Well about 4 years ago we packed up our home and moved to Hawaii. We were idealistic and thought this would be an adventure of a lifetime. Id never thought I’d move away from my home Midwestern state and here I was, with kids in tow, hopping a plane to live an ocean away.
So four years later and hear we are again. Watching all our belongings being wrapped like mundane brown Christmas presents and loaded into a wood crate to shipped to our new home.
When the movers first arrived today, three hour late, I stood in the garage like a stalker and watched them pack it up. I would like to say I got teary eyed, but that would be a lie. I was sad to see it all go but more numb. Should I be happy? Sad? Excited? Nervous? I really didn’t know. Hubs seemed to be overly excited. Trying to help where he could and pacing back and forth like an expectant parent. It was then I reflected back to our first and disasterous pcs.
It went something like this:
We lived in southern Alabama. A rural town on the outskirts of another semi-rural town. The movers drive up from Florida straight into a storm; both literally and figuratively. Within an hour of them arriving I notice Diva was acting lethargic. Not only lethargic but lifeless. After taking a temperature, I realized something was seriously wrong. The themointer read 105.
Through wind, hail, thunder and lighting; I drove her to the nearest ER. After some tests, it was reviled she had some sort of infection; which to this day is still unknown. Diva and I spent the next six hours in the ER during a hail and tornado producing storm while Hubs was left in charge of the movers and Bug. Upon our release I frantically called Hubs. Letting him know we were on our way. With no cell service in the ER I thought he would have been panic stricken. However, he seemed oddly calm.
When I arrived home I found out why. Because he was trying to do his best to watch and help the movers, he had left Bug unattended in front of the tv. Only problem was he wasn’t in front of the tv. Bug had wandered into another room and found a open bottle of weed killer; which he drank!
So when I arrived poison control was on the phone with Hubs and the packers were wiping up Bug and the floor.
Needless to say Bug was fine. But not our car or the suitcases we had packed in a car topper on the roof of our car. Seems our car topper wasn’t as water proof as advertised. Instead, the storm had drenched our suitcases causing the black dye in them to leak onto our clothes dying and staining them permanently.
So here I sit 8 hours after our packets started this morning feeling blessed nothing dramatic or drastic has happened. Any why? Because I pawned my kids off on other people for the day. Lesson learned.
At least no one ended up in the ER
Best of luck!!! I hate PCSing!!!!
Stories from another military mom of an ASD kiddo here: http://www.mypuzzlingpiece.wordpress.com
This one will make you laugh: http://mypuzzlingpiece.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/a-peak-into-the-life-of-an-asd-parent-the-time-i-ended-up-on-the-fbis-no-fly-list-and-im-still-on-it-today/
I promise.
Hang in there!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks! Today’s the big day. They will load everything up. So we will see how the kids do when things change and the house is empty.
Sending thoughts your way! I know my Aspie freaks out when the house gets empty. Pizza night? Might help!
We go into the hotel room today as well. So from here on out every night is pizza night! Lol. Yesterday when they both got home from school they were literally bouncing off the walls and running in circles screaming. And only things were packed up. Today the load. I’m not looking forward to the reaction of that.
Well let me know how it goes! At least staying in a hotel room won’t feel as “empty” as a really empty house. Also….if the hotel has a pool, you might be able to wear them out! 🙂 and then call room service for a bottle of wine- cuz you deserve it!
The good thing is they are excited about a hotel room. So I hope it will work on my side! Thanks for all the positive comments friend. Sometimes it’s hard to see the good side
☺️ you are amazing and strong! Hang in there!!! When do y’all leave?
Thanks friend. We fly off island on the 16th.
Hang in there!!!! We PCS’d from Sasebo a few years ago. It’s hard moving across an ocean, but you’ll be settled and heading into a new routine before you know it! 🙂
It’s gonna be a long journey. We aren’t going straight to our new base. Visiting family for two months before we do. It’s gonna be such an adventure!
Oh my word! Well you better blog along the way and tell us all about your adventures! Have a lot of fun and only a few short, easy to de-escalate, meltdowns!
Oh trust me, I will! Nothing better than sharing my experiences with the world to show that things are amazing and crazy just like life with “normal” kids. Day two of pcs and still no er trips. I feel like I’m batting a thousand.
Yes you are!!! I’m thinking about you! Have so much fun. And no ER trips!