Road Trip

In less than 24 hours, my daughter and I will be traveling East with her two little ones to rejoin her husband in Alexandria, Virginia. What was to be a 3 or 4 week visit shrank to 1, thanks to the efficiency of the internet, movers, electronic fund transfers, scanners and motivated real estate agents. We will pile into a overpacked Camry, sing songs, eat hundreds of Goldfish and cookies, talk about what happens next and stop for nursing breaks. We will unpack the boxes, measure for curtains, stock the pantry, set up the toys. We will do this together because it is important to do, and makes everything easier. When my husband and I did almost the very same move many years ago, with two little girls, we didn't have anyone to help us. Family was far away, and we were new to the community and had not yet made friends. We worked through it, took turns, bundled up the girls (without the assistance of portable DVD players, GPS or cell phones) and drove in 2 separate vehicles in the middle of January. We labored in and out of the rented truck, getting slap happy with exhaustion, moving heavy furniture up and down narrow stairs. I want to go along this time to see them through, to help, to sew, to snuggle with little ones starting anew.