Learning to Breathe...

On Tuesday this past week my friends helped me to pack away the final pieces of our life in Attleboro into a 16' container.  Amazing how our lives can fit into such a small box. Something that I thought would take 3 or 4 days took just about a full 2 weeks, several "helpers" and became a bit of an obsession for me.  To a point where I could focus on nothing else but "the move".  I would lay in bed night after night with my mind racing and trying to think of what I could do to expedite things or what my game plan was for the next day.  In the end, it meant I had not been enjoying my vacation up til then - if anything I was exhausted both physically and emotionally and if it weren't for the kids having such a fantastic time would have said that this was a waste of a trip.  Home just didn't feel like home when all I did was move things out of it.

Rich and Bill - we were out there til 1:30AM on Tuesday but they got every single thing they could into that POD.  Not an inch of space to spare!!

Wednesday the boys each had sleepovers - a prisoner exhange as we called it - Nate to our house and Liam to Nate/Aaron's house.  It was Liam's first sleepover and he had a great time.  Aidan and Nate were super fabulous though most of the time they were with Courtney as I was out with my cousins for the evening.  But she said they were good :)  I was just happy that they each got one more special night with their friends since I knew that Thursday we were moving on...

Liam, Aidan and Nate on our swingset

The boys playing on the one piece of "furniture" in Aidan's room - his air mattress...

Aidan takes a spin on Nate's bike - so happy to be riding around in the street! 

Liam playing in our yard

In the end, things did get done, the house was cleared of everything and as of Thursday we've been staying with my parents. And for the first night in 2 weeks, I got a full night's sleep. It was wonderful and it's amazing how much better you can function when you get at least 6 hours of sleep! It was as though a huge weight was off my shoulders once we left our house. That's not to say that I didn't love staying there and being a part of the neighborhood or to see my kids faces all aglow in happiness for the first time in a long time (at least on Aidan's part) - because all of that was worth it. But I was just toasty and the wall I hit, I hit hard!!
 

Aidan and Liam playing one last time in our backyard

Thursday afternoon we arrived at my parents and settled in. We had a mellow evening and meals on actual plates with real silverware. That alone made the trip over here worth it!! Friday Aidan and I headed over to South Shore Plaza for some shopping - he's not the best of shoppers, but then what boy is? Ok, he was at his best as long as I was purchasing for him. So there will be no Gap or Banana Republic visits on this trip, but did I really need more clothes anyways? In a sense, he's saved me from spending unneeded money, right?

As we drove up to SS Plaza, I was thinking about how my perspective on home has changed. And I don't mean necessarily where I live. But more appreciating my surroundings. Noticing details like the hawks circling in the sky, the smell of the grass, the traffic for the 4th of July (it sucks but hey it's a part of life here too) and even hearing a lawn mower at the crack of 8AM on a Saturday morning. All of those things I took for granted before, they were just a part of my life. And now they are a part of a past life and eventually a future life - but in my present, they exist on a temporary plane and I've got to put those special memories and feelings in the back of my head to reference when I'm feeling down about anything - they are what make home, home.

Friday night we went up to visit with my brother and his fiancee. We had a great evening full of good food at Aidan's fave, Longhorn, lots of laughter and of course since it was Jay's house, lots of video games. The drive to and from Leominster wasn't so much fun but it is so pretty up in that area I have to say, that it was worth the distance. And it was great to spend some time with Katie and Jay as well. Aidan got very teary when we were leaving - I know he misses his Uncle Jay very much when we are in Barcelona.

I think this must be an annual photo of Jay and Aidan playing video games on his couch

Liam loves the video game chair

Best Buy after dinner to play... yup, more video games!

The kid is good!

Liam chilling with Auntie Katie

Saturday we laid low again - we had thought about going back to the neighborhood but really I haven't spent a lot of time with the boys on my own since we've been home as I was too busy moving. So we went to play putt-putt at a place in Easton that I used to go to as a teen. They had a great time and then it was off to Hilliards for ice cream after that. A great day with my two best boys. I ended the day with dinner with two of my best girls - Tracie and Michele and it was such a nice, mellow night and my steak at Davio's was fab... mmmm steak... don't get much of that in Barcelona.

At mini golf in Easton

Liam and Mommy

Aidan focusing (on hole #1, after that there was very little focus)

Liam also focusing for about 2 seconds... the 18 holes took us maybe 30 minutes to complete.

They liked the holes where the ball would jump from level to level

Today we went down to the Cape. It feels like the 4th of July weekend and yet it doesn't. We weren't here for the 4th last year and it's really weird being in limbo and not having our house to go to down there. Usually Josh would take this week off and we'd spend it at our house on the Cape. So it was strange to go there today and not be with him or be at our house. We went down to visit with Becky and Ray for the day. We had a great time out on their house float in WoodsHole - it's such a relaxing place to just hang out on the water. We did a quick jaunt out to Devil's Foot and then it was back to their house and then back again to my parents.

The boys on the dock with Uncle Ray, getting ready to head out to the house float

Eel Pond in WoodsHole

On Becky & Ray's house float in WoodsHole

I like the patriotic flag that made it into this picture

Kool Aid...yum!

Aidan on the roof of the float - and yes, I'm feeling patriotic again!

Aidan showing Uncle Ray his jiu jitsu moves

On their way back from picking up some lunch

Fishing with Uncle Ray

Liam attempting to fish as well

On Devil's Foot

Exploring all the hermit crabs, scallops, quahogs and more!

Holding a hermit crab

Aidan found a starfish - don't see many of those around here!

 
Tomorrow is the 4th and our last full day here.  We're going back to the 'hood for a party most of the day and evening and to say our "see you laters" and "til next years".  It should be a fun, but sad day as it's hard to believe our trip home is over when I feel like it really just began.

Julie