I have only just this morning realised that it is exactly 10 weeks until we set off on our long-awaited trip.
Yes, that’s only 10 weeks.
10 weeks to make sure passports are ready.
10 weeks to plan what to take.
10 weeks to get the bus ready.
10 weeks to psyche ourselves up for 9 weeks on the road with ten children.
The closer it’s getting the more mixed my feeling are. I’m swinging between sheer excitement to stomach-turning terror at being away from home for so long. I don’t care that it sounds melodramatic. Being thought of as melodramatic is the least of my concerns when, quite frankly, I think the accusations of insanity are more concerning. After so long in denial I believe the accusers actually have a point.
I mean, who in their right mind plans to go away from home for so long, with so many children? The fact that nine out of the ten of them will be under the age of ten adds to me questioning the presence of my marbles. It seems I may have to admit that they might be completely lost. I might actually go with Tom’s assertion that we are not crazy but ‘adventurous’. That sounds good to me. I can see myself repeating the mantra ‘I am adventurous’ over and over whilst I rock myself manically in the corner in anticipation of what is to come.
In the next few weeks preparations will step up from their current status of ‘none made’. Actually, I think we do have one thing planned… a game or two of bowling when we stop with my never-met-in-real-life-before-despite-having-known-each-other-for-nine-years-friend Jax and her family.
I still need to send off Isobel’s passport application and I need to put together and print off my spreadsheet list of things to pack. Given the Christmas list spreadsheet consists of 11 pages (that’s just for our family unit of two adults and twelve kids), you can imagine how many sheets of paper we’ll need for this.
I think I also need more printer ink.
I am going to need to start researching things to do in each of the areas we will be staying at too. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? What do you think would be fun and interesting? All ideas are welcome!
