Over the River and Through the... Entire United States

We've arrived (sort of)! Some of us are adjusting to west coast time a little more easily than others but we're settling in -- too bad we're not sticking around the Seattle area. We are staying with Eric, Mary, Katy, and Emily through the weekend (aka abusing their hospitality since they're actually headed out on a little vacation tomorrow while we continue to eat their food and use their hot water) and then will head up to Penticton over the weekend. Our stuff will likely arrive via the Vancouver Express next Tuesday or Wednesday but we thought we'd head up early so that I could actually get a peek at the house before the movers show up and want me to point them in a particular direction. Our car is here, and it was nice to be reunited with the grocery getter and all its crumbiness. I missed those dirty floor mats. It's also nice to have a break from packing up the house, and we've enjoyed the local park and Target already. I think I may have actually kept the local Target in business for the next several years. Molly gets her own bathroom (until her brother or sister elbows his or her way in there) so I had to get her set up with some fun new stuff. I bypassed anything pink/embossed with princesses/long eyelashed vixens, not because I don't like that stuff, because I do, but because it doesn't seem to fit with the tank's personality. She got fishies instead -- which she got to pick out. She was very definitive with her choices -- I got lots of "nos" and "yeses" when I asked her to pick out towels and bath mats.

The bad news is that I seem to have left the cord behind that lets me transfer pictures from the camera to the computer (name of said cord: I have no idea). I need to pick up a new one before I can post new pictures but I got some cute ones of the west coast ladies. I'll pick up a new cord as soon as I can figure out a way to describe it without sounding like a moron. In the meantime, here is one from a couple of weeks ago -- Mrs. Fu Man Chu.

Hug-a-mom-and-dad day

I know that several people out there love their moms as much as I love mine so I'm not embarrassed to post that I'm going to miss my mom more than all the blog posts in the world can describe. She's an outstanding mom, an outstanding grammy, a terrific and patient mentor, and a wonderful, one of a kind friend. She has been our knight in shining armor when we needed a last minute babysitter or I've gotten sick and can't quite fathom how I'm going to get through the day. She also does the fun stuff with us -- beaches, books, eating messy foods... I know this transition hasn't been easy on her either, but she's kept up good spirits for the rest of us.

I often talk about my mom, but my dad should also get one of those #1 dad mugs, too. He has lamented that he doesn't feel like he can do as much to help out since he's still working a few days a week, building a new kitchen at their house, and generally being Mr. Fixit, but I don't think he realizes how often and how much he does help despite all his other commitments. I call him with questions about my lawn mower, we get to talk about boring (to other people) health care stuff, and he always comes through with super babysitting or daughter-sitting as needed.

Both my parents are superstars and really, really wonderful grandparents. I KNOW that I didn't appreciate them enough until I had my own baby and realized that this whole parenting thing is hard work, full of rewards, but hard nonetheless (have you met my brothers?!). They will be missed... I'm not sure even I understand how much I'll miss them until the day that I am frazzled and need help and don't have them right down the road. But, I know that they'll still love all of us just as much when we come back and really, they are just a trip to the airport, a six hour flight, a layover, another flight, and a trip home from the airport away. What? That's nothin'.

I'm posting this today for a couple of reasons. First, our departure this morning was a little groggy and rushed so I only had time for quick hugs (good planning on my part) and I want them to know that I love and will miss them. Secondly, this blog is a way to record little bits of childhood whimsy and history for Molly and Skeletor. I hope someday, as they wade through my ramblings, that they understand what wonderful people their grandparents are (all of them -- the Doyles have their own #1 mugs with their names on them. More blog fodder for another day!) and that while they think their own parents are, oh, super duper party troupers, they fully understand that we see what we see and are who we are in large part because of our parents. After all, even Newton realized that "if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

So, if you're close enough to hug your mom or dad, give them a squeeze for me. When my parents come knock, knock, knocking our door for a visit, I'll be sure to do the same.

Rolling Along

We hitched up our horses and headed out of Newburyport on Friday -- right after our roughly 6000 lbs of stuff (not including furniture) headed out on the Pony Express to Penticton to arrive sometime next week. We came to Maine, apparently caterpillar land instead of Vacation land right now, to drop Harry off at camp for the next few months and to continue our round of goodbyes.



Liz and her little men stopped by for some final hugs on our one nice day of sunshine this week. We gathered our babes and ourselves for a commemorative picture. She and I have been amazing friends for almost 15 years. We've lived, laughed, and cried together. We were each other's maid and matron of honor. We saw each other's babies on their birth days -- so many events in the last nearly decade and a half. This will be the longest separation (except for Liz's semester in London) during that time and I'll miss her so unbelievably much, not to mention her munchkins who are near and dear to me. 

Luckily, comic relief was available for much of the day in the form of a couple of busy little girls. Molly had so much fun with her bubble bath pour deux the other day that she went for the three-fer with the funny bunnies.

Not to leave the littlest member of the clan out, Molly had lots of hugs for (not so) little (but really, really cute) Evan. She liked to point out his hair, head, knees, toes, mouth -- I just tried to stay away from the eyes because I think he would like to enjoy his peepers for a bit longer. She has a habit of poking things a little aggressively.


Next up, we're headed to Boston on Monday in order to fly out to Seattle on Tuesday. We'll post from the west coast soon!

Rubber Ducky, You're The One

Molly went to play at Sadie's house yesterday while John and I tackled getting things into and out of the attic. I apparently had packed the world's messiest snack, which resulted in the need for an early bath for the ladies. Really, though, what's childhood without a bath pour deux at some point? Molly enjoyed her first bubble bath and chatted with me (I say with me, but it was really more of a monologue) about it for quite awhile last evening.



Photo credits go to Jessie on this one.

I Hate To Leave You, But I Really Must Say...

Ugh, I HATE saying goodbye. I like living in denial -- really, it's a much nicer place. Since I KNOW I have an issue with it, it's almost like I can pretend that it's not really an issue, right? That's exactly what I would say to a client (ahem, no) so I'll just take my own advice...

When I left my job at the hospital, my supervisor and I talked a lot about this problemo of mine. I am, perhaps, his #1 fan and I just could not say a final goodbye. For weeks and weeks, I was a classic avoider -- talking about random issues just so that we didn't get ever get around to terminating (what a terrible term). In the end, it turned out he was just as bad as I was about it so we got to part ways with a wave and a see you tomorrow. That's pretty much how I'm handling some of my current partings. This time, though, it's at least partially true. We will be back in "hey, did you guys leave yet?" quick two years. No, it won't be the same, but different isn't necessarily bad, right? Anyway, Jessie and Chris hosted a going away party with our playgroup last week and it was lovely and because everyone was chasing kids, I really didn't have to do many big goodbyes (my kid, meanwhile, made an escape to the second floor, fell down the stairs, and ate two thirds of the Elmo cake because I was busy telling people that we'd-see-them-in-August-so-there-really-wasn't-any-point-in-saying-goodbye-now). It was only after I left that I cried because it meant so much to me that they'd all come out to see us off (and gave Molly a collage of all her little friends. It's so sweet and she loves it). It really was lovely, thank you to everyone. Tonight, we had to say goodbye to Molly's babysitter for the past year, Pamela. Not seeing Pamela show up at our door every Tuesday is going to be traumatic for both Molly and me. She is WONDERFUL with her and it's really not every day that you find a sitter who loves your babe like she does. I can't even begin to replicate everything that she taught her. I dealt with this goodbye by asking her to come back on Thursday. Seemed much easier that way.

Soon, however, our goodbyes will turn into exciting hellos -- hello to visitors who make the trek out to Penticton, hello to the west coast (a friend of mine tried to tell me that the west coast is the best coast... we shall see), and, of course, new bebes. In honor of our hellos (and growing bebes), here is a twenty week belly shot of the new munchkin -- juxtaposed with little Pirate Molly when she was on the inside. I've gained little weight this time but the belly feels about twenty times bigger at this point in the game. Maybe it's because my derriere isn't pretending to carry its own baby this time around.

Le basketball #2

Le basketball #1 (am I even preggers?)

We did have our big gender-revealing ultrasound last Friday. I'm excited to report that we're having a... baby. No, we didn't find out. I know all you planners out there are having a coronary but despite my peeking a little this time, I really don't want to know. I liked having it be a mystery in the delivery room last time because it gave me something to focus on while I was screaming (I'm pretty sure the midwife, nurse, and John were focused on when I would stop screaming -- yikes, I think I was scary). We also didn't come up with a fitting moniker for him/her yet. All that kept coming to mind for me was Skeletor, which is not very nice (although if our new house looks anything like Castle Grayskull then I'll let it stick).

Back to our external offspring, Molly is getting into the moving spirit by jumping the gun and helping me unpack boxes that I've just packed. It's not at all helpful. Here's another way that she helps:

I think she thought going out west by USPS might be more fun than our flight next week.

She also got into her work mode this morning and had to keep her unruly, humidity-induced frizz out of her face like yours truly.

Thanks to all those that have helped out in the last several weeks. From giving us boxes to plumber-sitting and from Molly-watching to freezer-cleaning, you all are the best and I really, really couldn't have done any of it without you. And now, I bid you goodnight (but I'll be back in a few days... this isn't goodbye).

This Is How We Do It

Oy vey, it's been a busy week with trying to find renters for our house, getting our ducks in a row to move (ducks are very, very hard to get in a row sometimes), Molly getting pretty sick, and (most fun) our 10th year Colby reunion.

The good news is that we think we've got some rental prospects that will work out and the ducks seem to be lining up fairly well at this point. Molly is feeling better despite being a little out of sorts this weekend while she was recovering. Reunion was fun, fun, fun -- although I might rethink sleeping on plastic dorm mattresses for our 15th reunion. The crinkle crinkle that we heard every time we turned over may only be matched in awesomeness by the world's loudest industrial toilet that we had in our suite. Luckily, we bunked with Kate, Wilson, and Hannah so we could spread out a little more than in a Johnson single. We lucked out with glorious Maine weather (I swear, Maine orders a special shade of blue for their skies -- a warm, sunny day cannot be beat up there).

Getting some net practice in -- she's getting ready to follow in Auntie Holly's goalie footsteps. I wonder when she'll follow in her gorgeous blond baby curl footsteps...

The "official" lobster bake greeters. Enter at your own risk of being bombarded with hi, hi, hi, hi, hi, hi. It was nice to see Molly with a moment of spring in her step -- she wasn't her usual chatty Cathy all weekend.

Hannah likes to show us how to get down. She was a one-woman dance marathon this weekend.

Getting some snuggles in with Kate after a lo-ong night. Partying until all hours might need to wait for a few more years.

Pensivity by the pond.

I wonder if the dads will carry the lasses off to their first day of classes, too.

T-Minus...

We're trying to squeeze in playdates and soak up the fun stuff before we hit the road exactly two weeks from today. We're actually hitting the skies not the road -- we decided that a five day car ride with Ms. Doylette might be more trouble then it's worth so we're shipping our car and will meet up with it again in Seattle. In the meantime, we're happily joking around with friends until it's time say au revoir, auf wiedersehen, and adios.