Six continents, 31 countries, and never were we anywhere hotter than this. It’s 105 in the sultry South and the mosquitos here could eat their Asian and African counterparts for lunch. Unfortunately they accept us as a sorry substitute.
You haven’t heard much from us in the past week because when we’re not fainting from the heat or suffering from yardwork-induced dehydration, we’re walking around in a daze wondering where our backpacks have gone and why the sink keeps piling up with dirty dishes. Poor Tom has had nary a moment to consider his professional future since getting the kids up to speed has been far more work than I can handle on my own. The last 10 days have been a blur of completing the boys’ online coursework and finals, registering four kids for three different schools–a paperwork nightmare which includes visits to doctors and dentists–and buying all the necessary supplies…except the jumbo-sized 8 pack Crayolas, which are out of stock at every Target, Kroger, and Wal-Mart from here to the Mississippi River. Add to that the continuing mystery of where our sheets have gone, how 432 lightbulbs can go out at once in hard to reach locations throughout an oversized house, the continuing debate/paralysis over what kind of car not to get, and oh yeah, why exactly is it 105 outside, and you’ve got a recipe for a couple of stressed out return travelers.
Thankfully our load was lightened immensely by the constant presence of grandparents for the past three weeks. My mom was here for our first week home and Tom’s parents were here for the following two. They left tonight and we’re waiting for the real shock to hit tomorrow morning when there’s no one to play with the little kids, feed us when we forget there’s no cafe on the corner (only rocks and bushes there), make us laugh when we feel like crying, and remind us that the rewards of everything we did this past year will far outweigh the trauma of our current readjustment.
In the meantime we’ll continue to eke out our deer-in-the-headlights, day-to-day existence and will hopefully hit a groove once the kids go back to school on Monday. Our current report card doesn’t look too good, however:
New job No
New car No
Cell phones No
Satellite TV No
Sanity No
To be honest, even though our current reality is unsettled, it’s downright exciting. Granted, it’s also a bit scary, but if you look at things through rose-colored Raybans, the shakeup could be another important step in our family evolution. We took life by the reins a year ago and have been thrust into a position where can do so again if we put our minds to it…now if only it would cool down so we could think clearly!
