Wait a minute, isn't Virginia for Lovers?

I did it. I'm here in Virginia and have been working at my new job for a week! All I'll say is that I absolutely LOVE my new job. It's exciting and challenging. It's where education, libraries and technology collide into a swirly rainbow of happiness.

What? Don't most people talk about their job that way?

Anyway, the sole raincloud in the sunshine that is my new town is that Tom and the kids are not here yet. Tom has been madly packing and single-parenting our brood for the last week. He has had help from both Nana and JM, but I know it's been a very hard week for him. But he is nearly there! Tuesday the truck will be picked up and loading can commence!

The plan is that they will leave Friday and arrive here on Saturday. Officially making us a Virginia family October 1st 2011.

I'm trying not to worry about their trip up too much as there isn't really anything I can do about that. But I will be spending more time this weekend helping to finish up the house we're renting. It's very nearly ready, just needs new flooring installed, the upstairs painted and a few odds and ends taken care of.

Tom and I had our 17th wedding anniversary on September 17th. The day after I started working here. It was our first time ever being apart from each other on our anniversary. Even though we've never been a couple that made all that much of the occasion it was odd to be apart.

I actually realized on the way up here that not only have I never been away from any of the kids for 2 weeks, I have also never been away from Tom that long. I think the longest before was about a week at my Mom's once. I left Gainesville on September 14th and won't see my family again until October 1st. That is a long time to me.

It took me until about the 17th to really start missing them. Till then I was so busy with getting up here, settling in (and settling Benjamin in- I brought Bobo with me), and getting started at work, that I hadn't had much time to reflect on it. But Saturday night I started wondering what they were doing, how much the girls had changed since I left, if Lily had really started walking, how Nicky was doing at school, and how Tom was faring without me. It became kind of lonely.

I know it won't be long in the grand scheme of things. Soon I'll barely even remember the time we spent apart. But right now it seems like a long time. I've gotten to Skype with Tom and the kids twice now, and as wonderful as it is to see them, it also makes me even sadder when I have to say goodbye. Both girls are walking now and the other day they even said "Kenji." Tonight they looked so big on the computer screen, and so happy to see me. It breaks my heart even more to imagine what they think about my absence.

But again. It won't be long, and I have thrown myself into my new job during the day. I have a countdown up on my board that shows how many more days till Nicky arrives. Today it was only 9 days! That will just zoom by! I also found out I can read ebooks on my iphone from my library. That really helps the evenings zoom by too. It'll be the first before I even know it!

And then, we'll have lots of photos for you. Right now I only have the one photo Tom sent me this week. It's Gabi all dressed up in a cute flower outfit. She has a pretty funny look on her face too. Looks like Nicky was pretty bored in the background on this one. I'm guessing they were watching TV.



Here's one of Benjamin on the trip up. It was a long hard trip for him, but he's settling in well now.



He did enjoy spooking the flock of Canadian Geese into the water at the Welcome Center rest stop in North Carolina our second day:


http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
This is the sign I have up at work to keep me going:



So that's it. We're very nearly done with the move. And then we can all focus on Halloween!

Oh, and for you mom. Although you've probably seen most of these on facebook.

Wrapping up our time in FL

So so busy! I'm wrapping up things at work as best as I can. I don't want to leave anything to fall through the cracks there. Tom's been assigned Relocation Manager of this move, so I'm trying to leave all the planning of that to him. I told him I don't mind being directed and doing work (we're trying to sort through everything and figure out what is coming and what is getting tossed or donated) but the project management aspect is going to have to fall to him. (I've been able to resist drawing up a Gantt chart so far...it's tough but I need to back off and relinquish control. I can do this.)

Nicky is all excited about the move. The girls have no idea of course, but they'll love it too I'm sure. Kenji will be easy to move, but Benjamin...it's gonna suck. No two ways about it. I've actually put out a call on facebook to see if anyone would like to add him to their family. It's just going to be so hard on him. I'm sure he'll be alright once we get there (I hope).

We have a house in mind, just have to settle the rent/deposit/fees etc and get a move in date. I'll be heading up, likely driving the car, around mid-month. Tom and everyone will likely come up a few weeks later. The house is on the market for a short sale at a whopping 30k. That is 59k LESS than we bought it for. I could just weep. Except for the fact that I am SO glad to be getting out from under the house AND be starting my new job. It's hard to care much in light of the new job! Now we'll just have to see if it actually sells.

Other stuff going on:

Nicky is really enjoying school. He is riding the bus to and from everyday. Loves it! Tom takes him to the bus stop and picks him up there too. They give him a lot of homework which is quite annoying. It's Kindergarten for pete's sake! I do a little with him before dinner each evening, but it's much more important to me that he gets to bed on time (which is going great actually) so I just let it go. I'm not knocking ourselves out to do worksheets.

Lily and Gabi are doing great. Lily is still a little artist. She loves to draw. We went to Nicky's open house at his school and Lily pulled out a chair and sat down with paper and crayons to draw the whole time. Gabi was more interested in walking around with Daddy and Nicky though.

Gabi is able to walk several steps independently now. She doesn't do it a lot yet, but she can. Lily could probably do it, but she isn't quite yet. I think a big factor is that they just don't have the floorspace in our house to require it. Why bother when you can just cruise all over the house? When we move to our new place I'm sure they'll start walking a lot.

Gabi also went poop in the big potty today! We're not really potty-training yet, but she was having a hard time going and I had her ready to go in the tub after lunch anyway, so I held her over the kids' seat on the potty and she went. Very exciting! One of the things I'm so looking forward to in our new place is having TWO bathrooms! That will make training a lot easier I think. Heck it'll make everything a lot easier!

Nicky is actually running a fever today. He took two naps all on his own, so we know he doesn't feel good. His fever broke first after the last dose of children's tylenol, and then again after I gave him one 200mg ibuprofen. I was out of the kids' stuff, so I checked the dosage and at his age that's how much he gets anyway. He has no trouble swallowing pills which just amazes me. I was like 12 when I finally figured it out. I remember medicines being such torture as a kid for so long. But he's already got the pill thing down pat! Should make dealing with allergies/asthma/etc so much easier for him.

The girls are going in for their 15 month pediatric visit tomorrow afternoon. Originally I wasn't going to go (this is my last week of work here after all) but with Nicky sick, Tom's going to need my help. So work in the morning and then they can pick me up for the afternoon appointment.

I can't believe my time at work here is almost done. It's been 7 years since I started working in the library here. That's definitely the longest I've ever been at one place. I think I have made a great difference here in my time though. I've met and worked with so many great people and on so many projects that have had a lot of impact on our institution. I'm definitely proud of my accomplishments here. But it is time to move on. No regrets at all. This is going to be awesome!