Last week my son started kindergarten. I didn’t think I would cry, but there I was, blubbering away in the car line. Ford turned to me and said, “Don’t worry Mommy, I’m still little.” I smiled at him through tears as he got out of the car wearing his uniform and big backpack and wondered where the last five years went.
Last week I was working on a new system for getting ready in the morning. I have to have all of the kids dressed and ready and in the car by 7:30am so that Ford can be in his classroom at 8am. I have a 4.2 cubic ft fridge, two bar sinks, and a microwave to work with for breakfast. Imagine feeding your family with the equipment you would find in your average dorm room. I am lucky that my in-laws have been taking care of dinner, but I am going to get creative soon. I am sure there is a toaster oven dinner cookbook out there.
Last week I was alternating between being grateful that my family has been given this opportunity to hit the reset button, and missing my house. We are putting our priorities in order and learning to live with fewer, more important things. But I really miss my house. There is just a dull ache when I think about it, rather than the sharp pain when we were moving, but it still feels like a wound that hasn’t healed yet.
Today I am writing in a room at the Great Wolf Lodge. Our suite is actually bigger than our apartment in Hampton, so I am really enjoying the king sized bed and all the extra space. The kids have LOVED the water park, well Lily hates it, but she doesn’t like the water much to begin with. We are here because we evacuated the day before Irene hit. We live on the water now, and the threat of a category 2, 3, or 4 hurricane was just not worth the risk. We stayed with my parents in Williamsburg for the storm. The wind really sounded like it would blow the entire house down. The water crept up in the yard at my in-law’s house, but thankfully did not even reach the same level as Isabelle. A few more miles inland and the storm could have caused serious damage. Being without power in 90 degree heat we decided to take a little vacation. So here we are…. Our room has wi-fi and air conditioning, which seems like a little slice of heaven. We will head back to Hampton tomorrow, power or not, but for now we are comfortable. I will be more grateful for my little apartment this week than I was last week. The kids will be more grateful for their beds and toys. After all of the damage I have seen on television and Facebook I am so grateful that we were spared. My prayers go out to the less fortunate. We have been there…. This is our house near Fredericksburg after Isabelle.
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