Trials and Tribulations

So we really didn't expect our move to be silky smooth, like Greg's legs when he shaves them :-P , but its still a bummer when troubles crop up. We are officially underway. The house is empty. The moving truck is packed. Our airline seats are assigned. And the sienna and element are still sitting in the hotel parking lot. They're not supposed to be there. They're supposed to be in a transport truck beginning their overland journey to our new driveway. But there is a very strange system of transporting vehicles out here whereby you hire a type of middle man who finds you a trucker who will agree to take your vehicles through some sort of bidding system. As a naive consumer, you are left trying to tell the crooks from the half decent guys and hope that some trucker with a decent driving record will decide to take your cars. Today we had a real taste of that but a few hours later, after one stopped credit card transaction (whew!), we are back where we started. Waiting. And hoping. Hoping that our cars will leave Massachusetts at least a day before we do.

We've found Massachusetts to be a bit of an ornery State, not entirely unpleasant but a little taxing to the soul. Trying to get our cars out of this State seems to be following this theme. For some reason this weird system of shipping cars is particularly difficult when you want to leave Massachusetts. Or so we're told by the folks in the car shipping biz. So cross your fingers and toes for us that some kind hearted trucker will decide to pick up our cars in the next 48!

The kids are generally enjoying hotel life. Running the hallways, riding in the elevators, sleeping in enormous beds (by kid standards), and TV on more than they'd ever be allowed at home - what's not to like?

And K & T are really getting cozy. It is cute to see them actually playing together now that T is old enough to play and boss her brother around. Bossiness aside, she does love her big brother. He is the first person she wants to see whenever she wakes up. It is pretty cute. Kai may not be quite so obvious about his feelings but T is the topic of many of his songs so we're pretty sure the adoration is mutual. He doesn't always appreciate the competition for important things like Mommy's lap, toys, and elevator buttons. 

They weren't so cute last night. After 4 very successful nights of sleep in the hotel everything went south. Kai woke at 2:30 am and could not go back to sleep. He tried but it was just a bout of insomnia for him. Not surprising given all we have going on. When I tried to pinpoint the problem, all I could get out of him was "my fumb hurts" and "I want to go to San Diego." Then T was up at 5:45 just as Kai was maybe looking like he might doze off....and would you believe it, neither of 'em napped today either! Seriously. So at the moment I'm a little delirious and chocolate-drunk and will be heading to bed as soon as I'm sure both kids are deeply asleep, hopefully for a great many hours...

But I have to share a few final photos. There are some things about New England that we will really miss: the road riding, mountain bike trails around the corner, Great Brook Farm, freshly picked peaches, beautiful, beautiful fall and friends. One little friend we'll really miss is Kai's little buddy Charlie. We've known Charlie since the last time we lived in this hotel and we wish we could take him to San Diego with us but we think his mom and dad might miss him a little bit. But maybe if we took him, they'd be convinced to move out there too....hmmmmm.....Charlie, don't outgrow your funny, squinty smile! At least not until we can see it again. :-)