Getting Ready to Go

Today we're getting ready to leave for vacation. This is the first vacation that we've taken with the kids to go anywhere that doesn't involve visiting family. Not that we don't like visiting family, but we're excited to go somewhere fun for the kids with no agenda at all. We'll be spending the next seven days on the beach at Dauphin Island! Micaela's birthday will be during our trip, so my dad stopped by yesterday to have dinner and give her her gift. She's thrilled, and so is Gabe :)

So that was the big entertainment last night. Today, I've been doing the requisite zillion loads of laundry and dishes, and I'm about to start packing. I'm slightly overwhelmed and I don't want to start. I've worked so hard to clean lately that I'm not looking forward to digging out a mess, but I guess it has to be done :O) Ian has been sick the last few days with what we suspect is either flu or swine flu. He feels better today, but they kicked him out of the office like he was a leper- poor guy he felt rejected, so he had to come home to be pounced on by five children overjoyed to see their daddy home early. He chose to clean the van and change the oil, and he had lots of help!