Today I am linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five Minute Friday. Go to her site to join the fun and see the rest of those linking up.
Five Minute Friday’s word: In between.
Home from the Philippines. After two months in another country.
It is good to be back. It is weird to be back. Everything is so ‘normal’, as if we never left. Yet, we have grown and experienced a once-in-a-lifetime event.
I have unpacked, but not put stuff away.
When in the Philippines we lived in a 3 bedroom house, it was the first time Christine and I haven’t shared a room in her life (unless you count the 7 months we lived in WI and she shared a room with Vince). Why am I talking about bedrooms? Because we are making a room for Christine. Christine is going to have her own room for the first time in her life!
When we came home, within 72 hours we had six dentist/doctor appointments (& multiple friend connections), re-packed and headed to the cabin for a week.
Then we came home and unpacked again.
Still not putting stuff away.
We’ve been picking paint, cleaning out, sorting, planning. As many of you know, NONE of those activities promotes clean, organized bliss.
As with any building project – there is mess. lots of mess.
Unpacking, sorting, staging. waiting.
Waiting for A [bedroom stuff] to move to new location, so B [office/homeschool stuff] can move into A’s space, so C [numerous resulting piles] can move into B’s new home in A’s original space – so I can finish putting away what I unpacked.
Because of living in this in between state I haven’t been posting here. It has not been an intentional break. First I was locked out, but then I just couldn’t get to the computer [because of above mentioned piles]. Not just physical piles, but mental piles I can’t quite seem to sort through to make any kind of sense. I am ready to be fully moved back in and put away. I am ready for our routine. Even though I don’t have any idea what the routine for the new year will look like yet.
What I do know: my home will feel new. Again.
To have a new space means: a like new office; moving my sewing stuff around; cleaning out the closet.
Once I have my office space set means: I can plan the next year of school. and get income coming in.
It also means: once school does start we won’t be sitting on top of each other all. day. long. every. day.
I had NO idea how nice it is for each child to do some school work on their own, in their own room, each with their own music on. [remember my children are older and we’re on 10+ years of homeschool – they do a lot on their own, not needing my help. I still want us to all work together on some things, and computers aren’t allowed in rooms.]
While I anticipate having my own room (for the first time in almost 20 years!); it does make me kind of sad. There was comfort in not ‘going to check’ on her; I knew by her breathing how she was sleeping. However, she is a month from turning 13 [HOW is this possible?!]. It is time. She needs her space. It has been a bit awkward for her to have friends over – I’ve slept on the couch so they could have the room, but that always made her feel weird. As if she was ‘kicking’ me out of my bed by having a sleepover. It has worked, and it could still work. But my dad was willing to build a temporary wall and she will have her own space. Painted with BRIGHT paints.
This month has brought lots of transition, lots of in between, a bit of uncertainty.
I’m also going to take this opportunity to note some things I have learned in June. I am planning to link up with Emily Freeman at Chatting at the Sky.
What have I learned in June?
- It’s hard to transition from another country to being home. (we are superficial in many things, but I appreciate more too)
- Life has continued as ‘normal’ for everyone else, while I feel as if we’ve had HUGE changes. (It feels a bit time-warpy.)
- It takes a l.o.n.g. time to process what you learn when traveling to a 3rd world country. (I wonder if we really went & we’ve been home less than 3 weeks!)
- I do like my home – my dark paints, the coziness of being small. (I’m so thankful for the white walls to see the lizards I was sharing a room with though, my walls here would creep me out there for sure!)
- It is bittersweet to loose my “roommate” after 13 years. (tell me this is normal, please)
- 80s colors [neon] are still appealing to middle schoolers. We are painting Christine’s room Secret Passage, with Hang Ten; Lime Passion; and Scrumptious. (better known as: really light gray; good ‘ol turquoise; uh. glowing green; and “coral”)
- It is hard to get a good coral paint. On the small card it looks good, on the wall – it’s HOT pink! (Yep, repainted those shelves to be turquoise.)
- It takes A LOT of ‘lime passion’ to cover – even over white primer. It still looks like a yellow/green glow stick. (so very glad I don’t have to use that bathroom, she probably won’t need the light)
- It is GOOD to take time out to just be. Even in your ‘normal’ environment. (With no job it can be hard to rest. still daily working on this.)