The Move is Moving Closer

The move gets closer every day yet it is not close enough to actually do much to prep for it. Mostly so far is handling paperwork and lining up services for the move. D leaves this weekend so we need to make sure we have things we have to do jointly complete or ready for the 2 days of pack and load that he will return for. The kids are doing fine. I think they are happy to have a set deadline for the 'being without daddy' period. The move from Gig Harbor made them a bit skittish since we were basically without him for 6 months. This time they know that after a couple weeks (give or take) we will be together again. No one has had real issues with leaving friends yet-- we know that is coming which is one reason it will be nice to have D here for the final 2 days. In other kids news: E: seems to be doing well in school (we'll know when report cards come out today). Still babysitting a few times a week. His teacher introduced the class to a safe social network site that their class is signed up for; I can see where E would be a real problem on a true social site because he just writes like crazy not looking before he leaps into a topic or conversation--- nothing inappropriate, but I can see where he is going to learn the hard way about filtering what he says/writes. I hope after the move E can make friends as easily as he did here. E is also getting a teenage disease of being hung up on name brand clothing; it is going to be a long battle with this. I never did really care about what tag was on my clothes and still don't. We have already started a clothing system we didn't expect to use until he was much older. We offer him the same amount we would have spent on the base price item and if he wants to upgrade he has to supply the money for the difference to get the item with the fancy tag. On one hand I was proud he saved the money to get the shoes he wanted and he was too. On the other hand I think he got validation from his friends for having the "right shoes". He better find another mother's helper job as soon as we get to Alabama if he wants to get anymore fancy clothes. G: I always say that G is G and it sounds like a write off but if you know him it is true. He is just rolling along for the most part. He rolls along in school and he rolls along with friends and he rolls along with his brothers (though that road gets a bit bumpy). He seems to roll along pretty well though the anxiety about things is also rolling just under the surface. Sleep issues again are plaguing him and he has his fingernails shewed down to the quick. He is such an easy little guy that I really shouldn't begrudge him when he shows up night after night weeping at bedtime. It is hard at the end of the day when we are all tired. G's loves right now include numbers and calculators and anything he can get his grubby (nailless) hands on to read. He just made his First Reconciliation at church and is performing a Chinese song with his class at the Chinese New Year celebration at school tonight. Will try to get a pic of him in his costume. M: went through a behavior rough patch at school (surprise, surprise) but has come out of it. He will not continue preschool after the move as we cannot find a reasonably priced and reasonably close program to attend. I am going to fill the gap a bit with library story times and maybe some classes somewhere. Pray for us. This is a child who has gone to a Mom's Morning Out or other program at least once a week since he was 15 months old. We will work it out. He can always be bribed with computer time or better yet playing Angry Birds on my phone. M loves puzzles. Big puzzles. Anywhere from 100 to 500 piece puzzles. When we arrive to register the big kids for their new school we can go ahead and register him for Kindergarten for next year at the same time. Scary. Sad. Confusing. Only for me though; M is ready for K. Is K ready for him? Stay tuned. I am still working on the new quilt for our room. I am not sure if quilting is a relaxing hobby for me. I think if I used patterns it would be more relaxing. And I wouldn't run out of the coordinating fabrics. I really will put a pic on soon of the quilt in progress. love and hugs, B