I'm back!

**Disclosure - an error occured while spellchecking this document.  AKA - it's not spell checked - good luck!**
Man - what a whirlwind.
I don't really know the last time I wrote, but here I am.
I'm done with Keith Lane.
I'm done with my parent's house.
And I'm at the new place.

Moving is one thing.
Moving into a fully functioning, fully furnished, fully decorated house. 
Is another.

I kind of feel like a squater sometimes. 
Every day.
Every night.
Every minute is Andy and I trying to turn my crap and his crap into our crap.
You wouldn't believe how possessive people can be about crap! 
It's been a very enlightening experience for both of us.
I still have 4 boxes of Tupperware.
He still has...well..."secrets".  Nah - don't get excited.   There are just areas of the house we haven't tapped into yet - ahem, basement - and I have no idea what awaits me there!

But I'm exhausted.  It's work all day.  Come home and unpack.  We don't sit.  We don't relax.  It's just unpack, merge, put away.  And you can't relax because there is literally shit every where.  So you don't feel relaxed when you are sitting. 

I just want to get a dump truck and haul it all away!!  Seriously.  No one needs 4 entertainment centers. 

And while I don't want Eleanor's experience to be overshadowed by moving boxes....it kinda seems that way sitting down here at the end of my post.

Eleanor started preschool on Monday.  She just LOVES it.  Two days in a row she has brought me art projects for my fridge.  She tells us stories.  And she is EXHAUSTED.  Nap time at a center is a little different then nap time at Patty's.  At Patty's Eleanor napped in a bed, blinds shut, covers on.  At school, she's on a mat, in a big room with kids all around.  Who knows how well she sleeps, how long it takes her to fall asleep and how long she really sleeps.  She's like a walking zombie.  She says she's having fun, but seriously, sometimes my heart hurts for her.  Going to a new school.  Not knowing ANYONE!  She doesn't know her teachers, she doesn't know her friends.  She doesn't know the routine.  What a cluster for a 3 year old. 

Now, good, bad or indifferent the center just explanded so there are several other new kids there too.  And one of her teachers is new.  And while I've only talked to her 3 times - I think I like her.  The other one is a little hard to read, but it's during pick up and there is a lot going on.  So who knows. 

All these little things we have to figure out and get used to.  And what will that take?  PATIENCE!  What don't I have - PATIENCE!  I just want it all figured out.  All routine.  No surprises. 

But each day.
Each minute.
The three of us figure it out.  We learn something new about living with the other.  We take a mental note.  We figure out day care.  We adjust and create a new normal.  And while I'm enjoying this phase of our life, I'm pretty darn excited for the boxes to be gone.  The clutter to be gone.  The shit to be gone and get my life back. 

Well...not entirely back...we just bought a stamp to start making Save the Date cards....

Home Sweet Home

I'm not sure if you heard the news...but Eleanor and I moved.


We boxed up all of our stuff...

And moved it...


Home Sweet Home.

Oh...well, maybe not really.  This was just the house we lived in during our stay in Alabama.  Some day though...I'm gonna buy this house.

So, technically, Eleanor and I are currently living with my parents...and Andy is living with our stuff.  We couln't get Eleanor into her new daycare until after Labor Day (when each kid moves up a class at daycare), but it actually turns out we might get her in 1 week early.

Moving was such a rush!  We listed, we sold, we inspected, we moved.  Wham, bam!  My head is spinning.  But now that it's all over, E and I just want to be at Andy's.  It's hard to call it home until we actually live there.  But it sure is starting to feel like home.  And while Eleanor seems to be adjusting to everything, I'm sure this is all very strange to her.  Moving back in with my parents...with my kid...even if it's only for 3 weeks, is strange enough for me! 

we ALL actually seem to be adjusting...even Karl.  Although, it's not too hard to adjust to dinner being cooked for you every night and 2 closests full of shoes!  Company in the morning before the kiddo wakes up...and an adult to talk to at night, after the kiddo falls asleep. 

Now if only those boxes unpacked themselves...right, Andy!?

The last week

Appreciate this post...I was just bashed in the face by a thrashing, sleep evading 3 year old's head.  The bridge of my nose feels slightly broken...but only broken according to my terms and definition...which means not really broken at all.

Wow.  What a week!  2 weeks ago, I was blogging from my computer in the basement of Keith Lane.  1 week ago, I was sipping wine on the balcony of my house over looking the gulf coast and tonight I am laying on my parent's couch because my house was sold (and I don't really even know where my parents are right now!)

First of all...I owe a big, fat apology to the state of Alabama.  You see, 2 years ago, the Terrones family was supposed to make an adventure down to the Gulf Coast.  Life was a little different for me at that time, because E was still so little and Nicolas couldn't drive.  Spending a week on the beach, that I possibly was going to drive to, just didn't sound great.  Lucky for me...there was an oil spill and our vacation was relocated to Door County (amazing!).

Then I started planning a Florida vacation and my sister indicated that she wasn't going to spend a week in Orlando and wanted to spend some time at the beach in Florida.  Long story short, there is a 1 week vacation planned for Ft. Meyers Beach.  Gag me.

Then I met Andy.  He and his family spent a week in Perdido Key, Florida  - Gulf Shores area.  They didn't do much - just hang out on the beach and whatever else they wanted to in the moment. 

Then my SIL, Jolene, got engaged and planned a ... you guessed it...beach wedding. 

WHAT IS IT WITH YOU PEOPLE?? 

So I booked my flight to Pensacola, Florida and prepared to spend some time on the beach.

Enter my apology.  It.  was.  amazing!  I wish I had pictures, but, alas, my computer is somewhere in the sea of boxes at Andy's, my netbook can't handle pictures and baby E is sleeping in the room with my parent's computer.

We rented a 6 bedroom beach house.  We all stayed in the same house.  Came and went as we pleased.  Drank morning coffee on the porch.  Evening wine on the same porch.  Listening to the waves.  The kids ran down the stairs at the leisure and played in the white sand.  And we just watched them.  Or we joined them. 

And my favorite part - watching storms over the Gulf.  Huge.  Magnificent.  Magical.  Awesome storms.  

We laughed.  We cried.  We reminisced.  And we made millions more memories. 

And I had a great time.  No agenda.  No rush.  Just a beach vacation.

Now, now...don't get excited.  I couldn't do it every vacation...but I certainly learned my lesson.  Don't judge a book by its cover!  Apparently, you people knew what you were talking about when you wanted to go on a beach vacation and next time...I want to come too!

And the wedding...oh the wedding! Again, I wish I had pictures because I can't do it justice.  It was so beautiful and so relaxed.  Just two people.  Pledging their life together.  And what isn't beautiful about that.

I have stories!  Stories about dolphins, waves, lightening.  But I guess it's all for another time. 
I have stories about moving, packing, unpacking and the craziness that is combining two households.  But that, too, is for another time.

I might actually go spend a few minutes and try to plan some of my own wedding.  Close your mouth...I said "might".  Beach wedding anyone?