THe BeGiNNiNG

We left our house yesterday. I want to write about it before I forget what it was like, and I told myself I wouldn't cry as I write about it but here I am tearing up already. We are at my in-laws until tomorrow, which is out 17th wedding anniversary, where I will receive a present of a lifetime - a one-way ticket to Arizona with my family, to start a whole new adventure with the four most important people in my life.

Yesterday was hard. It didn't start out that way. Things have been too busy and too filled with fun to think about the difficult parts, which is how I wanted it to be. The past few weeks have been piled with parties and lunches and a lot of friends and a lot of drinking. I do hope I got to see and say 'see ya later' -- I HATE goodbyes -- to everyone. If I missed you, I am sorry. Ya knew where I was, but you also know where I will be!

Tuesday morning the packers came, and I think I woke with a giant pit in my stomach. They were awesome though, so respectful of our situation, and our stuff, and so professional. And when the kids got home from school, I expected a little freaking, but they did really well. My kids are amazing. They held it together so much it is unbelievable. Yesterday in the car, Diva did say, "I wish I was the same age as the last time we moved (from Philly to Chicago, she was 5), because I didn't really understand it." Now, she knows the impact of saying goodbye, of leaving all she has come to love, of having to start over.

Tuesday night we had a nice quiet dinner with neighborhood friends, one of Diva's best girlfriends, who wrote her a beautiful note. That's when it hit her. She came home and cried for the first time. I'm not making any sense here now, but I'm crying thinking about it, and there's that damn lump in the throat again. I should name him. What should I name the lump in my throat who won't go away?

Wednesday, they took everything away.

Wednesday night, I made a point of going to see Emily Giffin, my most favorite author and friend. My other favorite non-author and friend, C, came with, and we have been known to drink the "invincible respites" aka the appletinis made the special way. Equal parts vanilla vodka and apple pucker. Nothing else. Try it. You'll thank me. We each downed one and a half then ran over the Anderson's Book Store in Naperville, sure to be late for the book signing. Whoa, was it perfect timing or what cuz when we zoomed through, who was walking in along the side of the books right in front of me but Emily? And what do I do? I go, "Emily!" And of course, she turns right around, sees me and hugs me, saying she couldn't believe I was there in the midst of my move, and that just made everything good! She's an incredible author, an incredible woman with a humble spirit who deserves every spec of success she has obtained! She had invited me out for drinks after but I told her I had too much to do but I would wait in line for my other book to be signed (she had already mailed me a signed ARC at Christmas) but Emily told me to just come up first, so I DID! Sorry everyone who waited in line. But Emily did tell everyone that I was moving the next day! : )

And then, if the night couldn't get any better, well, it did! On our way home, we decided we needed "just one more" at the Doc, which has been the place we always loved, the place we 'wedding crashed,' and had appletinis many times before so we called our other BFs, and were going to pick them up in the 'hood. Next thing you know, we're driving by another good friend's house in the 'hood, and I say, "Let's stop and get Patti!" This is at 8 p.m. the night before the last day of school. We ring her bell and say, "We're kidnapping you for one martini!" She says, "Can I change my clothes?" We say, "NO!"

We then go through the neighborhood kidnapping women and by the end of our route, we have TWELVE women on the spur of the moment drinking cosmos and appletinis at the Doc! It was the grand Martini Kidnapping that will forever go down in 7B History! I loved that night so much! Pictures have been taken but I can't upload them! You'll just have to imagine! It was SPECTACULAR and a wonderful way to end my awesome times with incredible women!

BUT WAIT! You think that would be enough, right? NOOOOOOOOOOO! The next morning, we all show up ON MY FRONT LAWN, with champagne to make pool boys! You guys remember pool boys right? Champagne, cranberry and pineapple! And mimosas! And we've got coffee cake, and cheese and crackers and bagels and we sit there for a few hours and laugh and talk and take pictures (again, I think you'll just have to check out facebook when I am able to upload them), and it was a perfect way to be with my best neighborhood girlfriends! I love them all!

The bus came at 10:30 a.m. (I mean, what is the point of school? Oh, I know, so we moms could drink on the lawn for a couple hours!), and the "see ya laters" start! We had some snacks, popsicles, juice for the kids and we took a ton of pictures. Ajers came home from school first with major tears in his eyes, and his best friend at his side. After hugs and chats, I finally told everyone, "I'm just going to walk that way." And pointed to my house. Not saying the Goodbye word. Everyone was crying. I had to get out of there. Long goodbyes suck. It's like taking a bandaid off. You have to do it quick and get the hell out of there.

Mr. and I gathered our three little babies into our house for one last time, and we all went down into the basement with a Sharpie and found a secret spot to write secret notes for future owners to find, which, if I tell you where we wrote them, I have a feeling Toni may have found my blog so she would then know where to look! (Toni, if you've found my blog, please tell me you are reading! xo!) We all cried, even Scott, so much and hugged one another. Then we came upstairs and encircled one another in a group hug with many many tears. Scott said a prayer, blessing us, and the new owners, and I've never seen him cry so hard. We all cried. We have amazing memories in that house. It's a house. We will miss it. But what we will miss most is the community and friendships and love we have come to know from all the dear, dear friends we have made in the past six years. So many.

"Don't be sad it's over ... Be glad it happened."

The new adventure begins tomorrow as we fly to Arizona on our 17th wedding anniversary with our three beautiful children and a pocket full of new hopes and dreams and the five of us filled with immense love and gratitude for what we have already been given.

PeaCe uP!

~MaNiC MoMMy