A New Beginning

Ellie and I left Virginia on December 28 and drove through gorgeous Tennesse, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and arrived in Idaho on January 15.  Along the way we saw lots of family and cousins and really cool places.  I call it "Mommy & Ellie's Grand Adventure".  But seeing as I have 600+ from the trip, I've opted to blog that later.  If I don't start with what we're doing now I'll never get going!

So we arrived on Jan 15 and I wandered around my new-old home adjusting to the fact that this is my home.  Our house is old and cozy.  Ellie was so excited and thinks it looks like a little cottage and she even has secret hiding spots (built ins).  I have been slower to warm up, but the place is growing on me.  I was super-overwhelmed by all of the boxes and the shock of being here.  So overwhelmed.

It didn't help that the next morning power went out in town around 5 am and it was -15*F.  So flippin' cold.  We had Ellie crawl in bed to try to conserve heat.  Welcome to Rexburg!  School was canceled that day, so Ellie's first day at school was Tuesday.  I was apprehensive based on how rough a transition we had in Virginia.  So I walked her that morning, went to the office and got a tour of the school from Mr. Busby.  He delivered us to Mrs. Ott's 2nd Grade class.  I went to pick her up after school (2 blocks away) and I was the only parent there.  All kids pretty much walk themselves.  (Time for mom to be BRAVE and let her kid do hard things.)

{sigh} She was NOT happy AT ALL.  She said it was the worst first day of her life because some girls followed her around ALL DAY LONG and wouldn't leave her alone and so she told them they were 'not her bodyguards'. She said kids wanted her to tell them about herself but she just wants them to watch her to know what she likes. And that she told a girl she had a big stomach. AND my little stinker had the gall to come home and say it was her worst first day ever. Because too many people were too friendly. I can't win. We had some nice talks yesterday........ Now I feel bad for the other kids for subjecting them to my little stinker.  She talked to the teacher and she's been moved around a few times to find a place that works for her.  The teacher thinks she is doing fine -- she is behind here and has forgotten some things she already had down in Virginia, which is frustrating but to be expected.  I met with the teacher yesterday and I'll be volunteering in the library and during reading time in the classes each week.  Sounds like fun.

Only this week have I finally come to the point where it feels like everything is in its place.  Once that happened we started a chore chart {"Mom, chore charts are the funnest things ever!!  Can I do one until I'm 19??" says Ellie.  "YES" says mom}.  And now we have routines and schedules. 

Next stop:  whole-foods, clean-eating meal scheduling :-)

PS  this stay at home mom thing may sound like unicorns and rainbows but cleaning a whole house every week and cooking all the time is hard to get excited for.  And now I'm home people call and talk a long time and when the landlord drops by we visit for 2 hours, etc.  I'm trying to lower a little of my expectations of what I can get done between 8 and 245 each day.