And So It Goes

Once again, I've found myself slacking with this blog. It seems that things have been so busy with school starting and trying to get things in order at the apartment. In fact, this weekend was supposed to be our first real weekend in Roanoke. We had nothing planned, nowhere to be, we were all looking forward to it. Because, really, I feel like we haven't had time to explore the city or take advantage of the new things and activities we have nearby. As some of you know, I wasn't sure about moving here, after all Roanoke has never really captured my heart. But I've been surprised by how much I like it so far and so my plan was to write a post about what I like about the town so far. The list was already started in my head, a Dear Roanoke letter of sorts.

And then...cue dramatic music...

We got the call this morning. Jeremy is being sent to New Lexington, Ohio and has to be there on Monday. Yep, today is Friday and he has to be there on Monday. Ahh, the joys of railroading...the thrill of no notice...the fact that we're still paying a mortgage on top of our rent and now need to find a new place to live :) The kids are not thrilled. They've made lots of new friends, they're enjoying taekwondo and gymnastics and piano and living close to their Granny and Poppie but I'm trying to present it as an adventure and, hey, at least the 4 of us will be together, right???

I don't have details yet. We just know that Jeremy leaves on Sunday. The kids and I will stay in Roanoke until things become more official...there are movers to schedule, housing to find, classes and apartments to cancel, mail to forward (again! It took 4 weeks for the mail to start being forwarded here!), schools to withdraw from and enroll in, friends and family to notify. I'm hoping we'll be able to join him in Ohio before the end of October so I guess my dreams of a lazy weekend or a few normal days will have to be put on the backburner as we start the process all over again. Hang on to your hats, it's gonna be an interesting ride as I'm thrown back into single mom-hood again for a while. As always, I'll keep you posted :)

Quote of the Day - After Dinner Bliss

Olivia (looking at a field of cows on the way home from dinner) : Cows say Moo, just like my breath.

Quote of the Day - Part Deux (9/10)

Noah (upon leaving the pizza place): Let's go home and do a Man Thing!

Quote of the Day -September 10th

The scene - The local pizza place just after dinner where Noah and Olivia had been picking at each other the entire meal.

Olivia: I've only got one nerve left and Noah is crawling all over it. Now I've got nothin' left for tomorrow.

When You Have To Laugh (aka - Are You Kidding Me?)

Jeremy called me this afternoon to ask if I was sitting down. I moved over to the couch and told him I was ready for some big news. He very gently said that there's a chance (big or small, we don't know yet) that they may relocate him to Ohio, very, very soon. After a brief moment of shock, I looked around at all the boxes that still need to be unpacked and burst out laughing. I'm not surprised. After all, we're just getting settled in, finding our way around town and, BAM!, the possibility of a new move rears its head.

The C'ville house should be going on the market this weekend and I hope to have all the empty cardboard out of here by Thursday. After that, I'll be ready to hit the road again...wherever it leads. I'll keep you posted!

Lesson of the Day

Ask Jeremy if it's a good idea to set your beer on top of the TV when you are shifting giant boxes around and watching football at the same time. After he gives you the evil eye I'm guessing he's going to say "No." And all this week I've been worried about the kids spilling things on the new carpet. Silly me :)

Quote of the Day - September 6th

Olivia (holding up a Cheez-It) - We need to return these. Mine has a hole in it.

I Know What You're Thinking

You're thinking I've been slacking off, aren't you? You're thinking that my lack of posting must be due to the fact that I'm laying on the couch, eating bon-bons, and watching soaps all day. Well, while I wish all that was true, it's not. The truth is I've been insanely busy because...We've Moved. Officially Moved. And, man, we've been busy. So, where do I start?

We came down to Roanoke on August 24th to get ready for the first day of school. The in-laws were gracious enough to put us up for a few days until our lease started. The upside for them? They got to see Olivia off on her first day of kindergarten - August 25th.

Heading to the bus stop.

I didn't cry when she got on the bus, holding hands with Noah but Jeremy and I were both a little choked up. No more babies in the house :(

Another bright spot to the 25th was that I got to have dinner with Heather in Staunton. We hadn't seen each other in about 8 years and it's one of those friendships that I always wonder why I didn't stay in touch. It was great seeing her and I was very sad when it was time to head back to Roanoke. This time I'm determined not to let her go (Sorry, Howdy, you're stuck with me!)

My proof that we actually were in the same place at the same time!!

The 26th was my birthday - number 33 to be exact. We went out to dinner and then back to the in-laws home for pie and gifts.

Thursday the 28th, I went to pick up our keys to the apartment. It was empty and quiet. All we brought with us for this first night was 2 air mattresses, sleeping bags, and...um...the computer :)

Proof that I may have a small obsession with the internet.

We headed back to C'ville for the weekend to pack up everything we'd need before the movers came and that is when the good times began...Olivia decided to come down with a nasty stomach virus and Jeremy thought it would be fun to try out a head cold. But we persevered and the kids and I went back to Roanoke on September 1st to live on the floor for just a few more days. On Thursday the 4th, the movers brought all of our stuff. And, believe me, it's a lot of stuff. My poor empty apartment became a warehouse for cardboard boxes and packing paper. And this room had the least amount of furniture and boxes in it, believe it or not.

I've been slowly unpacking because now I've decided the head cold is a good idea and the week has been rougher and busier than any of us could have predicted. On the plus side the kids are enjoying the new school. Noah has restarted his piano lessons and Olivia has started gymnastics. They are both taking taekwando twice a week. Unpacking boxes that someone else has packed is almost like Christmas - you never know what's in each box, carefully wrapped in packing paper. (Wow, those movers are thorough...they wrapped my paper plates! Good times!) The downside is that everyone except Noah has been sick, sick, sick. My car decided it wanted some attention of its own and cost me an unexpected $500 and the worst part is that I was cat sitting for my brother in law's kitty when it was decided that she was too sick to carry on. We had to take her to the vet and listen to the diagnosis and be there as she was put to sleep...an unexpected lesson in loss for the kids.

But we're here now, together, and trying to figure out how to live as a family again. The boxes will be gone soon and the schedules will get ironed out. Maybe I'll look for a job if something interesting pops up. I'm just glad to get things moving in the right direction. We appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers and good wishes as we've headed south and hope you'll keep us in mind as we try to sell the C'ville home.

I'll try not to let the blog go so long without posting next time. And, in a week or so, once all the boxes are gone, we'll be ready for some visitors so don't be shy!