We are roughly three weeks post-move and still trying to recover some semblance of a normal routine. The overall theme of the last month has been “Please, just let me keep my head above water.” Between moving, travel, selling our condo, finding childcare, and figuring out the logistics of working for an internet-based company without a stable internet connection, I’m feeling pretty ragged around the edges.
We’re getting there. My to-do list is reproducing at a rate that would make rabbits jealous, but I’m checking things off every day, so that’s something. And thankfully we have help now, in the form of my parents, who are adjusting to having two “spirited” little girls running around.
Speaking of running around, both the puppy and the kids appreciate the extra space. Atticus has already explored the property’s boundaries, found every stinky mud puddle, and rolled in each one thoroughly. We’ve introduced him to the hose. Likewise, the kids are covered in bug bites and constantly asking to go outside (or, in Gwen’s case, “Ah-sy?”) or to visit Gramma and Grampy. Ellie hasn’t mentioned missing the old place since we moved, which I take as a good sign, although I think she does miss her school. We’ve hired a part-time nanny for the summer, and she’ll start Pre-K or Kindergarden (or a combination of the two) in the fall.
The girls are also sharing a room for the first time, and I have just one thing to say about that: Why didn’t we do this sooner?!? If Gwen cries, Ellie soothes her, sings to her, and tells her stories until they both fall asleep. Instead of fussing, we hear singing and babbling over the baby monitor. It’s incredible. All that time spent going in and out of Gwen’s room, tiptoeing around her crib, waiting and biting our nails, in hopes she’d fall asleep without a fight… and we could have just thrown her in a room with her big sis and saved ourselves the trouble.
Despite the anxieties of the last month, I’m happy to be here, and I think my family is too. This place fits, and with time (and money, and maybe faster internet access), it will continue to fit even better.
I’d forgotten what it’s like to wake up where the air smells like summer. It’s good to be home.