January Beach Day

And this is why we love living in Florida...a beach trip to celebrate the first day back to school. Noah thrashed in the waves. Camille made gumbo and matzah ball soup from sand. My mom hunted for shells and I took a cat nap in the sun. In addition to weeding, I think regular beach trips are going to help us survive this final stage of the deployment.

The Trip Back

It was a rainy, hectic, cram-it-all- into-the-van departure and once everyone was buckled up/ready to go we discovered the battery was dead! And all I can say is "Thank You!" to my saintly family. I kept pushing back our departure because I just couldn't seem to get it together. I couldn't get everything packed and organized the way I wanted. I couldn't seem to say good-bye to everyone on my list. But Friday night and Saturday morning my family rallied around and worked their magic. Serious packing magic. I still have no idea how they managed to get so many things into our van but they have many years of packing experience and training (thanks to my Grandfather and their multiple moves between Louisiana and Haiti/Dominican Republic). And a huge thank you to my mom for making the treacherous two day drive with us. I was worried about the broken dvd player but it was the very stormy weather that made the drive so scary. But happily we did make it back and we were warmly welcomed by all of our neighbors.

Both kids are back in school. Noah has enthusiastically jumped back into the swing of things. He starts each day anxious to get to school and eager to get home each afternoon to play with his neighborhood pal. Camille on the other hand is having a harder time. She was convinced (although we repeatedly discussed the reality) that Adam would be waiting to surprise us at her "Florida house". So when we arrived, she frantically search each room for him. It was very sad. Returning to school has also been hard for her and she repeatedly asks to go back to Ms. Mandy's school (her teacher in Louisiana). But things are getting a little easier for her each day. As with all of our moves/changes getting her back into a daily routine is key so we are working on that.

Our house is in pretty good shape except for the infestation of silverfish and a very moldy garage. Serious mold on everything in the garage...stroller, shoes, sports equipment, etc. And I am still trying to remember how to work various things in the house (amazing how many appliance clocks I need to update, re-learning how to work the alarm, the timers on exteriors lights, etc.). I couldn't quite remember how to work the tv/dvd player when we first returned. The kids witnessed my frustration and are now convinced the tv doesn't work so they don't even ask to watch (which is a good thing because I think they watched enough tv during our last few days in Louisiana to last a lifetime...it was the only way I could get any packing done...sad but true since they kept unpacking things anytime my back was turned). I feel tired but happy to be back and happy to have lots to keep me busy in the next few weeks before Adam's return. And did I mention there was lots of weeding/yard work? I have been outside every chance I get and it feels so good to have my hands back in the dirt. So we are back, we are adjusting, we are busy, and we are one step closer to having Adam home.

Happy New Year!

IMG_9350, originally uploaded by DimSum,Bagels,and Crawfish.May 2009 be a year of joy, good books, amazing adventures, new discoveries, and peace. With love from our family to yours!

Lucia, Adam, Noah, and Camille