Bittersweet February

February at last!! I had been counting down the days for some time now.  Not to leave Niceville, that could been held off indefinitely as far as I was concerned.  I am referring to Jim's Change of Command.  It isn't that we haven't enjoyed ourselves immensely in this job and with the people, but let's be honest here.  You can only sustain it for a period of time and our time had come! I think it was somewhat of a relief that we finally found ourselves just a few days out.  His parents came into town to celebrate with us and of course to corral the kids.  In hindsight, we should have enlisted a babysitter to do that so his parents could "enjoy" their son's special day.  As it unfolded, I don't think they can say they did.  It wasn't so much of a blur like when he took command.  I compare that to a wedding reception.  Of course we (and let's be honest - really probably just ME) were stressed out with a million things that needed to get done as quickly as possible.  All in all, we survived, the children were somewhat behaved and the ceremony went off without a hitch - WHEW! 

The happy couple

Ben is ready to go - feeling is mutual buddy

Almost immediately we transitioned into move phase.  We had exactly 12 days to sort, separate and pack until we pulled out of Florida for points north.  Jim and I differed on how to approach this task.  Not exactly the most relaxing of scenarios.  Somehow we would pull it off without too much bloodshed.

Our neighbors gave the kids a sled for all the snow we would have in RI.  Of course, they immediately wanted to try it out and decided to put their unique spin on it.   I hope there is snow when we get to Newport, if there isn't I fear the kids will be very disappointed.  Actually that is a lie, I have heard the winter has been exceptionally mild and in my heart of hearts I hope that is true.  However, to see the kids sledding on this thing would be pretty funny.

 

One of the HUGE things was to stick around long enough for the kids to celebrate Valentines day at school.  Jim was against this, and really and truly I should have just agreed with him and we would have left Niceville right after the last box was loaded on the moving truck.  But the girls were so excited about getting and giving the Valentines that I relented.  Jim backed off and then dangled a HUGE carrot to get me to leave a day earlier that I wanted too.  He said we could drive to Swansboro and spend not one but TWO nights!!!  The catch (and there is ALWAYS a catch) was that he needed to do some work in Cherry Point so that was what was really driving the change in plans, but I did not care!  He could spend the entire time in Cherry Point, stop the car in Swansboro and LET ME OUT!
But I am getting ahead of myself.  Valentines day first.

I made the kids do all the cards the week before the movers came and then I stashed them in the back back of the mini-van so they couldn't be packed up by the movers by accident.  Stranger things have been known to happen let me tell you!  Anyway, by the time the 14th rolls around we have been "camping" in our house for 4 days.  4 nights of sleeping in sleeping bags and on air mattresses makes for a grumpy momma.  After night one, the kids were using our queen mattress as a trampoline and of course (drum roll) popped it!  But not a full blown pop.  That would have been better.  That would have scared them and maybe, just maybe taught a lesson.  No it was juuusssstttt enough for a slow leak that found us almost water bed sea sick the next morning.  Night two found us sleeping on a brand new mattress.  Where was I again?  Oh yeah, Valentines day.  Here the girls are with all their loot!

It wasn't that Ben was loot-less more like he could have cared less about what he had his cards and candy stored in.  The girls on the other hand wanted a picture before we threw them into the back of the van and started our trek.  Trust me, the boxes did make it to Rhode Island, but much much worse for wear!!

Ben had other things to be excited about.  His 4th birthday was on the 20th and we were going to celebrate it with his class on the 15th.  Way way back right after Lilly's birthday in November he began to plan his costume party.  Even though I kept telling him that he wasn't getting a party this year because we would be on the road and all of his friends would be in Florida, he would not be deterred.  I felt bad for him, so we struck a deal.  We would take in Super Hero cupcakes and masks and arm bands for all his friends and they could have a Super Hero party of sorts at school  I cleared this with his teachers and while it wouldn't be a full up party, it would be a special way to celebrate his birthday.  I knew there was NO WAY I would be able to make the cupcakes so I enlisted the help of a local bakery and they turned out GREAT!! Then I stuck some candy in the goodies bags along with the arm cuffs to go with the blank masks I had sent in the week before for the kids to decorate and I figured I had it all covered.  Can you tell I had a bit of mommy guilt for short changing him on the party department.

Super Hero Gift bags & arm cuffs

Super Hero Cup Cakes - got to love the bakery at Food Depot!!

All the Super Heroes in disguise

Looks like everyone had a good time.  Especially the Birthday Boy!  I wish I had be able to be there when they had the "party".  Instead I was at home scrubbing the house down and trying to cram what the movers weren't moving into the back of a U-haul with Jim.  It isn't as fun as it sounds.  Trust me!

We had a pretty tight time line and foolishly we thought we would be able to adhere to it without the help of anyone - HA HA HA!  I finally broke down and made a few phone calls and thankfully enlisted the help of two extremely generous and kind and patient women to agreed to get their hands dirty and help us only be 3 hours off our departure time.  I can NEVER repay you Kelly and Jena!!

OK, so the cars are packed, the U-Haul is packed (for the second time) and we are headed east.  We don't even make it 2 minutes when the chorus of "we're hungry, we're thirsty" started.  Stop in Niceville for dinner. 45 minutes later, we are ON THE ROAD (again)!!  Our goal was to get to Savannah, GA originally.  Now that we are 4 hours behind, we wisely lowered our goal to Jacksonville, FL.  Good call.  We get to the hotel at 1:00 am thanks to loosing an hour with the time zones.  The kids had been asleep in the car for several hours which was almost worth the torture of staying awake by chugging diet Mt. Dew to get a bit further down the road, but that is a painful payoff the next morning.  So we stopped and all hell broke loose!  Eventually we get everyone down for a few hours sleep.

The next morning we went to the lobby for breakfast and then loaded up for our first 8 hour day of driving.  On our way to the car I ran into the unfortunate guest who had the room under ours.  He commented that we were really loud in the middle of the night.  I laughed and said I was sorry we had disturbed him.  Apparently I didn't sound sincere enough because he said it again that we were extremely loud.  I again said I was sorry we had disturbed him.  Still not satisfied, he said it once more.  Finally I turned around and told him that we didn't arrive at the hotel until 1:30am and we tried to keep the kids quiet, but it took them a while to settle back down.  He just looked at me with disgust in his eyes and walked into his room.  I don't blame him for being upset but come on!  He probably went to bed at 7:00pm and was due to get up with the chickens any second before the "loudness" anyway. I wanted to tell him it was even LOUDER where I was sitting, but the door shutting in my face prevented that.

So we are loaded up and ready for the drive to Swansboro.  I had the girls in the car with me along with Oscar.  Since Ben was in the car with Jim, Oscar decided to keep his seat warm.  The look on Oscar's face pretty much sums it up - Oh my god when will this hell end? 

We made it to Swansboro in one piece.  Spent two nights and one whirlwind day and then packed it all back up to attempt to make it to Delaware to spend the night with cousins Josephine and Kemble.  We had a brief lunch date with Jim's parents off of I95 in Virginia for lunch and then we pressed onward!  After everyone chimed in on how we should navigate around DC I don't think Jim chose the best route, I was of very little help due to the fact that I had no idea where I was and was basically just trying to stay behind the U-Haul.  But hey, live and learn right?  We arrived in Delaware no worse for wear, had a lovely dinner with Jim's brother's family and then bedded down for the night.  Next morning we loaded up (AGAIN) for the last leg.

Now I am sure that it may be common knowledge for those people who travel a great deal in the north that I-95 is a toll road.  I, however have never driven on I-95 north of Washington,DC and I was SHOCKED!  Really the SHOCK isn't the right word, let's use anxious mainly due to the fact that I had very little cash and for some reason could NOT remember to get any every time we stopped.  Several times, especially at the end, Jim would have to pay for me and him when we would go through the tolls.  Jim was confused by my inability to remember to stop at an ATM.  I admit, I was too.  I am blaming it on the move.  My body was barely functioning above the level it took to get us there.

After what seemed like AGES we finally arrive in Jamestown, RI!  Just in time for Ben's actual birthday.  Good Lord, how many times are we going to "celebrate" him turning 4?

We made it without having the move fight.  You know the one that happens and then you have to get back in your car and fight the urge to just turn in the total opposite direction and peel off going 90 miles an hour!! I commented this to Jim and his reply was we aren't actually finished "moving" yet.  True we are in a temporary house for a few months and there will be another "move" in April, but I am still happy that we were able to hold it together at least this far.  

Of course there was no snow on the ground and the kids were disappointed.  In fact the third day we were in town the high was in the 50's!!

On the beach at the end of the back yard.

That didn't last long.  Two days later...

Same pile of rocks

The kids were sooo excited!!  Up at 6:00am and out in it about 20 minutes later.  It didn't stick around long, but it was fun while it lasted.

Running to the beach!

Whew, last days of February at last!  There is an ice skating rink set up in downtown Newport and the kids saw it and after needling their father for all of about 5 minutes we found ourselves there renting skates.  Naturally Lucy took off and within a few minutes was skating like she was born to do it.  Lilly and Ben weren't so lucky.  After several laps around the rink pushing giant orange traffic cones (where were these things when I was learning a million years ago), they were in the zone.  Jim had to get out there to keep Ben on the ice because he threw in the towel shortly after he repeatedly hit the ice with his bottom, chest and face.  By the time we left there were smiles all around.

So begins a whirlwind year I am sure.