Response to commenters

Ya'll are so sweet for the advice and good wishes. Putting a portable DVD player on the wishlist! We had one... the boy destroyed it. It was a cheapo and only lasted about a year, though I have to say, it withstood some horrific treatment. We simply can't afford one before this trip (buying groceries and gassing up the car on credit lately, no joke. :( Hoping to refinance the house before January...

Maybe I can find a friend with one and borrow it...

We are totally planning on someone sitting in back btwn the 2 carseats to be the monkeyboy's entertainment slave for the drive. I'm sure we'll take turns. Books, games, you name it. God help us. :)

On the plus side, despite the fact that everyone in the house is at varying stages of a shared cold, it's been a good week. The boy loves the Advent calendar from his Granny Gail, the baby girl is learning how to laugh (at her brother, no less, and he loves it,) and the news on the home refinancing front makes me so optimistic for the near future's relief of financial stress. :)

I haven't been able to get photos off the camera and onto the computer but I will try soon! I have some cute ones of the kiddos. An FO pic of my pink Malabrigo Quant is on Ana's camera, but I'll take another. And I'm almost done with the purple/green Taos Quant for Tomorrow! I wish I could find my dpn case to start a Christmas ball for Rose... I will probably cast on a 3rd Quant, for Sheva this time, next. She has promised me an earflappy hat for Brent in exchange -- woot!