And in this corner...

I know now what our greatest challenge will be on this trip. Finding diesel often enough at RV-accessible pumps? Nope. Hauling a 13,000 pound trailer over the mountains? Uh uh. Trying to squeeze in as much sightseeing as we can without exhausting ourselves? No. Keeping the kids from killing each other or driving me crazy with their ridiculous sibling rivalry? Ding, ding, ding! They are going to be in extremely close quarters 24/7 for the whole trip. I hope that I survive. Can you tell what kind of day we are having? :-) I know that it is just because Gavin is exhausted after a long weekend at scout camp and Gabriella is not feeling up to par because of a little virus and/or allergic reaction she's been dealing with for the last few days. However, they are still DRIVING ME NUTS! Luckily, one of their spats is like a summer thunderstorm - it comes out of nowhere, strikes fiercely, and then clears up just as quickly and the skies are sunny once again. As I type, Gavin is performing a magic show for his sister, who is being a very patient and enthusiastic audience for him.
Today, I'm trying to take care of all of the little odds-and-ends: clearing the memory cards in the cameras, collecting quarters for the washing machines at the campgrounds, downloading earthcaches in Cuyahoga National Park to our GPS, double-confirming our reservations for the first couple of weeks, packing Gabriella's hair paraphernalia (a girl can never be too accessorized, you know,) assembling things that Gavin will need to complete scout requirements while we're on the trip, etc. We also did a marathon cleaning of the upstairs this afternoon. My goal is to leave the house in a semi-decent state when we leave (unlike EVERY other time we have left for a trip.) Usually, by the time we are packed and out the door, it looks a hurricane has just blown through. This time, I'm hoping that things will be neat enough that I won't want to just get back in the truck and drive away from the mess when we walk in the door in August.
If anyone has bothered to read this entire post - don't worry, they'll get better :-) Once we leave at the end of the week, the posts will be filled with pictures of gorgeous scenery and details of our exciting journey. And less of me whining about everything I have to do. Only five days to go!