Naming the New House While Trying to Empty the Old

So I want to name our new home, but I totally stink at naming things. The previous owners called it Campasaurus Rex. We are Hokies, so maybe something related to Tech. I keep thinking about turtles and how they carry their homes on their backs. I want to call it something fun. Maybe it will come to me.

We've taken some stuff out to my mom's house. I think I may have underestimated the amount of stuff we will be keeping. We have too much stuff. I was hoping to sell furniture, and what doesn't sell I plan to donate. Much of it isn't worth storing, and certainly not worth hauling 600+ miles. I have donated about 6 large bags of clothes.

I start to feel overwhelmed when I look beyond the necessities. There's just not enough time to do all this the right way. We are home today and tomorrow, camping Thursday through Monday, and Kentucky bound the next Sunday. I suppose I could focus on loading the camper since we intend to leave it on the hill after camping.

Ack!

Taking the Plunge from Ptown

We did it.

HokieHubby got the job in Kentucky.

We bought a 30' travel trailer.

We are the stars in our own reality show: "Extreme Downsizers."

It's a madhouse around here. I consider it a miracle every time I manage to get a meal on the table. There is stuff everywhere. More than usual.

I'm not sure if the kids really get that we are not taking all of their stuff with us, but I guess they'll figure that out later! I should probably take pictures through the whole process.

Anyway, the adventure continues! I plan on renaming the blog, and writing more often. I also need a name for my behemoth camper/tiny new home.

Back in the summer of 2010...

HokieBoy has been going to speech therapy at the public elementary school for 2 years now. In that time, we've learned a good bit of how speech therapy works. We've learned what to look for, that some skills are just not appropriate for young children, and how to help children make correct sounds. Recently, HokieBoy's therapist indicated that HokieGirl may qualify. I had not been overly concerned, because I felt she was hitting the most of the right sounds for her age. (By the way, she just turned 4, but she looks and acts a little older, like maybe a late 4. It throws people off sometimes.) But, when a speech professional suggests that there may be a problem, well there is certainly no harm in having an evaluation. If there is a problem, therapy through the schools is free, and HokieBoy's therapist is great.

So, today was our opening evaluation. We dropped off the other kids with a friend and headed off just the two of us girls. We walk into the meeting room, and here's where I realized the set up must have felt a little intimidating to my girl. It was a conference room with a long table and 7 adults already seated. I pulled a chair out for her and sat down.

She whispered, "Mama, can I sit in your lap?" Of course! While I'm answering questions I let HokieGirl play with my hands. "Look, Mama! I made your hands into a triangle! Look! Mine is a smaller triangle!" I murmured, "yes!" into her ear and continued answering questions about her birth and baby milestones. "I made your fingers make a diamond! Here's a tinier diamond! And now I'll make the tiniest diamond!"

At this point the speech pathologist pulls out her box of toys and invites HokieGirl over to play, while I continue to answer other questions.

Wait. A Blog Entry? No Way!

It's been a very long time. I could go on and on about how long and how much has happened since I last blogged, but I won't. Instead, I think I'll write about the future. HokieHubs is heading to another state with HokieBoy. He is interviewing with another Fire Department. When he gets the job, we are going to do the unthinkable: by an RV (travel trailer) and park it in a campground while we decide what our next step will be. That's right. A 30-ish foot camper with 4 kids and a puppy. I'm insane. I'm also excited. I know it will be challenging to downsize. But I think it will be exhilarating. We will be forced to part with much of our belongings and only keep that which we truly need. Some of our things will move in with my mother. Some of it will be sold. Much of it will be donated. An awful lot of it will go in the garbage. I think this will be an awesome experience for all of us! At least I keep telling myself that!

fb in Ptown

I think facebook has killed my meager blogging skills. It's so easy to just type in whatever you're thinking at the moment and limit the characters. It makes me sad. I'll be better about blogging. Maybe. I hope. I like blogging. For now, I'll keep knitting my Hanami, which needs a clever name. Another day. I have no ac in my living room right now and it's about 100* outside. I can't think. Good night.

Storytelling in Ptown. Or not.

I wish I could write. I mean, I can write, but I wish I could write well. You know what I mean: the kind of writing that inspires and entertains. Some of my favorite blogs to read are by gifted writers. These blogs are more than simply records of events. They are stories of events. I wish I was a storyteller.

Here's an example.
HokieBoy was in the tub the other day with his hand on his manparts. So I ask him if he needs to pee. He says no. So I asked why he was holding himself. He says, "I love my penis. My penis makes me happy. My penis makes pee. I hate pee. But I love my penis."

See, there's a record of what happened. Funny, but not terribly gripping. (Get it? He was gripping... nevermind.) How can I make this into a story of what happened? I want to tell the truth without exaggerating, because the truth is funny enough. Maybe I should find a class or something in all my extra time.

Not a lot of Knitting in Ptown

I have so much to say, and no idea where to begin. So I will write a little today, and maybe I'll feel a little better.

I finished the race last month! My goal was to finish it before they closed the course, and I succeeded. In fact, I completed 13.1 miles in a little under 3 hours. (Just for fun: they close the course after 4 hours.) Then, I thought I was going to die. For about 7 hours, I wanted to throw up. I felt like I had the flu. In the meantime, I was throwing a party for my four year old. I was fun that evening. Finally, I managed to eat some birthday cake and I was healed! Guess a little sugar can go a long way.

HokieBabyGirl hasn't been gaining weight these past two months. At her 4 month checkup, she was 10# 2oz and just below the bottom 3% curve. That was about where she had been all along. At 6 months and 2 weeks, she was 10# 4oz. She fell not only off her curve, but off the chart. She gained 2 ounces in 2 1/2 months. Not good. Her pediatrician wants me to supplement with formula and come back for a weight check. I am working with a Lactation Consultant, supplementing my diet, pumping frequently, and supplementing HBG with pumped milk, formula, and fatty solids. Turns out, she kind of likes avocado mixed with rice cereal and formula.

I'm a little stressed out about it. I'm trying not to post anything about it on facebook. My mom and dad follow my facebook page, and I think my mom is mad at me for not just putting HBG on formula and getting over it. I don't like formula. I nursed two babies successfully for a year after rough starts and I'm not giving up on this one. I can do this. I have the desire, the support of my husband, professional assistance, and time at home to do this. What I don't need is to hear things like, "formula isn't that bad; I agonized over it for you and your sister; it's come a long way in 30 years." The bottom line is this: I want what is best for my baby, and I believe with all my heart that breastmilk is best. If I cannot bring my milk supply back to where it must be to feed my daughter, then I will do what needs to be done for her to thrive.

Needless to say, there is not a lot of knitting going on around here. Oh well.