And We're Off......

So tomorrow is the BIG day....we are heading out on our road trip - all 1730 miles of it......and thats just to get up there. I'm hoping it goes well so when it comes time to do it all again in August to come home, we know what to expect.

Here is our theme song for our trip - it plays on Noggin all the time and Brookie starts dancing and giggling when she hears it...I thought it was pretty fitting.....Uncle Michael isn't as amused....lol.

I told him I'm going to download it and play it in the car every morning when we start out on our next part of the trip...hahaha....

Anyway...its been a busy week getting everything in order - spending way too much money on getting my car in tip top shape for the drive. It was a real eye opener what it costs to maintain a car - esp since I normally get rid of mine after a couple of years so I usually avoid having to replace all the tires and doing various maintenance things on it - I can't believe I have had my car for almost 3 years and I'm not itching to trade it in for something different....its a new record for me :)

This was also my first week since I left my job.....its been.....nice. I don't think its really sunk in yet - just feels like I am off on vacation. I'm guessing it wont hit me until we return in August from our trip.

Not much else has been going on - just packing and getting our stuff ready - its pretty difficult to know what to pack for this trip. Its been in the 60's in Toronto but it can get pretty hot and sticky too...so I have pretty much had to pack every season of clothing for Brookie - pants/ jackets/ long sleeves/ shorts/ tshirts/sandals/tennis shoes...you name it. It was tricky finding cooler weather clothes for her that still fit. Her pants that my mom had folded up and hemmed in the winter are going to have to be let down to be worn now. Good thing her clothes are small b/c we would have needed a U-Haul for her clothes otherwise hahaha.

We plan to load the car up tonight so that we can just get up and go in the morning - our plan is to leave tomorrow at 4am and make it to Memphis for the first overnight stop. Day 2 consists of driving from Memphis to Indianapolis and then Day 3 we arrive in Toronto sometime in the afternoon. I am really excited - its been a whole year since we were last there.....its sad that the time between each trip is getting longer and longer. I used to get up there many times a year - sometimes even for just a long weekend......can't imagine that now.

Anyway...here are some pics from the last few weeks. Brooklynn is in the stage now where she wants to copy EVERYTHING you do and be just like you...its really cute. Here she is looking like she is about to head out the door and go shopping with her purse in one hand and cell phone in the other and wearing my flip flops....lol.

Brooklynn has also gotten into playing with baby dolls - she loves carrying them around and acting like they are real babies - its so cute. Her favorite doll right now is her Cabbage Patch Kid - any doubt that this girl is mine?!?!?! hahaha

She likes to have her swaddled up to

carry around...

Here she is sitting on the floor rocking

back and forth trying to soothe her baby

and even says shhhhhh like a Mommy

She takes her on walks in her stroller...

She puts her baby down to nap and

then pats her on the back to get her

to go to sleep just like they do for her

at daycare....

I had to laugh when I saw how this pic

turned out - it reminds me of how moms

feel when their baby just won't stop

crying and they've tried everything...


Now it's time for Brookie to relax and

be 'babied' by her Mommy...

This girl LOVED corn on the cob - she

had a feast with it....

And finally - all proud that she ate like

a big girl like the rest of us....

Anyway....I need to go get all my stuff packed since it won't pack itself...so I better get going.... Not sure when I will get to post again but I am going to try so Andy can see his baby girl while she is out of town.....

One last thing....Andy - I know you read this blog too so I just wanted to thank you so much for letting me bring Brookie with me for such a long time. This trip is so important to me and means the world to me; knowing that I get to share our beautiful daughter with our family and friends in Toronto - you're amazing and I love you....we're gonna miss you and can't wait until you and Andrew fly up there at the end of July and visit everyone with us :)

And we're off.....wish us luck ;)