Making a Major Move Very Soon on Short Notice

YES! We received definitive confirmation today that we are, indeed, moving quite a ways away from all that our young children have ever known, and we are doing it in a hurry! Literally, as of today, Erik has to report to his new post in two weeks. There may be some wiggle room there, I don't think it's set in stone, but either way, it will be very soon.

I am elated, scared, excited, thrilled, anxious, worried, busy.....in short, I am calm on the outside and MAJORLY freaking out on the inside. And why, you might ask? Perhaps you have moved a few times in your life, or perhaps you have even moved your family a few times, or even just one major move. Well, then you would have a leg up on us, since our only moves since having more than two very small children have only involved moving a few miles down the road in the same town just to adjust for growing children. We have only done those minor in-town moves a couple times, and no more often than every three years. We have been in our current residence for three years this month, and the place before that for four years. Also, our current residence is the first house we have lived in, so we have that much more stuff than last time, even though comparatively we don't really have very much, it's still a house full of stuff and not an apartment. So yea, the thought of the actual move terrifies me. Five children, one big dog, two small cats, four rooms, kitchen, garage, backyard, closets...all of it- packed in an orderly fashion and moved in a timely manner. I am somewhat doubtful that it can be done well, but I am hopeful that it will all work out. Only time and God's good grace will tell. Also, lots of help from loving helpful family who really want to help.

Aside from just packing our home, cleaning, and discarding of things we can't bring, this move is a major climate change. I'm sure it is probably hot right now, in the middle of July, wherever in the US most of you are, and it is no exception here in Bakersfield where the high temperatures predicted for the rest of the week hover around 105. That's pretty average around here for July and August. Where we are going the average high for July is 65. Let me tell you, I can not wait to get the heck out of here and put on some pants and enjoy that cool weather! What a dream, I tell you!! The only problem with that right now, is that no one in our household has clothing for cool weather. Even in the winter we are lucky if it gets into the low 60's, and it doesn't stay that cool very long, only a couple of months. Up there in the Redwoods it is like that year round.  Dressing in layers is a must, flip-flops and cami tanks will not cut it, and neither will pant-less, barefoot, bare butt little two year old boys, but I digress. I don't even know where to start with the shopping, I generally avoid it at all costs and my poor children barely have enough to get through the week. It's just too many people to shop for, too time consuming, boring, and irritating....oh, and there's the part where it costs a ton load of money to buy anyone anything remotely decent, so I just don't shop.

Lord willing, this will happen. The packing, cleaning, shopping, organizing, last minute visiting, and child-rearing. I am certain there will be some cooking at some point, as well.

As a reminder of why we are going so far away, consider this:

Beautiful Del Norte County has the redwoods, two major rivers, and the pacific ocean. It's the trifecta of natural wonders and family recreation. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe the area. I grew up there until the ripe old age of nine, but the experience of living there has been with me my whole life and it is something I am so blessed to be able to soon share with my own children.

Blessed, that's a good thing to be.

On summer in the San Joaquin valley, two year olds, and moving

It  is summer time here in the valley, which means it is as hot as the interior of a hot pocket outside, in the car, in the shade....you can't escape it. When it is in the triple digits like it has been this lovely Father's Day weekend, hotter than usual for this early on in the summer, it means that my kids are stuck inside with me. It feels as if I may as well live in New England in the winter, except maybe worse because it's not even magically white outside and there is no beautiful aftermath to this horrifying weather that might make it mentally bearable. So, extreme heat, AC running constantly, 5 kids under ten in the house with nowhere to go; I don't think I need to spell it out, but just in case it's spelled like this: L-O-O-N-Y-T-U-N-E-S.

Along with the being stuck inside we are SO blessed this summer to have a vocally gifted 2.5 year old little boy who is trying to no longer take naps and needs the daily exertion that only running around outside can give his little body. John-Paul is already the most athletic of my children, at such an early age, and the most gifted speaker. He can ask you, clear as day, to take him to the tractor store and please buy him a backhoe loader and excavator. I know this because he has been talking about it incessantly for days; partly due to his infatuation with large trucks and tractors right now, and partly due to being so bored at home that he has nothing to do but ask for things and whine about them when his requests are refused. Poor kid, all he really needs is some quality time with some dirt, water, and dump trucks. And he still needs regular naps, just as much as I NEED him to keep taking those naps. He wakes up refreshed, I have time for coffee and cleaning, everyone gets to live without the whining for a short while, win/win/win. I am only writing this right now because I put him in his crib and had to tell him, nap or not, he must stay in there and be quiet for a while.

In other news, we may suddenly be moving very soon. The Man works for the State of California, which has not been so great since the economy bust a few years back, and it has hit state employees particularly hard. While state/govt employees typically are very under-appreciated and people the public taxpayers love to hate, state workers are equally loathed by elected officials. They fall into this grey area of people who perfom necessary functions for the state to operate on a daily basis and keep society moving along, but also are seen as people who are sucking the coffers dry (if you are a taxpayer), or as people who are taking money away from pet social programs that get you re-elected (if you are an elected official.) Curse those state workers, doing jobs for little pay, with ok pensions, taking money away from schools, orphans, elderly, disabled, and single mothers! The reality for us right now, due to the state trying to cover it's ass and still give as much away for free to non working peoples, is that there is going to be some job losses in the department in which Erik works, which involves public safety. This time, it's for reals. We can probably stay where we are and he would likely get to retain a part-time position, which would still allow him to work 40 hours a week without the possibility of overtime, but it could have him only working 20 hours as well. It is an unknown. Our other option is to volunteer to bid for a full-time spot at another facility within the state. The only location available with fulltime positions are in remote locations, some in nice locales, some in awful locales. We put in his bid a few days ago and opted for a full time spot in a remote but beautiful locale that is a mere 11-12 hour drive from where we currently reside. The directory above, a picture taken this afternoon by my mother-in-law who is passing through the area today, may tip you off to how small the town is. Also, note the overcast sky and green grass; I can practically feel the mist from the fog on my face, the breeze from the ocean, and sound of the sea gulls nearby are already calling out in my mind. Considering the aforementioned weather where I am right now, I can't wait to get the heck out here, there's just that silly little matter of leaving family and friends behind and starting all over again, but hey, no biggie.