Time to say goodbye

Hello Maryland!!

First off, Jon and I have both officially decided we hate moving.  I'd rather not do it again.  Ever.  But since there are good chances we'll be getting restationed next year, and a few years after that, I don't think that wish will be coming true anytime soon.

This was my first "real" move.  I don't count the one or two carloads it took to get me to and from college each year.  Or when we left our first Love Nest down the road and moved into the Beach Nest.  Jon and a Coastie friend moved all the big furniture, and we moved the rest ourselves.  It was tough work.  Moving out of a third story apartment without elevators and into a three level house is not cool.  I was in tears by the end of the night.  And we decided right then and there we would never move ourselves again. 

Thankfully, when the Coast Guard reassigns us, they take care of the move.  On Thursday two packers arrived and in 8 hours had our entire house in boxes.  Lots and lots of boxes.  It made us realize just how much STUFF we have.  And also made us realize how much we need to purge. 

I spent the entire day keeping Jack away from the packing ladies.  It was a good chance to sneak in one last visit with our BFFs Janine, Abbie and brand new baby Nate.

Once the packers left there wasn't much for us to do.  The TV, lamps and even couch cushions were packed away.  So Jon and I spent a very dark, quiet, uncomfortable evening on the couch.  The next morning the moving truck rolled up a little after 9am. 

We were anxious to get things going, but the day never seemed to move fast enough.  Jack went to the park, watched movies on the laptop, played with the few toys I had set aside the day before, ran around his empty bedroom, jumped on mattresses and chatted with the movers.  They were all impressed with his size, were positive he'd be quite athletic and promised to keep a lookout for "Jack Tillman" while watching college football in 17 years.

By Friday afternoon there was no furniture to sit on, and no beds to lay the boys down in.  Jude didn't mind, he slept just fine on the floor.  But it was day 2 of no nap for Jack.  And we were all suffering the consequences of an over-tired, bored toddler. 

And then there were meals.  Without most of our food and all of our dishes, we ate all our meals out.  Lunch was usually fast food.  And Jon and I were quickly tired of it.  By Friday night we were both craving some green vegetables. 

Jude's meals weren't an easy task either.  After the cushionless couch was removed there was no place to sit but the floor.  And since there were moving men everywhere there was no safe place to go.  So we locked ourselves up in the bathroom, where I sat on the toilet lid, with my feet propped up on a moving box.  Or, if my back got too tired, we'd just stretch out in the bathtub for a meal.  Needless to say, we're glad to have our couch back!

The movers put the last box in the truck at 4pm.  We were so relieved to see the big job end, and eager to hit the road ourselves, that I hardly gave a second thought to leaving.  Which is exactly what I predicted.  I also predicted that the emotional weight of this move would hit me as we pulled out of the driveway.  I was about 500 yards off.  Instead, I had mini-cry when we got to the end of our road and drove by all the familiar landmarks, and I realized I wouldn't be going by this way anymore.  But the episode was short-lived when we got stuck in the thick of Friday evening rush hour on the bridge-tunnel.

Jack rode with Jon in one car, and Jude was with me in the other.  I was happy to get the sleeps-all-the-time babe, while Jon was stuck with cranky, hasn't-had-a-nap-in-2-days kid.  Instead, Jack konked out within 10 minutes, and gassy-Jude was crying and stinking up the whole car.  I have to say though, the drive to Maryland was gorgeous.  It reminded me of Pennysylvania, without the mountains.  There were rolling fields and big, beautiful farm houses.  In fact, I'm quite positive I saw my dream house.  Well, I didn't actually see it, but the tree-lined lane winding up the hill was a dead giveaway it was back there somewhere.

The moving van wasn't arriving until Saturday morning, so we headed straight for the hotel. By the time we got into our rooms it was after 10:30pm. Jude was hungry and Jack was wound up from his car-nap. So after a few minutes of jumping on the bed we finally got him snuggled under the blankets. Since Jude was in the pack 'n play Jack slept with Daddy in one of the "big" beds. According to Jon, it wasn't a very good night of sleep. Jude was all out of whack from our crazy few days, so he needed a few extra snuggles that night. It was during one of these sessions that I looked over and saw Jack, sleeping soundly, perfectly perpendicular to his Daddy. No wonder Jon complained about getting kicked in the night!

Jude made sure everyone was wide-awake by 6am. Jude was hungry and wanted Mommy, Jack was disoriented in the "big" bed and wanted Mommy, and Mommy was tired and just wanted more sleep! Jon left early to meet the movers and the boys and I (along with Mr. Monkey) had breakfast at the hotel. After dumping his carton of milk all over his face, shirt and shorts, we were finally ready to meet our new home!!