We're moving to Virginia. Mike got a good job there.

I'm excited on several fronts. The best thing for me is that I get to have my kids meet my family. I have a huge extended family back east and being there will mean that my kids can meet them.

Being in Virginia, means that we can spend summers meandering through Washington D. C. and hitting all the museums and cool stuff there.

It also means that when my best friend, Mell, moves to South Carolina, I can see her, too.

I leave in 8 days to drive cross-country because the moving company will only move one stupid car. I'm taking the kids and the dog. Mike gets to take Kitty. It makes me sad because for the first time in 6 months, Kitty finally jumped on the bed the other night to demand affection, a behavior she has been loath to exhibit up til now because we had the audacity to move from her home of 6 years. Now, we're going to fly her across country and traumatize her fuzzy little ass all over again. I supposed I can look forward to another 6 months of being completely ignored by Kitty and utterly adored by the dog.

I may torture Kitty anyhow and love her until she loves me again or she may never ever speak to me again. I don't know.

The kids aren't thrilled completely, but are ok with moving. The two friends I know in that area have very lovely daughters, who are my son's age. Russell is looking forward to meeting them, even if he only admires them from a distance because he's a big sorry chicken when it comes to females.

Genny is excited to see new places and do stuff along the drive. I'm making both kids journal and Russell will continue in his online schooling until we get a house set up there and know what school he's going to.

My folks are coming down to give me the opportunity to househunt sans kidlets. I can't wait just to get the hell away from the kids for a few hours. I've been with them all summer and because Russell can't go to school much, I haven't been alone in months. I'm sending him to school tomorrow because I'm just plain sick to death of no alone time. He can't imagine why.

I just need some time to myself. Quiet, time to pray, things like that.

Russell continues to be pretty wrecked. He has good days and bad days, but even his best day doesn't seem to mean he can leave the house. Sometimes, I pile him into the car anyway and work around him. His next shot is Friday. I'm taking him to the pool that night. He doesn't know it yet, but I am!

If I have to go to wallymart, I have him sit on the bench in the front with his phone. If I go to a store with a profusion of wheely carts, I take him with me. He was sure I was enjoying the fact that I made him take a wheely cart at Home Depot, but I was kind of puzzled. I just needed him to go with me because leaving him in the car when it's 100 degrees isn't an option and it makes him get the hell out of the house. I think being a teenager means that you exist in a constant state of torture by your parents though.

Genny has grown 2 inches this summer. I'm sewing ruffles on the bottoms of dresses to get more wear out of them. I really have no choice. She's growing out of everything and she's so skinny, none of her pants fit without a serious case of high waters or plumber butt.

I'm not sleeping tonight, apparently. I woke up with a bunch of worries circulating. I'm going to try again.