A Weekend in Florida: SeaWorld, Movie, Mall, Bikes and Family

I think I mentioned that SeaWorld is only 20 minutes from our house. That made it the obvious choice for our first Florida resident annual passes. It also didn't hurt that it is (by far) the most reasonably priced. They have a nighttime summer event that I was excited to check out. We decided to go Friday night. Thomas and I alternate our work schedules and one of us is off every Friday. That means the other one can go in early and leave early. It was my Friday to work. I went in at 6 and left at 2:30. Kara was on a field trip (to the Mascot games--which she loved), so we were running a little late, but still got there by 5. The first "special" show was at 5:30. It was hot! We met Marta and Frank there (they also got annual passes!). We saw all the special night time shows and had a really good time.

I don't really like seeing the killer whales. I feel bad for them, they are amazing animals and it seems like they deserve more than to live in captivity. I don't feel that way about all the animals--I came to the conclusion it is because the whales are so big, that comparatively speaking, it seems like they are the worst off. Also, I have read a few books that focused on orcas in captivity. Regardless, I think SeaWorld does FAR more good than harm for animal conservation, so I have no problem supporting them. And, it is really nice having annual passes. We don't feel rushed when we go. At one point, we spent about 45 minutes just sitting inside and having a snack and drink to cool off. If we were only there for a day or two, I would feel pressure to wait in the long, hot, lines to make sure we saw everything.

So majestic

The last show had water features, lasers, fire, and fireworks!

On a weird note, as we were walking to the parking lot after the fireworks, a bug flew into Thomas' eye. This happens to all of us on occasion, but this time was very different. He said it felt like someone stabbed him. And, he couldn't get it out. His eye was bright red, it was awful. He was finally able to get it out, but, his eye just kept watering and looked terrible. The next day, he still felt like something was in it. I took a picture to show him and there is a gouge in the corner of his eye. Today is day 3 and he woke up with it all gunked up. Very strange! Hopefully, it heals quickly (or, I convince him to go to the doctor).

This picture doesn't show it very well, but that "scratch" goes pretty far back and it looks bruised around it.

On Saturday, we went to Toy Story 4. It was cute and the theater was really nice. It was our first time visiting a theater with reclining seats. Then, Marta and Frank met us for lunch. They had come to Orlando to visit the temple and were picking up the girls to go spend the night at their house.  After lunch, they headed off to Winter Haven and we went to the Florida Mall. We went to Dick's and picked out bikes for Jack and Thomas, got some ice cream, and walked around the mall.

Lately, we have each had the opportunity to spend time with just two kids (the Maryland promotion and now this). It doesn't seem to matter which combination of kids--two is SO MUCH EASIER! Obviously, I wouldn't trade any of the kids and I am so thankful that they each get to grow up with both brothers and sisters, but let me say it again--two is SO MUCH EASIER! We had fun at the mall and got pizza for dinner.  Thomas and Jack went on a bike ride to test out their new bikes. I went out to work with Luke on riding his bike without training wheels. It was only his second time trying, but he's got it. He can turn corners and stop. He needs to work on starting by himself, but that's it. It was incredibly easy. All our kids learned to ride the summer before kindergarten and it was easy for each of them. I think it is one of those things that if you wait for them to be developmentally ready, there is no stress or difficulty. He is very proud of himself. There are trails and great places to ride near us, so I see lots of bike rides in our future!

Luke on two wheels and Jack on his new bike!

Everyone was hot after riding, so they all jumped in the pool. It is so wonderful to have our own pool! I talked to Anna and Kara who had a super great day with Marta and Frank. We are going to pick them up around 2 tomorrow. Marta invited us to a late lunch, along with my Dad and Maggie, Kevin, and Kim and her family. I am happy to be able to see them. Being close to family was our prime motivation in moving to Florida, so it is really fantastic to see it coming to fruition!

Jack and Anna's Fifth Grade Promotion: A Return to Maryland

Once we learned that we were going to miss the last 3 weeks of schools, we told Jack and Anna that we could return for their 5th grade promotion. Then, I looked at flights and it was more expensive than I expected, so we told them that if we didn't go, we would do something really fun here. They were fine with that, but I felt bad. So, to gage their interest, we told them that we were willing to drive them, but that it would be basically be a day in the car, a day in Maryland, and then another day in the car. They said that they would rather not go. Then, one of their teachers sent out the call for baby pictures for the 5th grade slide show. And, I felt bad again. So, I told them we could fly up. They were thrilled! Although, I am not sure if they were more thrilled about going on an airplane, or going back for promotion. I waffled between thinking it was stupid and thinking it was important. Elementary school promotion definitely wasn't a thing when I was growing up. But, they have been there since Kindergarten. And, the slide show allegedly contained photos going back to their entire time at HES. Plus, I thought it likely they may get a big award or two. 

It was still a very quick trip. We flew out on Thursday morning and back on Saturday morning. I don't like traveling on Sundays (unless I can take Monday off), although since this was such a short trip, it would have been fine (no recovery period needed). But, we still have so much to do here, and I didn't want our family to be separated longer than necessary.

We live so close to the airport, that we were able to do our normal morning routine and get Luke and Kara off to camp before leaving for the airport. We took an Uber and it was fast and easy. It was cheaper than driving and parking and nicer than having Thomas waste a morning off for a 13-minute drive. The flight was uneventful. We took Sprit Air, which is a no frills airline. Everything is priced separately. You pay a low fare, but have to pay more for everything else, including a carry-on. So, we stuck with just a "personal item" which has to be able to fit under the seat in front of you. Since we were only going for 2 days, this was fine. They have a fleet of newer planes that are all the ultra-safe Airbus' (I looked it up before booking!). But, seriously everything is extra--a can of soda was $3, choosing our seats was $13 each, one way (so we could sit together). You get the picture. It still came out cheaper than any other airline, since we didn't need any luggage (which I think was $34 for a carry-on or $32 for a checked bag if you reserved at the time of booking and something like $60 if you waited until the day of travel). 

The flight was uneventful, we got to Maryland and picked up our rental car. We stopped at Six Flags for a quick lunch. We bought all-season dining before we knew were moving, so I was up for a "free" meal. We rode one ride, but despite the overcast day, the park was overrun with badly behaved 8th graders, and the lines were long, so it was just Superman and then depart. We got to Hollywood around 4; we were staying with our former neighbors, so driving there was like driving home. It felt like FL had been a vacation. Until we got there and pulled into a different driveway. It was weird seeing "our" house, and not being able to go in. I even dreamed that I went in the next day to look around and they called the police on me!

But, being at Kayce's house was really nice. We have all spent so much time there that we are very comfortable hanging out and making ourselves at home. Sitting on the deck while the kids played was very natural. The only weird part was I kept looking for Luke. He loves to play at their house and would look everyday after school to see if they were out in their yard so he could run over and join them.

We love these boys!

For our first night, Kelly was there and bought pizza for everyone. The next morning, she brought donuts and braided Anna's hair. Then, we were off to the school. 

We got there at 8 so Mrs. Molina could show J &A the routine for the ceremony. Dr. Gillman was heading out to do her traditional photo at our bus stop and asked Mrs. Molina if she could bring them. So, back we went. And, we got to ride in her car. The kids felt like celebrities rolling up with the Principal and then jumping back in after the pictures! We returned to school and the kids were shown what to do. They went off to the classroom with Mrs. Molina and I stayed behind and got a good seat for the promotion. It was nice not to have to wait outside in line. 

Traditional last day photo

The ceremony was very nice. The kids looked wonderful. I remember many of them as kindergarteners and now they all look so mature. Mrs. Hazuda (the media teacher) came up to me and told me that every time she sees Jack she remembers his little face as a kindergartener, hiding under a media table and refusing to come out. I had (almost) forgotten how rough the first few years of school were for him! Jack and Anna both got Presidential Academic Awards and Citizenship Awards. They had a different awards ceremony earlier in the week. For that one, they chose two students from each class for an award in each subject. Jack got one for being on the math team and then maybe the English Language Arts one and maybe the Social Studies (we got mixed reports, but he definitely got one and maybe both).

My favorite part was the slide show when they got to a slide that said "our fifth graders as babies". There was a collective groan and laughter from the kids. But, it was sweet and fun. These are the ones I submitted:

Then, we had cupcakes and punch and took pictures with friends. 

Their friends from the peanut free table (and their crushes :)

With their beloved Ms. Molina, this was her last year teaching. After 33 years in the classroom, she's retiring!

And, the amazing Ms. Alanis

We made a spur of the moment decision and went to Okada with the Reeves. Which, turned out to be a bad decision. Jack is allergic to shrimp. Normally, we tell them that and they keep his food separate, but this time, there was a lot of comingling, so I didn't let him eat anything. He was a great sport about it and still said he had fun being with his friends. We went back to the Wills and he had leftover pizza (I offered a drive through, but that was what he wanted). We played all afternoon and then let Jack choose dinner--Cracker Barrel. I wanted to treat the Wills, but Kayce wouldn't let me. She grabbed the check when I took someone to the bathroom.

We left for the airport around 7 on Saturday morning. I was surprised at the amount of traffic, it has changed so much in 10 years. When we first moved to MD, we'd go into the city on a Saturday morning and there would be few cars on the road. Not anymore! Jack didn't want to leave. Anna was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed. Our flight arrived 20 minutes early. The plan was for me to call Thomas once the plane was at the gate and then he would leave--that is how close we live. It worked out perfectly and it was nice to be home so quickly and easily. It was a short, but good trip. We are very thankful to the Wills and Rohacek families for their amazing hospitality--we can't wait until they come to Florida and we can reciprocate.

Airplane selfie!

Finally, a comparison. from the first day of Kindergarten to the last day of 5th grade, the kids and the tree have really grown!

Orlando, Two Weeks In!

We've been here for two weeks. The first week felt like a vacation. Marta and Frank came and visited on Sunday. Marta brought dinner with her, which was awesome. Monday was Memorial Day. Tuesday I went to work so that I could do the initial orientation and get on payroll. Wednesday, we went to Aquatica--SeaWorld's waterpark. We had an amazing day. They have a cool lazy river, and fun water slides, but the best thing was the Roa Rapids, which is a non-lazy river. No floats are allowed. We all put on life jackets and let the "rapids" pull us along. It was super, super fun and everyone's favorite. Luke was tall enough for most rides and rode everything he could. There was one ride that Anna and Kara backed out of, a racing mat type ride, that he loved. We had a great day.

Thursday was not great. Thomas was back at work and I had to take the kids to the Health Department to get proof of vaccines for camp/school enrollment. It took 2 hours! I had tried to get everything arranged before we got here and attempted to coordinate with their future pediatrician, but it just didn't happen. First, they said they sent the paperwork, which they insisted they could not e-mail. I never got it. I called and they e-mailed it. I faxed it back to the number on the form. I was told to wait 5-10 days for a response, but it never came. I called and left a message, never got a callback. Called again and finally talked to someone who said the paperwork went to their overarching records department and it needed to come directly to them. So, despite my attempts to be on their rolls before we moved, I failed. I went to their office hoping they would still fill out the vaccine form. We had proof from our Maryland doctor, I just needed a Florida doctor to sign off and put it in the system. They wouldn't do it. I was really mad and was ready to just tell the office to forget it, that they just lost 4 patients with their terrible communication. But, I knew they wouldn't care and their office is super close to our new house and has great reviews, so I bit my tongue, which is very difficult for me. So, that is how we spent an entire morning at the health department, which is exactly where 4 healthy kids need to be! They were so miserable, and said they never want to move again. But, we got it done. Friday, my dad and Maggie came up and saw us. Saturday, Kim, Dave and Amanda visit (JD is at a scouting camp). We enjoyed our visits with everyone and it was a good reminder why we moved.

Which was necessary, because financially, it is costing us a huge premium. Whoever said the cost of living here was lower, knows something we don't. Almost everything is more expensive. Car insurance went up (a lot), our house is more expensive than a comparable Maryland house, homeowner's insurance is higher, toll roads are everywhere, etc. We could have chosen a less expensive neighborhood, but our point in being here is to be close to family, so we really wanted to be south of our work (thus an hour from Winter Haven). To get in a decent school district, this is what it costs. We could have lived 30 minutes up the road and saved on some housing costs (maybe), but adding an hour of travel time seemed like it would limit how often we went to see them and how often they came to see us. It was tough to find a house that had everything we wanted: good schools in a good location for work, family and theme parks. And, unfortunately, the house has been a bit of a lemon. I still love the neighborhood and the layout of the house. But, we have already had to replace the pool pump, pool command center, refrigerator and dishwasher. The overpriced inspection definitely failed us! And, there is more coming.

The second week was our new reality. The kids all went to camp and Thomas and I were at work. Work is just okay. It is a very different atmosphere than Maryland. The attorneys here have been doing this for years and are very experienced, therefore, they just aren't as collaborative. Everyone already knows what they are doing. I feel a lot more on my own. Maybe that will force me to learn quicker. On the positive side, I like working with Thomas. We had lunch together every day and get to see each other even more than we did in Maryland.

Camp went very well for the kids. Jack and Anna are at their future middle school. They have made friends and are enjoying themselves. On Thursday, they went on a field trip to Universal Studios. They had park-to-park passes and...Universal Express!!! I was very jealous. Kara and Luke are at the YMCA camp, also at their future school. They go swimming everyday and have lots of activities. Luke can't do field trips yet (he's in a special kindergarten camp), but he still loves it. Kara's field trip was to a Pirate lunch (normally dinner) show and she loved it. They are all happy with their camps, at least after week 1. Hopefully, the novelty doesn't wear off and next 9 are as successful.

Initial impressions-- I like Florida. I like that everything we need is within a few minutes drive. I like all of the entertainment options. I love having a pool and once we get everything fixed, I am going to love the house. It is great that everyone has their own bedroom and the extra upstairs bathroom will save lots of arguments. I love being close to family and I am excited about all the opportunities the kids will have. I don't love my job, yet, but maybe I will. I really hope everyone is happy here. It feels weighty to have put this on everyone.

Packing and Moving

Moving is really expensive. Hello Captain Obvious, right? However, knowing this and actually seeing the numbers on paper are two different things. Originally we planned a full-service move that included packing. And, it cost about what we anticipated, maybe even a little less, however, after getting the estimates, I decided that I wanted to save the packing costs. I reasoned that those costs alone could purchase us annual passes at Disney World. So, I set off on a path to pack up our 4500 square foot house. Thomas helped initially, but since he left for Florida weeks before I did, I was mostly on my own. I wanted to go through all our things in an attempt to downsize. Our Florida house is significantly smaller and has very little storage. So, we really needed to get rid on things. Purging was theme of the month.

For those who are reading this because they are planning  a move, or just curious, the cost of the movers was about $7000, for the 850 miles move. UBox from UHaul would have been around $5500, but they had a two to three week transit time! The other box/cube companies were also around $7000, but you don't get the other services, so for us, a moving company made the most sense. Of the three estimates, two were right around the 7K mark, one was at 9K. Obviously, we went with one of the lower estimates.  I only contacted reputable companies with decent reviews (Wheaton, Allied and Atlas). The packing estimate, which included all supplies and labor was an additional $3500. The $7000 included furniture disassembly, loading of the truck, unloading and reassembly (so, a much better bargain than UPack). I could have hired packers separately from hireahelper or the UHaul website for around $1000. For this option, I would only have to purchase moving supplies; the people I hired, generally from a local moving company, would supply the labor, but for some reason that felt very complicated. I was nervous to wait until the end to have packers arrive, just in case, but I also didn't want to live in an empty house any longer than necessary. I am sure it would have been fine, but as mentioned, I also really wanted to go through our stuff and doing the packing ourselves seemed like the best way to accomplish that goal.

For those who want a full-service move, I would definitely recommend parsing out the loading and transport from the packing.  Also, for anyone who is curious, UHaul had the best boxes at the best prices. The moving company sold used boxes, but with the exception of the wardrobe boxes, their used prices were higher than UHauls new prices! I had boxes from a local moving company, Lowe's, and UHaul. (I did not have Home Depot boxes which are also supposed to be really good because there wasn't one nearby, but I can definitely vouch for UHaul).

I ended up spending about $200 on moving supplies. I got several boxes, including all our wardrobe boxes from neighbors and a military family I found through Facebook Marketplace. But, I still needed to purchase more boxes, wrapping paper, tape, etc. And, even though I started weeks in advance, it  took a lot more effort than I anticipated. I packed every night after work for weeks and the kids helped do their rooms and the basement, but there was still so. much. stuff! I also sold a lot on Facebook and gave tons away. It felt never ending.

Anna working in her room

The office was our inital staging room.

I took one day off work to devote completely to packing and Alecia and Michelle came to help. It was the last day before the truck arrived and all that was really left was two tvs, most of the kitchen, the computer equipment, and all the other last minute stuff. I figured it would take all day and well into the night. We got the kitchen, tv, and computer area packed in a few hours and I realized that I really should have asked for help much sooner. Lots of people offered and they probably meant it, but I knew that I could rely on Alecia and I was comfortable asking her for help. She and Michelle were awesome packers and they saved me hours and hours. 

Wheaton charged $188 to pack each tv and we hired them to do our curved tv. I bought $20 tv box kits at UHaul for our other two, but of course, I needed help to get them boxed. And, in the funnest moving fact ever: when we moved into our house in 2012, Thomas was deployed. And, two friends, Josh and Matt, came and mounted our tv over the fireplace. We later moved that tv to the basement. And, it was one of the two that needed to be packed. As I mentioned, Alecia and Michelle were the ones to help me. Josh and Matt are the husbands of Alecia and Michelle! It felt very full circle. Anyway, I was very thankful for their help. And, even though it felt like we had just about everything done, all the last minute items meant I was still up until about midnight. But, I would have been up literally all night if they hadn't come to help. And, I took the day at a more leisurely pace. I also kept running out of boxes. I don't even know how it happened, but I would think I was done and then something else would pop up. Fortunately, there was a neighbor who had just moved in who offered boxes. I walked up his driveway at 10pm to grab what I thought were my final 5. Of course, I used all those and ended up walking up his driveway again in the morning for another 5.  

From the basement. This is primarily the playroom, games and movies. In the right corner you can see one of our tv boxes. The $20 box did the trick, both tvs arrived in perfect condition.

The master bedroom. I should contrast this with the "for sale" picture of this room. 

It really is insane how much stuff we have. It feels very gluttonous. In addition to everything we rehomed, we also threw out dozens of bags of trash. But, we still had so many boxes of belongings. Every room in the house had several. I found myself thinking that with a few small exceptions, I wouldn't mind if the moving truck caught on fire and we had to start all over. I think I could happily be a minimalist or maybe a mediumalist. I think of Little House on the Prairie and how Laura treated her precious doll. It was all she had so it meant so much to her. We have too much; we tried hard to pare it down, and we had some success, but there is still too much. 

Tangent over. Wednesday was moving day! The truck arrived at 930. They had another job cancel, so they sent 6 movers. It still took them until about 4pm. I picked up Luke from daycare so he could see their big truck, he was very curious about the move, and we all waved goodbye to our stuff. In a fantastic turn off luck, they lined up another Florida job for Saturday, which meant they dropped off our stuff on Friday. So, Thomas was on his own, since I drove with the kids on Friday and Saturday. More on that to come.

Goodbye truck! Spoiler alert--our belongings did not catch fire.

Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye is not easy. It is one of my least favorite things to do. I try to avoid it all costs, which is more easily done when you aren’t the one leaving. Apparently, not everyone shares my aversion, so we have been saying farewell a lot recently. And, to be clear my attempted avoidance is not because I won't miss my friends here, it is because I will miss them and I don't want to directly acknowledge that we are leaving. But, we are leaving and we have had to say many hard farewells.

The first came when we had our May dinner at the Darrow’s. They were among our first friends in Maryland and have been the most enduring friendship we’ve had here. When we met, we had 5 kids between us. Now, there are 8. We both moved into new homes and have had job changes and other significant life experiences. Our kids match up fairly well in age and since we each have 4, everyone has a friend.  Our husbands both like sports and generally can find things to talk about, and Alecia has been one of my best friends now for close a decade. Ugh, I am getting teary just writing this! See, I told you I hate goodbyes!

The first photo evidence I could find of our friendship, May 2011. A playdate at our house with friends, including the Darrows.  Jack and Anna were 3 and Kara was 2. Which means Lily was likely 2 and Curtis was 1.

Anyway, we had dinner with them and it was sad for all of us. Although, I knew I would likely see Alecia again before we departed, but more on that later.

Our next goodbye came when we had dinner with the Reeves. They are newer friends--we met when Michelle and I did scenery together on the school play a few years ago.  More recently, we taught a Harry Potter LEAP together. She has a fifth grader who loves most of the same things my older kids love and they have spent lots of time playing games and discussing their latest literary finds. We had a fun dinner at Nicolettis. They are an adventurous family and I am confident we will see them again.

After the Reeves, my neighborhood bookclub had a get together to say farewell to me and another friend who is moving. We played bunco and ate good food and didn’t discuss any books, which is not rare for our bookclub.

Then, came the work goodbyes. It was hard to say farewell to the group I spend 8+ hours with each day. I really like all my coworkers. They are an awesome, helpful bunch. My immediate supervisor, Robin, is one of the best people I know. She is smart and friendly and helpful. And, I am afraid I may flounder a bit in my new job without her in the office next to mine. We had a cookie party and they gave me a really nice card and a WaWa gift card. I have never dreaded going to work and I firmly believe that 99% of that is because of how much I enjoy the company of my coworkers.

Oh, and since Thomas isn’t here to write about his work goodbye, his coworkers, who are almost as awesome as mine, gave him a very sweet, very Thomas farewell. He was insistent he didn’t want to do anything, so they agreed to just do their quarterly team-building at the bowling alley before he left. But, they turned it into a “this is not a party for Thomas” party. They had buttons with his face on them and a cake with a sign that said, “this is not a farewell cake for Thomas”. It was amazingly well-done and he was very touched. Anyone who knows Thomas knows that he hates social gatherings, and especially social gatherings where he is the focus of attention, but these wonderful people have known him for close to a decade and they knew what he would like. They kept it to just his office and had many kind things to say. And, he also got a WaWa giftcard. Score!

Last night (which was really many nights ago since we've been without internet), we went to dinner with Kayce, Kelly and all our kids (party of 11!). We went to Salsa’s and it was really nice.  Kayce has been the best neighbor! Our kids love each other like siblings. In fact, I am pretty sure that Luke thinks he is a sibling, or at least another cousin. He walks in like he owns the place, has a regular snack routine and hates it when a day goes by that he doesn’t see his friend Ben. Our families are completely comfortable with one another. We have so many memories together. Kolten was just a baby and Ben and Luke were barely a thought when we met. We have vacationed together (twice, not counting several GWL trips; and we’ve got at least two more in the works!), borrowed countless items; and helped each other through life’s trials. I am going to miss them so much! It is a comforting feeling to have someone so close, both physically and emotionally. Kelly is Kayce's sister and while we didn't interact quite as much, based on sheer proximity, she was also a good friend who I am going to miss greatly. They are both smart, fun women and I am looking forward to hosting them in Florida.

Of course, there are more goodbyes coming. Jack and Anna have been with their teacher, Ms. Molina, for two years now. They adore her and she has been so good for them. The other 5^th grade teacher, Mrs. Alanis, has also made a big impact in their lives. I know it will be hard for them to say those goodbyes tomorrow. And, of course, they have all their friends. Having made a similar move when I was their age, I know what it is like and I know how challenging the months ahead will be for all of us.

And, since we were without internet, I am finishing this blog up from our Orlando house, meaning all the goodbyes are over. The kids had a phenomenal last day at school. Ms. Molina had a surprise party for Jack and Anna. She made them cupcakes and going away gifts. They had cards signed by their classmates and were hugged goodbye. Even Anna's nemesis was nice to her and told Anna that she was sorry they had so much difficulty getting along. They left on a very high note. Kara got everyone's phone number and also felt the love in her class. Even Luke received a going away book, with letters written by his teachers, who wrote the sweetest things!

Our last difficult goodbye was with the Wills. As mentioned, we had dinner with Kayce and Kelly and the kids on Wednesday night. But, we said our last goodbyes on Friday morning. We are going to miss them so much!

So, the moral of this post is that goodbyes are awful and should be avoided at all costs. The second moral is that when you don’t have family nearby—it’s good to rely on friends and to allow them to step into the roles that family would traditionally fill. And, to put yourself out there and be the ones that others can rely on. We have built a nice tribe here and I am going to miss it tremendously. 

Me and the kids will physically leave for Florida tomorrow. Thomas has been there for about two weeks. It has been a very busy two weeks and there is a lot more I want to write about to memorialize. As a reminder for myself—the birds nest, packing, and moving day. But, that will conclude these sad, sad thoughts for today.

Luke's a Graduate (of Pre-K)

Friday was Luke's graduation day. The first thing that hit me was how much easier it is to prepare a boy than a girl. All he had to do was take a shower and find some clothes. His teacher had told him to wear "play clothes". He was not familiar with the term and kept telling me he had to find play clothes. I am not sure what he was picturing, but it definitely made it easy. I imagine they did not want them to be too hot under their robes.

Although graduation fell on a day I would normally have off, I had to telework. Monday is my last day and I feel like there is still so much to do. I have been waking up at 4:30 lately, so I got up and got started. I do love teleworking. I get a lot more done without the distractions in the office and it is nice to do it from my couch in shorts and a t-shirt. So, I worked from about 4:30am to 12:15 and then put on some real clothes for graduation. I felt bad that it was only me going. Thomas is in Florida and since they are missing the last 3 weeks of school, I didn't want to push my luck pulling the kids out of school, especially since the girls had gone on a chorus field trip the day before. And Anna had missed Monday afternoon for a doctor's appointment.

I got there about 30 minutes early and got an okay seat. The place was packed, most kids seemed to have lots of relatives in attendance. It made me think of Florida and the hope that if we were there, Luke would have more people in the crowd to cheer for him. Of course, I think my dad would find it torturous to drive an hour to sit through a preschool graduation. And, Kim and Kevin would have been at work. But, I could see Marta taking the day off and actually wanting to come. Luke definitely was sad that it was just me. He came home very excited on Thursday, because Ms. Debbie had told him that all siblings could attend. Then, he saw our neighbors outside and wanted to invite them. It made me sad. But, I took lots of video to share with everyone.

The kids came out in their caps and gowns and they looked so big compared to where they were and so small compared to where they will be. Each kid go a turn to shine. Luke's moment was as Monkey #5 in the the monkey teasing alligator song. He was up there dancing and loudly singing. It was adorable. He was the most animated monkey and I hope he remains uninhibited and enthusiastic. I know it is not likely, but one can hope!

They sang their songs and collected their diplomas. Then, there was cake and a slideshow. It was very well done. I was impressed with his preschool. He learned a lot. He can count past 100, do basic addition and subtraction, he knows all his letters and their sounds, and reads lots of sight words. He is very well prepared for Kindergarten. And, he enjoyed going. Except he hated taking a nap every day. It was the only sore point for him. But, he liked the learning and the playing and the teachers. His main teacher, Ms. Debbie, told me he is wonderful. She said that she wished she had 20 of him and that she frequently finds herself telling the class to "do what Luke is doing."  She said he catches on to everything so quickly and is just such a sweet boy. I agree with all of that! I love my little Lukey!

Hard to believe I have attended my last pre-K graduation!

In his "play clothes"

Moving

After an extremely tumultuous few weeks I believe everything is finally in line for the purchase of our house in Orlando. We were supposed to close on April 22, but the bank wouldn't close until we had official offer letters from the Orlando HR office. That office is terrible! There are many steps in the process, some of which they have no control over. However, that doesn't negate the complete lack of communication or response to phone calls and e-mails. In short, the transfer is approved at one office, they send it to Orlando (little HR) who sends it to big HR. Big HR takes 3-5 days then sends it back to Orlando who sends it to security to check our clearances then returns it to little HR and then they can issue the letter. This requires a lot of communication on the part of little HR, which I understand. However, I spoke to them on April 18th and when they described the process, she indicated she would expedite it, so even though we weren't going to make the April 22 date I was confident we would make the new date of May 2.

Well, I learned on May 2 that the paperwork was still at the main office waiting initial approval. And, no one told me! I had talked to them on the 18th and left numerous messages and sent several e-mails--all of which were ignored. If she had told me the status, I could have talked to our local office and asked them to make an inquiry (which is what they are doing now). I could write 20 pages on how frustrating this has been. But, the utter lack of communication is inexcusable. Fortunately, we got our future supervisor to sign a letter explaining the status and the bank agreed on Friday night that we could move forward. So, I believe that May 10th is the new day. Which is great, because the sellers were getting (understandably) very annoyed and in order to give us the second delay, they wanted a non-refundable penalty deposit if we couldn't make the new date (which before we knew the bank would take the letter was unlikely).

Now, we are hoping things go smoothly on both ends. We are set to close on the Orlando house on May 10, and the Maryland house on May 24. It is going to be a stressful few weeks! The kids are going to miss the last 3 weeks of school here. I was willing to stay and make it work for a few weeks, mainly so Jack and Anna could participate in their 5th grade graduation, but they would rather get to Florida as quickly as fast as possible. School there gets out in May and starts in early August, so if they stayed here, it would be a really short summer.

As I'm surrounded by boxes, the reality has finally set in. We are leaving. It is what I want. But, I also don't want to go. I know that is contradictory. But, so are my emotions. I am excited to be close to my family and for a new adventure. However, we have been here for almost 9 years. We have been in this house for almost 7, which is longer than I have ever lived in any house. Ever. And, it is an amazing house in a great neighborhood. And, the kids are happy. They have been in the same school since Kindergarten, something Thomas and I never had. Thomas is happy, he loves his job and Maryland. I love my job and I like Maryland. So, I am also very sad. Happy and sad. Excited and scared. It is a crazy mix of emotions. I just want to get to relieved. It will be a happy day when all the work of moving is done. And, it is so much work. I think people should go through their belongs more than once every decade. Hopefully, I will remember that.

So, wish us luck--all these changes mean we are going to need it!