The Preparation continues

Josh is back at work as of this morning and will likely be actively engaged for the next few months as we continue preparations for the move.  I think he set up our appointments with transportation this morning - one each for consumables, unaccompanied baggaged (UAB), household goods (HHG), and storage.  We're hoping to split them up a bit so we have time (and space) to separate out the important things that need to go into each shipment.  Not sure if Transpo is going to give us the go-ahead for that or not.



B and K on the fire truck

We went in this morning and got our first round of shots which conveniently means that I'll be getting my last shot on my birthday.  Super...  But the kids were okay with the shots.  K didn't even cry for the first one.  Can't get much better than that.  Somehow I managed to forget just how much Typhoid hurts.  You'd think by the third time you do something, you'd develop some sort of memory.  Then again, maybe it's just better to forget that kind of thing.

While he was on leave last week, Josh was able to come with us on a mom's outing to the Monterey Fire Station where the kids had lots of fun climbing all over the engines and learning about all the special tools on board.  Even he had to admit that the kids were fairly well behaved - for about the first half hour.  Then they (and by they, I specifically mean the boy) hit overload and got a bit ridiculous.  But overall, it was a good outing with great friends.  Sadly, two of the ladies will be leaving soon to start their overseas adventures - and then... it will be our turn.

"I think this one's good, Dad."

On Saturday, we headed up to Watsonville to Gizdich Farms to do some apple picking.  One of my favorite childhood memories (right up there with strawberry picking and going to the pumpkin patch) was going to the apple orchard each fall.  We'd drive what seemed like forever (which probably just meant it was over an hour) to get to the orchard, and then pick (and eat) to our heart's content.  Then we'd come home and make more applesauce than we knew what to do with and store it in the freezer in the hopes it would last until next year's great adventure.  While we don't have the luxury of making applesauce to last the next year, I did make an apple cake for breakfast on Sunday morning that the kids seemed to enjoy.  B asked me to take the onions out of his - he thought the baked pieces of apple were onions.  Little did he know that was the best part!

I spent that evening updating my Master Matrix.  Yes, with capital M's.  If it's not on the matrix, it's not happening between now and the move.  It somehow makes me feel more in control to have a spreadsheet that lists each and every item I plan to pack, and the purchase status of said items, as well as a future location for every piece of furniture we own.  Do I fully expect that things won't go according to plan?  Yes.  But it won't be for lack of trying. 

And on the note of hoping for the best, but planning for the worst, Josh took photos of all of the kids' larger birthmarks/moles after bathtime.  Do I really, really, really hope we never need to have those?  Yes.