Emptiness

How strange it is now to walk into our apartment and see nothing! No comfy couches, no table and chairs, no stereo, no toys strewn all over (YES!!!!). I don't know that I always enjoy the transition point of moving very much, but it does always make me grateful when I'm settled again once it's over. I know it's a headache. It causes so much stress not only for me, but for my family. It's interesting to see the different ways that stress is manifested. I feel like I'm handcuffed to a wall. It's almost like I can't move or function! Weird. Josh becomes very moody. One minute, he's higher than a kite--flying around the room and screaming! The next moment, he's back to his little purple puddle on the floor, sobbing hysterically about something minuscule. Claire becomes defiant. I will ask her to do something and she will either ignore me completely, or blatantly disobey me, yelling "No! I won't!!" as she goes. Andrew is extra clingy. *Sigh* What fun. But it's ok. We all learn to adapt and to cope...and I think more than anything, we learn patience with each other.

We got to spend the morning today with some friends who let the kids and I hang out with them while Devin stayed with the movers. It was nice to have a break from the whirlwind of moving and be in a stable environment with more kids to play with. I enjoyed the respite, and I think the kids did as well. It's nice to be home again, but it is starting to not feel like home anymore. Sadly enough, it will probably be about another month before we get to start feeling comfortable somewhere. We will make the best of it, though, and enjoy the adventure of our family's first move overseas. I think it just means I need to find more fun activities for us to do during the day, so we don't sit around feeling sad that our books, toys and furniture are all on a boat going across the Atlantic Ocean.