Autumn asks: What kind of a vacation preparer are you?

It's crazy around here! Songbird is in the middle of Youth Week for church - where they do something every day. I'm trying to get everything together for a 2 week vacation. My errands outnumber the hours I have left to prepare! Ugh.

Things never go as planned. Who knew I'd end up being the only parent on a family vacation? Actually, I should have known. Funny how I was told things would be different here. Well, the gas prices are higher, the food prices are higher, there are no Whole Foods or Wild Oats markets, no ethnic grocery stores of any kind (other than Mexican food) that I can find. So there, it is different. But in the wrong way. Okay - pity party over.

I turned our scheduled 6 day family vacation into a 13 day girl fest. Might as well do it up! So we will be heading out of here Friday to the state of Arkansas to see grandparents. And after a couple of days we will leave there and go see my sister in Kansas City. And after a couple of days we will leave there and go to Omaha and stay for awhile. Then when I feel like coming home I will hit the road early as it is a good 14-16 hour drive home. But its a drive I've made so many times I can do it in my sleep. It's all good.

So why am I still going alone? Our adoption agency has a picnic every year that I get to see my friends at! That includes our travel mates from our trip to China. The girls come from the same orphanage so its almost like going to visit close relatives...even though they really aren't related.

But my planning keeps getting messed up. And today the girls had their yearly well visit checks. I was informed that Mighty Mouse needs 5 shots. And I explained I would return after my vacation to start working on those. Can you see me putting a 4 year old in the car for this kind of a trip after 5 shots?? I think not. I like to travel with healthy kids -- not tortured, sick, and don't even get me started on what I think about vaccinations.

Today also wrapped up the last of our 8 Great Dates at church. We used our Jason's Deli gift card (last weeks winnings). The food was great. Well, as great as a salad bar can be. Eating on this vacation will be a challenge...

So tomorrow I have to get Songbird and 2 others to the lake for Lake Day. Plus I have a million errands to run because Mighty Mouse left her stuffed dog and purse at the doctors, Songbird just HAS TO HAVE the new Hannah Montana CD (and has the money) for the trip, plus she needs prescriptions filled from today's appointment (which was supposed to be a WELL visit - she didn't get the memo.), return library books that I forgot when we were out today, go to the bank because I forgot the checks I needed cashed today and a trip to the post office to shut off our mail which I didn't even think of until tonight. When exactly did I become so scattered???

Oh, and a sprinkler head broke off so we have to shut down the sprinkler system in the front yard for the 2 weeks we are gone. In Texas. So much for curb appeal. By the time we get back the yard should be a nice crispy brown. Hope the toad survives. I wonder how much water they get from eating spiders.

So I might not be around for a few days. Then again I might. I will have my laptop with me but I'm not sure I'll have an internet connection in all my locations. I'm really looking forward to the trip.

To my Monday Morning friends I'd like to say see you in the fall! I'm sad to miss our last meeting of the summer!