This was our last trip to the beach, on Tuesday night.
If you ask me, by this point we were already showing signs of wear. The goodbyes were still coming, so hard and fast that it was impossible to process one before we were out the door and on to the next one. I'd think about how I'd probably not see a treasured friend or a favorite place for many more years now and a sense of extreme unreality would take over.
The walk on the boardwalk was punctuated by whines from children whose schedules had been significantly thrown out of whack. I was glad to be behind the camera. Daily showers had not been a guarantee in the past week. Multitasking had reached a new level. I would sit in the driver's seat of the car with the kids safely buckled to make my phone calls, then hang up and start the engine to run yet another errand.
Everything was going well, but it was still hard. Kind of like open heart surgery going off without a hitch. The surgeon may come out with a smile on his face and congratulate you on a good outcome, but that doesn't mean that recovery will be a picnic.
Boy, are we going to miss the evening beach walks.
We took our last swim in the Citrus Springs pool.
We built the last cool track with Devon on his train table.
We took our last outing to the Splash Pad. Oh, the Splash Pad.
The kids drew with chalk and ran around within the fence like they always do.
When the jets went off, the kids would crowd around the pole and touch their three hands to the top to make it turn on again.
Never again? Probably not. So sad!
Monday night we brought out the warm clothes. It was about twelve hours too late. At TOTS dropoff that morning I froze in confusion when I noticed that my children were the only ones in short sleeves and bare legs. I'd awoken in a packing stupor, dressed and loaded the kids, and pulled out of the garage to drive them to school without noticing that it was cold outside.
Mom of the year!!! Their teachers had to lend them jackets for outside time.
For weeks I've been sorting and organizing their warm clothes, packing them in the suitcase for their new life in Maryland. As I've been doing this, we've all still been wearing our shorts and sandals. It never occurred to me to keep out some accessible warm outfits for the perennial cold day in Florida.
Thankfully, with all the upheaval nobody starved. Many kind friends stepped forward to feed our family this week. Even better if it was at someone else's house! We enjoyed a nice evening with Chris and Alex and their twins Robert and Ryan.
Wednesday morning I threw caution to the wind and dressed the kids in clothes that I didn't feel like washing that day. TOTS party was worth it.
The kids paraded in, shaking their jingle bells and singing. Suddenly shy, the girls found us right away and didn't want to stay in the program.
It was a challenge to handle three kids that all suddenly wanted to hang on a parent. Thankfully, Cindy Heinz, Devon's favorite teacher, stepped in to give him some attention.
Afterwards, the kids mingled at the cookie party.
All three suddenly seemed so grown up!
Devon: No! I don't want to be a grown-up. I'm a grown-DOWN!
From there we went straight to our hardest goodbye. Sniff.
These four girlies have been best friends since they met at twins group at six months of age. Carrie and Melina will miss Kaley and Ryley so much. I can't even think about it. It makes me so sad!
The lunch and playdate was fun and light in mood, free from any hint of the looming goodbye. Michelle and I snapped picture after picture of the girls and neglected to get one of ourselves. Go figure. Moms are always behind the camera. I'm not looking forward to the moment I know I'll have in a few weeks when I pick up the phone to tell Michelle to bring the girls over and realize she's fifteen hundred miles away.
That's the only part that stinks about this move. We love our Florida life. To get myself in the mood for change, I cut off my Florida long hair. My thin hair is best in a layered bob, a style I gave up a year ago because the kids were so little and morning washings and hair dryer time were not a guarantee.
I hope in Maryland I'll have time to keep it up. And sleep for more than five hours a night. And exercise (oh how I have missed you these past few busy weeks). And fix myself food to eat, not just finish up what the kids have left on their plates....
It's Wednesday night. Packers come tomorrow, loaders come Friday. We're crossing the finish line...
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