Homecoming

Preparations are being made: utilities are being switched over, moving vans are being rented, magazines address are being changed. We’re all gearing up for the much anticipated return to Michigan. When, you ask? Oh, who knows? Sometime between April 30 and June 8 – the date changes by the hour around here. Poor Rachel and my parents have borne the brunt of our moving scemes. It’s like the trivial pursuit question that’s discussed for 20 minutes. Just when we think we’ve finally decided, we come up with another hairbrained idea. Flannery and I have used all our brain power. It’ s your turn now. Let me throw some dates at you.

April 30 – possible move-out date

May 2 – the day our tenants move out (bottom line = rent + mortgage after 5/2. We’re looking to minimize this time period)

May 5 – Flannery is done with classes and exams . . . at Tufts

May 12, 13, 14 – my last day of babysittings, but Rachel said it would be fine if I skipped out

May 18 – Flannery’s graduation

May 20 – Flannery’s Harvard exam (yup – she’s already graduated, so technically this is meaningless)

May 30 – possible move-out date

June 4 – blood test and appointment with Cayla’s neurologist

June 7 – the kids’ dance recital

There are some other considerations like doctor appointments (eyes – May 15, lungs – May 30), Rachel’s birthday party, memorial day in Michigan, visiting the farm with Grandma’s class, and planting tomatoes but I don’t want to confuse you too much. So, up until now it was basically:

“hang time in Boston” and dance recital

VS

money and “we want to be home!!!!”

And then my brother had to go and throw us for a loop. My brother, who lives in Switzerland, whom we haven’t seen since Nov 2006 is coming to MI . . . from May 11 to May 19.

So, here are the parameters:
*It’s fine if the kids and I, or the kids and Flannery split up. (Eg. Just I go back to MI to see my brother or the kids and I take off for MI early leaving Flannery here).

*Flannery CAN load a U-Haul by herself. Hee hee.

*I REALLY, REALLY want to see my brother.

*We REALLY want the kids to see my brother.

*Here is where I should write that Flannery seeing my brother . . . um . . . isn’t a high priority, but would be nice.

*We REALLY want the kids to see Flannery’s graduation (although we don’t really care if she goes – which I guess means if the kids aren’t going, she probably isn’t either).

*The kids didn’t really care much about the dance recital until they got their costumes yesterday. The costumes had to be ordered last November, which started the “when should we go home discussion”. Now, they are pretty excited about it. But, as Katie suggested, we could simulate the recital back in MI. Of course we’d have to solicit more acts to make it realistic, oh you talented MI folk . . .

*Yes, Cayla has a neurologist in MI, but we really like her Boston one and the June 4th visit would be a nice wrap-up to her care here. We can’t push it earlier, because the blood test needs to be 2 months after her new medication levels began – which was April 4th. I promise a neurologist entry soon – nothing much new to report, but a bit more explanation on what may be happening. Which reminds me – the photos I promised a few weeks ago just aren’t going to happen due to slow, sporadic, . . . free/borrowed internet connections.

OK, get to it. Come up with a plan.

4/10 edit: Stop the presses. It looks like one of our 3,825 hairbrained scemes is going to work after all. My brother and parents are going to fly here to visit for a few days. Yahoo!!!! We are excited on many levels! So, we’ll probably leave here on May 20 and possibly drive back the first week in June for the doctor appointment and recital. Woo Hoo!