And Here. We. Go.

My husband just walked out the door. Bags in hand, talks ready. Weeks of travel and interviews ahead. It's finally time.

On the homefront, I have been preparing for days.

15 loads of laundry done? Check.
Kitchen cleaned? Check.
3 nights of real sleep, thank you, darling. Check.
All sheets and towels changed? Check.
Playdates for the middle one scheduled? Check.
Generous friends offering to bring by some meals so I can nap during nap overlaps? Check.
Stocked up on diapers, wipes and all teething paraphernalia? Check.
Date out skating with my oldest to get some good quality time before dad is gone? Check.
Blog posts written daily since personal challenge issued? Almost check. Missed one day, ah well.

Seriously, though, God has done a work in just one short week. I had been dreading this trip for months. HOW in the world were we going to do this? How to keep the oldest one on his sports schedule when the middle one has to be asleep before he's finished? How to not watch the clock all day because watching the clock wouldn't actually mean anything if the husband wasn't coming home soon to take over? How to do two bedtimes simultaneously for the littlest people? How to handle the rage of the middle one without the ability to tap out?

In the last week, the "hows" have faded a little. The baby and toddler don't have the same bedtime at the moment due to an illness so the oldest can play with the littlest while the middle gets his long bedtime routine tended to. A generous neighbor offered to pick up the oldest from hockey so I didn't have to push back the toddler's bedtime. (For those with spirited children, you know that any deterrent from the normal timing and routine can be catastrophic.) The oldest offered to learn several new chores so he could really ramp up his help while he dad was gone. THAT. KID.

Bottom line, I just am not thinking about what is going to be hard about it. I'm just trying to do.

Attitude overhaul? Check.

It's funny what laying aside my worries and frustrations and exhaustion and exchanging them for just 30 minutes of writing every day can do to a person who is willing to stop and listen, isn't it?

On Saturday, my oldest and I talked about the coming weeks as we skated around Tenney Park. We talked about the opportunities we would have - that he would have chances to learn even more awesome ways to be a big brother, that we'd both get to work on our patience, that we'd have lots of fun time together after the littlest people went to bed playing legos and Sorry and reading together and having a pizza and movie night.

This morning, as he was kissing me goodbye before school, he grinned up at me and said "Our adventure starts today, Mom!"

And he's right.

No one ever said adventure is limited to globetrotting or trying new, exciting things, right?

Adventure is any new opportunity that we can face head on and say to God, "OK, together we've got this. It might not be easy, it might not always be fun, but it sure as heck can be good."

So, here we go. Let's see what the adventure brings.