no, no stress...bah!!

A las!  Remembering how after pressing the purchase-tickets button and getting the confirmation email...couldn't stop smiling and clapping the hands like a happy toddler [something I totally love to witness in toddlers, by the way].  Here we are to the final countdown.  Home is just over a day away. Wahoo!!!

Wednesday was a bit hairy with mom's flight getting cancelled, her getting on a different flight, me doing laundry and packing [totally tried to avoid doing that on the last day but the filipina in me didn't exactly succeed], Mike trying to finish prepping at work for his three week vaca, doing whatever mom wanted him to do and re-arranging our transportation to the airport.  But because I'm not a stresser....no, it was just taken in stride one hour at a time. On one of his many calls, "you don't seem stressed."

"I don't like to stress" [ya, seriously.  no heavy breathing, no inwardly freakin' out...etc.  none of that.  the situation has to be a lot more hair raising to justify any level of stress].

"That's what I like about you.  Totally love that in you" 

I'm thinkin' ya...I'm kinda proud of that too. (^_^)

After he finally got home with the kids [something like 7pm or so] we all darted out to find last minute buys.  Fortunately, we found most of what we wanted in Kmart. No need to trotsy beyond Prescott Valley to Walmart.  The kids at Ceaser's pizza in the car and Mav had his favorite: McD's 20 pc nuggets.  That was our way of making sure we spent as much time as possible in that last night with our kids.  Sounds pathetic, yah?  But would have to do.

Victoria had already been experiencing some separation anxiety that week.  She had no problems telling us and I certainly don't mind.  In fact, it's awesome that she feels free to share anything and everything.  Though, some things one need not hear: TMI! (^_^)  Mike had already told the kids they wouldn't be going to school the following day because of the whole [somewhat organized] transportation debacle between mom's cancelled/rescheduled flights, the timing in which we needed to be at check-in at the airport, and the getting the kids to school.  No stresser for me.  Yet, definitely for Dylan because he did have some piece of signed paper due that day....oh, and the fact that it's one of his last days as an 8th grader with time amongst his cronies getting smaller by the day.  

Back home Mike told the kids they could stay up if they wanted.  Victoria and Mav got comfy in our oversized chair with "Pirates of the Carribean III", Sierra got comfy on the floor behind [next to the bed] with pillows and covers [and eventually fell asleep], Tyler came in and watched too, think Dylan crashed in bed with a slight bent of our departure that would carry us through his last week of school and graduation....all while we finished packing.

It wasn't until midnight that we finally settled down, turned everything off and shut our eyes.  Amazingly, we slept.  There wasn't enough travel anxiety to keep us awake.  [that's always been my problem in the past]. Yet, it was the first night of hardly any sleep....this was getting fun and the trip hadn't even started. (^_^)  ...lots of chortle.