We moved and stuff

So... 6-7 months in, we are all adjusting.  We are starting to find our place in this area.  The kids have each had a birthday party where we have met a lot of parents.  We have joined soccer and Odyssey of the Mind.  It has been good, and it continues to be good.  We have met a couple of really nice families.  Mr. T. even has a buddy to text every now and again.  That makes me happy.  I think of all of us, it has been a harder adjustment for Mr. T.  He works on his own, and his job is pretty solitary.  The kids and I have luxury of school and an office.  Mr. T. works for himself by himself.

The thing that strikes me about this area is that everyone is so transient.  Almost everyone is from someplace else.  I fee like we are the new kids, but since there are so many military families, a lot of families have only been here a year or so.  The upside of that is that everyone is very interested in meeting new people.  In Arkansas, almost no one I knew had moved there 10 or 15 years ago.  We just all knew one another.  Or knew someone who knew someone.... "How's your momma and them?"  is a real phrase in small southern cities.  If my friend had a mother that was alive, I knew her, even though I never knew my friends when they lived their mother.  I just don't know if those kinds of bonds are possible here.  I am sure they are, but I think it will be hard.

The new house is good.  It is coming along.  There are numerous projects to be completed, but I think that there always will be.  At least we always have something to dream about, right?  I honestly miss my old kitchen and living space, but also always knew that is likely the nicest house I will ever live in.

Work is different.  I work in a much more supportive environment. There are still issues, but there is no getting away from that.  The stress in my job now is not as all encompassing as it was in my last job.  There are more people to share the workload, and not everyone turns to me for product creation.  My job now is more idea driven.  Overall, I feel like I have grown and learned a lot in the last few months.  I am also a lot healthier and have been able to get off the anti-acids I was taking to deal with my last position.

We have done a lot of neat things since we have been here.  As we learn more about the area, we will continue to do more.  There are parades, car shows, museums, and festivals to attend.  There is just something awesome going on every weekend.  Then there are the amusement parks, regular parks, beaches, and camping to do!  I think I could take a few weeks off and never travel more than a few hours from home.

Overall, we are all having a good time.  There are a lot of things we miss about Arkansas, but there are also things we do not.  I think we have grown as a family through this move.  We are definitely closer and doing more together, which I am really glad about.  Also, I think I am likely a much nicer person to my family now that I am not under the strain of my old job.  Mr. T.'s job is better too, so in that regards we are winning.  However, we miss our close friends.  But, as we tell the kids, we they are still our friends, but we get the opportunity to make new ones.  

MLk day

Here are some of the pictures from the day off the kids and I had for MLK day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Day of School

 

This was the kids first day of school in Arkansas. 

New Orleans

Love Letter to a Five Year Old

Dear BabyP,

I think the phrase "all boy" is appropriate you, little man. I don't particularly like that phrase, but it does seem to apply. You are run around the house making fire engine noises. You pick on your sister. You love sports. You love guns. You love action. Star Wars is a big thing. You love building cars with your legos. You love trucks.

You also have a very sweet side. Although, as of late, we are seeing it less and less. You always take care of Raspberry and worry about him being cold. You want to spend time with your friends and know how they are doing. You want your toe nails painted.

The thing that stands out the most about you is your sense humor.  You tell the craziest stories and are always looking to make people laugh.  You have a very dry sense of humor.  You like to smile, but I would not say you were the type of kid who walked around smiling.  You are reflective and need to process things.  With some kids, it is hard to get them to open up about their day, but you are generally willing to share the good and bad of your day.  I like this because it gives me the chance to hear not only what happens to you, but what you take from it.  I really enjoy seeing you put the world together. 

Lego's are your favorite toy right now.  Well, your kindle is your aboslute favorite, with lego's being what you are always allowed to play with.  You are interested in sports and have become a very good soccer player.  Because of the move, we will not be able to sign you up for soccer this fall, but I suspect you will be back at it in the spring.  You love TV, but that, again, is limited.  You are only allowed to watch TV on the weekends, which does not stop you from asking.  You love to be outside swinging sticks around.  It seems like you are always trying to get your sister to draw a target for you so you can throw things at it. 

No one loves me like you. It is a given that no one loves you like your mother, but I do not think I was prepared for someone to adore me so wholeheartedly like you do.  You ask for my hand in marriage. You are always cuddled up with me. You think I hung the moon, and I would hang the moon, if you wanted me to. I would find a way.You are my good and sweet boy and I love you with all my heart.

your mum

Fourth

HOLY SMOKES, these are old, but you get the picture.  Note the huge pile of carpet tiles?  It is nice to be done with those!

 

 

 

Final Preperations

Here is just a little bit of the business that went on when we were prepping to sell the house.