Where I managed not to kill us all

After staying up way too late, or early, depending on which way you want to view it, I was up at 7 am ready to shower and go.

While I wanted to be gone at 7:30 we were on the road at 8:55. Not bad when you consider we had 3 kids and 2 adults to feed before we left. (I generally don’t eat breakfast, so Starbucks on the way out was enough for me.)

Rapunzel spent the first 20 minutes going through her bag seeing what I packed for her. I packed each kid a backpack with paper, 5 pencils, pencil sharpeners, rulers, stickers, pipe cleaners, and a glue stick. Rapunzel had a hole punch and scissors, I figured that they could share. Plus, I don’t think SAJ really wanted an extra ear piercing or anything before we got there.

We made pretty good time. We stopped in Gorman for lunch at noon, then somewhere else to get gas and chocolate, a little later. One more pit-stop and we were good to go.

While my girls were mostly quiet, they did other things to drive me crazy. Rapunzel kept putting her feet next to SuperChic’s head and SuperChic kept clicking her pen. Oddly enough the mini-tantrums from BB were easier for me to deal with. I can block out the loudness, a handy trick I learned while growing up, but the constant, click, click-click, click-click-click, clickety-click-click-click-click, drive me batty.

And while I didn’t have to drive the whole way, I did. I am comfortable in Sue’s car, and know what to not do. Like cut across three lanes of traffic because the 210 sign was not visible until it was too late. So true my word to Toby, there were no random lane changes, or last minute cut across the divider to get off the freeway. Even when I missed my exit three, yes I said three, times. Let’s just say I created my own cloverleaf in Pasadena and leave it at that.

We arrived safe and sound and ready to get out of the car. Susan had planned a great dinner for us, and after eating and cleaning up, we got to the important things, talking. There is nothing quite like having a friend like Susan. She understand us, our kids, and our quirks. With us being 29 1/2, 36, 56, 10, 5 1/2, and 2 1/2, that’s not always easy.

She even rolled with it this morning when Rapunzel woke her at 4 am to make a surprise breakfast for everyone. She convinced Rapunzel it was a little early and to go back to sleep. At 6 they were up and moving, about 9:30 or 10 she cuddled with the girls on the couch and took a nap. No matter how many times we told her to go lay down upstairs where it was quiet, and most importantly, non-wiggly, she wouldn’t do it.

I even got to take a nap. It was nice, until BB knocked a lamp on my head. Which I knew was going to happen because she is fascinated with the tassel, and my head was right there. But it’s all good.

We got our suits on, got wet, dried off, had lunch, and took naps (or blogged as the case may be).

Tonight we get to party like it’s 1999.