The Po Show

Outta Here

Well, der kinder and I leave very early in the morning for CA. Just how I wanted to spend my birthday, waking up at 5AM and then sitting on a plane alone with the kids for 7 hours. Plus I have a big old honkin' mosquito bite on my EYELID that makes me looks deformed. No contact lenses for me tomorrow!

I've been feeling very very strange about leaving. I always freak out a bit, every summer as the kids and I trundle off for Grandma's. I'm not good as a single parent (though Grandma takes great care of us, especially COOKING every meal, including animal-shaped pancake creations for Tessa, but I feel that I have no emotional parental back-up). I miss Ross terribly. And I always worry about Matthew's transitional issues, especially this year after the spring from hell.

This year it's especially weird, because I am literally hoping that we don't come back. I'm fervently hoping that Ross lands a job in L.A. over the summer, and the kids and I never come back to NY (well, actually I WANT to come back to visit, without the kids, someday. I'd love to go to some nice restaurants in the city and stroll leisurely through the Guggenheim, which was just never going to happen with the kids). So it's been really bizarre, preparing to leave.

I tried to pack up stuff in plastic bins, so it would be easier for Ross if he has to pack up the house by himself for a move. I tried to organize some other stuff. I donated over 200 books to our local library. The one thing he really wanted me to do, that I didn't, was force the kids to go through their stuff and figure out what they don't play with anymore, so it could be donated or thrown away. I somehow just did not manage that this week (I mentioned the idea several times, but my children kept putting me off, if you can believe that :p). The week since school ended has been filled with doctor's appointments (Tessa to the ENT, Matthew to the psychiatrist, Tessa to the dentist to get TWO teeth extracted :( ), Ross' birthday (we forced the kids to go to the Bronx Zoo, though they really wanted to stay home and play video games. I can't believe I had to say, "It's Daddy's birthday, and he wants to go to the zoo, so we're going to the zoo!"), and Tessa's birthday. Plus we had a barbeque for some friends yesterday and we went to the city for one last time today. What did we do on our last trip to one of the greatest cities in the world? We got croissants at Claude's (no almond, that bastard!), ate at Bubby's in Tribeca (neither kid wanted to eat and Tessa tried to fall asleep on my lap), and then went to the Nintendo Center at Rockfeller Plaza :p. Woo and a hoo.

Now we're all packed and ready to head for the Correct Coast. The kids are so excited to see Grandma, and I am too. I have to remind myself not to get impatient with her. She's almost 80 years old and the most wonderful person I've ever known in my entire life, so I need to give her a freaking break when she starts getting all annoying. She always means well :).

And tomorrow I'm 41 years old. Not that I really care. I got carded buying beer in the grocery store a couple of months ago, so I guess I still look okay :).

See you on the other side.