There's No Place Like Home (clicking heels together)

And at last, we have arrived.

Eighteen hours straight driving, 950 miles, one van, one truck, one boat, three kids, one dog, 2100 pounds of household belongings, and two adults who were divorce-court-grumpy by hour 17 ---- but we made it. Even better, we saw beautiful fall foliage in Alabama, discovered a Sonic with a playland (truly, heaven on earth if ever there was one) in Mississippi, and suffered no flat tires, very little rain, no carsickness (although the dog did pee in my van) and no speeding tickets. So not only did we make it, but I'd say the trip was a huge success.

Ironically, it doesn't feel like we are "home". It feels, instead, like every other vacation we have taken these past twenty years. Our house won't be available until Monday, so we are spending this week at my mom's house, living out of suitcases with no structure or schedule. No set bedtime, no vegetables, and I couldn't tell you the last time the kids had a bath, unless you count Kellen falling in the pond at his cousin's house yesterday.

The difference between this and every previous visit is that we are not crunched for time. Normally we have seven to ten days to see everyone, go everywhere, do everything we want to do. This time? No big rush. So we're laying around my mom's house, watching a lot of tv (she has TWO sets, so according to my kids, is RICH) and doing a lot of nothing. The kids are alternately relaxed, and bored. Monday, though, they start school, we get in our new house, and the movers arrive with our things from Georgia, so the pace will pick up once again.

In the meantime, I've eaten at almost every restaurant I had missed while I was away (no surprise that would be my first priority, is it?) and we've gotten the kids enrolled in their new school. Funny story there, for later. We've spent Thanksgiving with the cousins, braved the mall for more school shopping, and seen two movies. And sadly, no, I *don't* have a laptop, so "spent lots of time updating on the computer" is not on my list of accomplishments this week.

All told, a successful re-entry back to OK, although there have been a few things we completely didn't anticipate:

1) The wind, my gosh, the unbelievable wind. I had forgotten that it gusts and blows here almost non-stop. I am cold, and I foresee a drastic haircut in my future because this shit whipping me in the face every time I go outside is completely unacceptable.

2) Speaking of cold .... it is freaking cold here, compared to Georgia. Maybe not compared to Antarctica, but considering it was in the 70's when we left Georgia, this is cold. The high yesterday was 36, not counting the bazillion degree wind chill difference, and there is an 80 percent snow forecast for Sunday. Except for the one brief dusting we had in Georgia about four years ago, my kids have not seen snow since we lived in Ohio. Kellen is already hoping school will be cancelled Monday so he can spend the whole day sledding, and Kendrie informed Blaine yesterday that "it is too cold here, and we need to move back to Georgia NOW!"

3) That I would have to re-purchase, to the tune of $144.72, all the school supplies that I had JUST BOUGHT three months ago in Georgia. It might have looked cheap, but I should have asked for any scissors or pencils or rulers or folders BACK, is all I'm saying. Maybe crawled around under their desks their last day of school and picked up crayons, or something. And if my status as a germ-phobe was ever in question, you should have seen my look of horror when I realized NONE of my kids' teachers had Purrell on their supply list.

4) That when I turned in my computer modem and DVR to Cox in Georgia last Friday, and they assured me that I had 30 days before I would lose my e-mail account, that what they *actually meant* was that my e-mail address would be SAVED for thirty days, pending reinstatement at the new address. I did NOT anticipate that my account would be shut down in the meantime, and I would not be able to access my e-mail from the Cox home page like I always do on vacation. Are you hearing what I'm saying? NO E-MAIL, PEOPLE, I HAVE NO E-MAIL CAPABILITIES. No sending, no receiving. If you've e-mailed me this past week and it's bounced back, that's why. I'm trying really hard not to freak out about it, because it's just e-mail for goodness' sake, not an oxygen lifeline, but if you know me .............. well ............ I'm freaking out and you know it. I just need to keep taking deep breaths and reminding myself that as long as the movers AND the Cox guy show up like they're supposed to on Monday, life will resume as normal.

No e-mail {whimper}

Until then, I do have a fabulous referral for all of you. Please visit Marey's site and check out her fabulous Santa plate fundraiser. I'd love to show you our adorable plate that we purchased last year, but I HAVE NO COMPUTER OR COMPUTER GADGETS OF MY OWN UNTIL MONDAY AND CAN'T UPLOAD PHOTOS (beating a dead horse here, aren't I?) So just trust me that the plates are adorable, and the charity is admirable. If you already have a plate of your own, buy one as a gift, or just reach in your pocket and make a donation.