Debbie Downer Makes a Guest Post

Hello. Looks like someone decided to switch over to Indian time a few days early. I've had trouble getting to sleep the past couple of nights. You see, I'm kind of a glass-is-half-empty kind of girl. A worrywart, if you will. In short, I am clinically insane a bit of a Nervous Nelly. It's not all bad, though. Being a scaredy-cat has kept me alive and relatively well these past twenty-*cough* years. 

Just think of it like this: take the part of your brain where you feel excitement and joyful anticipation, gently excise it using your sharpest kitchen knife and promptly flush it down your second floor toilet. Use the half-tank flush, if you're a water conserver like us. Now in it's place, deposit a heap of steaming terror. If you've followed these three easy steps, you're in Renéetown, Baby! Now curl up beside me on my memory foam topper, under my Egyptian cotton sheets, electric blanket, and king-sized duvet, listen to the gentle drone of the fan, add "high-maintenance sleeper" to the list of my neuroses and tell me it will all be okay. 

I was like this last time we made this trip too. In fact, we drove to Niagara Falls in October and it filled me with a sense of pending doom. And it was a great trip. When will I learn?

Kids are quick to pick up on the uneasy vibes I give off but I like to think I'm good at tricking them into believing their mother is normal. So while I confess my pitiable condition to you, Dear Blogreader(s), I’m maintaining an atmosphere of merriment here at home. And if I type it, it shall be so.

Packing is going swell. This time around, I'm writing a list of the contents for each suitcase and sticking it in the front pockets so I don't have to tear through 7 suitcases to find the tweezers or something stupid like that. That will last for a few hours before three-year old Teja, rearranges everything and eats those lists. 

Speaking of my darling third-born, she was a brave girl at the travel clinic for her Hep A junior vaccination today. Over the years, I've tried different angles on how to break the news to my kids that they're getting a shot. Ammon and Maya did well when I started warning them days in advance that they were going to get a flu shot at school and yes it will hurt for a few seconds but it's for your own good and blah, blah, blah. The condensed version of this strategy did not go over well with Teja. I explained what we were doing immediately before getting our coats on to go, fool that I am. Teja proceeded to blow a gasket. Ammon tried to placate her with promises of a sticker and a sucker (luckily he was right) and then Teja must have got confused because she started insisting she wasn't going with me to airport. Indeed, you aren't, my dear. So I got her in the van and she pointed out a church steeple which she declared to be the tallest thing in the world and, before she knew it, she was playing with disease ridden waiting room toys, being stuck with a needle and then enjoying her lolly on the drive home.

So, that was my day. I imagine tomorrow will be much of the same, but hopefully with a nap snuck in there somewhere.  I think my horse tranquilizer might be kicking in.

To all a good night!