This blog is in preparation of what could be a wild 12-20 hours tomorrow. I'm leaving John and I a few hours leeway as our drive home with Peyton and Myles tomorrow could take on the course of Odysseus journey (that's the English teacher in me!!). Hopefully we don't run into any Cyclops', Sirens (although in the movie I think one of them was a young Vivica A. Fox, so that wouldn't be too bad), a whirlpool, etc. The worst may be just some tight cops who have no sympathy for two grown men traveling cross country too fast because the two and four year old in the back seat are kicking and screaming!!
Our last day together as a family until next week Sunday was well spent. Shawna's feeling the baby doing exercises in her stomach which can be painful, but once again that's a good sign. Her worst pain is from the tegaderm (a clear bandage-type adhesive that protects the incision and doesn't allow her skin to move) that won't come off until her first follow up appointment next Friday.
John and I did take a warm-up for our journey tomorrow with the boys by hopping on the commuter line that runs into Philadelphia from throughout New Jersey. Not that I was surprised, but in my mind I felt we navigated the whole thing pretty well. The only concern I had was when we got off at, what I thought was the City Hall stop and it was deserted. Ooops, City Hall of Camden, NJ, not Philadelphia. We had a debate as to whether we'd rather be stranded on a mountain side with the chance of running into a hungry mountain lion or grizzly bear protecting her cubs or being stranded in Camden, NJ at night without a weapon. We both chose the first option!! That's probably very unfair of me. Actually, the areas of NJ we've seen have not been terribly flattering but the people here have been very hospitable and accommodating. We've had numerous churches and people in NJ who through mutual friends or ours reach out and coordinate meals and such for us while we stay. The Garden State has grown many prosperous plants for us!!
While away I'm sure Shawna and Janet had some time to relax without the boys and navigate how they're going to best navigate they're time together in the next few months. John and I are a bit worried that they're getting excited to get rid of us for a week. I'm afraid I might get a phone call mid-week from Shawna suggesting that I stay in Zeeland to keep up on my teaching and keeping things around the house in order if I could find a way to get the boys out to her for some time!! If anybody knows any good carpet cleaners/house cleaners, please let me know so I can maybe pull a fast one and make the house look quite kept upon Shawna's return in a few months.
The hotel has been, again, a happening place today with the music festival happening in Philly this weekend. A few young ladies told Janet they paid an Uber driver $190 round trip. My goodness, it is about a 25 minute trip, tops, one way. So, there is another career path (along with the INSOMNIACOOKIES) that I'm now considering if the teaching gig at Zeeland doesn't pan out for some reason.
We spent the evening organizing and reorganizing all of our luggage and switching things from one car to the other as we try to plan for having clothes, toys, etc. out here for the long haul while getting what we need back to Zeeland, as well. Our return trips will not always be by vehicle and, at least I, don't need to make journeys through airports with two boys any more difficult with the added stress of checked luggage, than it already is. Probable is that I have no excuses for travel plans over the next 3 months with the boys as Shawna flew to Florida last spring break with the boys and all of their luggage, rented a car, and spent two days and one night in Daytona Beach, before journeying to New Smyrna Beach for another 2 days without me as she allowed me to go to the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in Indianapolis. So if I have any horror stories to tell about my travels, they won't be on the blog because Shawna will read them and tell me to suck it up....just keep anything I tell you face to face between me and you.
I'm already realizing the time with the boys will be fun for all of us, especially them. I just gave them Twix bars in bed...yes it's 10:30pm and we are departing at 5am. I think that's the Bob in me! On the flip side, it will be tough to be away from Mommy for a week but getting back to school and the boys back to see their friends at Ms. Jen's Jen's Gems DayCare will be good. The three of us are flying back out to Philadelphia next Sunday (we haven't told the boys we're flying yet because that's all they'll ask to do all week) so I'm already counting down the days. The adventures begin!!
Did I mention in last nights blog that Northwestern beat Stanford in football yesterday?
Hey, we've almost made it to 25!! 37 is just around the corner. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I look forward to blogging tomorrow night after the quest home. Blind leading the blind.
Hopefully the last blog from Cherry Hill...although we have reservations here for the last few days of September during the Pope's visit but hopefully we'll be in our 2nd permanent living situation by then.
If for some reason you try to contact John or I tomorrow and neither of us respond, don't panic and think we got into an accident or something...just figure one of us is driving and the other is trying to avoid WWIII in the backseat between Peyton and Myles because a serious confrontation has occurred as one wants Bob the Builder and the other wants Paw Patrol on the DVD player or something even more serious than that!!
CHOOSING JOY
-Jeff
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