Big Girl Pants

A couple of weeks ago I tell my group, I put on my big girl pants and drove my oldest child over a mountain range or two and across an ocean channel so that he could move away from home and start university.
"Really!?", asks Annabel leaning in with intensity in her eyes.
"Ummm, yeah", I respond not sure if Annabel is mocking me or not.  "Remember?  Your best buddy packing up his bags?"
"WHAT!!!", responds Annabel. "Nooooo!!!! Oh tell me it isn't true!  I can't take this!  He has gone away again! No! No! No!"  Hurling herself onto her back in the middle of the group, Annabel continues yelping about how much she misses her buddy.
"OK, who invited Annabel to join our group?", Daisy demands.  "She is really impinging on my relaxation techniques here."
Interceding before Daisy employs one of her relaxation techniques on Annabel, I appeal to the distraught member.  "Annabel, he is back for Thanksgiving which is really soon.  Besides, the point of this group is to de-stress ourselves.  You need to focus on your coping mechanisms here...accentuate the positive not the negative!"
"I can't breathe" moans Annabel.  Flipping over onto her stomache, she stretches out her legs in both directions and reaching her paws toward Daisy, she says "I miss him sooo much!  What am I going to do.  Help me! Help me!  ARGHHH!"
"She is going to give me a heart attack", Daisy responds with some alarm!
Pulling Annabel back out of Daisy's reach, I tell her to calm down and slow her breathing.  Everything will be alright.  I will tell you the story of our trip to help you re-focus your energy on more positive things.
"OK, OK", pants Annabel at me. "I will try."

"You will remember this Annabel", I tell her.
 "I do! I do!" responds Annabel.
 "Well that was him packing to go away", I remind her.  "He packed his bike and his skateboard..." I say.
 "Oh, Oh...and his guitar!" Annabel jumps in.
 "Yes all of the good stuff except he forgot his actual school stuff like his class schedule..." I continue.
"What's a class schedule?" Annabel asks.
 "Hmmm, I see why you two get along so well" I respond.

Then shortly after we depart and because we all drank coffee before we left, we had to stop for a break.

The Relief Guy explains to us the importance of stretching during our stops and some of the more enthusiastic group members (Harriet and Grace) follow suit.  The rest of us just ignore him.
"I would have stretched my legs by running away", says Annabel.

Then we stop again at Mt Robson just because everyone should stop at Mt Robson.  We are all enjoying the mountain scenery.

We find Relief Guy leading another stretching exercise but since the enthusiastic pair are no longer interested, he is teaching a boulder.  We gently bundle him back into the truck.
"I would have stretched.....by running away again" says Annabel

Westward Ho!  Into the setting sun.

Later that night, Relief Guy marvels at the great lengths that the hotel staff  will go to arrange our bathroom amenities.  I tell him it is more likely the result of travelling with a pair of girlie girls.....and then the extremely limited time we have in the bathroom thereafter proves my point.

The next day as we drive in the near desert conditions that exist between the two mountain ranges, I exclaim to the group "Look at the rolly bushy things that blow across the road!"
"You mean tumbleweed?" clarifies Aidan

"There he is!  That's my guy!" exclaims Annabel.
"You are right Annabel", I respond.  "That is soooo Aidan."

"This is what he is off to study", I tell Annabel
"Really!" says Annabel.  "I thought he was studying Marine Biology.  I didn't realize he had switched his studies to fiberglass sculptures of killer whales."
Sigh...

Finally the ferryboat arrives.  I have traded in our reservation on a later ferry gambling that we will get on this early one as standby traffic.  Relief  Guy has broken out in a cold sweat.

Made it!  By the hair of our chinny chin chins as we are one of the last vehicles to board.  Relief Guy is happily sweating now as he madly dials Chandlers Restaurant to make our reservation for tonight.  It is one of our favourite places but we had to make the earlier ferry in order to get there on time.
"I throw up in the canoe", says Annabel.  "Do  you think I would throw up on the ferry?"
"Probably", I tell her.  "You need to get to know my good friend called Gravol. Right about now, Gravol and I were merrily snoring off the side effects."

"My babies on the boat" I tell Annabel.
"They don't look like babies", responds Annabel.
"They're my babies!", I snap at Annabel.
"Could we review a few of those de-stressing exercises again?", asks Annabel.

Aidan in his happy place....out on the water.
"I want to be there with him", says Annabel.  "Along with your friend Gravol".

On land again but that is OK.  The land is surrounded by the ocean which is always a short longboard away according to Aidan....with a helmet on, right Aidan?

And we made it to Chandlers but it is not Chandlers anymore which made us sad.  We ate there anyway and it was OK. It is not Chandlers though.

Aidan's new home.  Victoria Harbour at night.  Am I jealous...yep!
"Me too", says Annabel.

Finally there.  It is check in day!  This is when we discover what else was forgotten in addition to class schedules.

Aidan and the Relief Guy doing some battle planning.  They think they can find an easier way to get registered.

No matter the battle strategy, everyone has to stand in the long line at some point they discover.
"Looks like a beautiful day to stand in a line", says Annabel
"That's the idea Annabel!", I say.  "Well done.  You are coping better than the battle planners."

Aidan with his residence in the background and the neon bracelet that says 'hey I am new here'.

Aidan was thrilled to see that his residence was in the quadrangle where everything happens!  I say to Aidan, "let's go find the library.  You are going to need to know where that quiet spot is."

On the tour trying to figure it all out.  "Look at this lovely library", I tell Aidan.
"Look at the lovely pub" says Aidan
"Look at your Age of Majority card", I respond

Finally settled in his room.  Trying to be helpful, Aidan tells me that he does not mind using the mattress cover that I packed thinking it was a pillow.  He says, "I can just fold and bundle it up.  It should work OK".  Off we go shopping for a pillow.

Saying good-bye.
Sniff, sniff, says Annabel.
Sniff, sniff, says us.

On the way back over the water, I excitedly point and say, "Look at the Water Birdy thing"
 In the ensuing silence, the remaining babies suggest that it might be a good idea if I invest in a nature book or two.

"I miss him so much", says Annabel
"Me too, me too Annabel", I respond.