It was on my radar, of course, to take off from work once they were up and packing and the message came from their mother not long after noon: "It's chaos here."
Leaving everything to the last minute may be a universal human trait or maybe it just runs rampant in my particular family.
The scene that greeted me up in the boys' room in the little bungalow on Bernal Heights did indeed resemble chaos.
Clothes, books, electronic devices were strewn everywhere, as were the bags and suitcases meant to comport them all from this large west-coast city to a small college town in the mountains.
The boys and their mother seemed confused and distracted -- no doubt overwhelmed by the enormity of this transitional moment.
I was little help, standing there observing this scene but unable to effect any meaningful help, other than to point out that they weren't even close to finishing any one task before being distracted by another one.
The saving grace? Zaira. Aidan's girlfriend. Once she showed up and took command, all of the disorder started taking an orderliness.
She told them what to do and in what order. It turns out she is a packing expert, based on her own family's many trips back to their native Mexico.
We were all amazed as she got the vacuum to suck the air out of pre-packaged bedding, shrinking them to half their original size or less.
Plus she instructed them about something they didn't know -- "You have to fold every shirt and every piece of clothing to make them fit."
Hours later, the packing was done and we were good to go.
Tonight, their last in this city before college, we will get their favorite Mexican food from El Matate, maybe order a movie, and try to get to bed early.
My alarm is set for 3:30. That's when I have to get up to drive my young sons off to the beginning of their new life. Their mother is going with them to help them settle in. Somehow I suspect that Zaira, who herself has long been packed and ready to go as she also starts her college career there with them, will be the point person on that task.
They are nervous about such simple things -- washing clothes, cooking, finding their way around -- it is a flashback to my own freshman year in Ann Arbor.
Somehow I think they are far better prepared than I was. But my freshman year was hell until I discovered The Michigan Daily, journalism, and my calling in life.
Meanwhile, their little sister and I will occupy our newly empty nest with their two cats for the next few nights.
Let's hope the cats will be happier than during their last visit. So far, so good, because Julia is here this time...
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