8:18 a.m. - October 22, 2007
Last Day In Indiana
So here I am, in Atlanta, having survived a great weekend at home and some travel fun on Sunday.
I arrived in Indiana on Friday a bit tired from my early morning plane adventure. I overslept and left the apartment about a half hour after I planned to. Since I packed six days of clothes in my bag, it was quite heavy (but still carryonable) but I had to rush through security and to my gate.
Of course, the gate was probably the farthest one away from security. But I need the exercise, right?
Besides that, the flight was decent (we had to find a place for my bag in the bins, but we found it) and I arrived safely. Soon, Liz and the girls were there to pick me up. Since we were in Indianapolis, we decided to go get the girls� hair cut and then buy them some winter clothes at Once Upon A Child.
That was the most fun I�ve ever had getting a haircut and clothes shopping. I was chasing Kristin all around Cookie Cutters, and Katie and I picked out some pretty sweaters for her to wear to her new school in Minnesota.
The big agenda on the weekend was an open house on Saturday. So we had to get the house ready for that. Compounding it was the fact that Liz was fighting through a cold. It was on its last legs, but her expectorant was working and when she had to blow her nose, it took four or five Puffs to finish the job.
I was told that the lawn needed to be mowed. Oh. I didn�t pack for that. And I�d have rather not had an open house this weekend, but it was the last best chance, since from now on Liz will be in �packing� mode, as two weeks from TODAY the big truck shows up at the new house with all our stuff.
We also had about a bazillion things to do on Saturday as well to get ready for it. Actually, after mowing the lawn, going to Goodwill and the recycle center, and taking the girls by Mom and Dads, my job was simple: STAY OUT OF LIZ�S WAY!
Liz became a cleaning machine whilst I mowed the lawn and then took the girls to see my parents. It was a tearful time as Mom doesn�t really want me to leave. Mom�s not doing so well and she still can�t hear so YOU�HAVE�TO�YELL�SLOWLY!
The girls were having fun playing and also using me as a sofa and a hugging stand. Dad said, �They don�t miss you too much, do they??� Nope, not at all Dad. Not at all.
So after all of this and a trip to the store, the house was ready for the open house, so I picked up Liz and we went to Applebee�s (hey, Katie�s choice).
My big girls�
They were almost perfect in the restaurant. They ate their food, they were polite, they didn�t throw things.
Sigh�
I should take this time to muse about Kristin. I�ve seen her three times since August 16, and I think I�ve missed about three years of her development. She talks in honest-to-goodness big girl sentences, �That�s NOT funny, Daddy!� She knows colors. She can count to 10. She knows the ABC song. Wowser.
Katie is quite the reader, too. I think she�s ready to split the atom. Don�t they do that in accelerated kindergarten?
Anyway, from Applebee�s, we went to the library. We didn�t realize it, but there was an activity for kids about bats and so we checked out and made a mobile. It was a group project, as all four of us contributed to it in cutting the bats out, gluing them together, putting the string on the dowel and attaching the string to the bats. Yes, we made a bat mobile. Heh. (Liz thought of that one�blame her!)
After that we went home and put EVERYONE down for a nap (except for Katie � that girl has incredible stamina!). She was bopping around and dancing and singing to Hannah Montana. Oh, my.
The rest of Saturday was uneventful. I made breakfast for everyone (French toast) and then we went to church, and then they dropped me at the airport.
I thought it would be harder. It was my last night in that house. As a kid I always wanted to live in a old, huge house. And I did. But now, I�m not going to anymore. I�m officially not going to live in Indiana anymore. I�m 10 hours by car away from Mom and Dad.
But I�m OK with it. No, really. I thought it would be harder, but it wasn�t. I can�t really explain it. Perhaps since I�ve transitioned to Minneapolis already it�s easier, but doing so without the family is totally hard. However, we have closure on that so even that�s getting easier.
Now, of course, I�m in Atlanta. I get back to Minnesota Wednesday night (in time for the World Series) and will probably collapse during about the fourth inning.
How I got to Atlanta from Indianapolis�well�that�s part two.
