A very long week

It all began back in July, when we packed up our house and moved to Texas. Before going to Lubbock, we spent a week in Dallas with Paul's family...to hang out with them and also to pick up some furniture we would be borrowing over the next four years. We loaded up my father-in-law's Dodge pickup and headed out.

So, for the last 10 months we've been in charge of the Iverson family truck. Most of the time, it sat idle in our driveway since it isn't the most reliable vehicle. But in February, our little Mazda started having some problems, so Paul didn't want me driving it anymore in case it broke down on me. So I started driving the truck. Let's just say that getting in and out of a 2-door truck with toddler and a growing pregnant belly is not fun or easy. This last month it has been more than uncomfortable. And I would often stay home rather than climbing inside. Not only do I dislike getting up into it, I feel like I'm 50 feet long when I drive it. It's too big for me to feel comfortable parking anyhwhere near other cars, so I always park in the back 40 of the parking lot at stores.

But alas, my truck driving days are over. Last Sunday Hattie, my father-in-law, and I drove the truck from Lubbock to Dallas. My goal in Dallas: to buy a minivan. Yup, we are a true suburban family now!

But finding the van is a story all in it's own, as almost all car buying experiences are. Let's just say that I will never trust one single word a salesman says, will inspect every feature and detail myself, and will bring someone along with me who is better experienced at negotiating! Thanks Erika!

This week in Dallas has been one of the most stressful in my recent memory. Before we left Lubbock, Hattie had been having some discharge from her eyes, but it never turned into pink eye. But once we were in Dallas, one of her eyes became infected and she was running a high fever. Diagonosis: pink eye, double ear infection, and bronchitis! Poor kid. She was so unhappy. And only I could console her, yet I was trying to buy a van at the same time, so she was miserable when I would leave her with my in-laws for a few hours. And I could feel some bronchitis starting in myself. So to make a long story a little bit shorter, we are both feeling a lot better, we have a van to take us home to Lubbock tomorrow, and I have never been so ready to see my husband again. I don't know how single moms do it!

Now that Hattie is feeling better, she has started to play and be her normal self...which includes discovering a pink marker and becoming an artist. Do you think she was trying to put lipstick on? And draw some knee pads?