Doug asked me what time he should wake me so that we could get on the road. I looked at him oddly since I didn’t think I needed an alarm to be ready to leave the house at 10 in the morning. Doug looked at me like I was using a language he didn’t speak. “I thought we’d be on the road by 5 a.m.” My idea of a vacation does not include hurrying or schedules. We left the decision unmade and I resumed the hunting and gathering of equipment and clothes to pack. “Nobody touch anything on the kitchen table or the couch or this chair. I’m getting ready to pack.” “All my clothes are in that pile. What am I supposed to wear?” “Wear winter clothes.”

The three oldest children decided that they would stay up all night so that they could sleep the entire car ride. I didn’t think that was a good idea, but couldn’t put my finger on the reason why their idea bugged me. When they looked droopy at midnight, I ordered them to bed and they were too sleepy to protest. I continued packing until I reached a point where I could no longer count to 5 without losing my place. I crawled in the bed and Evan immediately demanded that he sleep in my bed. He spent the rest of the night doing gymnastics. I woke around 8 the next morning feeling like I hadn’t been to sleep yet. I dressed, finishing the packing and Doug finally decided to start loading the car at 10 a.m. The teens were still refusing to get out of bed. I recognized the problem with their up all night plan. They are too heavy to carry. What time was everyone up, dressed and ready? Noon.