Kindergarten. It has begun. Ryleigh's first day in Kindergarten was two weeks ago. She was so nervous the weekend before, and so was mama. Sunday night we were both basket cases trying to get ready for bed and get ready for the day ahead. Ryleigh went to bed the first time at 8, but it was well past 10 before she finally got to sleep.
Monday morning we all popped out of bed and got ready in record time. Jeramy's office is just a few blocks from our temporary apartment so we picked him up on the way to Ryleigh's school, which is abo0ut 30 minutes away. We went ahead and enrolled her in the school that the neighborhood where our new house is goes to. Thirty Minutes...each way. Jeramy, Avery and I all walked her to her classroom. She seemed a little unsure of her surroundings, but didn't cry and didn't try to make us stay. Since I did my crying the night before, I was holding my own. I walked out the door with Jeramy behind me and Avery on my hip. Dad had to turn and take one last peek before we could completely walk away and when we did walk away it was Avery with the worried cry.."Sista! Sista!...Momma, Sista!"
So I felt good about the drop off and was looking forward to the pick-up. Her school lets out at 3:40, I got there at 3:20 and I got to load her into the car at 4:10. She seemed a little dazed, kind of like she didn't know what was going on. After we pulled out of the parking lot and began the drive home I asked her how her day was to which she responded..."Awful". Uh oh. She continued to tell me that she was so hungry because her teacher didn't let her eat her lunch, and by the way her teacher didn't smile at all and was so mean, and she hates her new school and she is HUNGRY! Then the tears came and I just really didn't know what to do. So I reached back behind me and took her hand and let her cry while I drove us to Chick-Fil-A. After scarfing down her chicken and chocolate milk she got some good play time in and was in a much better mood. But yikes, it was real touch and go for a little bit.
Over the past few weeks, things have gotten much better. She has started to make friends and has found lots of joy in her P.E. class, art class and music class. She has also learned to look forward to her weekends and was super excited when I told her yesterday that this weekend she gets THREE days off. Whatever will we do with so much time!!
I will be painting the majority of this weekend. We closed on our house last Thursday! The carpets will be cleaned on Tuesday, our household goods shipment will be delivered on Wednesday along with our new mattress!! Jeramy and I have had nothing but hand me down mattresses our entire cohabiting life, so this is huge for us. Also being delivered on Wednesday is our washer and dryer, but my new mega awesome fridge will take two weeks to come in. So, we will either wait to move into the house or we'll resort to ice chest living. It all depends on how badly I want to stop driving 30 minutes each way to drop off and pick up Ryleigh!
Jeramy leaves on Tuesday for his new, new, but not permanent rig. Explanation...when we moved back Jeramy was put in an Assistant Performance Rig Manager position, but last week that changed. Apparently he had mastered that position in a mere month and now he will be a Drilling Engineer, which is a rotating position. And they're putting him on a brand spankin' new rig that hasn't even made it all the way to the gulf yet. So, they're shipping him out to a rig to start learning on because this is a position that he knows less than shit about for the most part. However, he is really excited to get to work in this area. It is a position that he had asked for when we were in Canada and we think they intended to put him in it all along, they just weren't ready to right when we got back. The rotating part will be an adjustment, but the good thing is when he's home...HE IS HOME. Except when he's in training. *Sigh*....Such is life right, roll with it? Did I tell you I got a new fridge....29 cubic feet of fridge??
Time to paint...gotta get this done cause I gots me a hot date tonight! My oil riggin' man is taking me out for my favorite pork chops and a movie!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Returning to Texas, Cyber Style
Yay for me...I updated our blog! We are now officially in Texas, my blog says so.
We had a great visit with my sister this weekend. She and Blake came in on Saturday and headed for home this morning. Unfortunately I was sick the whole time with a middle ear infection, but we all know they were here to see the girls anyway. Not sure how I got a middle ear infection, but I think it might have had something to do with us going swimming last weekend. Talk about ouch, it's not something I hope to repeat again, ever.
Despite the girl in a coma on the couch holding her ear, we had a great time just hanging out, playing games and laughing at the silliest things...like creamed corn. You had to be there. It's cool, us all being adults and having grown-up things to discuss. And since we've all been together for so long, we actually have things to reminisce about. And then there's Becca and I, in the same room, not yelling at each other. Progress without therapy, it can be done.
We said goodbye to Aunt Becca and Uncle Blake this morning but it's not for long. We're heading up to their house on Friday to hang out for the weekend and cook out for my brother's birthday. Little Curdle will be 23, not that it matters, we just want cake.
One week from Thursday we SHOULD close on our house. We hit a little bump in the road today with our lender, but I'm pretty sure that the loan dude will see the light in the morning. His appraisal came in considerably below the selling price, but these things happen when you use short sales and houses that back up to tollways as comparable sales. Idiots.
The weekend after we close on the house we're going to San Antonio for a night. My "little" cousin Haesten will be playing on the Odessa Permian varsity football team against some other team there. Yes folks, that's the team from Friday Night Lights. Ummm, and did I mention that Haesten is a freshman? Really cool stuff, and a great chance to see a lot of family.
Time to return to Texas, via Facebook.
We had a great visit with my sister this weekend. She and Blake came in on Saturday and headed for home this morning. Unfortunately I was sick the whole time with a middle ear infection, but we all know they were here to see the girls anyway. Not sure how I got a middle ear infection, but I think it might have had something to do with us going swimming last weekend. Talk about ouch, it's not something I hope to repeat again, ever.
Despite the girl in a coma on the couch holding her ear, we had a great time just hanging out, playing games and laughing at the silliest things...like creamed corn. You had to be there. It's cool, us all being adults and having grown-up things to discuss. And since we've all been together for so long, we actually have things to reminisce about. And then there's Becca and I, in the same room, not yelling at each other. Progress without therapy, it can be done.
We said goodbye to Aunt Becca and Uncle Blake this morning but it's not for long. We're heading up to their house on Friday to hang out for the weekend and cook out for my brother's birthday. Little Curdle will be 23, not that it matters, we just want cake.
One week from Thursday we SHOULD close on our house. We hit a little bump in the road today with our lender, but I'm pretty sure that the loan dude will see the light in the morning. His appraisal came in considerably below the selling price, but these things happen when you use short sales and houses that back up to tollways as comparable sales. Idiots.
The weekend after we close on the house we're going to San Antonio for a night. My "little" cousin Haesten will be playing on the Odessa Permian varsity football team against some other team there. Yes folks, that's the team from Friday Night Lights. Ummm, and did I mention that Haesten is a freshman? Really cool stuff, and a great chance to see a lot of family.
Time to return to Texas, via Facebook.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Jennifer to Earth...I'm Still Here
Oh geeze, where to start. So much in the last two weeks...too much it seems. But it's all good, things are all starting to come together and slowly I'm starting to feel home. Okay, I'll start with today.
Ryleigh and I have been planning a mommy/Ryleigh day for a few weeks now and with Kindergarten just around the corner, I decided that we would spend the day shopping for clothes and supplies. We took off for Sugar Land this morning. And yes, I know next weekend is the tax free weekend, but yes, I will spend an extra $40 to avoid mass hysteria in the malls. And, with all the sales we hit today, I'm not sure that I didn't come out ahead....so there.
We hit Target first and loaded up on school supplies. And let me just say, I am so sick of hearing parents complain about how all the supplies get mixed up and redistributed to the kids. Knowing that Ryleigh would not necessarily get to keep the supplies I buy her made it so much easier to not buy the expensive stuff. And, what a great lesson in sharing I got to explain to her today and that she will get to learn when school starts. Good stuff if you ask me.
After Target we hit the mall, but it wasn't quite open yet so we grabbed some lunch and then set off for Gymboree where she got some adorable outfits. After Gymboree we started walking down the mall when I saw a store called Justice which seemed to carry girl's clothes, but maybe a little bit older girl's clothes. I asked a sales associate what size they started at and she said 6, exactly Ryleigh's size right now. We now have multiple "rock star" outfits and even daddy approved when we got home!
After some post-shopping gelatto we headed home where we picked up Daddy and Avery and drove on down to the Children's Museum followed by Star Pizza. All in all, a really awesome day. And, a nice break from all the craziness that has been the last two weeks.
Craziness which has included finding a cell phone, a house and a vehicle. The cell phone was easy, the house took a few days to hunt down, but we did find "the one" and it's everything that we wanted it to be. The vehicle took a little work and a lot of hunting, but we did finally find a deal we couldn't walk away from. Tomorrow I go get my new (to me) 06 Yukon. We're taking Dave Ramsey's advice and buying used after only buying new since college. And, I've never felt so good about closing a deal on a vehicle. We got my Yukon for over a thousand dollars under the trade-in value with a 12 month/12K mile warranty. Go us! Screw a bunch of new car smell and huge monthly paments. Gimme something paid for! (or really close to it)
This week we get to officially register Ryleigh for school and Jeramy leaves for the rig tomorrow evening for four days. It should be a pretty calm week for us, just hanging out and getting to know our new area. Katy isn't very far from Sugar Land, but it is a new city to learn.
I said that I'm starting to slowly feel at home. It's kind of weird to see my friends back in St. John's talking on Facebook and planning get togethers and playdates and not being able to be a part of it all. It's also kind of weird planning playdates and time together with my friends here. I kind of feel like I'm forcing my way back into a world I intentially backed out of...like a bad ex. I missed my friends here and it's so awesome being back close to all of them, but I still can't help feeling like I'm crashing back into their world which was probably just fine and dandy while I was gone. Okay, enough whining.
Time to iron some clothes and head to bed. I've gotta new (to me) car to go pick up tomorrow!
Ryleigh and I have been planning a mommy/Ryleigh day for a few weeks now and with Kindergarten just around the corner, I decided that we would spend the day shopping for clothes and supplies. We took off for Sugar Land this morning. And yes, I know next weekend is the tax free weekend, but yes, I will spend an extra $40 to avoid mass hysteria in the malls. And, with all the sales we hit today, I'm not sure that I didn't come out ahead....so there.
We hit Target first and loaded up on school supplies. And let me just say, I am so sick of hearing parents complain about how all the supplies get mixed up and redistributed to the kids. Knowing that Ryleigh would not necessarily get to keep the supplies I buy her made it so much easier to not buy the expensive stuff. And, what a great lesson in sharing I got to explain to her today and that she will get to learn when school starts. Good stuff if you ask me.
After Target we hit the mall, but it wasn't quite open yet so we grabbed some lunch and then set off for Gymboree where she got some adorable outfits. After Gymboree we started walking down the mall when I saw a store called Justice which seemed to carry girl's clothes, but maybe a little bit older girl's clothes. I asked a sales associate what size they started at and she said 6, exactly Ryleigh's size right now. We now have multiple "rock star" outfits and even daddy approved when we got home!
After some post-shopping gelatto we headed home where we picked up Daddy and Avery and drove on down to the Children's Museum followed by Star Pizza. All in all, a really awesome day. And, a nice break from all the craziness that has been the last two weeks.
Craziness which has included finding a cell phone, a house and a vehicle. The cell phone was easy, the house took a few days to hunt down, but we did find "the one" and it's everything that we wanted it to be. The vehicle took a little work and a lot of hunting, but we did finally find a deal we couldn't walk away from. Tomorrow I go get my new (to me) 06 Yukon. We're taking Dave Ramsey's advice and buying used after only buying new since college. And, I've never felt so good about closing a deal on a vehicle. We got my Yukon for over a thousand dollars under the trade-in value with a 12 month/12K mile warranty. Go us! Screw a bunch of new car smell and huge monthly paments. Gimme something paid for! (or really close to it)
This week we get to officially register Ryleigh for school and Jeramy leaves for the rig tomorrow evening for four days. It should be a pretty calm week for us, just hanging out and getting to know our new area. Katy isn't very far from Sugar Land, but it is a new city to learn.
I said that I'm starting to slowly feel at home. It's kind of weird to see my friends back in St. John's talking on Facebook and planning get togethers and playdates and not being able to be a part of it all. It's also kind of weird planning playdates and time together with my friends here. I kind of feel like I'm forcing my way back into a world I intentially backed out of...like a bad ex. I missed my friends here and it's so awesome being back close to all of them, but I still can't help feeling like I'm crashing back into their world which was probably just fine and dandy while I was gone. Okay, enough whining.
Time to iron some clothes and head to bed. I've gotta new (to me) car to go pick up tomorrow!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Home
Just wanted to let everyone know that we're back in the Lone Star State for good. We had a pretty easy travel day. Both of the girls were just fabulous on both flights and there were no major passport incidences. We got into Houston around 4:30 yesterday afternoon, Texas time, and made it to our temporary apartment by about 6. We sat down to a nice dinner at Jason's Deli, yum yum...missed it, and then went straight to TARGET!
The thing that sucks the most about moving is that you can't take things like cleaners and perishable food items with you. Once we got into our apartment we relized that we really had nothing. No soap, no milk, no basics. We stocked up enough to get us through breakfast today. After having some breakfast and taking daddy to work we hit the ground running. We've got a house to find and a life to get settled.
Our last weekend in St. John's we took a little day trip to a bird sanctuary down on the "south shore"....here are my favorite pics:
The thing that sucks the most about moving is that you can't take things like cleaners and perishable food items with you. Once we got into our apartment we relized that we really had nothing. No soap, no milk, no basics. We stocked up enough to get us through breakfast today. After having some breakfast and taking daddy to work we hit the ground running. We've got a house to find and a life to get settled.
Our last weekend in St. John's we took a little day trip to a bird sanctuary down on the "south shore"....here are my favorite pics:
and this was on a Russian sail ship that was in the harbor on Saturday morning:
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
On Moving Back
The last few weeks have just passed by like a dream. My mind has been racing in a hundred different directions making lists and pondering the logistics of this move. There are just so many details involved in a venture such as this that you feel like you're adrift in a sea of priorities and you really wonder how it's all going to get done, but I have faith that it will all get done...it has to.
The movers arrived yesterday morning to begin packing our life into cardboard boxes. They knocked on the door at 8:45am. They weren't supposed to come until 9am and asked if it was too early. They couldn't have known what a loaded question that was so when I burst into tears it seemed to have caught them off guard. I just wanted to scream, no! not yet! I'm not ready! But, I didn't, I let them in and showed them around and let them know that the desk stays, hear that, the desk stays.
About an hour after arriving they asked me to make them some coffee. Really? Coffee? Because I've already cleaned the coffee pot and oh darn, the grinder is packed. Ten minutes later the movers announced that the grinder had been unpacked. Really? Reeeeally? Because I could have sworn that you were being paid to pack things up. Oh, and by the way, the desk stays.
So, they got most of it packed up yesterday. We got checked into the Sheraton downtown after attempting to stay at the Extended Stay Suites. At the Extended Stay we walked into our non-smoking room which reeked of cigarette smoke and sat on the beds which felt like cardboard and immediately turned around and walked back out. I totally didn't want to be that wife that's all like, I can NOT stay here, but seriously, for the children's sake, I could NOT stay there.
We headed back down to the house today to let the movers back in so they could begin loading the truck. I took the head guy on a tour and informed him that the desk was to stay. One hour later I went up to the purple room which serves as our office and found the desk half way disassembled. The desk stays people!!
We went and had lunch with friends for the second day in a row. THANK YOU BETSY!! Our things should ship out tonight. The driver told me that the load will go to Toronto to pick up another two loads and then head to Fort Worth and San Marcos before ending up in Houston. Fine by me, we don't have a place to put everything yet and probably won't before September.
So, we're just chillin' in the hotel right now. Avery is napping, Ryleigh is watching tv and I'm trying to catch up on my blog reading and writing. We hope to get all of our personal business squared away before the weekend so we can just enjoy our final few days in this place that we love so much. The plan is to have dinner at East Side Marios on Sunday night, 6ish if anyone wants to join us. Monday morning we fly out and another chapter begins...
The movers arrived yesterday morning to begin packing our life into cardboard boxes. They knocked on the door at 8:45am. They weren't supposed to come until 9am and asked if it was too early. They couldn't have known what a loaded question that was so when I burst into tears it seemed to have caught them off guard. I just wanted to scream, no! not yet! I'm not ready! But, I didn't, I let them in and showed them around and let them know that the desk stays, hear that, the desk stays.
About an hour after arriving they asked me to make them some coffee. Really? Coffee? Because I've already cleaned the coffee pot and oh darn, the grinder is packed. Ten minutes later the movers announced that the grinder had been unpacked. Really? Reeeeally? Because I could have sworn that you were being paid to pack things up. Oh, and by the way, the desk stays.
So, they got most of it packed up yesterday. We got checked into the Sheraton downtown after attempting to stay at the Extended Stay Suites. At the Extended Stay we walked into our non-smoking room which reeked of cigarette smoke and sat on the beds which felt like cardboard and immediately turned around and walked back out. I totally didn't want to be that wife that's all like, I can NOT stay here, but seriously, for the children's sake, I could NOT stay there.
We headed back down to the house today to let the movers back in so they could begin loading the truck. I took the head guy on a tour and informed him that the desk was to stay. One hour later I went up to the purple room which serves as our office and found the desk half way disassembled. The desk stays people!!
We went and had lunch with friends for the second day in a row. THANK YOU BETSY!! Our things should ship out tonight. The driver told me that the load will go to Toronto to pick up another two loads and then head to Fort Worth and San Marcos before ending up in Houston. Fine by me, we don't have a place to put everything yet and probably won't before September.
So, we're just chillin' in the hotel right now. Avery is napping, Ryleigh is watching tv and I'm trying to catch up on my blog reading and writing. We hope to get all of our personal business squared away before the weekend so we can just enjoy our final few days in this place that we love so much. The plan is to have dinner at East Side Marios on Sunday night, 6ish if anyone wants to join us. Monday morning we fly out and another chapter begins...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Have Some Pictures
I just dumped a ton of pics off my camera. I'm sort of busy these days, you know, just moving from one country to the other. Enjoy some of the best ones!
Yet, they still love her so much!
Trouble.
Our little athlete.
Sisters Forever.
Grandma Terri and the girls road trippin'!
Yet, they still love her so much!
Trouble.
Our little athlete.
Sisters Forever.
Friday, July 3, 2009
6 years of marriage, 6 homes to live in
It's official, we are moving back to Texas! Jeramy's company has transferred him back and he is being moved to a new position. It's a lateral move, but it's a move into an area that he has wanted to be in since he started back with the company over three years ago. Really it's the job that he wanted when he quit roughnecking 11 years ago and went back to college. So, I'm really happy and excited for him even if I'm not entirely pleased to be moving back to Texas so soon.
I have really adjusted well to living here. It's not the just the clean air, nice folks and mountains of snow either. I have made some fellow expat friends here that I hope will be a part of my life forever. I have grown attached to their children and look forward to the day when we are all back in Houston or hanging out during a visit to the UK, watching our kids run and play while we reminisce about our time in the Great White North.
The movers come to pack our things on July 20th and on the 21st everything gets loaded up and heads out for the trip south. We plan to stick around here in a hotel for about another week and then fly to Houston on July 27th. We spent some time during our visit home last week looking for a house, but nothing really jumped out and grabbed us. This will be our 6th residence since we got married and Ryleigh's 5th home to live in. Maybe this will be the one that we stay in for more than just a few years, maybe not since we plan to jump at the next opportunity to move abroad. To know us it to love us!
So, if you're here in St. John's, make sure we get together before we leave! And if you're down in Texas waiting on us to return, we'll see you soon y'all!
I have really adjusted well to living here. It's not the just the clean air, nice folks and mountains of snow either. I have made some fellow expat friends here that I hope will be a part of my life forever. I have grown attached to their children and look forward to the day when we are all back in Houston or hanging out during a visit to the UK, watching our kids run and play while we reminisce about our time in the Great White North.
The movers come to pack our things on July 20th and on the 21st everything gets loaded up and heads out for the trip south. We plan to stick around here in a hotel for about another week and then fly to Houston on July 27th. We spent some time during our visit home last week looking for a house, but nothing really jumped out and grabbed us. This will be our 6th residence since we got married and Ryleigh's 5th home to live in. Maybe this will be the one that we stay in for more than just a few years, maybe not since we plan to jump at the next opportunity to move abroad. To know us it to love us!
So, if you're here in St. John's, make sure we get together before we leave! And if you're down in Texas waiting on us to return, we'll see you soon y'all!
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