172 boxes

... were delivered to my house today. I started unpacking from the first batch. I stopped for lunch and dinner, but as we'd done crockpot for dinner I didn't waste any time with food prep. It is 9pm and I am drained, exhausted, my feet are killing me, and I swear there are still 172 boxes left to unpack. And nowhere to put anything. If I do nothing else tonight, I need to clear off the kitchen table so we can have breakfast.

The kids were amazing amusing themselves pretty much all day with very few moments of real attention. It probably helped I got them to the playground for a while before the movers arrived. I warned them they have a few more days of this. My plan is to unpack a box or two of toys each day so there is always something new to discover.

We have a compost bin! And a car!

Yes, in that order.

Montgomery county has an awesome program where its residents can just go and pick up a free compost bin in one of many locations. I hit up the local Whole Foods for ours (that isn't actually local, so I'll never go there, in that I have Dawsons, Trader Joes, and Harris Teeter closer to me). It isn't the amazing Darth Vader helmet we got way back when through the PA Game Commission or whatever government entity it was, but it is a compost bin and now I feel better when chopping veggies or when I hit on a moldy piece of fruit.

The car ... well, we've been dithering for 6 months or more about the Corolla, whether it would pass inspection in the USA and whether we should even try after 2 Maltese summers and 4 Russian winters. It is a Corolla, but it is also a 1994 vintage that's been travelling more than most. In the end, it did get brought to our driveway where it sat while we debated whether to donate it, try to get some trade-in value from it, or see if we could get it on the road.

Between our fixing-up and our unpacking and our Freecycling (mostly out, but a little in) we realized that our time is worth something. To us at least. So we decided the time sink in managing the Toyota's fixes and getting the temp tags to get it inspected and then more fixes and then hopefully it passes emissions .... we decided if we found a decent car within our low, low budget we'd just go get it.

Thus we hit up the only open car lot last Sunday (I called it, they were Israeli) and drove home in our "new" Accord. Alex is disappointed that it isn't green. I bet anything other than British Racing Green would have gotten that reaction. In some ways she is a mini Terry.

We still have to return my brother's car, and we are waiting on a part to repair the Subaru so we can get its registration transferred to Maryland. So, right now we have 3 cars out front, with license plates from 3 different states. 

Childhood friends

One of the perks of having to come back to the USA early was that Alex got to see her best friend. They were coming to the end of language training but haven't left yet and we were able to get them together for a play date. After some initial shyness they remembered their deep and old friendship and played happily.

The mom made a comment to me about how happy she was that we were able to get together, and that it is important for our kids to have "childhood friends" but with this lifestyle that's pretty hard to keep up. I had never thought of it that way.

A different friend told me, after our kids/families had met up in a couple of different countries, that she wanted her children to know there were other kids like them, growing up here and there, and that friendships can last beyond the time you live in the same place. As we make our plans to meet up in yet one more "new" place this week, and as my children are about to settle for a couple of years in a "normal" USA town/life/routine, I wonder how they will look back on their childhoods and whether in adulthood they will have friends who knew them now.

HOME

We move into our home tomorrow. Without the stuff that makes it feel like home. Without bowls or coffee mugs (well, I borrowed 4 from Terry's mom). But we will be home, we will be together, and except for a few short trips to PA for doctor appointments and cabin weekends, we will be permanent. I mean, for 2 years.

Alex and I got on a plane May 6. In the intervening almost 3 months, we have spent one consecutive week in the same place - the recent trip to the cabin where we were without Terry for the first 5 days. She and I, especially, are looking forward to being in one place every day.

More local finds

Last weekend Terry wanted to check out the archery range at a nearby section of Rock Creek Park, so I went along for the ride.

In addition to the range, we found a playground, lots of hiking and biking trails, clean, "proper" bathrooms, and lots more! We also got to watch a myriad of Monarch butterflies fluttering around - they seem to like it around here, I've never noticed so many.

Then after the grocery run we checked out a local Asian food market. Wow! The produce is amazing and cheap cheap cheap. Plus every possible sauce, seasoning, and snack. They already have mooncake out! Best of all, once we get a crate on the back of my bike, I can get the groceries powered by "me".

Wordless Wednesday

We survived the 7 year itch!

Well, not like there was an actual incident reminiscent of the "7 year itch", but as of today we have been married 8 years. For a super special anniversary, we are currently located in different states. I came to PA yesterday to transfer kids from Camp Grandparents to Slightly Less Like Camp Because Mommy's Here being held at Other Grandparents.

I'm too tired from parenting solo for 24 hours to say anything witty, pithy or adorable and loving, but hey, isn't that what marriage is really about?

Love you, dear!

Mosquitoes

I have been overseas for the last 6 years. I was also pregnant when we left the USA 6 years ago. Lots of things happen to a woman's body during pregnancy, some are enduring changes such as my friend's mom who went up a shoe size with each pregnancy (my friend is one of three. By the way, why the $&^%&^%$ couldn't that have happened to me? I need a southeast Asia tour just to get some shoes that fit!).

For the last six years, I have been almost entirely untouched by mosquitoes. I ignorantly figured that my body chemistry changed enough with those babies that my sweet, sweet blood was no longer so attractive to mosquitoes.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

It turns out that my blood is unpalatable to EUROPEAN mosquitoes. American ones, Maryland varieties especially, are still driven to me like little vampires.

I may not enjoy the last month or so of summer as much as I'd wish.

Homesick

As I discussed in painful detail, we received our HHE from storage last week. Some things we haven't seen in 4 years, others in 7 years. It's 95% of our furniture. It's a few special items we didn't want getting thrown off a ship (think gifts from deceased grandparents).

And it's nothing at all that makes a house a home. Receiving the stuff made me homesick for our home in Russia.

:-(

F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre

One of the things I do love about our house is the walkability. Just a few blocks away is the Glenview Mansion, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, and a playground, huge field, tennis courts, and Croyden Nature Center (all in one big site).

I say it is the Piter influence, but Terry and I decided to take advantage of our child-free status to go ... see a show. A Gershwin musical, to be exact. Turns out the theater troupe is fully volunteer, from the actors, to musicians, set designers, etc. We were incredibly impressed with the quality of the performance in every aspect, and it was lovely to just walk home at the end.

The space also hosts plays, concerts and ballets, with all tickets I've seen so far being less than $25. We're already planning who's taking which child to which performance.