saying goodbye is hard to do

So it finally arrived - the last week here in Taranaki.

I actually cant believe it is here. We found out Garth had the job in Texas when Harry was a week old - to put that in perspective, he is now 6 months old. It has been a long time (and yet a very fast time) coming.

We have sorted, cleaned, pruned, gardened, counted, thrown stuff away, painted, built, and organised so many things over this last 6 months. In fact, Garth and I would have put about 5 - 10 hours a week into this move each week since February. And being me, I have put lots of hours into laying awake at night going over every aspect in my head. Oh and writing those lists.

Tomorrow night we leave for Auckland. The boys and I will be setting up at Ma and Pa's for a month. We have family to farewell during our time there and have lots of fun things to do like the Zoo, MOTAT, Kelly Tarltons etc. Hubby is still around for a couple of weeks - cleaning the house, overseeing everything being packed and put into a container, more cleaning etc. for our tenants. Today I have started packing suitcases - a daunting task. Packing for three months. One month the tail end of winter and two months in a much hotter (like 25degrees hotter) climate. It will be weird to be reunited with our stuff at the end of November.

But the hardest part of this week .. the goodbyes.

Some goodbyes are easy - goodbye stupid rubbish collection system, goodbye to winters coughs and colds, high food prices, and a country without IKEA and with slow internet.Goodbye stupid 'windows help centre' scammers who seem to have us on direct dial, Goodbye to weekend chores and to do lists that come with being a home owner.  These things - I happily say good bye to.

but the rest... well not so much.

Goodbye to the beautiful mountain and sea views we enjoy in Taranaki. Nothing beats a crisp cold Taranaki winters morning. The mountain has come to represent  home in a way I never thought it would when we first moved here.

Goodbye to the lifestyle here in NZ, where hubby is home 10 minutes after finishing work, where doctors visits are free for the boys, where safety is just a fact of life, where the chocolate is awesome and the wine is even better. Goodbye to the kiwi depreciating sense of humour. I miss you already. 


But the goodbye Ive been avoiding is this one.

Goodbye to my 'mummy' friends - the women who I have been raising my boys alongside from the YPS to antenatal, and others collected along the way. You guys are just awesome. We have bumbled our way through this parenting thing together, learning on the job, talking every little and big issue over,  laughing, drinking ( just me?) and shaking our heads at it all.They say it takes a village to raise a child.....pfft... I firmly believe it takes a village to support a mum (and dad) in raising a child. You guys have been so much a part of our boys lives, directly in your interactions with them and indirectly through the support you have given hubby and I. Every offer of help over these two years, and especially the last six months, while not always utilized has been like a small gift.
I have found such true friends in you and it was so lovely to spend last Sunday morning with you  - just chatting and being people, not just mums. I have no way to articulate how much your support, love, and friendship has meant to me. ( mainly because if I think too much about how to say what I want to say.. well... lump in my throat material)
 So thank you all.

 

T- minus 19 days in New Plymouth

So we have 19 days left in New Plymouth before I head to Auckland for a month with the boys.

This means after months of slow progress things are about to speed up.

So where are we at? 

 We have finished getting our house 'renter ready' - on a side note - being a landlord is expensive and it takes a lot of work and maintenance to make a house 'low maintenance'. If it wasn't for generous offers of help from family and friends - this would have been near impossible with two babies and limited weekend time that Garth has, because lets face it - most of the jobs he has needed to do. 

Beginning to cut down the hedge. Had gotten a 'little' out of control

we weeded!

new fence in, bark added

Got the big guy on the job

My main job in the next week or so is to count everything we own and give its value for insurance purposes. Our move counselor ( I know, how American is that!) needs these forms complete in the next week

page 1 of about 7

 
And so now I'm counting. Counting socks, toys, towels, books, wine glasses, everything.
I'm even having to count our marble. Though that one was pretty easy.

In the last 24 hours I have worked out that 
- I can accommodate 102 of my closest friends popping over for a beverage simultaneously. 
- I have 41 ramekin, or small serving bowls - dip anyone? 
- I have 19 pillow cases for 5 pillows 
- I have 34 towels for 4 people. Meaning we could each use 8 towels a day and i would still have two spare.
- Horrifically ( and dont tell Garth) Theo has 53 (!) size two t shirts. In my defence though, there is a lot of variation across stores so some of these are the result of him growing out of size two at one place and into size two at another. 

Counting everything is slow going and giving it an approximate value has taken me hours. The hope is that no one will actually use these forms and our stuff will arrive intact. But if we did (Rena) I want them to be as accurate as can be.

The counting has provided for me the chance to sort through everything which has been needed. As part of the move Im not actually allowed to pack anything. The company that is shipping our stuff has to take responsibility that nothing will get broken and to take it through US customs (did you pack your own bag when you go through the airport, sort of thing) so they pack it all for us.
 It was a major relief finding out this arrangement as I don't think, with two babies, I would have had the time to actually pack anything especially towards the end with all the stuff I use daily. This arrangement means I walk out of the house with our suitcases and leave everything for someone else to worry about. 

The only downside of course is that when you pack you usually sort through all that extra stuff you have accumulated but never used - so as I have been going through everything and counting it, I have been sorting out stuff that I don't want to take and donating, giving or throwing away.


and how are we feeling?
Impatient I think - both of us are just wanting to get through the next few weeks and get all the little jobs that are left done.  To know that our tenants are happily settled in our house will be a huge relief. 

As for the goodbyes I will have to say in the next 20 days. I'm going with a head in the sand approach.

a list of lists

I'm a lover of lists.

As a teacher it was helpful, as a stay at home mum - it's a necessity. 
Not because I will forget to do things, but rather because it can be hard to feel like I have accomplished anything in  my day without one. I have a notebook of lists - and each day at breakfast I write out what I want to get done that day. It does not make for interesting reading I assure you. It includes things like making dinner, hanging the washing. But at the end of the day, I can look at it and know I did stuff - I got more done than just looking after the boys. I say 'just' loosely, anyone with small kids will know that some days that is a major accomplishment in itself. That said, a couple of times since Harry has been born, I have been able to look at my list at the end of the day and see all the things i DIDNT do that day. And yes every so often ( okay as often as I can) I like to leave my crossed off list in plain view so that hubby can see it hasn't just been a day of watching Ellen and eating the baking chocolate.

So with this whole Taranakitotexas thing, there have been plenty of lists. I even have a folder filled with lists. All clearly labelled. ( My love for my label maker is only secondary to my love of lists) 

Here is a list of the lists I have on the go at the moment.

Things that need to be finished around the house
Things that need to be sold/given away/ taken to the tip 
Things that need to go to mum and dads for storage 
Things to buy 
Things to be packed in suitcases
Things that will go via airfreight
Things going in the container 
A list of our contents for insurance - down to the number of socks we have and corresponding replacement price.

and so on. 

But this move has also seen other lists evolve.

Lists like 

Things I will miss about New Plymouth 
1. Friends
2. Pak n Save shop n go (seriously) 
3. Tracy - the lady who cuts Theo's hair - amazing woman - Theo is on about haircut 20 - no tears, no tantrums. Gives him a spray bottle of water and he spends the whole time 'shooting' everyone in the mirror.
4. Being able to find my way around. I have a terrible sense of direction. I've even gotten lost in Borders on Queen st. Having the mountain and the sea on either side of me at least gave me an idea of where I am in the town. 
5. Those amazing crisp winter mornings.
6. The coast lines here - fish and chips at the beach is a family favourite and even though we will be on the coast in Texas - it wont compare and the fish and chips wont exist! 


Things I will miss about NZ
1. Family - even just skyping in the same time zone.
2. Easily distinguishable money
3. u's (colour, favourite etc) 
4. Our food. Not the prices that's for sure, But the quality and freshness. 


Things I wont miss about NZ
1. Weta's.



and then there are these lists 

Places in the US I want to visit 
1. New York. In winter. At Christmas. This is my non negotiable.
2. Boston - US history
3. Washington DC - (side note: found out today that if we want to go on a tour of the white house and we do want, we have to apply to go on one through the New Zealand embassy. Even US citizens who want to go on the tour have to apply through their member of congress. Meanwhile in NZ I can probably found John Key's personal cell number through a Google search.)
4. New Orleans - food, culture
5. Las Vegas 


Experiences I want to have 

 1. Halloween - Already thinking about what i will be dressing the boys as for their first trick n treat. 
(Want to go for the cute factor in order to get more candy and yes i fully intend to eat the majority when they are asleep that night.)

2. Fourth of July - this will be interesting. My automatic reaction to American patriotism is to roll my eyes. Did you know you can even buy kids clothing that is fourth of July themed. Stars, stripes and eagles? - the whole deal.

3. Couponing. I want the free stuff even if it is shampoo for dandruff ( that I do not have)

4.Thanksgiving and corresponding black Friday sales. I want a crazy deal that i have to fight another lady for - true American trash styles.

5. The crazy - I want to see the crazy that is the mega stores - the crazy that is walmart - the crazy that are the sizes of everything.  Apparently everything is bigger in Texas - does that mean crazier?

6. Doomsday prep. Just a little. I want to visit a place that sells those crazy underground bunkers. Just to get a feel for it. 

7. Shoot a gun. Just once i think. Though saying that, I'm dead scared to pull the 'trigger' of nasal spray, but maybe that's because you are shooting yourself, so we will see how we go. Someone suggested we s just go to the border and shoot illegals.Texas mindset?

These lists are by no means final. They are a work in progress. 

So I'm curious. If you were me, what would your lists look like? Have I missed any must sees? or must dos?

the beginning

First an apology:
I was literally the worst English teacher on the planet. I doubt this blog will have any punctuation apart from the occasional . and every once in a while I might get fancy and use a ,. 
But I don't care.
If you do, don't read it.


The plan: 
To move our little family of four to Corpus Christi Texas
Why? 
Hubby has a new job working at an independent oil refinery


Yeah but why?
For a bit of adventure I guess. Our boys aren't in school and we have a couple of years before we have to make decisions around their education



So:
In the last four months these things have happened. ..

1. Hubby was offered a new job
2. We applied for and won a work permit in the lottery system (crazy system 42% chance)
3. Our visas were approved.
4. I resigned my job after three years maternity leave


and now?

Just this week the moving company came through our house and have estimated how much time etc it will take for them to pack the house. 
Turns out once you take out all the electrical stuff that wont work over there, we don't have much. Apart from a lot of wine glasses. 
It will take two days apparently with a third day to put it all on a truck.  There is no point me attempting to clean with the boys in the house. Theo, in particular, is a rock star, and by that I mean he is able to trash any room he enters in minutes. Turns out I'm not 'allowed' to do any packing anyway. Suits me perfectly. Garth will be left to do the cleaning as I will be with boys in Auckland. Perks of breastfeeding, i guess.


TIMELINE
Now - August:

- Getting the house tenant ready - weeding gardens, buying a pool cover, etc. 
- Dealing with all the admin etc that comes with an international move - photocopying important docs, international driving permit etc 



The to-do list at the moment is actually horrific. and spreads across about 5 pieces of paper. and has subsections. and has one thing crossed off and two things added almost every day.  

End of August:

I leave with boys to Auckland to stay at Ma and Pa's. Packing will be interesting as all we will have for the next three months is what I pack. Have to think about weather NZ vs TX, and the changing needs of the boys - Harry in particular.
Garth cleans house and vacates it to stay on someone's couch - his first flatting experience. 
We cancel phones, internet, power, gym memberships etc... Lots to do here.

September
Garth finishes at work, joins us in Auckland

September 21 
We leave from Auckland to LA. ( 12 hoursish)
One skycouch, one seat, one bassinet booked 

In LA we get on a flight to Houston ( about 3.5 hours). I expect this to be the worst flight of the three. No TVs, No on board meal except what you purchase, tired little family.

Stay the night in Houston as we miss the last flight to corpus christi 

September 22nd 
50 minute flight from Houston to Corpus Christi 
Here we have a furnished apartment for the first two months till we get settled. 

Then we have ten days before Garth starts work. Plan is to get phones, grocery shop, check the area out, I have to check out the mall ( for the kids- selfless mom award), buy a car or two etc.

October 1 
Garth starts work and then reality begins. 

I guess the purpose of this blog is as an online diary for friends and family to keep up with our travel. I don't really have a plan for frequency or content. It will just be what it is. So bear with me and hopefully I will be able to keep you up to date on our taranakitotexas adventure.