Last week in BC

Well, its finally here. The last week in BC and its starting to hit me that we're actually leaving. Annabel is having a bit of a tough time with it but doesn't have the capacity to verbalize exactly how she's feeling. We've talked about how she feels about moving a number of times and she's always responded by saying she's ok with it. I was wondering when it would start to affect her. Last week she started acting out a bit at school. Being defiant where she normally wouldn't be and starting trouble within her regular circle of friends. Her teacher talked to me about this on Friday. She said she pulled Annabel aside and asked her if anything was wrong and did her behaviour have anything to do with us moving. Apparently she said yes and then broke down crying. I took her out for ice cream after school and we had a little chat about how we can make this move a little easier. We talked about the good things about moving and the bad things about moving and she agreed that she would use her words to express herself rather than bad behaviour. We'll see how this week goes. There are 4 days of school left. I hope its a good last week of school for her....or we're gonna be having lots of ice cream!

I'm nearly done with packing. Of course there is lots of last minute stuff to do but I'm trying to get ahead of it all by cleaning NOW instead of leaving it all for Saturday. I'm doing pretty good. Although 6 months of planning and packing is a bit much I am glad to have had the extra time to get things done. Even so it still feels hectic. Especially since I'm doing all of this alone. I'll be really glad for the help after Jeff gets home on Friday.

Cooking has been another huge challenge. I don't want to have to move a pile of groceries so I'm abstaining from buying food that won't be eaten right away. This means supper time is a bit of a pain. I have loads of breakfast and lunch stuff for the week but my freezer is all but empty. Thankfully mom has offered to cook for us this week. Iwas hoping to get more of those invites but I'll sure take what I can get. I suppose we could have just invited ourselves over--the answer always would have been yes, but I hate to impose. I guess that's why I haven't asked for much help.

So after nearly 9 weeks apart I finally get to see Jeffy again. Can you imagine!!? We never thought that part out very well. Neither of us considered how long he would actually be away. Looking back this really was the best way to get established though. i can't begin to tell you how lonely its been!! Annabel and I will pick him up at the airport at 10:30am Friday morning and then Annabel will go out for lunch with my mom so Jeff and I can "catch up" (wink, wink). I've already told him that the longest he's ever allowed to be away from this point forward is 2 weeks and only if he can come home on the weekend.

The next time I write will be from Edmonton, Alberta. i hope to take lots of pictures of the trip and even a few of our new "temporary" home. I told someone yesterday we were staying at a Transition Home for a month but after i said it I thought that might not be the term I should be using.
So bye for now and I'll see you on the other side!! Yee Haw!!!

Slightly Overwhelmed

So I think this whole process is getting to me. I feel completely exhausted and not really for any great big reason. I've been going to bed at a decent time. Actually sleeping quite well. Working out 3-5 days a week. Eating healthy-ish. Yet I just feel tired. I don't think this weather helps. Its grey, cold and rainy. Has been for days now.

I keep looking around me at all that needs to be done and I have very little desire to do it. I'm SOOO looking forward to the move and would like to be able to just power through the house and throw everything into boxes but I'm still unsure of what we will need for the next few weeks and so I look past it or find something else to do (or not do).

I think I just need to breathe a little deeper and try to relax a bit. I am overwhelmed with the fact that I am here without Jeff and have to pack up 3 floors and 4 bedrooms alone. THAT is alot of work! I have been packing up all along but there is only so much you can do until the last 2 weeks. And NOW there is the added stress of moving again 4 weeks after we arrive in Edmonton. This means my last 2 weeks of packing needs to be even more strategic as I label things that can be unpacked and used in July and those things that can stay in their boxes for the next move. Seriously, i think THAT is what has me most stressed. 2 moves in 2 months. August is sounding better and better. Time to make some wine! i'm gonna need it!

Tomorrow is 3 weeks left and I vow to get as much done as i can this weekend. No matter how tired I might think I am. Hopefully the weather turns a touch cheerier. That would be a nice change.
Wish me luck!!

We found a home!

Well sort of. We have signed a lease with a landlord in the Kildare area of Edmonton and are really happy about it as there is a really great school not far from there that Annabel will get to go to. Its a 3 bedroom townhouse with a finished basement, 1.5 bathrooms and a nice deck out back. The kitchen is old and the lino needs to be updated. Now when I say "sort of" I mean that this landlord has another property that will be newly renovated top to bottom in the same area of town for the same amount of rent but it won't be available till the end of July. This means leaving out of our boxes for a month and then moving AGAIN! Jeff seems to think it is worth it and he is the one who has actually seen these places so i have to trust his judgment. I'm not thrilled about another month of feeling unsettled but it does sound like a much nicer place. We've gone this long....i think we can do another few weeks. At least we'll finally be together, right?

Anyway, at the very least we now have a place to unload the truck when we get there. The landlord seems very nice and wants to get me into Financial Planning--the field in which he is working. I'm not convinced. EI will probably pay for the training but he tells me that i would be expected to generate my own clientèle...something that actually repulses me. i'm not saying definitely no but i'm not really jazzed about it either. Those of you with your own businesses know what i'm talking about. i know that i would still have to find my own clients for a daycare business but it just seems like a service that everyone needs. Many people get by without a fin. planner....they maybe shouldn't but they do. You can't "get by" without a babysitter. Anyway, lots to think about.

Things are tight financially until we get to Edmonton but I've had tonnes of help from family and friends and am really grateful for all the wonderful people in our lives. I will really miss being so close to them all. Hopefully the internet will help keep us together.
I am looking forward to the things ahead of us though. I have a good feeling about it....