I've been in Texas for 9 days now. I fly home tomorrow. Addison is doing well now, smiles and coos on a regular basis, and Sarah and Chris and the boys are probably ready to reclaim their house, schedule, life - not necessarily in that order.

This is my third trip to Texas since May 5. In something like 100 days I've spent 30 of them in a state I don't actually live in. I will be home for 20 days, then I'm heading out again - to T.E.X.A.S. Our middle daughter is due to have her first baby around Labor Day (how appropriate is that?!) I was also here in February to celebrate Sarah's 30th birthday, so the next trip will be #5 of 2006. I will, at the end of my next trip, have been in the Lone Star State 45 days. That's more than 1/12th of the year. A little crazy for a supposed "stay-at-home mom".

I've been thinking about some of the things that just might need to be done when I get home. What might need a little attention; upkeep. Or maybe just what is my soul crying out to do. Here are 13, off-the-top-of-my-head things I plan to do when I walk off the plane.

#1 Kiss my husband, and immediately allow him to buy me dinner and at least one margarita at Don Pablos on the way home from the airport. Very possibly two.

#2 Put the suitcases A.W.A.Y. I don't care that I'm taking them out again in less than three weeks. I need to not see them for a bit.

#3 Buy stock in whoever makes Swiffer products, since I'll be using about 500 of them to dehair our house. We had Leslie and Jeremy's australian shepherd there for 4 weeks. I left to camp, came home, and left for here. Leaving a hairy dog and cat behind. It's either swiffer ad nauseum or start weaving rugs out of it all.

#4 Figure out what on God's earth to do about the fact that the cat I actually love is now doing her "thing", daily, in the middle of my laundry room floor, next to her catbox. Do you think she's maybe a tad bit honked off at me for never being home???? I keep telling her what happened to the last cat that did that, but she's not listening.

#5 Pay bills, balance the checkbook, and file til I turn blue in the face. I so understand why wealthy people have accountants. I like having the cash flow, just not dealing with it.

#6 See if any of the neighbors have moved. They could have and I wouldn't know it. I'd be okay if a few did. Like the ones who save enough fire crackers from 4th of July to shoot them off the live-long year just to keep my dog in a constant state of agitation. On the other hand, I pray the ones to the right stay right there. I need them, very regularly, to care for our pets, since we're never home lately.

#7 Buy some groceries, and cook, and eat dinner with my husband, on the deck we so love but haven't spent much time on this summer. There could be other people eating out there and I wouldn't know it. Honestly I wouldn't care as long as they're gone by the time I get home.

#8 Start counting points from Weight Watchers, again, since I took someone's WFMW advice and joined online. I've been living under the rule that anything eaten, in bed, after 10 pm does not have points. Points or no, it's showing on my rear.

#9 See if any of my friends remember me, and still like me. If I were them, I would have moved on.

#10 Cancel any appointments on my calendar if the first thought I have when I see them, is, "I need" rather than "I want".

#11 Call my Dad, my Mom, my sister, each of my three brothers and hear their voices because while email and blogging is great, it still doesn't compare to hearing someone say, "I love you" and saying back, "I love you too."

#12 Walk over to my fridge that doesn't have any edible food in it, see our kids' and grandkids' photos, and realize while I'm ecstatic to be in my own home, it's perfectly normal to already miss them.

#13 Click my heels together, sans ruby red slippers, and say "There's no place like home." I NEED to do that. Just a little.