Are We There Yet?

Well - I am officially DONE with getting ready for our trip! Yes, you read that right. We don't have to leave for the airport until 9am on Saturday, but I am packed, the house is clean, the laundry is finished, the zucchini is harvested, shredded and frozen, the dog food has been refilled, the cat food has been refilled, so there is plenty for our sitters to feed them. The only thing I really have left to do is get the diaper bag packed for the flight, to include toys, diapers, snacks, empty beverage containers, and a book or 2 for myself, on the off chance that I'll actually have time to read.

BB is responsible for his own carry-on this go 'round. I'm not packing his magazines and books and whatnot that he seems to take tons of with that never gets looked at once we actually arrive.

The camera batteries are charged, the memory card has been uploaded to my laptop and emptied, so it is ready for lots of pictures to be taken. We have cash, a full tank of gas, our nifty toll road transponder.

I suppose I'm not "fully packed" as we have to put our toiletries into the bag on Saturday morning as we'll need them the next two days...but still.

I've NEVER been ready this far ahead of a trip before and I am loving it! What a blessing to know that I can spend tomorrow in a normal day, not running around like a chicken with my head cut off, flopping about aimlessly...

We've got playing cards at his folks, there are toys for the kids there, so we don't need a ton of stuff, and we upgraded our seats to include free checked bags (2 per ticket), and tv on the flight. I know, I know...we're using cartoons to babysit our children, but seriously, have you tried to entertain a 3 year old that is used to being in constant motion when he is restricted to his car seat for 3 hours but not in the car where he can watch the scenery and traffic? I mean, really, when you're 3, if you've seen one cloud out an airplane window, you've seen them all...I do admit to longing for the day when he is old enough to read, so he can take a book and entertain himself for free...but I know that will bring a whole host of other challenges, so we'll be happy with what we have!

I am thinking ahead to this time next year and wondering just how it will be possible to travel with a 4-year-old, a 2 1/2-year-old and a new baby...OY! I think we my just start road-tripping it...

We are sitting ahead/behind each other, not across the aisle, so hopefully that will help the kids settle down a bit faster on the flight. Right now, Capt wants to sit with Daddy, so we'll see if that is true or not. BB doesn't do well in the middle seat, but we've really not got an option with the car seats.

I do know that next year, we're checking Captain's car seat and he can sit in the seat like a real big boy.

Well, I'm going to take advantage of the kids napping, and catch a nap myself...enjoying the quiet, and the scent of a clean house, the sound of NO dryer running, and knowing that my freezer is stocked with veggies that we can eat all winter long.

Ahhhhh...now, if only someone would make sure I don't come home with a suitcase full of dirty clothes...oh, wait! That would be me! Oh well...at least I don't have to do ALL the cooking and cleaning while we're gone!