I have to warn you up front that I have no earthly idea where to find the cord for my camera, it has been packed and moved to one of three locations. I don't know when I will find it again.
Our trip to California was not as relaxing as I had imagined, but did include such exciting events as a fevering two year old on the airplanes, which metamorphosed into something that looked like hand foot and mouth for that same two year old who proceeded to scream for the next five days and cling to my leg every time I left the room. Poor thing. Also there was the stomach flu that we apparently packed in our carry-on luggage to share with my family (they were overjoyed to see us, really) And there was the rain. Did I mention that El Nino was visiting California at the same time we were??
So we went for rain walks, a lot of rain walks. And the world out there was green and grey, and before I had children it was one of my favorite times of the California year, before all those rainboots and raincoats and worries about colds and wet feet on little ones. Green green everywhere and my eyes were relieved to see it.
To cope with the rain we went to the Railroad Museum. And all was right in the world. Ummm, except for the time the Bird let loose with her new piercing scream in the cavern that once was the train depot and it echoed around the engines and tenders and wax figurines. She and I made our way out of the building screams paving the way for us, practically clearing a path through the people, yes, I was that mother... nearing the gift shop the bored clerk barely lifted her head (maybe the sound was paralyzing her?) and pointed to the exit for me. So we went out into the rain. And the Bird was asleep within three minutes of getting into her carseat. The boy started crying too when we left, but only because he had found heaven and we were dragging him from it. There was no winning. So we went back a few days later on a sunny day, and played on the caboose and walked on the rails and watched the flooded muddy river carry whole trees downstream. We ate our lunch outside and the Boy found a dandelion flower to give me, because he knows they are my favorite. And all was right in the world, again.
It is asking a lot of my two children to travel this much and to be so flexible. I am so proud of them. For the last few weeks the Bird has been asking to "go home". Go home, go home, go home. Now that we are back in Virginia staying at another temporary place, she has started asking, "is this our home?" I answer her for now it is, and soon we will be in the yurt, just as soon as the snow lets us. But we may yet have another house that we stay in before then, I haven't mentioned that to them yet. It feels like too much to ask of them...to go from the same house and the same places same roads, to moving twice in a year with a moving river of chaos in between. Packing and construction and airplanes and sicknesses and constant weather extremes.
Phew.
I am ready for spring. Anyone else?
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