On my table

Here lately, my kitchen table has become "operation central" as it typically contains numerous file folders, paperwork to be filled out, piles of things that I need to find a home for (the three words that roam freely through my head and capture every fleeting moment are Toss, Ship or Store). Every night I do my best to clear off the table so that we have a place to sit, as a family, and eat dinner together.

At any given moment, you can find a lone passport, that somehow missed its way to the file folder labeled "Passports" and there always seems to random chicken scratch notes from various phone calls with realtors, the moving company or our newly installed security system.

But I will always find room at my table ... for my glass. Which most often, is always filled!


I'm going to be participating this week in Everything Except the Grill's My Life. In Pictures challenge. I'm hoping to make more of an effort to capture some photos of this experience ... early on!

Mr. Jagels

Our animals both have a new home!  I got a call from Grandma Mary this afternoon with her acceptance and agreement to take Mr. Jagels!

We are sad, thrilled and relieved all at the same time.

Terran and Grandma Mary have always had a special connection, and I know it will mean alot to him to have his kitty be loved so much.

Jagels won't know what to do with himself without his tail being pulled, being chased around by Donut and living the life of luxury at Grandma Mary's!

Thank you Grandma Mary!!

Donut

News of our need to place Donut with a new home traveled fast. I sent out over 100 emails, and those recipients in turn forwarded the information on.

One of our favorite babysitters let us know that her daughter's brother-in-law was in the market for a new dog and we jumped at the chance to meet them.

J & K arrived on Saturday morning to meet Donut and he was on his best behavior.

We talked a bit about Donut's habits, personality, vaccination record, tendencies and silly things like that he LOVES stealing my chocolate from my bedroom.

They were the sweetest couple, plan to get married this summer and own their home with a fenced in yard.

Donut fell in love with them (and consequently left his mark ALL over their clothes since he's currently shedding his winter coat) and they fell in love with him.

After talking it over with Todd last night, we have decided the J & K are the PERFECT folks to be Donut's new owners. They have a deep love and respect for dogs, seem to "parent" the same way we do, and share our opinion on dogs being outdoor vs. indoors.

Equally as important as a good match, they are willing to respect our need to leave the transfer date open ended for now. They know that we need to get Donut to them sometime the middle of May, but are a-ok with any time between now and then.

What a load has been lifted! It will be a hard day when the moment arrives to hand him over, but they have promised to send emails and photos!

Now, if we could just find a home for Jagels the cat!

Visas

I think I mentioned that I've divided the to-do list into sections and have assigned each task a week. Some items easily fit in the WEEK 1 category and others obviously can fall into later categories, like WEEK 9.

One of the list items that I had previously assigned to Week 8 was the Visa Applications for the kids and I. I just assumed that since they were only valid for ONE YEAR from the date they were approved, that the longer we waited, the longer they would be valid once we arrived in India.

Todd kept after me to get the Applications started and I'm so glad he did. Not until I caved and moved "Complete Visa Applications" from Week 8 to Week 4, did I realize that the kids' Applications MUST be signed by both parents, in order to be issued.

We gathered all of the required documentation, including Todd's needed signature (would have been kind of difficult to have acquired once he left on the 16th!) and I headed to the Post Office to ship them off.

If we learn nothing else through this process, we will have mastered the concept of "there is a first time for everything." I am consistently met with the question "You're moving WHERE?", followed soon after by "Well, I'm not really sure HOW to do that."

After 27 minutes in the Post Office, attempting to figure out how to send four Visa Applications, with delivery confirmation, as quickly as possible, BY registered mail AND with some kind of insurance in place for our passports (that must accompany the Visa Application), the Applications are on their way to the consulate in New York.

We will soon have our passports stamped with a pretty visa to India! Have Passport and Visa, will travel!

Bags and Bags

After spending the day yesterday mulching (10 yards of the stinky stuff), we've spent the majority of today continuing the cleaning out process.

I *think* that I've already bagged up approximately 20 large garbage bags to haul off to the local donation center.  20 bags of stuff that we have somehow accumulated over the course of our lifetime.

Today alone, I bagged up 6 bags, two boxes and a couple of random small furniture pieces. 

It truly is amazing to have gathered over 26 bags of STUFF only to look around the house and still see more!

Progress is happening though, and the flower beds around our property sure look better with a new layer of mulch over the top!

Orbitz ... and Go!

I just hit "Purchase" on the Orbitz website.

Four ONE WAY tickets to Delhi.

I'm a bit sick to my stomach - if I can be honest with you.

I'll be back later when I've digested the details of flying over a 24 hour period ... to a place we've never laid eyes on before.

Travel Clinic

We have one of the most painful (literally) items on our to-do list CHECKED OFF!

I lucked out and was referred to a VERY nearby Travel Clinic and got all of the information I needed over the phone for the initial consultation.

I was told to visit the clinic, with immunization records in hand (preferably without children, to expedite the consultation).  They would then have me fill out "some paperwork" and then the doctor would visit with me about what vaccinations were needed and which were recommended.

Yesterday morning, Mia and I visited the Travel Clinic, immunization records in hand with the intention of getting the consultation 'out of the way.'

First off, know that if you ever need the services of a Travel Clinic, they will charge you for this consultation.  You will be required to fill out about an hour's worth of paperwork (or maybe 15 minutes for each person, since I had four people to accomodate?).

After paying $180.00 for the privilege of filling out paperwork, I realized that we no longer had any time to visit with the doctor for the vaccination recommendation since Tony would soon be off of the bus.

Home to get Tony off of the bus after feeling very defeated for not getting much of anything accomplished.

Then, after an afternoon of VERY crabby children, I decided .... why keep the crabiness to myself?  Why not share their griping and whining with the Travel Clinic?  At worst, they would expedite the process of recommending vaccinations, and then administering shots because they wanted the crabbiness out of their office!  Brilliant plan, I thought!

So we loaded up and headed - all three kiddos and I - to the Travel Clinic. 

20 minutes later, we started the process of obtaining weights, temperatures, blood pressure stats, and I gave a review of allergies, any medical problems to note and normal eating habits.

Then the doctor came in, who spoke with a Russian accent (very hard to understand) and started going over the options - Japanese Encypha-something-or-other-that-I-can't-spell .... Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Polio, Cholera, Meningitis, etc. 

I think that at this point, I was realizing that this MIGHT not have been the most brilliant plan.    The crabbies and I had now been in the office for about an hour and still no vaccination recommendation had begun.

I'll spare you the details.  It was ALOT of shots, alot of crying, wailing and thrashing about.  The kids each got 2 shots and I got 4.  Let me tell you, these are no flu shots.

Typhoid feels like hot lava coursing through your veins, and in the other arm, Hepatitis A reminded me of ice shooting up into my shoulder.  Poor babies ... if I was hurting during the process, I know THEY were!

Lessons learned?

• Take someone with you to the Travel Clinic to help keep little ones occupied during the wait
• Promise McDonalds after their experience.  If you're lucky, you'll get away with a simple Happy Meal for the young ones and an extra large order of fries for the teenager.
• Be meticulous in obtaining your immunization records BEFORE ever stepping foot in the Travel Clinic
• Try to find a Travel Clinic associated with a pediatric office or urgent care.  MUCH nicer than our previous experience (prior to Africa) at the Health Department!
• Take your OWN bandaids ... nothing says "feel better lovey" than bandaids with colors, cartoon characters and barbie dolls!
• Be aware that you'll have to pay out the nose for these vaccinations!  Our bill was over $800 (for the four of us, which actually wasn't TOO bad) and will not be covered by any insurance.  This amount doesn't include the prescriptions for anti-malaria medication (oral).
• Pre-dose everyone with Motrin/Aspirin to take a bit of the edge off of the soreness factor.  It's nearing 24 hours later and I still am unable to lift my arms above shoulder level, let alone pick anything up.
• Finally?  Be grateful that even though the shots hurt like hades, that you are able to receive vaccinations in the first place!
  

Reading up ...

I am a HUGE fan of the library ... HUGE. We are there weekly, and some weeks DAILY.

When we first started discussing this move, I devoured EVERYTHING I could get my hands on. Cookbooks, Guidebooks, Magazine Articles, children's books, more cookbooks and must have googled a ZILLION different searches.

I'll be honest ... it's a bit difficult to type "india" into a search box on the library computer and then make the time to wade through thousands of entries. It seems that every book written about India, is simply titled "India."

Thanks to the amazing librarians at our favorite branch, we have some new staples in our house.

In case you are interested and have access to a library, these are worth checking out for kids (and adults alike!) :

India, Patrick Ryan

India ABCs, Marcie Aboff

Colors of India, Holly Littlefield

Food in India, Sharon Kaur

A Taste of India, Roz Denny
(our FAVORITE!)

Food and Festivals - India, Mike Hirst

Elephant Dance, Theresa Heine

There have been a slew of adult book as well, but I have to say that I'm not to keen on reading up on the history of India - not just yet. I need to fill in the gaps of the unknown (which is why I loved "Eat Pray Love" so much. I have some missing pieces of the puzzle since I've never been there and want to first read all I can get my hands on that tells me what it will BE LIKE.


I've just ordered Holy Cow and am anxiously awaiting its arrival. At $5.00 including shipping, how could I pass that up?

I'm going to be participating this week in Everything Except the Grill's My Life. In Pictures challenge. I'm hoping to make more of an effort to capture some photos of this experience ... early on!

Sounds

I've been trying to get up earlier than the kids these past few weeks.

Most mornings I can't beat Terran up, since his bus comes first, but it has been wonderful to brew a pot of coffee and just sit out on the deck, listening to the birds. At night, it's equally as wonderful to listen to the frogs in the pond/creek.

I've also been spending quite a bit of time star gazing at night and watching sunrises.

I have no idea what the stars will look like in Gurgaon, and can only wonder whether we'll have birds and their chirping welcoming us to each morning.

Just trying to soak it all in while I can!

Progress.

The move is becoming a bit more official, as we now have a target departure date for Todd.

He'll be leaving the States the middle of April and boy oh boy, are we trying to cram as much family time in as we can!

We have made a decision about the animals and they will NOT be making this journey with us. I'm sure it will be sad for everyone, but I am determined to find them great homes (maybe even with people who will be willing to share photos and stories of the animals during the transition period).

We are spending this weekend continuing the purge process and are awaiting quotes from various moving companies.

In kind of a funny situation, we are experiencing the "Vulture Stage" of the game that we have been warned about. People are asking us left and right ... "are you taking ______ or keeping ______?" in an effort to secure their spot in the line for our stuff.

At first it was bothersome, but has turned into quite the funny joke, as we walk around the house purging and making the sound of a crow (caw, caw). I guess we don't blame them, but come on :)

We are still VERY unsure about our housing situation there and are hoping that once Todd has arrived, the missing details will be more readily available. I'm a bit nervous about not "knowing" where we'll be living (no visuals, not even a basic understanding of WHERE we'd be located) but am trying my best to leave that issue alone and not try to worry too much about it.

What else ... hmm, we are going to start pulling the artwork off of the walls and start the patch/repaint process (these walls are going to look BARE!) and have an order of mulch coming next weekend for the flower beds around our property.

Todd is feeling very nervous about what he needs to help with in the 25 days we have remaining with him here in the States and we're just trying to plug away at the to-do list, and get in some playtime as well.

Stuff.

After two appointments with two separate moving companies and a meeting with potential realtors, I am feeling quite sad.

Sad that the items in my house (after meeting with the moving companies) are basically relegated to "line items" on a spreadsheet.

Sad that my home, and the precious belongings inside of it (after meeting with the realtors) are looked at as "in the way" as we are being advised to get rid of everything as soon as possible, repaint our bedrooms (that the kids spent so much time on picking out their favorite colors), remove the various stickers from the windows and etc.

I know that I'm tired, so maybe I'm a bit over-emotional, but it was sad to hear them suggest that we spend a good bit of time covering up the scratch marks on the hard wood floors. Those scratch marks contain some fun moments of the kids bringing their ride-on toys INDOORS because it was too cold outside, and many moments of chasing each other around the house with Donut trailing behind, putting those very scratch marks in the wood that they want us to do away with.

It was hard to swallow them advising that we cover up the 'sunshine yellow' in the basement with a 'nice neutral khaki' so that the buyer can see potential. That tinted pigment and the space we created provided some great creative playtime, hosted many a play-date with our friends and has been the backdrop for loads of sleepovers.

It was even hard to see Todd talk about his shed and our built-ins in the garage with such pride ... only to be seemingly shrug them off as "great features" but that they could be taken or left depending on what the buyer wants.

*

I understand that a prospective buyer wants to see a sparklin' house with clean floors, all polished up like so ... and carpets without stains from the last bout of illness in our house ... and walls that do not bear any marks from our family memories, photos and favorite art pieces.

I get that I'm going to need to rid the kitchen of the splatters on the walls from my homemade spaghetti sauce and wipe off the handprints from the glass.

I also understand they are doing their job. That their job ... quite honestly ... is to present a shell of a house, with its best foot put forward, to a new family with dreams, memories and hopes of their own.

But in this heart of mine, it is a bit disconcerting and quite a bit unnerving to have complete strangers - - in the course of one day - - three times over, look at the last four years of our lives as a family ... and view it as simply "stuff."

*

Tomorrow is a PLAY DAY for us ... I am putting away the notebooks and the binders and the to-do list will get buried underneath a pile of magazines that I've not made time to read.

We are going to just spend the day playing. First with friends from my running club, and then with neighbors in the middle of the day, and rounding it out with the amazing girls from my playgroup.

I have not made time to play much through this process, and tomorrow is the day.

There is enough time NEXT week to start getting rid of the "stuff"

Balancing Act.

I keep getting asked "aren't you scared?" or "aren't you just so excited?"

My immediate answer is "No, I'm not scared at all, but I'm apprehensive about the unknown. And YES, I'm so excited ... this is going to be a great adventure!"

If I sit quietly with myself, I realize that I am feeling a myriad of emotions. Nervous, anxious, impatient, frustrated, not in control, excited, thrilled, anticipatory, amazed. I am all of those things, in part.

More so though, I find that these days I am simply feeling unbalanced.

I long to find balance - and sooner than later.

* *

The balance of being a support system to my husband through the transition between companies and responsibilities.

The balance of being available to my friends to listen, spend time with and just be normal.

The balance between still needing to help Terran with his 8th grade homework.

The balance of still getting dinner on the table and the laundry completed.

The balance between still making time to read books to Mia.

The balance between keeping muddy paws off of freshly cleaned carpets.

The balance between coordinating schedules for moving quotes/estimates, the realtor's needs, and the timeline of my to-do list.

The balance between still playing transformers on the floor with Tony.

The balance between desperately needing to take time to run or exercise.

The balance between playing outside with my kids when the sun is shining vs. working on visa applications.

The balance of my need to purge this house of all of the "stuff".

* *

This isn't meant to be a "woe is me" post, but I wanted to be able to share the frustration AND the exhilaration of this process.

At a moment where everything in my heart is leaping for joy because of this opportunity and the excitement of getting to experience such a wonderful place, my head is also screaming because of all that needs to be done.

Each day that goes by, I am able to sit -- at the end of that day -- with either a glass of wine or a hot bath and focus on what DID get accomplished.

I truly hope that as the sun sets each night, I am able to say that I crossed off some of the to-do list AND was still a good enough mother to my kids.

Animals.

I have long struggled with the decision on what to do with the animals, and quite frankly am still struggling.

We have Donut the dog who just turned 2 ... and Jagels the cat who is about 7.

While the family enjoys both animals, they are animals that need constant care, attention and love.

When I start to think about taking the animals with us to India, I get very torn between leaving them here and taking them along.

THE FLIGHT:

First, there is the flight. Making sure that they can handle (as I'm sure they can) the 20+ hour flight, with layovers and such along the way.

THE VACCINATIONS:

In order for both of them to be fully vaccinated, I need to get them into the vet on or before March 21st (rapidly approaching). This one is an easy one, as they will eventually need these vaccinations anyway, so I'll make an appointment for them today.

THE HEALTH EXAM:

Both animals must have a health exam, performed by a vet within 10 days of their departure to India. This poses a problem, as we planned to leave the Cleveland area long before our actual flight to India. The same vet that administers the vaccinations also does the health exam.

LIFE IN INDIA:

We are taking two animals from a very lax life with plenty of room to roam, possibly to an apartment with no yard to speak of. Is that fair to a young dog?

We also would like to think that we'll have plenty of opportunities for fun weekend getaways to sightsee and be tourists.

HOME VISITS:

We fully intend to come back to the States at least once a year, with another school break at Christmas that we're not sure about what we'll plan to do. What do we do with the animals then? I don't like the kennel options over there, and I'm not sure I could trust our staff to properly care for them in our absence. Summer break is LONG and Christmas break is about three weeks.

QUARANTINE:

I'm getting mixed responses about quarantine. Apparently, in the past an animal returning to the States would be required to undergo six months of quarantine, with no contact with other animals and only short play times outside of their cages. This does NOT sound good to me at all. Recently though, I've heard that with proper vaccinations prior to their return, they don't require quarantine at all.

FINDING NEW HOMES:

Should we decide to leave the animals here, I am adamant that we find homes with people we KNOW. I do NOT want to simply give the dog/cat to the "first responder" and feel that if we choose to not take them, this is their best option. When we come home, the kids could visit, right?

EMOTIONS:

Todd feels that the animals will help ease the transition. He also feels that the kids will hold it against us if we don't take them along.

I feel that the animals will soon be forgotten members of our family once we get settled in. No one will want to do the kitty litter, just like here at home. Everyone will complain when I ask for poop patrol to be conducted. There will still be muddy paws, hair shedding all over and cat vomit because he eats too much in one sitting.

We'll have to ship in the cat's food, as he is on a special diet ... can only imagine how expensive that will be.

ADJUSTMENT:

I feel like there is going to be enough on my plate in the final weeks here, and in the beginning weeks there. I really think that adding a dog and cat to the mix who are stressed out and unsure of what is going on, is just adding TOO much.

I just am not sure what to think, decide or do.

I am hoping that one day ... in the near future ... I wake up and have an epiphany and the decision will be made and final ... until then this is just causing me angst!

Cooperation

One of the biggest list items (in my book, anyway) is almost checked off!

The boys had their TB test started on Wednesday. The process is to use a small needle (like a little allergy stick/prick, if you've ever had allergy tests). They basically irritate just underneath the surface of the skin, and then wait 48 hours to test the results.

Both boys passed this afternoon with flying colors, as their "test site" was not raised, bruised, discolored and had not spread.

THAT, combined with the amazingly quick speed of the schools' response to my request for various forms and recommendation letters, means that their applications are complete!

I will get the rest of my information together and the forms filled out from my end and plan to ship it all off to the school on Monday.

I also heard from the school earlier this week that because the boys are both US Passport holders, they automatically have a seat held for them (upon my notification to the school of their arrival) regardless of whether the wait pool is full when they receive their applications.

That calmed my head quite a bit!

Having said all of that though, I was definitely on a mission to get the necessary immunization records, school transcripts and those teacher recommendation letters so that I could ensure these boys "get in."

Moving a teenager abroad.

You've all been concerned about Terran and his reaction to this move - and rightfully so.

We kept him in the loop for most of this decision making process, as we felt that him being 14 kind of justified his knowledge of the whole situation.

We have experienced a wide range of emotions throughout and we are hoping to respect his feelings by encouraging him to TALK and talk often.

His first concern was the internet -- wondering whether he'd have access to it. His only knowledge of internet overseas is from visiting mom in Kenya as he got very accustomed to internet cafes.

His second issue was sports.  He loves his lacrosse and football teams and was quite disappointed to find out that there is no American football, and as far as we can tell, no lacrosse. 

Obviously, he is very torn by the realization that he has to leave his friends. He has built an incredibly SOLID group of GOOD friends here. Boys and girls alike who are very balanced kids, great for him to be around and children that we trust him being with.

Finally, he brought up the issue of beef. Poor thing is going to have to give that up. Not sure what to tell him on that situation!

We want the lines of communication to be open at all times ... we are trying desperately to let him know that we too are feeling a huge variety of emotions, and that its ok to be mad about this for awhile.

We also know that he might not realize the true potential of this adventure until he is well into his adulthood years. That's ok with us.

We know that he may learn to love track (since he always has chosen lacrosse over track) and just might really like rugby. Of course, there's nothing that says that his resourceful mama can't start a small lacrosse club, right?

We also know that in time, he will make new friends ... and with a decent internet connection ... can keep up with all of his gang from back home. No, it won't be the same, but it will be sufficient.

We have a long ways to go with him before he is "ok" with this move. We let him tell his friends via Facebook last night, and while I won't violate his privacy by posting their conversation here, I truly think it helped him -- to just be able to talk it through, get his friends' reactions and vent a bit.

This will most likely be the hardest on him ... shoot, right now in his life it is a huge drama/trauma when I tell him he can't have his 3rd Monster drink for the day, and there is eye-rolling and foot stomping just because I ask him to clean his room.

He has such a big change going on, simply because he's 14 and in 8th grade, not to mention throwing in a move to India!

The days of the week

Oh boy.

I found this list on a website for expats.  Because I'm such a list-maker, I decided to split the work according to the week. 

There are 18 weeks between now and the anticipated arrival in Delhi.  13 weeks between now and the end of school.

Oh boy.

For some reason, when you say "we'll be leaving sometime in June" it seems SO much farther away than when you say "we'll be leaving in 13 weeks"

So here is the list they suggest you follow in order to get prepared.

INITIAL ACTIONS

Coordinate agreements concerning your overseas assignment with the Human Resources department of your company.

If appropriate, provide HR with information required for:
__     Passports
__     Visa/work permit requirements
__     Flight arrangements for orientation visit and car hire requirements
__     Arrangements for the transportation of your unaccompanied personal effects and pets
__     Housing/schooling requirements in your host location
    cartoon #11

Expect the renters to put some wear and tear on your house while you're away


DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR HOME

If you rent, check the lease and give the appropriate notice

If you intend to leave your home empty:
__ Check your buildings and insurance coverage
__ Prepare your house for inactivity (drain down water, disconnect gas,
     central heating, etc.)
__ Advise your mortgage lender
__ Make security arrangements for your home
__ Arrange cleaner, gardener, as necessary
__ Arrange for someone to check the property on a regular basis

If you intend to rent your home:
__ Choose a reputable rental agent to market the property for you
__ Employ an attorney to study the tenancy agreement
__ Nominate managing agents
__ Get consents from mortgage company, insurers

If you intend to sell your home:
__ Choose a reputable real estate agent to market the property for you
__ Employ an attorney
__ Organize a Power of Attorney in case the sale is not finalized before
      your departure

6-12 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE

Be sure legal paperwork for traveling is done:
__ Check that passports are up to date; make application if necessary
__ Get a supply of passport-size photos to take with you
__ Apply for any necessary visas/work permits

To protect your health while overseas:
__ Arrange medical and dental check-ups
__ Go over vaccination records with the doctor and arrange extra shots
     if required
__ Arrange for an AIDS test if your host country requires it
__ If you take prescription medication, make arrangements with your
     doctor for obtaining a supply of these medications; ask the doctor to
     write a letter documenting your need for these medications
__ If you or a member of your family has any special medical conditions,
     ask your doctor for a copy of the pertinent medical records for use by
     your doctor abroad
__ Consult with your doctor whether you will need any preventative
     medications such as quinine where you will be living. Make arrangements
     to acquire any if needed

Notify your children's school of their departure

Notify your banks

If you receive government benefits (for example, Social Security or
Veterans' benefits) make arrangement to have your money sent to your new
location

Look over your will and be sure it still reflects your wishes; arrange
to meet with your attorney to make any desired changes or to make a will
if you don't have one yet

Arrange a power of attorney, if required

Advise any insurance companies with whom you have policies that you are
moving to live overseas (Companies have been known to refuse to pay out
when they have not been so advised)

Decide what to do with your pet(s)

Decide what to do with your car(s)

Arrange for moving companies to carry out pre-move survey

If at all possible, make a "reconnaissance trip" to your new location;
while there, you might choose your house, a bank, and/or school(s) for
your children

4-6 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE

Consider the need for independent tax/financial advice on your status as
an expatriate

Arrange with the post office for your mail to be forwarded

Send out change-of-address cards; make arrangements for staying in touch
with friends and relatives

Cancel subscriptions to book clubs, magazines

Notify credit card companies

Arrange flight tickets, hotels, car hire

Make a detailed inventory of the contents of your home including value
and age (You may want to take photos for insurance purposes)

Consider opening a safe deposit box in which to store important
documents and valuables while you are away

Plan what things to take with you overseas and what things to leave
behind. Consider whether you want to put some things in storage and make
any necessary arrangements

Make final arrangements with moving company for moving day

Collect copies of legal documents such as marriage, birth, adoption,
divorce certificates to take with you

Collect copies of important documents you may need with you (insurance
certificates, medical records, optical and/or medicinal prescriptions,
school records)

Deplete food in your kitchen cupboards and freezer

Deplete stocks of alcohol

Contact your local voter registration office if necessary to register as
an overseas elector

1-2 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE

Sort out those items you will need to keep with you when you travel:
passport, visa, work permit, tickets, money, travelers checks, currency,
credit cards, driver's license, essential medication, vaccination
certificates, valuables, jewelry, address book, things for children to
do on the flight, at least one change of clothes (your suitcases may not
arrive with you)q Drain fuel from lawn mower

Cancel milk/newspaper deliveries

Advise utility companies: gas, electricity, water, telephone

Dispose of houseplants

Defrost refrigerator/freezer

Pack the possessions you are taking with you


For the sake of anyone reading this blog who is going through a similar situation, I'll post again soon with my version of a readiness checklist, broken down into weeks. It most likely will be quite boring for those of you reading who fall into the friends/family category, so I apologize in advance!

Out of the mouths ...

Preface : I'm working in Mia's room... just getting some old stuff cleaned out.

Tony walks in and ...

Tony : um ... WHAT are you doing?

Me : just cleaning

Tony : i KNOW what you guys are doing

Me : oh you do, huh?

Tony : uh, YEP.  You're gonna make dad unscrew Mia's bed and we're gonna move, even though dad doesn't LIKE to unscrew beds. He JUST got this thing put together, you know that right?

Me : oh, I'm sure dad can handle it

Tony : I guess.

Me : What would you think if we did move?

Tony : well, you'd have to finally say YES to me getting a bus pass to my friends' house!

(The thing to keep in mind with this post is that we haven't TOLD Tony we're moving ... obviously kids hear (and comprehend) more than we think they do!  I think a talk with Tony is inevitable!)

Rainy Day.

It is cold, rainy and downright gloomy here in Cleveland today.

I can't help but think that I am NOT going to miss this weather!  Then I realize that there IS a 'monsoon' season in Delhi and maybe I need to spend the next months enjoying and respecting the seasons that this area has to offer.

I can't help but wonder what it will be like for our kids, as they all three have grown up (so far) with snow on the ground (or forecasted) at Christmas. 

I was thoroughly excited today to get an email from a friend asking for assistance with unused clothing for a family who recently lost all of their belongings in a fire. 

Guess what?  They need the same sizes that currently sit unworn in our dresser drawers!  I'm so thrilled to be able to sort and purge my closets/dressers for a PURPOSE and actually pass along some items and help both this family and OURS at the same time.

Off I go to the bedrooms ... it's time to do some spring cleaning and sorting!  Just the kind of thing to do on a rainy day, right?

Let the lists begin.

Oh criminy.

I say often of myself that I'm good at lists. I'm great with a to-do list, because you almost get a manual of sorts to follow. Do this, do this and do this.

This morning, I woke up and decided that today was going to be about school. Contacting the boys' teachers/principals and gathering the paperwork necessary to apply to the new school.

Take a look at this:

Admissions Checklist

In order for a student to complete the admissions process and earn a position in the Wait Pool or be offered admission, the following documents and required payments must be submitted: (wait, you need all of this JUST to put them on the WAITING LIST?)

• completed application form with recent photo (said application form is four pages long) 
• $300 non-refundable application fee 
• copy of school records covering the last two years and a half years; NOTE: a copy of the original school report should be submitted, as well as an English translation for any reports issued in another language. 
• copies of any educational / psychological testing, IEP, speech/language, OT, PT reports, etc. 
• completed AES Confidential Recommendation Form completed by the current classroom teacher; NOTE : high school applicants need TWO confidential recommendations : 1) English teacher; 2) Math or Science teacher; 
• copy of information / photo ID page of passport 
• employer statement showing compelling evidence of temporary relocation to India with home base in Delhi 
• AES Health Form (all information INCLUDING immunization dates must be entered on our form)  (which means that both boys need a TB shot, scheduled for Wednesday and I need to dig deep to find all of Terran's immunization records back from OMAHA!)
  

In order for a student to maintain their position in the wait pool the following must be submitted prior to 1 May:

an advanced deposit of US $2000 (two thousand) : payable against tuition, to confirm continued interest in the wait pool seats

Oh criminy.

I'm begining to realize that alot of the necessary steps require steps or action on someone else's part and that I am left in a holding pattern until said other people do said other steps.

Please pray that when it is time for all of the pieces to come together (visas, proof of temporary residence, etc) so that I can finally send in the paperwork to get these boys on the wait list for school, that they still have some spots open for them!

Gurgaon.

If you're interested,, here is a pretty decent look at how NORMAL life will be for us!

Wikitravel - Gurgaon website

Terran will have access to a movie theatre, a TGIFridays and there's even a water park 10 minutes away!

While the easy answer to "Where will you live?" is Delhi, we'll actually be residing in Gurgaon, outside of Delhi.

Fixtures.

"Better be imprudent movables than prudent fixtures."

~ Keats

Let it be.

From Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

"Letting go, of course, is a scary enterprise  for those of us who believe that the wold revolves only because it has a handle on the  top of it which we personally turn, and that if we were to drop this handle for even a moment, well - that would be the end of the universe.  But try dropping it.  This is the message I'm getting. 

Sit quietly for now and cease your relentless participation.  Watch what happens.  The birds do not crash dead out of the sky in mid-flight, after all.  The trees do not wither and die, the rivers do not run red with blood.


Life continues to go on.  Why are you so sure that your micromanagement of every moment in this whole world is so essential?  Why don't you let it be?"

I originally picked up this book when it first came out. When it was first chosen as an Oprah Pick.  If I remember right, I took it on vacation with us and only got through the first couple of pages.   I tried to read it again a couple of months later, and had the same response.  A sort of boredom with the book and no real interest.

Recently though, when searching for books on all things India, this book came up in my search results.

Glaring at me on the library computer screen, I originally dismissed the title and went on to the next choice.

After wandering through the rows and rows of books and not finding anything that really struck my fancy, I went back to that computer screen and pulled up the dewey decimal code for the book.

I read it almost straight through.  Once from start to finish ... and once to simply re-read the portion where Liz visits India. 

Her journey is an amazing one, but her wisdom and experiences she shared from her time in India really hit home for me.

Let it be.  There are things in this life you can control, and things you cannot.  For me - as I embark on this new adventure for the family ... I hope to engrain that upon my every thought. 

There are things in this journey that I cannot control, and things that I will not be able to alter.

Let it be.

The moment.

Todd woke me up at 11:20 pm on a Saturday night.  This Saturday night, March 7th, I was sleeping in Tony's bed and doing some snuggle time.  I had fallen asleep and was dreaming of normal things.

We had earlier in the afternoon sent our final counter-offer to "the guy" and resumed what has become our normal mode of operating .... stop worrying, go about our daily routines, smile often and talk positively about India. 

Todd set up the bounce house for the kids and had 'breakfast for dinner', followed by some moonlight gazing and then bedtime.

Even though he hasn't signed on the dotted line, I will soon be an expat.

I researched and planned.  I obsessed and analyzed.  I tossed this possibility around in my head, over and over and over.

Because I like things in order and thought through, I knew that I would be prepared for "this day" ... ready for "this moment."

But what I realize now ... now that I'm physically ... quite literally IN that moment is that you can never truly prepare for the flood of emotions and feelings that happen when THAT moment occurs.

I am looking at my husband - sitting across the table from me - as he reviews the requirements for application for an Indian Visa and I'm in awe.

I'm in awe of his abilities and talents.  I'm proud of him and what he's accomplished during his career.

I'm sad for him that he is soon going to be spending a large chunk of time in a city that is an ocean away from his family.

I'm pleased to know that if anyone can do this, I know that I can ... I can be the one to hold it together back at home, and get done what needs to be done, and provide a safe zone (albeit it stressed and hectic for me) for the kiddos while they go through this transition time and weeks without their daddy.

I'm excited and I'm a leaky bucket at the same time.  My stomach is churning at the same time I have butterflies.

The moment has arrived.

Written at midnight on Saturday, March 7th, 2009.

The eve of ...

It's the evening before we know something.

There is a scheduled call to take place tomorrow morning.

The outcome of which remains to be seen, but I can't tell if I'm relieved to know that we WILL know something tomorrow morning or torn because I don't want to know the answer.

What I do know is that this has been stressful on ALL of us ... poor Terran is an absolute wreck, I know that Todd is a disaster and I am just ... well ... I'm just barely holding on.

This has been the absolute LONGEST three weeks of my life.  The L-O-N-G-E-S-T three weeks of my life.

I thought I was doing myself a favor by choosing a select few to talk to this about -- I needed to vent and get some stuff out of my system ... but the aggravation in that is that I'm constantly being subjected to the "did you hear yet" question.

Honestly, I just want to drink my wine, put the kids to bed and sleep my way through until tomorrow morning's call.

I'm just hopeful that if this doesn't work out, that I'm not terribly disappointed.  I hope that I'm not a raving lunatic and a blubbering mess if we end up getting the "no go" message.

Implenting the "deep breathing."

Written at 7:16pm on Wednesday, March 4th.  Saved in draft for ... hopefully tomorrow, when I can start posting these blasted posts.