A Bathing Suit and a Credit Card.....REALLY????

I think most of you know that we are getting ready to take a vacation. We're going first to Atlanta to visit family and celebrate Ans and Bert's 40th anniversary. What a mile stone. May we all live to celebrate our 40th with our children and and grand-children. We're going to spend a full day at Stone Mountain with all the things there are to do there. We will have a great time. While in Georgia we'll see a couple friends, some family and I am sure, spend a lot of time in the water.

Next we're going to the fabulous Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. We are fortunate enough to have great friends there who will make sure that we have a great time. We're so thrilled to see them and I am really looking forward to seeing our kids together. It's been 5 years or more since our kids have been together so they've never met Coulter or Kees. Bob's sister Ingrid and her family will go with us and Bob and I are bringing 2 babysitters with us. I guess technically it's one babysitter and her buddy but I know these kids. They will work in tandem.

Then it's back to Atlanta for a few more days and wind down before we head back home for a couple days. We'll stay with Bob's parents and see a few more friends.

So all that is well and good BUT we have to pack, make arrangements for things and arrange all the papers and stuff. Bob essentially says, "Don't worry so much. All we need is a bathing suit and a credit card." Ahhhh... I wish it were that easy. I made the plane reservations for our family and the sitters, I bought the insurance to make certain that if anything happens we're covered, I made arrangements for the sitters, got a rental car, I've been talking to Bob's sister to make sure that we're covered with a place to stay and be sure that none of our plans interfere with family time, I've talked to my family to make arrangements for a dinner so we don't miss them, I've kept track of our passports and schedule and have printed everything out and all put together so I know where everything is, I made copies of all that stuff for the sitter's mom so she is informed of where when and how we are getting around, I bought a few more things for the kids (they must look good for this trip), I purchased all the water stuff we'll "need" - snorkels, water shooters, aqua sox and such, I hired a dog sitter, made out instructions for said dog sitter and met with he and his mother, I made certain that they had Iva's chip information in case she gets lost, I found a house sitter, still need to meet with him and give instructions, stopped the mail, stopped the paper, I have paid all the bills in advance, I have tried to do accounting in to the future to make sure we'll have enough cash so we don't have to use credit the whole time, I contacted the school so that papers that are supposed to completed while we're away are mailed to me in Georgia, I have made arrangements with my friend George so everyone that wants to can swim with dolphins or instruct dolphins (that's a cool all day experience), I have made dinner arrangements with friends in the Bahamas, I have made tee times for Bob in the Bahamas, I made sure that everyone who is going to the Bahamas has a car to meet them at the airport and then another to bring them back upon departure (6 flights in all), I made the hotel reservations (with George of course) and today I am running around filling in more gaps, buying dog food, getting flip flops, buying Oregon Pinot Noir for my brother in law, getting an extra piece of luggage, getting a few surprises for the kids travel pack, getting a couple special movies for the kids, packing the kids stuff and my own, trying to anticipate needs and making sure that the kids have what they need so the flights and travel in general are not a nightmare, and I am doing it all with great excitement. There may be a few things that I have missed but I think you get the idea. But I am here to tell you that a bathing suit and a credit card just wouldn't cut it.

I know Bob appreciates me but I really don't think he gets the scope of what is involved. I do not want to spend my whole time buying things on a credit card that we already have. Of course we are not going to the Amazon where we can't get tooth paste but I tend to act like it. I guess I'd rather be safe than sorry. I'd certainly rather be prepared.

This is a post script note. After reading this Bob said that he was embarassed. I told him I don't think he needs to be. I was just saying that there is a lot that goes into getting ready for a trip. He is working and providing. And thank God he is an excellent provider. And in turn I am the facilitator for our family. Bob doesn't always communicate well so my point is / was that I have been running around trying to make sure that our time away goes as smoothly as possible, that all our needs are provided for and that our home, dog and daily things are taken care of. That's it. He doesn't say, "I see all the work you're doing." so it's hard to know what he sees or thinks. I don't know if he knows there is a lot of behind the scenes work going on. I do not intend to make Bob look bad. He is an amazing man, dad, husband, provider and boss. In those roles he is paying attention to his daily grind and doing a great job at that. I will continue to play my role in our family and enjoy doing it. I like how our trips go and honestly, I am pretty particular about how things are planned so it's just best this way and we both know it.