normalcy is just a few (hundred) boxes away

We are here.

I feel that statement deserves its own line, so I am giving it its due space. We arrived Monday night, weary and hungry, and we are just now getting internet -- or I would have written sooner. As I fumbled to insert the ethernet cable into the appropriate port on my computer tonight, Shaun said I was like a drug addict lurching for a needle. I think I was worse. Talk about feel cut off. I was not worried about a phone or mail or anything else, really -- only when I would be able to blog and check my email. What an accurate reflection of the world in which we live.

Moving right along (pun intended), we are here. Did I say that already? Shaun and Eli are sleeping, and I thought I would pass out for the night as well, but my mind was doing the 5000-meter dash, so I decided to calm it with some wine and blogging.

We successfully closed on the house in Texas on Monday morning and flew out that afternoon after a delayed flight due mainly to weather conditions. Eli did fabulous, by the way, in spite of the delay, which included 30 extra minutes (which seemed like 10 hours) on the Tarmac. And I can't help but give a wee bit of credit to his poor, overworked parents for our planning efforts. The portable DVD player (equipped with the Doodlebops, his recent favorite) was the star fixture of our travels, followed by his favorite stuffed pal, Winnie the Pooh, who deserves jar-fulls of honey or something for all the dragging he endured.

We spent Monday night in a hotel and drove to the house (our new house) for a walk through around 10 am Tuesday morning. We were greeted by the owners, who came out of the house next to ours/theirs. Julie bounded out, arms wide open, ready to launch into a warm hug to counteract the chilly wind. Then John came from around the corner. Maddie was standing at the screen door with Punkin, their Golden Retriever. We didn't meet Johnny and Carly, but were told of them and, of course, knew which rooms in the house were theirs. They are a great family, and we knew this after spending a very brief time with them, and, of course, by occupying their house. They were eager to tell us about the small, ancient glass bottles they had found in one of the chimneys of the house when they were remodeling, and also about the horseshoe hanging above the mudroom door and the bricks they left for us by the back shed.

We feel honored to be the next caretakers of this home, which is nearly 100 years old. Despite this, however, I am just warming up to the idea that this is our house. And, perhaps, I need a few more days to warm some more. This will be the third house we have lived in in about three years, so I am standoffish, or at least I have been for the past 48 hours. It could be partially related to the fact that the previous owners, as wonderful as they were/are, are still here, next door, at John's parents' house. The kids are finishing out the school year before they all move to Colorado. Their son has severe asthma, so the move is primarily for him. So, John's parents are our next door neighbors, which makes me feel weird and like a squatter, at least for now. But they've invited Eli to ride Bouncer, the plastic horse, anytime, as well as to ride the airplane swing tied to the beauitful, giant, blossoming tree in their back yard, so I think they are happy we are here, in the midst of the sadness they understandably feel that their grandkids are moving away.

Today, our goods arrived, so I am sitting on my very own sofa right now, which makes me feel less like a squatter. We have already painted a room, which is a true testament to our insanity, I realize, but, we had nothing else to do yesterday in an empty house with a VERY red living room.

There is a lot more to say, but it's late, and I promised Eli we would find the park tomorrow, and I KNOW he won't forget ;-) He has been demanding, but so have we, so we're even. We are all looking forward to some downtime very soon.

More Maryland news and photos coming soon, I promise...