It's a crazy, crazy, crazy life

Today was Friday- although it seemed a little bit like a Saturday because all of the kids were home from school. Ethan was home with strep throat, poor dude. Curtis was also home because we had an appointment with Immigration Services to get our Visa's for our move to England! Curtis and I, and Ethan, Eli and Jo all had to go to St. Paul to get fingerprinted. We brought Janie and Sadie too. All the while Nettie and Jill and Dana were cleaning up from the garage sale that we had this week. I snuck a little nap today and good thing because I have been running on E for a bit. Curtis took Eli and Jo camping with the Lee's Lapicola's and Morley's- I stayed home with Ethan, Janie, and Sadie. I was sad to miss the campfire but not too sad to miss a cold night of being up with kids.

August was so busy, we got home from our trip out west and jumped right into soccer. And Jonah's birthday!! Then we had Curt and Sandy's Anniversary party (on our anniversary), then a week at the cabin in Hackensack. We came home and started packing for our familiarization trip to England. Dana, Kim and Sandy took care of the kids for us, and Curtis and I and Sadie had a week to find schools and grocery stores and see friends near London. It was a great discovery trip for us- I went from thinking there is no way I can handle this right now to being very very excited about it. The process was important for a final decision. It is going to be a once in a lifetime adventure, I am hardly able to believe that it is really happening, and that we are really going to take our crew across the ocean and live in a different place.

We did find a great school while we were there, and found out this week that the kids were accepted. It is an American School, and as much as I wanted to have an English countryside experience, this school will be a big help and support to us. We did visit a very quaint British school out in the country, and after driving and looking felt like it was not for us. It was very Harry-Potter-ish with houses and prefects and part of it was a converted old manor house. Very beautiful.
I am still terrified to drive but will do it when I have to.

So now we are cleaning out and trying to figure out what to take, what to store for 2-3 years, and what to give up. The garage sale was a good start but we still will have plenty of trips to the Goodwill. We have a 40 foot pod that will ship across the ocean and take 2 months to get to us. We will have some things shipped to us so we can have them during that 2 months. And then we will have our suitcases, of course! Just thinking of that flight over gives me the opportunity to do some deep breathing.
We looked at a few houses while we were there and we are definitely going to be downsizing, but we will still be able to be comfortable. Curtis will looke a little more when he is out there in a week.
We have checked off the garage sale, now we have a weekend with Isabelle's birthday party, Jonah's belated birthday party, and Janie Kate's birthday get together is Sunday!

Also, Sadie got a craniocap for her little flat head, and the kids started school at Oxbow!

September will be busy with trips and more trips, and October slows down a bit. We are aiming for a move the first week in November. Hold on to your hats!

Sadie Grace at 7 months

Sadie at a soccer game this week. We have had some nice nights at the soccr field with Grandy, Grumpy, Auntie Kim, Sofi and Lola. Hogan, Eli, and Jo are all on the same team this summer. Curtis and Todd are helping with coaching.

Monday, July 12 2011

Today was a funny day. I felt like I was wandering around, but there were too many things going on to start any projects, and not enough time to gather my thoughts in between emergencies, so I did kid triage all day. I got pretty frustrated and whined a little bit about to Curtis- who is in Europe right now!!! Ethan got his morning jobs done and got out the door to Lapicola's house early. We did have some fun doing tricks on the tramp at about 10 am - I did a few somersaults and got a little dizzy. Eli, Jonah, and JK clapped politely for me. Jill fed us corn dogs. Sadie got a new fan in her room and had a few blowouts. Wanda came and cleaned all the goo off the floors. Jonah, Reagan, and Spencer played in the sprinkler and got into a few fights and then played more. Janie disappeared only a few times. The kids ate a brownie mix and a cake mix- dry. it was... dry! Much better as batter:) Also, Eli had a baseball game and got a single and then ran home. That was sweet. Bedtime was awesome- Janie has made a hole in her crib tent so she can get out now, so I put her in her bed no less than 35 times tonight. It became a game- the boys thought it was so funny. It turned little JK into Gollum:(this is what I heard as I waited outside her door)

sad Janie: WHAAAA WHAAA
JK: Did youw mommy put you in youw bed?
sad Janie: YEAHHHH WHAAA WHAAA
JK: Awe you ok?
sad Janie: YEAHHHH WHAAA WHAAAA
JK: It's ok
sad Janie:YEAHHHH WHAAAA WHAAA
JK: Is Sadie Asweep?
sad Janie: YEAHHH WHAA WHAAA
JK: Awe you ok?
sad Janie: I SAD WHAA WHAAA

It was a little cute and a little creepy. The JK voice was a totally normal, non crying voice, and the sad Janie was WAILING. She did finally stay in her bed. Thanks Supernanny.

I should add that Lauren came over and helped out tonight and that she is a wonderful babysitter!
And that Grumpy did concessions at Northwoods park for me. That was a big deal. I owe him something from DQ... or maybe a van or something...