Damn you, Pinterest!!!!

So today Madison had her Valentines Day party at preschool. This is my first time to have a child in preschool…first Valentines Day party. So we bought Valentine cards for her class….let me clarify….we bought the "old school" Valentine cards for her friends….cute little Disney princess cards. They even came with extra stickers…WOW! Then, I thought why not add some cookies….so everyone got a cute little sugar cookie with pink sprinkles. Cute. Happy Valentines Day from Madison!!!

Umm….NO! I go to pick up my kid from school and I should've brought luggage to bring home all the crap she got!!!! She came home with a box of stuff…..a BOX!!!! Everything didn't fit in the box so thank God I had grocery bag with me to put it all in. I saw curly straws, candy, magnets, lip gloss, hair clips, hearts, kisses, puppies, chocolates….and we haven't even gone through all her stuff! It's like Christmas. This made me feel like a crappy Mom because my kid took a little Disney princess card to everyone (WITH matching stickers…don't forget that) AND cookies.

So….we are preparing our Valentines for next year…..here's my supply list of things to buy:

1. 3-D glasses….that's right! Our Valentines will be in 3-D next year.

2. USB connectors/adapters……yes, our Valentines will be compatible with all Apple and Microsoft products. You can also use our Valentines to charge your electronic devices…so it's a two-4-one!

3. Glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark paint…..our Valentines will ROCK in black lights!!!!

4. Scratch-off Lottery tickets…….you just may win $5000 with our Valentines!!!!

5. Scratch-n-sniff Chanel No.5 paper……we aren't using cheapy old "candy" scented paper…..we're using high-end luxury fragrances.

6. Clown fish…..like the actual little saltwater tropical fish. What kid doesn't want their own "Nemo"??? So everyone's getting a heart-shaped saltwater aquarium with Nemo in it!

And of course, we'll need the regular "run of the mill" craft supplies: glitter, puff balls, 14k gold flakes, pipe cleaners, stickers, and swavorski crystals….

TOP THAT, BITCHES!!!!!!

(ps. She really did get some cute stuff…..I obviously need to step up my game! and I'm crafty person…I should've known better!!!!)

I'm back….in WASHINGTON!!!

So….I live in Washington now! We made the cross country move…and survived….marriage intact…children breathing. 

     Interesting place this Washington….I've never lived in a place where I feel like a foreigner. I am a fish out of water here!!! Everything is different here….EVERYTHING. The tree, roads, the way people dress, the terms people use, the time zone, the time the sun rises/sets…..it's all different from the South. 

    I never thought I had a Southern "twang" until it was pointed out to me..and my daughter. Little Madison was playing on the playground and an older girl said "Mommy, she talks so funny"…her Mom said "it's because she's from the South." Then our pediatrician asked where I was from because she could hear a little "Southern" in my voice. I feel like I talk "normal"…but I do love my "y'all"….my favorite word. 

    More about Sequim….this little tiny city I never knew existed until my husband informed me of our cross-country transfer. It's a city (not a city…it's a town…..more maybe a large village) of about 6000 people. It's a small city east of Port Angeles (which I had never heard of either until the Twilight movies came out). Here are my observations of Sequim…from a "South Texas" girl…..:

1. There are NO tall buildings here. NONE. There's one old mill that's about 3 stories high…known at the Sequim Skyscraper. That's it. 

2. Downtown consists of cute little shops/restaurants…similar to Avondale for my Jax peeps. 

3. The average age of everyone in Sequim is 75. It's a retirement city…people come here to live out the rest of their lives. So everywhere you go, it's ALL old people and maybe a few young'ins. The local businesses cater to the retirees, so you see a lot of financial planners, insurance providers, coffee shops, hearing aid stores, etc. 

4. Everything in Sequim opens at 10am…and closes by 6pm. There are 2 restaurants I know of that stay open past 9…that's it. Even local gas stations will close early so you are screwed if you want gas late at night. However, we do have Walmart….good 'ol Walmart open 24 hours. 

5. The speed limit in town is 25 miles per hour!!!! Yes, 2-5. Then on outer streets the speed limit goes up to 30mph. It's perfect for old people because no one drives fast….you can't. Everyone is going slow. 

6. It's GREY here. We can go days and days without seeing the sun. It may pop out for an hour or two in the afternoon, but other than that, it's just grey and wet. It's wet but not from actual rain. It's constantly misting and drizzling here. So everything is soaked and wet but it isn't from actual rain showers. 

     On the plus side, I have found some wonderful "positives" to living in the Northwest and in a small town. I've met some wonderful people, in the Coast Guard and out. There is a sense of community here…when you run into the same Moms out and about, you get familiar with them and they become friends. Moms with small children tend to go the same places…the library, the parks, etc. I've met so many great people….I'm proud to call them my friends. Madison LOVES her preschool…it's warm, inviting, and the staff is great. 

    The other thing I have to comment on is my husband. When you move across the country to a small city where you don't really know anyone (except one friend), I had no choice but to really lean on my husband…to cry…to laugh…to vent….for everything.  I felt like this move strengthened our family because we did so much more together. The four of us got up every Saturday and said "okay, where are we going today?" and we went out to make memories and have adventures. Whether I felt out of place or not, I had to make this place "home" to my girls. I had to show them how great it is to be here. 

  Jim and I have made so many memories here and it's only been six months. I can honestly say we've seen more, done more, experienced more here in the Northwest than I have any other place. 

Borders were breeched....North Korea was invaded!!! (not politics, I promise)

So, there's one thing that annoys me about my husband...he can sleep anywhere....literally. He can sleep in any temperature, in any amount of space, with any type of covering, through wind, rain, tsunami, you name it! He can sleep through it. He lays down and in one minute flat he's out....in a coma...doesn't hear a thing...sleeps so hard. How can that be? How can anyone sleep so soundly and hard!!! UGH

I'm what  is called a "high needs" sleeper....it's hell for me to get a good nights sleep. It's horrible. The stars have to align perfectly for me to sleep. It's takes forever for me to fall asleep and it takes lots of preparation. Here are my guidelines for a good nights sleep:
    1. I have to have air circulating at all times...like a fan...or jet engine..whatever....but I have to feel air blowing on my face and skin or I start to feel like I'm suffocating. Jim, on the other hand, can sleep in 90 degrees of still air in a desert and it won't bother him.  NOPE.
    2. I need the perfect ratio of covered skin to uncovered skin. I need to always keep my legs, feet, and body covered, and my arms...but not my shoulders. So this happens after I fight with the blankets for a while to get the blankets just right.
    3. I have to have LOTS of pillows...one for my head, one to put my arm around, and one on each side of me for my legs. So I'm barricaded by pillows.
    4. I cannot touch anything or anyone. Jim and I actually have quite the pillow barrier between us in our king-size bed...we even joke that he's "South Korea" and I'm "North Korea"...I don't like visitors...I don't like illegal immigrants. Stay in your country and I'll stay in mine. If his foot even travels into in the "danger zone" we joke about North Korea...you enter at your own risk.

So..last night we were in a hotel (going back to the two bedroom condo today..thank God!)...with one bedroom, one queen bed (which is bullshit because I swear that sucker was a double..not a queen). Madison slept on a pullout couch and Jim, Emma, and I attempted to sleep in the queen together. Now...if you know my husband, he has LONG limbs...he has the wingspan of a pterodactyl. He likes to spread out. Emma is like sleeping with a tasmanian devil...she moves constantly...and she has to feel you....UGH. So Jim was spread out....Emma was spread out...and I tried to create my cocoon of pillows in a make-shift North Korea. This gave Emma about 5 inches to sleep in. I tossed and turned and tossed and turned. I got hot...then cold...then my back hurt...neck hurt...then hot again. Emma would come into North Korea without the proper visa. UGH. So I didn't sleep. At 1:30, Emma attempted to sleep horizontal in her five inches of space. My immediate thought as a loving mother is "I hate my life". Emma then decides to wake up and practice her kickboxing....on my back.....(mental thought: "Why do bad things happen to good people")......

After finally falling asleep and having a great dream about Harrison Ford, Madison comes in a 6:30. She's standing next to the bed...about 2 inches from my face...and she says "Mommy, I have to go potty" (mental thought: I hate my life....again). I wake up...feeling sore...hungover....exhausted. After the bathroom, Madison climbs in bed with us...all four of us in bed. Most moms would think of how sweet it is to be close...all snuggled together....cozy and warm....NOPE. Screw that. I need space! So we woke up.....

We go back to the condo today...and we'll have space...and our own beds. God bless Ambien, because Momma is going to pop one at 7:30 and get some sleep!!!! The North Korean borders will not be entered tonight.

Maybe it's a Texas thing....

But size does matter! (no pun intended!)....we are living in a two bedroom condo right now with a small kitchen and living area. We have 27 inch TV in the living room, a couch, two chairs, bathroom with all the essentials....yet I feel cramped. I sit here watching my girls play with the toys I shoved in a totebag for them and I feel cluttered and cramped. Why is this? When did I get so used to space? Then I feel guilty because there are probably millions of people who live in a home this exact size or smaller..possibly with more kids! I'm blaming Texas...where the mentality is "bigger is better"....portions of food, houses, lot sizes, etc....it's just bigger. I like space...I like large closets...and large bathrooms...and large open kitchens.

Which brings me to my next topic..househunting in Sequim. WOW. It was a rough one....not to mention we did it all "sight unseen." I thank my friend Becca who lives there now for being my eyes since I'm not there to see everything. We wanted a four bedroom house, at least 2 bathrooms, at least 2000 sq ft (and even that seems small to me...don't judge!). But finding a four bedroom home in Sequim is like finding a needle in a haystack. Seriously. They don't make them. It's also hard to find new construction or a home built in the last 20 years. So we were in culture shock immediately. We saw wood paneling, brown shag carpets, olive green porcelain bathtubs, etc.....I was ready to tell Jim to retire.

Then one night, I couldn't sleep and I logged onto AHRN (housing website for military members) and I found a house!!! My heart stopped....it was a 3 bedroom (plus a loft), 3.5 bath, 2600 sq ft house...holy mother of God!!! YES!!!! SPACE!!!! When I looked at pictures of it, I started giggling out of shock....stainless steel appliances!!! Gas range!!! Three levels!!! Wood flooring throughout!!! Living room, loft, and family room!!! Just one bedroom short, but no biggie. It's gorgeous...so updated...we jumped on it so fast and we got it!!! Here are pics of our new house.

It's so pretty inside....spacious....so knowing we have this little sweet house to move into makes me so excited. I can't wait to decorate for fall...and put up Christmas lights...and set up our tree. It's a cute little neighborhood (Becca took pics for us all entire area and all the local houses)..very clean..lots of flowers, etc. So this will be home sweet home!!!

Packing for the hotel

So, the annoying thing about moving (like there's only one thing) is the amount of stuff we need.....and I seriously tried to not pack too much. But having two young kids requires more crap than I even realize. Clothes, shoes, socks, pjs, toiletries, blankies/loveys, bottles, bibs, etc....holy crap we have so much stuff. I can't believe it! I also had to pack "work" clothes. Then there's the electronics that we'll keep with us...the laptop, iPads, camera, video camera, cell phones and all the chargers.

I'm annoyed. I'm tired. And our moving journey is just beginning....but I guess I shouldn't complain too much. While I sit here on my laptop watching HGTV, Jim is still at the house moving stuff. Poor guy.....it's going to be a long 8 days....

Moving Details....

Today we leave this house...but we aren't quite moving yet. We are going to stay in a two bedroom cottage on NAS Jax (kind of like a condo) until we officially leave. We wanted to be out of this house and get our things shipped to Washington asap. My last day of work is June 5 and the girls and I will fly to Texas on June 6th, early in the morning (shoot me now!). Jim then plans on driving his truck to Washington and he's pulling my 4runner on a trailer. We think the trip should take him 5-6 days, depending weather, traffic, etc. He will stay in Washington for a few days and wait for our stuff to arrive. He plans on hiring a few movers and getting our stuff unloaded to make the house "livable". He thinks that should take 4-5 days. He will fly one way from Seattle to Corpus Christi to meet us. At the end of June we'll fly to Oklahoma to see his family for a few days. Then we're off to Vegas for my sister's wedding. From Vegas, we fly one way to Seattle then voyage to our new house. Whew!!!! That's a lot!!!! So we'll be in Washington around July 6th or 7th......

Where the heck is Sequim?

So, we're moving. This girl from South Texas, who has only ever lived in the south, is moving to the Northwest. We're moving to Sequim, Washington (pronounced "skwim") next month. Jim got transferred so we're packing up (actually we're in the process of packing...that's another topic to discuss) and we're moving. So where's Sequim? Here's a map of the state of Washington and up at the very top is a little green star (practically right by Canada)...that little green star is our new home.

Could we move any farther away??? Um, yes, that would be a move to Canada...our closest neighbor. We're actually going to be closer to Victoria, British Columbia than to Seattle. WOW!!! Sequim is a little town of about 6,000 people...there's no Chick Fil-A, Target, Panera, or a mall (that's right, you read that correctly). It's actually a retirement community, from what I hear. We're going to become accustomed to small-town living. I hear there are some amazing restaurants that use only locally grown organic foods and there are great local festivals. The plus is the quality of life that I think people find and seek in the Northwest. We're 30 minutes from Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park.

To actually see beauty like this is so exciting to me. I come from South Texas...where everything is flat, and usually brown, with mesquite trees and low-lying brush. Now I'll be right by a national park, where tourists and visitors travel to see natural waterfalls, rainforests, and snow. I can't wait! (I say that now...but let's see what my attitude is like 3 months into dark, gloomy, rainy weather). Here are some more pictures of our new city....