On the road again

Okay - here I am up bright and early, coffee brewing, already showered and dressed, car is (nearly) loaded and after I figure out what I want to eat before we leave, I think we're hitting the road. I am slightly more apprehensive about this leg of our journey, but I also know that both of the kids are ready to get home, as am I.

Yesterday, H got upset about something or nothing, and went into the bedroom and started crying, which is completly unlike him. He didn't have tears, but was visibly upset and just looked like someone had killed his (non-existent) puppy. I went in and hugged him and asked what was up and he looked at me with an expression that will haunt me and said, "I just miss my daddy." Of course I couldn't help but cry and tell him that I miss him too. We talked for a few minutes and cuddled and tried to figure out what we'd like to do while waiting for daddy to come home or until he called again and we could talk to him. H swears that when F calls again, he wants to tell him how much he misses his daddy, but since he has been reluctant to even say hello lately, we'll see if that happens.

With the self-imposed stress of packing for the trip and things that will take place over the next few weeks, I'll admit to being tired and a little off my game, but this incidet with H threw me. He seemed to have recovered (have I?) and moved on and had a blast watching fireworks last night. We went to the school across the street and played on the playground until Mommy got a little nervous about K's lack of balance at night and being 5' off the ground, and we moved to a smaller/lower play area and the kids went on the swings and watched for a while. I don't think we saw many from the Fort, but there were plenty of private shows that were enormous and unbelievably expensive, I'm sure, and they just seemed to keep going, and lasted long enough to wear us all out (mostly).

And so I rise, bright and early, get showered and dressed and ready for the day. Maps are packed, toys and clothes all stashed into the van, and all that is missing is a bit of last minute laundry and the monkeys. Wish us luck and pray for us over the next week of driving adventures! We should be at the family reunion for Thursday, and my cell is always on (signal, well, I can't guarantee that I'll have that).