9 Hours to Take-Off!

We’re getting down to the wire, and although it seems like I’ve spent the entire week organizing, packing, and reorganizing our bags, it’s going to end the way it always does – with me throwing in everything that’s laying around the house (which is a lot) and crossing my fingers that each bag is less than 50 pounds.  We’re actually in pretty good shape – just doing the last of the laundry (bathing suits from camp, etc.) and then I’ll stuff the rest of it in.

The kids’ carry-ons and 3 of the 4 big bags are packed, the electronics are charging, the snack bags are in the fridge in hopes that the Luna Blobs form back into Luna Bars in time for breakfast (it has been 95-100 here all week and no AC).  If I had another day to prepare I’d still find myself in the same spot – I just need to stop adding things and accept that we can do without whatever we forgot.  Plus we have the safety net of Ben arriving in 2 weeks, and it’s always possible that Elizabeth has packed whatever I didn’t.  And it’s not like a lot of places I’ve traveled in Africa where we had to bring everything we MIGHT need because there was no place to buy anything.  There’s plenty to buy in SMA…I think we can get more toothpaste if we need it.

The kids had “overday” at camp yesterday which means that they stayed until 8 instead of 4.  I woke them up a little after 6 this morning, and after another day of constant activity at camp I picked them up, fed them an early dinner, and had them asleep by 7:15!  3 a.m. will still come early but at least they will have gotten a couple of extra hours on the front end.  Ben and Chris are driving us to the airport in 2 cars, departing at 3:30.  Hopefully we will all sleep on the 4-hour flight to Houston.

I’ve been meaning to make a video of the kids discussing our trip, but since it didn’t get done until tonight it became 9 minutes of Norah talking with Adlani interjecting comments.  Aliya was mad because she is a tween and apparently that’s how tweens are.  So she didn’t have much to say but they’re all excited and I’ll get some commentary from her when we reach SMA.

So for the grandparents, who are probably the only ones who will commit 9 minutes of their lives to watching the Norah show, heeeeeeeerrre’s Norah!