Upstate New York to Tucson Is a Long Way

In case you weren't aware of that. And it is exponentially longer with two little kids.

Not that I can complain about those kids. They were amazing. Even Charlie, who used to be such a misery in the car that I thought twice about driving longer than 20 minutes away from the house. He slept a total of maybe 20 minutes yesterday, but he did not cry. It was amazing.

Even in the car on the way from Phoenix to Tucson--the last leg of the trip and an interminable two hours--he would not fall asleep. It was dark for part of it, he was so tired he was staring vacantly into space, but as soon as we got off the freeway and into the city, he perked right up and started babbling about the lights.

Cubby whined some, because it's kind of hard to sit still for ten hours when you're three (or thirty-three . . .), but he was good too. I continue to be amazed at how they never really live up to my worst expectations.

I love those kids.

And now we're here, with ten days of merriment and good weather ahead. The best Christmas present ever.