Post-Move Update

The washing machine is swish-swashing away within earshot of me on this computer.  I think the contents of that washer feel how I feel right now.

Jumbled.

Out of sorts.

And soapy.

Well, I guess I don't really feel soapy...

We have been Columbia, SC residents now for almost a month.  We're mostly settled in the house.  All remaining boxes to be unpacked are either in the garage or in the attic.  I feel free to take my time unpacking those things since they are out of sight.

We paused our house-settling process to incorporate a little Christmas into our lives.  This was our first Christmas completely solo.  Scott's parents came down before Christmas.  My parents will be down next week.  But on Christmas morning, Scott and I were the only adults responsible for pulling off Christmas.  That was a truly frightening thought to me!  Thanks to the in-laws and their sleigh car-full of gifts and stocking stuffers, Christmas happened here.

 The weekend before Christmas the weather was in the 70's!

 So we enjoyed a little back porch Christmas.

Anyhoo...  now that the holidays are almost over, January is sprawling out before me and intimidating me a little.

In case I didn't mention it before, I got a new job!  It starts January 27th.  I'll be working two night shifts (12 hours) per week in the NICU.  One of the thousands of emotions I feel right now:  excited.  I am excited to get back to work.  I like earning a pay check.  I like being a nurse.  I'm scared/intrigued/looking forward to the challenge of starting a new job.  But that isn't until the end of January.

This time off of work (last day at my last job was November 23rd) has felt like another maternity leave.  By the time it's over, it will have been about as long as one.  Except there's no newborn to contend with.  So this maternity leave has come with a lot more sleep. Phew!  I like the fact that I don't have to set an alarm to get up in the morning.  Granted I have two kids to take care of that for me, but they are not as early risers as some of ya'lls crazy kids are. We usually get up around 8am.  

I love and loathe the lack of structure in our lives.  Scott has structure.  He goes to work every day.  Me and the kids?  Not so much.  Routine, we have.  Structure, we do not.  Most days we don't leave the house.  We could, yes.  But it seems like so much EFFORT, so I don't take the initiative.

I haven't been very intentional about getting together with people here yet, either.  Mostly because everyone is busy with the holidays.  Maybe in January I'll reach out a little more to the world around me!

I can think of a lot of things that would be fun to do:  join some sort of kids-gym for a month where James and Reese could play.  Go to the zoo.  A lot.  But since I'm currently funemployed (thanks Brooke for the new term!), I need to be super conservative with money.  How come I can only think of fun things to do that require money??  C'est la vie, I guess.

Scott said the other day he's having a hard time reading me these days.  I told him I bet he is.  I feel like the only signals I'm sending are static-y ones!  Jumbled.  Out of sorts.  Trying to get my bearings.  It's not all bad, mind you.  It's just a transition time and that is taking me some time to get used to.  

Sooooo that's where we are.  The kids are doing great.  They love the house and the room to play.  Scott loves his new job.  And me? I'm coming around...slowly but surely...