Brenda came to CA for Maxwell's birthday weekend, sans Dewey as he was still recovering from his recent surgery. I filled up the two days she stayed beyond the party to get as much done as possible. On Monday after his party, poor Maxwell had to go to the doctor for his three year check up. He didn't have to have any immunizations, but the doctor did ask for blood work, so we headed over to the lab. He was such a trooper! Earlier that day I had my annual well woman exam, and the next morning I had two cavities filled at the dentist. NOT FUN. At least I filled in the space between with a wonderful visit to the spa (Thank you Groupon!) for a facial and MUCH needed massage.
But while two days with Gaga's help was wonderful, it just wasn't enough to get everything done. David was in England, and I had to wrap up our life in Burbank. On a daily basis I was on the phone making calls, sending emails, researching online, cleaning/organizing/packing boxes, running errands...and, OH YEAH...entertaining two toddlers from sun up to sun down!!! April was the longest and most exhausting month of my life.
Which is why, one of my best friends, Jamie, gave me THIS!
SUPERMOM TO THE RESCUE! (That's me on the right)
Ever since Maxwell was little, Dave and I would joke around about me being SuperMom. I am sure that most parenting duos have the same conversation. But in April of 2011...I really felt like it! I was still organizer of our playgroup, so the kids and I were off most days doing funstuff with one or several of our friends. And our friends are amazing, too! Most of them offered to help in any way they could, and most of them were called to action! A huge InghamFamilyTails shoutout in particular to Jamie, Becki, Annie, Aine, Sarah and Susie for all the babysitting, as well as to Teresa, Karla, Marsha, Eileen and Liz for the playtime, fun and hand-me-down clothes for Darian! And I can't forget about Monica, Josh, Steve and Nicole for helping load the truck in Burbank. But wait! There's more! Steve and Nicole and Jill and Shelly for the help in Corona...this blog could go on and on!
I think I need to have a separate blog for my mom, Shelly, Jill, Steve, Nicole and Brenda for everything they have done to help us. There aren't enough words in my limited vocabulary to express just how awesome you guys all are! THANK YOU!!!!!!
But back to the (many) tasks at hand.
Back in late January, early February when the possibility of moving first started to look like a possibility, I started researching just what we would have to do in order to make this happen. I can't pinpoint what the hardest part was, because it seemed like each individual piece was in itself extremely challenging. Throughout the entire process, Dave was still obviously working full time, so he didn't really have the downtime to help me figure this stuff out. Especially after he spent a couple days in the middle of February in NJ in order to meet the client. After that visit, he was officially on the project. So not only did he have to do everything at work that already had him working 11-12 hour days, now he was full time project manager for the UK project, too!
But the paperwork certainly did seem to be burying us alive. We had to get passport photos and then passports for the kids in order to apply for our Visas. Then we filled out the forms to apply for the Visas and learned we had to go get facial scans and fingerprints done. Oh, and more passport photos for the Visas. I was in charge of reading all the information that Cognizant was sending us relating to the move, because David just didn't have time. It was overwhelming, to say the least. We requested all our medical records as well, so there were lots of back and forth visits to the doctors offices to get that all straightened out. There were many phone calls and emails exchanges in order to coordinate and figure out the specifics of moving our stuff over. And then the little issue of finding somewhere to live once we got there! Luckily, while I closed down shop in Burbank, Dave was working the phones and emails in Oxford and setting us up with a house, a bank account, etc.
But the condo in Burbank...man! I have moved before, but never with such a household worth of STUFF, and never with two toddlers demanding my attention all day long. Luckily after that crazy leak we had, the condo was temporarily off the market. Because for about three weeks there, I was all alone with both kids trying to organize and pack and yet still have the place looking perfect in case someone wanted to come for a walk through. Needless to say, while the MegaBitch had to appear in order to get everything fixed in the condo, that leak was probably the best thing that could have happened in order for me to keep my sanity!!
We learned before we even left that the eight hour time difference between California and England was going to be really hard on us once we moved. When Dave got back to the hotel the kids were napping, and when they woke up he was either in bed or about to go that way. When we got up in the morning he was at work. David and I had the chance to talk enough, but he didn't see the kids much during the week. We survived the month with lots of emails and skype time, mostly on weekends. My favorite day was one when we turned on Skype and all just went about our business. Me and the kids eating and playing and doing our thing, and David working from the hotel and enjoying listening to us and watching us play. It was great! Like he was right there with us!
Darian making silly faces at Dadda
Ring Around the Rosie
Pretty Girl
Hi Dadda!!
No comments:
Post a Comment