Getting Ready

Relative silence. Three children in school, one playing on Starfall. Coffee is drunk, exercising restraint about making more. Likely tea later instead. No running around today, no pressing errands. I have my list of things to do, but it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. 

With the move back across the country rapidly approaching, it gets easy to get lost in the list. For me, at least. Get the next thing done, get distracted by another mess, flit from room to room, cleaning but never really being done, culling, sorting, recycling, donating. Down time after the kids go to sleep for the night, veg and talk with Hubby, cuddle, read, watch something. 

Monday Monkey "helped" me clean out under the beds in the boys' room. We found books that were thought to have been lost, a load and a half of laundry, a kleenex box, and a few empty (and clean) ice cream buckets. We also found some nuts and bolts that had wiggled free from Sergeant's bed so smart momma fixed those.  

We went through the girls room too. Found a few summer dresses for Girlie (great timing since she was upset just that morning about not having many to choose from), some hair elastics, lost blankets, and stuffed animals. we clean off the top of their dresser and took away the baby change mat (yes, I know Monkey has been potty trained for nearly a year...). 

Last week I went through all of our craft supplies. Finally got rid of all the dead markers, recycled tons of used construction paper and colouring books. Still have tons of those! But it feels really good to have some of that done. Therapy. One very good thing about constantly being on the move is that it forces you to keep the stuff down.  Purging every now and then is cleansing. Now if I could only get the kids to part with some of their toys... 

The children have been bugging me to have a Farewell Nova Scotia party for their friends before we leave, so they handed out invitations for a handful of friends each for Sunday afternoon. It'll basically be a massive play date. If it's nice out they'll be outside, if it's not we'll stay indoors and maybe throw a movie on. Or game stations through the house. A craft table, puzzles, board games, card games... hmmm endless possibilities. And I'm focusing on minimal stress and prep from me. They are super excited about it! 

Time is flying so fast, it's difficult to think that we'll be off and away in three weeks. At bedtime (because thoughts always run free as you are trying to not fall asleep) the anxiety closets for the kids open wide. Girlie swings from one end to the other about being happy to move and being devastated. All normal feelings. Sergeant was feeling emotionally fragile last night and took too personally the fact that Smarty didn't want yet another hug from him before bed. Which led to him being upset over little things said and done long long ago. Sigh.

I totally made new tank tops for myself!! I was given a shirt that I tried on that was way too big and bulky, so I looked at Pinterest for ideas to adjust it. I found something so fast and amazingly simple that I did it and three other shirts in less than a half hour! So fun and awesome. Monkey was a little concerned when she saw scissors and shirts, but then she got distracted by apple sauce ;)

That's about it for now. Have a great day!

Transitions

Not being able to sleep really sucks.  I have only very rarely had this issue in the past. I'm usually quick to fall asleep and can stay there until the kids decide to get up and start the day. This morning makes it two days this week that I have not been able to fall back to sleep after putting a girl or two back into their beds. Normally I would just roll over, cuddle into Hubby until I drift back to dreamland and, like I said, usually doesn't take that long. Tonight though, I'm flying solo. Hubby is in Ontario, I put my Monkey back into her own bed three times from 2-3:30. I tried laying there, I tried dozing. Figured I would get out of bed for a bit and then see about laying down again.

I am excited. Sunday we leave to go on our house hunting trip and I'm looking forward to making the decision with Hubby and the kids of where we'll spend this next step on our adventure. The kids are being taken out of school for the week, we get to head off and look and visit, and make some decisions.

The kids are ready to help us make the choice, and I'm sure that they will add their opinions on all the places we look. Going to check out the services on the base, going to visit with family in the area, going to visit with friends. I feel incredibly blessed that our posting is going to be back where we have made such good connections only a few years ago.

Maybe it's the looking back aspect of moving that makes a person more aware, but we've been incredibly blessed. All through our lives, both separate and since we've come together, Hubby and I have been able to surround ourselves with amazing people. Strong influences that have helped shape and form us into who and what we are now. When I look forward and see moving across country again, and then wherever we go after that, I see potential. Potential for personal growth, for family growth, for meeting more wonderful people, for reconnecting with people we already know and deepening those friendships.

In this posting I feel like we've done so much changing, that in three short years we have stretched and widened who we are. We are the same people we were before, just more. The kids (as is the nature of children) have blossomed into their personalities and continue to do so. Smarty and his opportunity to learn cello, to take part in the dinner theatre production (which just wrapped up this week BTW. Such a fun show they did! And he had tons of fun doing it!), and watching him learn to adapt to the added stress of the practicing involved in those. Sergeant and his piano, reading, affinity for equality, and watching him as he learns to control those pesky emotions that boil so close to the surface. Girlie with her increasing independence, her love of books, the initiative in her crafting. Monkey and her communication abilities, her determination to set fashion standards, and her unwavering conviction that ketchup really is its own food group.

These children are not afraid to stand up for something they feel is right and just, even if it means speaking plainly and pleading their case to their parents. They are learning a bit of independence as they are able to do more and more on their own. A couple days ago the boys wanted to go ride their bikes and go to the park down the road. I gave Smarty one of the watches floating around the house and told him when he absolutely needed to be back. They know the rules. Stay with your fire team buddy. If one person wants to leave, you both go. No person gets left behind. They know where the "boundary line" is that I'm comfortable with them going (how many streets down, which blocks they are free to explore). And they complied. They were so proud of themselves when they came back into our yard with a minute to spare!

Last weekend was a marriage prep/relationship seminar that Hubby has been in charge of for the last few years and I was able to book a sitter for the morning and sit in and listen for a bit. I really enjoyed it! Heard a presenter speak about conflict, how certain types of people handle it, communication tools to help affirm your partner and let your partner know when something is hurtful. Listened to another presenter talk  about the deployment cycle, the ways people emotionally distance themselves to cope with the separation (both the person leaving and the ones staying behind), and the resources available to help smooth those adjustments. I was so grateful that Hubby suggested that I take the time to sit in on it and that the sitter was able to help that happen.

All in all happy feels, very positive transitions coming up, and the weather even hasn't been too bad this week! Cool, but mostly sunny (which is relatively rare for this coast).