Sunday August 7, 2011 (3 days til moving day)
3:30 pm - After a tough time saying goodbye after a "final play date" with his best buddy from pre-school and kindergarten, my 6 year old son Caleb returns home to discover I have cleaned up (& I mean really just cleaned up) the playroom. I swear the only thing I tossed is a Boggle game that just had a few pieces remaining, and a completely ripped up box. This game, however, was apparently very special to Caleb. He mourns the loss of this Boggle game (no, a new one from Target as soon as we arrive in Denver will not do), for a full hour.
Tuesday August 9, 2011 (Was supposed to be day before moving day, but is now 2 days til moving day because the truck "broke down." Ok....)
7:20 am - Anxiety levels are shooting through the roof at 2592 Bexley Park Road. The movers are still supposed to be coming to pack us up today, sometime between 8 & 10 a.m. As he gets ready for camp, Caleb asks 400 questions about how they will know what to put what where, will they label things, etc. He then insists that he will pack his own stuff, thank you very much, and they are welcome to do everything else. Larry talks him down by reviewing the previously selected items that are laid out on the guest room bed to be taken to CO in the car with us.
8:20 am - Since all we have to eat in the house is a can of green olives and some sunflower seeds, we stop at Cup O Joe on the way to camp drop-off for breakfast. I buy one big muffin for my 3 & 6 year old to share (along with bagels & cereals and chocolate milks). We sit down, and I start to cut the muffin in half. Whoa crazy lady, what the hell were you thinking? Adina grabs for this beloved bake good, screams that she wants the whole thing, and takes a big, slobbery bite off the top to prove her point. Oh lord. Caleb goes ballistic. He clearly needs his own muffin now. Pronto. So that we don't get kicked out, and so that I can drink my f-in latte, I dole out the $2.60. Of course, Caleb takes one bite of muffin and declares he doesn't like it. I wonder if my doc will write me a one week prescription for something verrrryy sooooothing.
8:50 am - Caleb hops happily out of the car to go spend the day frolicking in the sun with his friends and forget about the people at home touching his things. I start to breathe.
8:55 am - Adina clings to my leg, begging me to stay in the Giraffe room for "6 more minutes." My pulse quickens.
9:01 am - Her teacher restrains her and Adina cries out, "Mommy, please stay, Mommy, please stay" and I wonder what she's trying to tell me about her feelings on moving as I run towards my car. Larry assures me this will not make her top 10 list in therapy.
9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - 3 people pack up everything my family owns into 130 boxes. Yes, in 5 hours.
3:40 p.m. - Caleb comes home to his bedroom & playroom full of boxes. The moment a type-A mother to a type-A six year old dreads. A look of panic flashes across his face, and then, thank you, thank you, thank you, he declares that the house doesn't look like he thought it would and goes to get the book we've been reading about moving, "Ernie's New Home." He flips to the page where Ernie's house in empty except for lots & lots of boxes. Caleb is right, our house does not look exactly like Ernie's. He agrees it looks similar, however, and asks me if he can use my phone to make a video of our boxed up life. I congratulate myself as this moment is clearly a result of my fabulous parenting.
6 pm - All 4 members of my family arrive at the home of dear friends, who, yet again, feed us delicious food, and provide easy company and fun. We go from acting like ragged, nomads to breathing, at least partially functioning human beings in a matter of minutes.
8:30 pm - This party has parting gifts! We all get something! Caleb receives a travel sized Connect 4 that he declares "the best gift ever." He shows me the game and declares its wonderfulness 3 more times before he goes to bed. Is he old enough to be touched by the support for our move that is behind this gift? Does he know how these friends have helped Larry & I leap into this next adventure? Or does this Connect 4 simply kick-ass?
10 pm - I fall asleep peacefully, knowing that when one Boggle is closed, a Connect Four opens.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
6:30 am - 5:20 pm - Stare at boxes.
Deeply touched! loved your hourly journal entry - feels like counting down with you...can't wait for the next post!
ReplyDeleteLoved this post and even teared up :) Glad you made it safely!
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