We're back!

Hurray! We are finally home! We got here late last night (Friday). I am still recovering from the looooong drive home. A trip that should have taken 4 hours took us 7, and Viv was crying most of the way. Apparently she isn't a car-tripper. We hit rush hour in Cininnati and Dayton, stopped at the world's slowest Wendy's, and pulled over a couple of times to see if I could figure out how to get Viv to sleep. But we made it safely and we're all back together as a family. I should probably go unload the suitcases now :)

Guess that's how the future's done

The source for the title of my blog is a song by Feist, my (and Grace's!) new favorite musician. I hope that isn't plagarism or copyright infringement :o I think of it more as allusion. The song is Mushaboom:



I just love the song, and right now I'm especially relating to the line about "second floor living without a yard." We are actually living in a pretty nice apartment here in KY, which we found through a corporate housing company. It's 2-bed, 2 bath, has a garage, full kitchen, washer/dryer. We spent our first few days in a hotel room, and I do not know how I would have survived a whole month there. So I am very grateful to be here. But it has made me appreciate my 1-floor house with a nice (if overgrown) backyard. I'm glad we decided to buy a house rather than a condo, even though the yardwork is kind of a lot to deal with. For the last 3 weeks, we have been picnicking on the little balcony here, and Grace spends as much time as she can out there when we're home. It's just not the same as picnicking under our big maple tree and playing in the sandbox.

The latest news is that we are waiting on the whim of a judge, who will decide whenever he feels like it to pick up our file and deem it legal for us to return to Michigan. Today the social worker told me to plan on another week. I started crying. It was pathetic :) If they hadn't told me a week ago that I was going home a week ago, I would be fine with this. We are really doing fine, finding lots to do, and our spirits have been high. But being told every day that it will be "tomorrow" and then "Monday for sure". Well, maybe I imagined the "for sure". It is frustrating. Today I was mopy. But tonight I bought myself some chamomile tea, dark chocolate, and a box of haircolor (don't worry, Rob, it's not permanent). I'm having my own private spa of sorts! And tomorrow we will go have fun and not sit around staring at the phone for one second! Well, maybe just one.

Kentucky twins

Last week my car went on the fritz, and seeing as I don't know anyone for 2 states around to come pick me up if it died completely, I took it to the shop immediately. The guys at this place were very helpful, and one of them ended up bringing me and the girls home when it turned out they needed to keep the car overnight (of course).

This is how he started out the small talk in the car: "Yeah, I have kids. Two 14 year old boys who aren't related to each other except through me."
Me: "Not related?"
Him: "Yeah, they have 2 different moms, but it happened the same night. I was the bouncer in a bar, their moms are best friends. When the first one told me, I was okay with it, but then when the other one came to me, I was like, you gotta be kidding me. Is that even possible? But there you go. My boys, they're like twins except they don't look like each other. Now they're in Texas with their moms, but my wife's okay with it."

Wow.

Invitation only

Well, if you've made it here, thanks :) I decided to make my blog invite only for now, sorry if that is a hassle. Also, it didn't let me personalize the invitation so I don't even know what the email said! I hope my blog won't bore you to tears! In case you hadn't noticed I am feeling weird about this whole thing still. Thanks for checking in!

Stuck in Kentucky

I am starting to think that we will never ever leave this place. It already feels like we've been here forever. Like our real house and real life is a distant dream. It's not bad here, I don't mind it. Just isolated. Me and the girls, 24 hours a day. I think that is what has finally pushed me over the edge to do this blog. The isolation. Glad they have internet here in the twilight zone.

Caving to pressure

So Rob has trying to get me to do this for a long time now. Why did I finally give in? Mostly because there are a lot of people whose blogs I enjoy reading, it's always fun to keep up on what's going on in their lives, but it's not actually "keeping in touch" if it only goes one way. I was hoping my flickr page would fill this need, but it doesn't seem to be very comment friendly.

Also, it feels like a chance to grow. In high school and college, I wrote all the time and it helped me find who I was. But life marches on and I haven't written for ages. Suddenly I find myself in my 30s and a mother of two! Who am I now and what do I have to say? Part of what has held me back from doing this for so long is that I have felt I have nothing to say--an introvert by nature, not a witty bone in my body, and not one for getting on a soapbox. But I've decided I need to focus more on my life, live with purpose. Things get so busy that I don't stop to reflect. I had someone wish me once, "Hope you stay busy!" as we parted. Ummm. No doubt about it, busy-ness has its therapeutic value, and sometimes it is just unavoidable. But is it an end in itself? I hope not! So, I hope that sitting down and writing will help me focus on living life and not just watching it roll by as I stay busy.

I do not promise anything entertaining, educational or even coherent. Just me rambling. I'll see how it goes, and maybe I'll quit in a week or two. This is a trial run and nothing more! I'm loving photography right now, but maybe a blog will rekindle my old love of writing. Here goes nothing!