Man, I did not mean to withhold all of the details of our journey so long that I would have one long post about the various phases of our adventure so far.  But, to say that this has been completely and utterly exhausting is a gross understatement.  I went an entire three days without taking a shower I’ve been so overwhelmed with activity and exhaustion (sometimes simultaneously).

Just in case anybody still reads this blog, I’m going to break the rundown of our week so far into two separate posts so just in case you have better things to do, at least you have an intermission and can come back to where you left off.

• Part 1 – about our trip to Florida
• Part 2 – Pre-op and surgery

First, we began are long trip Friday evening.  I had been anxiously pondering how exactly to drive such a long distance with two kids without at least one of us having a mental breakdown.  Husband had been trying to convince me to agree to make the trip in one long trip without a stop at a hotel, but only short stops for food and stretching.  At first, I would respond as if he’d asked me to kick a puppy.  But I’ve explained Holden’s intolerable behavior at hotels so staying up late unwillingly followed by frequent and incessant wake-up’s and a promised super early wake up call from an uncooperative Holden didn’t sound that alluring either.  We’d be paying $60+ for a night of sleep about equivalent to Husband’s proposed one long trip.

So, it was with great reluctance that I agreed to make the drive in one long trip.  I stupidly Googled “Morganfield, KY to West Palm Beach, FL” and was presented with this awful stress-inducing image.  14 hours 15 minutes.  989 miles.

Things that I looked forward to as much as I did this trip:

• Major dental work
• An arrow through my knee
• Going into work at a daycare for behavior-challenged children
• Voting in this year’s presidential election

So, we left Friday evening with intentions of the boys sleeping their normal night sleep during a significant portion of the trip.

I drove first.  Husband set up a movie for the boys and off we went.

Mile 83 of 989: Drew asks if we’re close.

We travelled through Birmingham where we switched drivers and then Montgomery where I finally found a tolerable sleeping position in the front passenger seat which was curling up in a ball on my side facing the back of the truck.  I actually got a couple of hours of sleep, only disturbed once when Husband stopped at a gas station and chugged two Monsters.  I was actually surprised when I woke up shortly after we crossed the Florida border.

The boys were now awake so we stopped at a gas station and wandered around for about an hour then to a Denny’s for breakfast.  Switched drivers once again and off we went to complete the final third of our trip.

We made it to West Palm Beach, hair intact and boys survived my depleted patience and sanity most importantly. We found our condo and made it inside.  We had just enough in us to be delighted with the area admiring the trees, flowers, beautiful scenery.  Our complex is surrounded on almost all sides by professional golf courses that are enjoyed by professional golfers so this area is upscale.  We love our little condo.  It’s roomy and fully stocked of everything we need to live for the next month.

Most people will jump into bed for a good rest and recuperation after a 1063 mile, 19-hour day.  People without kids that is.  Now we’re held hostage by two kids, one of which is dying to go swimming.  We had illusions of taking him swimming once we unloaded the truck and unpacked, but that quickly initiated a meltdown when Husband and I tried to console Drew as we begged for mercy.  I don’t think I’ve ever felt as tired as this before.  I was so completely exhausted that I couldn’t even think straight.  Decisions about which drawer to put my items were overwhelming and mind-boggling.  We couldn’t make simple decisions much less get both boys undressed, sun-protected, dressed, and carried with all of the pool supplies down the block to the pool.

I ran a few errands which included shopping for food and basic supplies and just tried to make it through the day until bedtime routine.

As soon as both boys are asleep, Husband and I basically collapsed.  I don’t think I have ever fallen asleep so fast.  Holden slept through the night on his little pallet in the corner we built.  Drew slept in the second bedroom.  It was a good night’s rest for all of us.

Sunday morning, I go shopping for a bathing suit finally and we take both boys swimming a couple of times despite having the energy of a sloth on Vicodin.  But, this was one of Drew’s last stress-free days so we tried to motivate ourselves to make it about Drew.

Part 2 continued here…