Journey of the Tribe

• 02:30 am - and the alarm is going off. Was I of sound mind when I agreeded to this?
• 04:30 am - Kitten is tucked in with Gran-ma (he tried to sneek into my luggage twice). Seven sleepy heads are now wide awake and buckled into car-seat, booster-seats and seat belts. The excitement is palpable as the van rolls out into the pre-dawn light.
• 06:30 am - After an hour three little ones have noded off again. The rest are glued to a DVD (I love technology). BJ wakes up and wants food. He is soon followed by the rest of the Tribe. A hungry tribe is a force to be reckoned with.
• 08:30 am - Shoney's buffett will never be the same again.
• 1:00 pm - Eight hours in the car and only a few stops for "tinlkle winkle" and petrol. We have to feed the Tribe again. The din is mind numbing and I'm getting really grumpy! Hurray for Burger King with a playground.
• 2:30 pm - We have found "home" for the next week. It's beautiful and really clean, with glass glasses, light colored carpet under the dinning table and it's on the third floor. (thank you Sensei for the strength training).
• 4:30 pm - The three youngest of the Tribe witness the beauty and magnifigance of the ocean for the first time. Todd and I stand in the breakers as seven beautiful little people search for shells in the sand and squeal with delight as the waves wash over their feet. The fussing and whining are forgotten. My heart soars and my eyes mist. "Thank you Lord for this day and this opportunity". A feeling of pure joy and satisfaction washes over me. "Mom, I gotta' go pee pee". Back to the real world.
• 7:00 pm - Note to self - avoid at all cost grocery stores on Saturday evening is a beach town.
• 9:00 pm - Seven little ones are asleep. My eyes feel like burnt holes in a blanket. We survived day one.