August

So for the sake of the family album, I should start back in Florida.  But I won't.  That was like forever ago, people. That's like deciding to ride the Tour D'France on a Saturday morning.  So if I get to the last five months, good for me.  In the meantime, I think I'll start with a few laps around the block.  Like maybe, August.  Let's just start with what happened in August.
In August, some awesome awesomeness happened, that's what!
 First, my Dad and baby sister came to visit.  Ok fine.  Baby sister is actually my pre-teen sister (expletives withheld).  Her pre-teen-ness boggles the mind.  But it's tempered by the fact that she's turned out to be an exceptionally fun and cool pre-teen and also is into babysitting.  Can I possibly describe the joy of going to one of the nicest lunch spots in town, and sipping a glass of wine on the verandah, chatting with dad, while contentedly watching Pre-teen sister wrangle both of my adorable-because-they-weren't-strapped-into-booster-seats children in the garden just outside? Ahh.  We had a great visit.  Partly because Sister played with my kids like, all the time, and when she stopped, Grandpa started swinging them around.  If he wasn't busy fixing stuff around my house. There were tears from all of us when they had to leave.

But we were cheered up soon after by the next lot of guests, the Recastle Princesses and their mom.  With four littles, swimming lessons, and some serious cooking missions, it was a bit boisterous. And extremely fun.  We spent a couple of entire days cooking Ethiopian food and baking desserts while the children ran wild.  We invited other friends over for dinners to amp up the fun-chaos even more.  The car broke, the sink broke, the dishwasher broke. And even though we were all worn out by the end of the visit, I tell you with all honestly that every second was a blast.  Those princesses, they steal my heart.  They are awesome and I wish they could make like the castle they helped build, and become a permanent fixture here.

Tears again when they left, but again we were instantly cheered by another visitor.  My mom came and jumped into the swirl of life here while I, momentarily, hopped out.  J and I have had our separations, you know.  But this, being our first deployment, is our longest time apart yet.  In nearly a decade guys!  So to celebrate what we hope will be roughly the halfway point in his absence, we decided I should go meet him when his boat docked in port. And you know me, right?  Can I ever do something the simple way? Especially if it involves traveling? Nope.  So I took a trip.  I visited cities in four countries, on three different continents, in less than two weeks.  I did it flying coach in the middle-goshdarn-seat every time, and still had all kinds of fun. 

I got to see J!!!

I arrived home tired and happy, to one Little One who flew into my arms with the picture she'd made me, all chatter about how much fun she'd had with Nana, how much she loved me, missed me, wanted to hug and hug and squeeze me, and one Little Miss.  Who would have NOTHING to do with me.  Who shrieked for Nana when I came near, who refused to let me bathe, change, hold, feed, or tuck Her in.  And who, at my attempts to cajole Her, literally turned up Her nose, "hurumphed" and looked away.  This from my Mama's girl?!  It was not until two days after my mom left that She began to forgive me.  And She still calls for Nana when I dare to cross Her by, say, not allowing Her to pull Her sister's hair or attempting to feed Her anything other than watermelon.

It didn't help that the day after I got back I abandoned Her again to spend the whole day doing allergy testing with Little One at the hospital.  A post of it's own.  And then the following day, I did spend the whole day with Missy...but also doing testing at the hospital (another post of it's own). A lovely day which included 12 needles in Her skin. What a great way to win Her over, huh?  Hopefully, in time, She will forgive me.

Maybe it will help that we will have a lot of one-on-one time in the mornings from now on.  Because tomorrow is another big day!  Little One will have Her first day of school.  A new school, with new friends and teachers in our new town.  I'm not at all sure which of us is more nervous.

But after the craziness of the last few months; the transitions of moving, deployment, visitors and travels, it will be nice to have the routine of school days as we settle in for the beginning of fall.  I hope it will help us find a nice calm rhythm for the days to click by to, counting down to the one in which J comes home, and we can find a new normal again, as a whole family. 

Missing Daddy

I want those days to pass quickly, I want my J back home with us.  But not too quickly.  These long summer days, just us three girls together all the time, have not been without their trials.  But they have been so precious too.  I'm reminded constantly of how fast they are growing, how soon Two and Four are sneaking up on me.  And how lucky I am to be here for all of it.  We've learned a lot about each other and ourselves, I think, going through this sort of upheaval together.  As much as I will be happy to share with J, and willing to share with school, I can't really wish to rush a single day in this time of life, where the days are filled with block-towers, fairy tales, dancing in the kitchen, and snuggles that smell like soy milk and apples.  
I'm looking forward to the months ahead.  It will all be an adventure.  It always is.