You've Waited Long Enough...I'll Make Today Worth Your While....

So.

Shana is home with swine flu a virus. Becuase I love you all and am feeling like the worst blogger ever, I am ignoring the STILL unpacked box from our trip, and will give you a day by day/play by play...

We began at 10 am on Thursday morning.

Well we actually began at 9:30am when I realized that I had forgotten to get my shaitel from the shaitel macher the night before. My only shaitel. For the Bat Mitzvah.

Thank G-d:

1. my sister in law is good friends with my shaitel macher so she had her cell phone number
2. My shaitel macher has a lock box on her front door
3. My shaitel macher is amazing and sat on the phone with me to open her house/turn off her alarm

That disaster averted, we loaded up and took off. Those of you who've never tried it, I highly recommend

The tupperware box version of car packing. Highly recommended. And notice the shaitel box on the right, all nice and cozy on top of Dovi's oxygen compressor.

So we left. We had

Lots of snacks
Lots of movies.

We were ready to go!!

After six hours of driving and four movies, we arrived in Cleveland, home of the kosher Subway. And the most amazing wheelchair accessible playground that I have ever seen.

So we ate. And then...


Dovi enjoyed the swing. (Could he look any MORE disabled in that contraption? Who the heck cares. He was happy)

The boys played ball with Benjie.

Shana enjoyed the swings.

I was paparazzi-like. But how cute is she? I could honestly eat her alive. When she's not a sassy little snot.


So we spent an hour, and were on our way.

They were all jammied and Benjie and I were feeling pretty darn snazzy.

Except they would.not.fall.asleep. It finally got dark at about 9:30 at night, but at 10:30 they were still awake. That was when we bribed the children with money gave them all dramamine to get them to go to sleep. Which, while not the most stellar event of my parenting, worked.

Until we were on 80 in New Jersey, less than 60 miles from my brother's house, and we needed gas.

And did you know that because of the law in New Jersey that attendants need to pump the gas, most gas stations CLOSE at night?

And it was


So after a little driving around, we finally found one. But everyone woke up.

So this was our car at 1:42 am on Thursday night.


Yes. Dovi is eating Ritz crackers.

We arrived at my brother at 2:30 am and dumped everyone into bed.

But Benjie and I were so revved up we couldn't fall asleep. Which was useful because Dovi had a disastrous leaky diaper at 4 am. I'm venturing into TMI now so I'll just shut up.

Next up, Friday!