august

Thursday, October 6, 2011

A few things.

I wish I could fully explain why I haven't been blogging. It's not that I haven't had anything to say- in my absence we have had a move during a tropical storm, all sorts of eye-opening experiences, and plenty of thoughts on settling in to our new albeit very temporary home. The truth is simply that there have been things going on, things outside of Squid, the kiddos and I, that have been troubling me, and when I write all sorts of things want to pour out, but some things just do not belong here. To go back through and filter them would have felt like a lie, and I hate lying. So, I chose not to write at all. I hope I get to the point where I am better at separating it all out. Having said all that, I'm back to chronicling this journey, and happy to be doing so!

We're a month into living this the Sunshine State life, and I have to say that so far it's been wonderful. I was completely shocked and delighted to see how quickly the kiddos adapted- they love everything about it here, aside from missing our family back home. I was also shocked and delighted at how soon we all four felt settled, how somewhere we had been for such a short time could feel so much like home. I'm sure it had a lot to do with being reunited at long last with Squid. It was a couple of weeks after we arrived that he actually got permission to live with us, but once he did, things took on a state resembling normal. Even typing that word makes me realize that normal is a funny thing unto itself. What seems perfectly normal now would have been totally bizarre months ago- terror threat levels posted on grocery store doors, jets flying so low over our apartment that it literally shakes, making big lunches because that's the only meal Squid gets to sit down and share with us, having to bring my car to a complete stop in the middle of an intersection because there is a bugle playing over giant speakers, Squid leaving the house every day looking like one of Bug's action figures- not saying I mind that, of course. Life is good, but life is definitely different. Do remember that Squid and I have been married for almost nine years, all of those "civilian." I must say that I am glad for that; we didn't go through all of this to live exactly like we were living before. Pretty shortly, Squid will be getting a piece of paper telling us where we're heading next. I'm excited for the next chapter, but it will be sad to leave this place with the beautiful beaches and glorious weather, and the place that we first realized how different this life would be, and just how fast we could get used to it all.

This, of course, doesn't hurt the process.


I promise very soon to write on what I wasn't told about homeschooling, getting Lee as our welcoming committee, and why I cried the first time I made my way onto the base. Try not to bite your nails off.