We were 8 minutes early.
No idea how it happened. We had to wake Alex at 8:30, both Josh and I needed to shower. Everyone needed to eat. Earrings had to be cleaned, diaper changed, kids dressed, hair accouterments affixed.
You know, the usual.
Taylor had the closest guess, so you can bet that whether she wants it or not (and I believe she does not), one or more pieces of my household junk will be making their way to her home. Because she's not moving soon or anything (actually she is).
And everyone wants other people's crap.
Don't tell me I'm wrong about that.
People get up early on Saturdays for the very privilege of rifling through other people's crap.
They're called garage sales people, and they happen every weekend at a neighborhood near you.
Or so I'm told. I've never been much for willingly getting my act together early on a Saturday.
Taylor. If you do not send me your address, I will have to use my sources to get it. And my sources include a very extensive network of creativity and blackmailing that has yet to fail me. So save me the trouble.
Next:
Movers.
They will be coming.
They will be coming in 3 weeks and 3 days.
It is time to get busy.
It is time for cleanup-meals.
You know, meals in which you eat a bunch of stuff that you have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer that cannot be moved.
Even if it means you have a dinner of tater tots with a side of rice pilaf served with frosted mini wheats.
(What's that, kids? We have that for dinner even when we're not moving? Little traitors.)
And then, the day before the movers come, you make your friends come over and take home the remaining contents of your pantry.
Note to Jennifer F. McDaniel: Remember when I did this at your house? The other day, I enjoyed one of the carnation instant breakfast packets from your pantry. Later I realized that they had expired in 2006. Do you know that none of us even lived in Idaho in 2006? You moved expired carnation instant breakfast to Idaho. Then you lived here for 2 years. Then you let me take them home. Then one year later I ingested one.
Turns out that those things have a longer shelf life than originally thought, because I didn't even throw up. I'll bring them back to you on our drive across the country.
Then: Speaking of our drive across the country:
We are driving across the country.
We will take a little jaunt from Idaho, through Utah, and into Colorado. Then down through a brief piece of Oklahoma and into Texas.
We will stop there and intrude upon friends for many days.
And I have to share this with you. You would be so proud.
Josh and I have a tendency to be quite frugal.
Many of you are not shocked by this statement.
However, in a rare moment of spendy-ness, we have decided to do something to make our trip across the country a little easier for all of us:
We are shipping our second vehicle.
This means that Josh and I can split up the drive time, and someone else will be in the car to change out movies in the DVD player, hand out snacks, and threaten to "pull this car over" while the other person concentrates on driving.
It seemed the best option for retaining sanity and maximizing safety.
Lastly:
I know you have all been missing PtB around this here blog. I don't know how I got so lucky (?) as to have been blessed with a mother in law who gives me all sorts of fun things to blog about.
But good (?) news!
On the final leg of our trip, as we go through Raleigh, NC on our way to our new hometown, we will be picking up one Pat the Bunny from the airport.
She will be staying with us for a couple of weeks to enjoy her grandchildren and keep them away from us because we will be sick to death of them.
I kid.
Kind of.
We will just need some space to unpack boxes, hang curtains and photos, and generally turn our new place into our home.
Coming soon:
Yesterday, fates aligned in a rare moment of me looking like a complete fool on film. I will be sharing this with you soon. It will be worth the wait.
Happy Memorial Day to you all! Thanks to those of you who have served or are serving our country.
A special shout-out to my hot fighter-pilot husband, who looks amazing in a flight suit.
And out of a flight suit.
If you know what I mean.
But you should probably pretend you don't.