(I can't upload my pictures at my parent's house, so I'll have to add them later.)
Let me just offer you all a piece of advice. Never move across the country in January.
All moves are stressful and end up taking more time than we've planned for them, but this move has turned out to be quite the adventure - and we're only half way there.
Packing was slow-going with the boys, but we managed to get everything done in time. Unfortunately, our truck was a little too small and not all of our things fit on it! I felt like the pioneers who had to lighten their handcart or wagon loads as they approached the mountains. What would we leave behind? The laundry basket, the boys' easel, the boys' small table and chairs, the infant car seat (which a friend will ship to me), and the TV. This was all very disconcerting.
Our helper on our drive across the country is Josh's brother, John. After they finished loading the truck last Wednesday night, John went to bed for about 20 minutes before spending the rest of the night sick in the bathroom. None of us slept very well. Sam wouldn't go to sleep at all until Josh and I were in bed at midnight, so he was set up for a terrible day the next day.
In the morning, John was too sick to leave but the apartment was stripped down. There was no food, no toys, no lamps so the only light was in the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the dining room. I decided that I had better get myself and the boys out of there so at 11am we left home in the minivan by ourselves.
The boys did well watching movies in the van, but the first rest stop was interesting. I didn't take the stroller in because I thought we'd be faster without it and it was very cold outside. The boys were great following me into the rest stop. I carried Michael and Sam walked beside me. I changed their diapers and they played with the air-hand drier. Then it was time to get back into the van. That didn't go so well. They ran around outside, which is fine, except they ran in different directions and I kept loosing sight of one or the other of them and worrying about kidnappers. I carried them both the the van, kicking and screaming all the way. That's how it went for the rest of the rest stops on the trip.
We made it to Columbus, Ohio that night where Josh had reserved us a beautiful room on the 16th floor. They had valet parking and a bell boy and brought up 2 pack and plays for the boys. It was really helpful to just take the boys into the hotel and not worry about the bags. My friend had given me a going away card and slipped a $20 bill in there, which I used to tip everyone.
The pack and plays had extra towels for the boys, baby blankets, and travel-sized Johnson & Johnson baby products in them. I gave the boys a bath and they loved the fancy bathroom. I took a lightening-fast shower myself and came out to find Sam covering his ears with his hands because the radio was on so loud. Michael was sitting in the drawer of the night stand playing with the radio. It was hilarious.
I finally got them both in bed, and then I heard a plop followed by Michael saying, "I did it!" He had learned to climb out of the Pack 'N Play. He eventually fell asleep too, at about 11:00, and we all woke up at 7am. So now the boys and I are feeling pretty tired.
We checked out and got into the van which had been pulled up, loaded with our suitcases, and warmed up for us by the valet parking guys. I drove to McDonalds' for breakfast and after a few minutes of thinking I had a flat tire, I pulled over to check it out. It must have just been rough pavement because the tire was fine. Whew!
We drove to Terra Haute, Indiana (just on the border of Indiana and Illinois) and stopped for lunch at Bob Evans. My parents had driven the 3 hours from St. Louis to Terra Haute and met us for lunch just as I was trying to keep the boys in their high chairs while getting a few bites of lunch for myself.
I drove the last 3 hours with my mom in the van so she could help with the boys. At home, my Dad hurried into the house to turn on all of the Christmas lights for us. It was so welcoming to see the beautiful house with Christmas decorations still up after leaving that dismal, empty, dark apartment.
By now the boys were so tired and so confused. They kept saying "home." They didn't sleep well here and Sam spent most of the day and night crying. He wouldn't sleep in the crib here so I slept on the floor with him all night.
Then, I got sick. I got the stomach flu with a fever just like John had. And, just like the boys had last week. I spent the day in bed yesterday and my parents had to take care of the boys all day long. I kept hearing them say little things or hear their feet running around and them playing toys in the basement. They seemed happier than when I was taking care of them! Tomorrow we will fly to Sacramento with my niece who's coming to help me on the plane.
This morning I feel better but still kind of uncomfortable and Josh is as sick as a dog in a hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona. He and John are driving the moving truck and our van all the way to Sacramento had have to get there by 2pm tomorrow so they can pick us up from the airport. Our flight leaves St. Louis at 7:30 am, which is going to be really hard since they boys aren't napping well and are finally sleeping in a little bit.
Josh was going to arrive in CA today and have the truck unloaded with beds and cribs set up by the time we arrived. Now I don't even know if he's going to make it to the airport to pick us up.
Wish us luck and stay tuned for the next installment!
Oh the irony. Today I watched some of "The Lion King" with Sam and Michael. They found the VHS cassette and thought it looked like fun to watch. They loved "The Circle of Life" so I rewound it a few times and we watched it over and over together. We heard Mufassa explain to young Simba that although lions eat the antelope, they still respect them because, as part of the circle of life, the lion's die and become grass, and then the antelope eat the grass. Got the point. The food chain, all of that.
