2014 in review

When we moved in April, I definitely put blogging on the back burner! So, here is the rest of 2014 in review:

• April: We successfully moved to the Big House. It took some adjustment, but we love it. We just started hanging some pictures...yes, 8 months later. We celebrated Easter in the new house, and we had the kids hide eggs for each other. I just found some of those when we decorated for Christmas.
• May: D turned 7, and we had a slumber party with his friends. Crazy idea, but it went pretty well! Shortly thereafter, he ended up with 12 stitches in his finger from a bike accident. Kind of traumatic, but we made it through. 
• June: We set up the swimming pool and spent many days playing in the water, riding bikes, and hanging out with the neighborhood kids. I am so glad we are close to their friends! We also went to Wyoming for a family vacation with the in-laws. It was at Ring Lake Ranch in Wyoming. What a wonderful place! It was excellent because each family had their own cabin, so we had some space for down time. There was hiking, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, and a boulder pile. Let's not forget the great food! Although D had a tough time because we were out of routine, we all loved it there. We hope to go back someday.
• July: It was HOT. We swam every day, and my family came for a visit. In this new house, it was really pretty nice. We didn't have more than three people in a room, so everyone was still pretty comfortable. The fireworks were an issue for D (again), but he enjoyed them in the end. 
• August: Back to school! I was concerned about the transition to another school year, especially since D would have a new teacher (he had his kindergarten-first grade teacher for two years); he has done great! He is at benchmark or higher in all subjects, and his behavior has been so much better. His wonderful teacher has an incentive program that includes his behavior at home. D earns special time with the teacher including going out for supper with him at a restaurant. We have been blessed with great teachers! S started kindergarten and cried every day for the first week. She knew the teacher since D had her for two years, but it was hard for her to go back to school. Now she loves it! She has really developed as a leader, and she is a very smart little girl! J started year three of preschool. This year has been a challenge for him behaviorally. We watched our happy little boy morph into a violent, whiny, attention-seeking bully (at school). His behavior at home remains about the same, but he sure gives his teachers a run for their money! 
• September: We learned that S has asthma when we ended up in the ER. The next day, we took a short trip to my sister's wedding. D was upset because it was a change in routine, but he ended up loving the whole thing. He even made a surprise appearance as the ring bearer's right-hand man during the wedding. Oops! S was an adorable flower girl and danced the night away. J mostly sat at the table with Dad. Weddings are not his thing.
• October: S turned 6! We made a cute Frozen dress out of cupcakes. We also enjoyed Halloween with Olaf, Red Ranger, and Elsa. 
• November: We traveled to my sister-in-law's house for Thanksgiving, and I took my 2nd annual mommy vacation. The kids loved spending time with their cousins, and they even went to a model train exhibit. 
• December: What a month! J turned 5 and wanted a Ben 10 birthday. Yes, Ben 10 from 10 years ago. So Amazon came in very handy :) We also traveled to Minnesota and Iowa to see relatives. The transition there was tricky, but the kids had a wonderful time with all of their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Nightmares and The Lunch Box

Moving day is less than two weeks away, so the stress level keeps increasing for us all. My oldest, the one with PTSD, is definitely struggling the most. How do I know? Please examine the following evidence:

Thursday - My normally chipper 1st grader cries at lunch because he misses me. That night, he creeps in and sleeps on our floor. These are both firsts, really.

Friday - D decides he is not going to go to school and cries all morning. That night, he has four nightmares before midnight, so Dad sleeps on his trundle bed.

Saturday - We tell the kids they can all sleep in the same room until we move so hopefully the nightmares stop. It goes okay.

Sunday - Pretty incident free, besides being incredibly clingy and needy.

Monday - I send a family picture for D to keep at school, and I start sending notes in his lunch box.

Tuesday - Teacher allows D to write me an email every recess. Have I mentioned that she is a great teacher?

So, here we are with just about 10 days to go….9…8…7… 6…5…4…3…2…1…

Footprints

As I pack my house, I have been thinking about how we each leave footprints in this world.

Even though we were only in this home for two years, we parented six children here. Their hand-prints and toys hidden in remote corners I apparently haven't cleaned well remind me that, even though we may only be present in someplace for a short while (like a job, a town, this earth), we leave marks on the people we meet. Our lives affect those around us, whether positive or negative.

We leave this house in a very different place than when we arrived. We have changed some cosmetic and functional features of this building, but the changes we have undergone while living here are so much more. We experienced the loss of three foster children in this home. We met neighbors who have welcomed, loved, and supported us through our journey. I "found" our children on the internet while sitting at my kitchen table. We became a forever family here.

When we faced difficult times, I struggled with anger, sadness, and impatience. In this house, I was able to see all the pieces of my brokenness come back together. Just as there are holes and scuffs on the walls of this home that can be filled to blend in, I have been filled. The walls will never be the same as they were when they were first built, but they can be made whole again, ready for the next family to make their marks. In that same way, we can never undo the scars from our life experiences, but we can be healed leaving us ready for our next season.

This move serves as a great metaphor for life. 

Moving

We started packing for our big move next month. I was impressed at how good the kids were at packing! In one day we did all of our books and movies, took everything off the walls, and sorted all of their clothes and stuffed animals. They were REALLY good helpers! After we ran out of tape, we lost momentum.

Today the kids are off an an adventure with their grandparents, so now I sit here overwhelmed by everything I have do complete:

• The rest of the packing 
• My grad school assignments
• 4 loads of laundry
• Vacuuming (again) 
• Cleaning the kitchen
• Writing one IEP and 6 transition plans 
• Preparing for a baby shower for a friend next Saturday 
• Packing the kids for their vacation 
• Shopping

I want to make some breakfast bierocks, bake brownies with my daughter, and take a bath…but I would have to clean the tub and kitchen first. I did just enough packing yesterday, leaving the house just disassembled enough to look messy but not packed up enough to feel accomplished. 

I plan on catching up on Once Upon A Time, drinking a Dr. Pepper, and then cleaning the tub so I can take a bath. After that, I am sure I will feel more motivated.