each week...must.return.book.before.brain.explodes. I've taken to begging her for a different book each day. I actually got her to read Brown Bear Brown Bear with me a few times this week. So last night, as I was putting her pj's on, I asked if we could read Brown Bear Brown Bear. Here's how our conversation went:

Lily (shrugging) "uuuuuuuum, I'm weally sick of that one. Let's wead something else." (Just. like. I. Say. Except it was WAAAAAY cuter in her little voice. )

Me (laughing) "Lily, you are so smart. How did you get so smart?"

Lily: "It's because I'm 3."

Me: "You aren't 3 yet. Not until October. Can you say October? Did you know that Mommy's birthday is next week? And then your birthday is next."

Lily: "Mommy, your burt-day?! How old is you?"

Me: "I'll be thirty-two...." (imagine me making a wide-eyed shocked face)

Lily (putting hands on her cheeks a-la Home Alone): I'll get you a burt-day present! And you'll love it! And it will be a toy and I will play with it!

I told Jeff later that he'd better take Lily shopping to get me a present, because she seemed really excited to give me one. And that he'd better take her to Toys R Us to get it, because I have a feeling she's going to get me a Barbie or a Pony or something ;)



Also? I took Andrew to the ENT last Wednesday for a 6 month follow-up on his ear tubes. He's been having no problems, no issues. I assumed they had fallen out. But, no, the tubes were both still in and looking good. Fast forward to Wednesday of this week. Andrew starts complaining that his right ear hurts. Rare for Andrew to complain of anything legitimate. Hang nail? Call 911. But I can't tell you how many times we've gone to the doctor for well visits, only to find out he has raging strep throat or his ear drum is about to burst or some such. Go figure. Anyhoo, he woke up in the middle of the night screaming that his ear hurt. We Motrined him up and he fell back asleep. All day Thursday, he complained as soon as the meds would wear off. Normally I would just keep up with the pain meds, but since we are leaving... Anyway, I took him to the doctor yesterday afternoon...tube in right ear is out and lying in his ear canal...and he has a raging ear infection. Lovely. That tube has been out for less than a week and we ALREADY have an ear infection? We didn't even get tubes because of chronic ear infections...it was because of hearing loss due to fluid that wouldn't drain. WTH? -sigh- We'll go back in 2 weeks for a follow up and see what's going on. Lovely.