The Last Days of Winter, Maybe

Sorry about the delay in blog updating, but my computer has been in the shop for the last three weeks. The separation was tough, but my computer and I are going to be making up for lost time over the next few days. Let's start catching up.
I took these pictures back in mid March while Sophie, Leah, and I were waiting to pick up Madeline from school. It seems like it's been a few months, not weeks, since we have worn our winter clothes, but I think, cross my fingers, that it officially feels like spring now.

Sunday, Spring, and the Beach

Today the girls and I went to a nearby boardwalk to have ice cream and look for "treasures." We found so many things on the beach that we had to buy a couple of buckets to get them all back home. Sophie's bucket contained about five small shells she deemed pretty enough, and Madeline's bucket, well you can see the goodies she wanted to keep. Her bucket ran out of room quickly, and she even talked me into bringing the horse shoe crab shell home in my purse.

Just Like Last Weekend . . .

Just like last weekend, we took Leah and the girls to the park. It was supposed to be warmer and sunny, but as you can tell from the girls' attire, it wasn't.

Stuff!

Our stuff arrived on Sunday, and Kent and I moved our boxes and furniture into a storage unit. I say Kent and I, but really, just Kent and the truck driver moved our stuff. I arranged for a couple of people to help through a moving company, but they didn't arrive on time, and when they called to say they were running late, I just said forget it. Kent and the driver were able to move everything in three hours, and we were able to save a chunk of change. Even though it did rain for the last hour of the unloading, it all worked out fine. Done and done with moving, at least for the moment.

The girls were super happy when we returned with a few boxes of favorite toys. Barbies and princess stuff for Sophie and rollerblades and a scooter for Maddie. I miss not having a grassy backyard to hang out in with the kids, but Mom's condo has a large, fairly empty parking lot that is great for bikes, rollerblades, and such.

* See that little restaurant in the background? Kent and I are totally going to walk over there one night this week for drinks. Yay for living with a babysitter!

Things I am Enjoying . . .

I love bundling the girls up in their winter weather wear! Hats, scarves, coats and gloves are novelty items for us right now, and I am having fun dressing my kids up in them. I am enjoying the experience of cold winter weather, at the moment that is. I am sure this won't last long, as most days are freezing, but for the moment, it is something different and fun, and a new experience for us.

I am enjoying driving Madeline to school and picking her up every day. She could ride the bus, but I want to make the most of my time with the girls while I am not working, and by picking her up I get to enjoy about 40 extra minutes a day with my girl. I love how she has so much to say when I pick her up right after school because the events of her day are still fresh in her mind. I am enjoying not having to deal with a before or after school program while I can.

I am enjoying taking the kids to the park which has always been a favorite activity of ours. I am happy to have found a nice park nearby, and as an added bonus, there is a dog park for Leah adjacent to the kids' play area, so I am enjoying that, too.

Friends

This post is out of order, but I was waiting for a certain sister to email me some pics! First of all, let me say that I have the best friends, the best friends in the world, and of course my sister is included in the list, in Los Angeles. Definitely, by far, the most difficult thing about leaving Los Angeles was knowing I would be 3000 miles away from these girls who were, and will always be, a part of my family.

During my last week before heading east, we were able to gather at my favorite restaurant in Studio City, Mexicali's, for dinner and drinks. It was a great time, and my only regret is that we didn't make time to do it more often.

We had a last "hurrah" for the kids at Dearborn Park, too. My girls are seriously going to miss hanging out with these boys!

Maryland!

After two months, we are back with Daddy! We all missed each other so much. That was rough, and not something we ever plan to repeat.

We are beginning to settle in. Condo life has its disadvantages, but this view is not one of them.

I think Leah is doing pretty well. She seems to have survived her first flight and is enjoying being walked several times a day.

On Sunday, we went to Virginia to see our family and meet the newest member. Another nephew for me and a cousin for the girls, his name is Kellen.

Monday took us by surprise with a seventy degree day. The girls ate lunch outside. Kinda crazy and not what we were expecting.

Madeline started school this morning. She was very excited about her first day. I am not sure which one of us was more nervous!

Moving Days

Our last few days in Los Angeles were crazy busy. Our moving truck arrived Wednesday morning, about an hour late.

Dean, Mel, and I (but, mostly Mel) packed up our belongings, and everything was loaded up.

My car was picked up to be shipped to Maryland.

The girls ate their last meal in our little house on Thursday morning.

Dean and Mel were with us right up to the end. They drove the girls and I and Leah to the airport.

I needed some help checking in with two kids, one dog, three suitcases, and two car seats.

We were so ready to see Daddy. Sitting on the plane and taking off felt soooo good knowing who was waiting for us on the other side of the country.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the movers arrive. We'll load the contents of our loved little home onto 14 feet of space bound for Maryland. Tomorrow, Madeline will have her last day of second grade in the Los Angeles Unified School District, she'll say good-bye to her teacher and to her friends. Tomorrow, Sophie will have her last day at Knollwood Preschool, a lovely place we've been dropping off and picking up from since Madeline was two back in 2005. The day after Tomorrow, we will board a plane at LAX bound for Reagan National in DC.

I have lots of pics I'd like to post, but that will have to wait until the day after the day after tomorrow when my life slows down, drastically.

And . . . We have a closing date!

We have a closing date!! And more importantly, we have flights booked! In 10 days I will see my husband, and the girls will see their daddy for the first time in 2 months. Seriously, how did we survive the last 7 weeks?

Things have moved pretty quickly since December 27th when Kent left our little home for a new job in DC. We listed our home, had an open house, considered an offer, made a counter offer, scheduled countless inspections, signed pages and pages of paperwork, did some more paperwork, and of course, there will be even more paperwork to come.

I feel as though we have reached the homestretch, but the next 9 days are going to take a whole lot of stamina. I am exhausted just thinking about it. Thank God we have been lucky enough to have my Dad and Mel staying with us and helping us through this process!!! I have four more days of work, a house to pack, movers to schedule, and the list goes on and on and on. But, at the end of it, our little family will be finally sleeping under the same roof again.