We're Here! Home Sweet Oakwood.

Well, we've been here a week but things have just normalized enough for me to update our blog with our latest happenings.  We hit the ground last Sunday.  Yes, all 5 of us survived a 3 day road trip with 2 cats in tow.  The diplocats (I just like to say that) were amazing collected considering they spent long days in small carriers and nights in random places.  Plus, when we arrived in Oakwood, we found out that we were getting a 3 bedroom apartment instead of the 2 bedroom one they had committed to.  Happy dance!  The layout is a bit unusual, in that they make a larger unit by combining a 2 bedroom with a studio apartment.  So Violet gets her own pad with a giant bed, sofa and chair, TV, bathroom and full kitchen.  The extra kitchen is a bit strange in my 5 year old's room, but really handy for storage and such.

We rested up on Monday and ventured down to the pool a bit.  This place is just loaded with kids so Violet immediately made some new pals, many started kindergarten with her the next day.  The boys are shyer and more hesitant. Plus, there are just fewer kids that age lounging about the complex. I think they all hide out in their apartments.  This is definitely a new dynamic that I hadn't thought through completely.  It is so much easier when they are playground age for them to make new friends.  The good thing is that the bus is sort of a forced captivity with kids who live near you so they are chatting with other kids there.

 On to Monday, all 3 of them got up and at'em.  We got them registered in their new schools and they were up and running and able to participate by the first day.  I was extremely relieved to realize that while 5th grade is in the middle school building here, it is not the same as middle school.  The kids stay with a homeroom/content mastery teacher who teaches all subjects except for the specials like art, band, home economics (love that they take that), Spanish, French and drama.  Now, 8th grade is high school here and they mean it.  Alex is in the high school building with tons of hairy people who can drive.  That said, he seems to be having a pretty great time of it.  He has met some foreign service friends who also ride the bus back to Oakwood.  One just returned from Paris so he definitely has delusions that we will be going there (HA!).  Violet attends school with a mind-boggling amount of FS kids, many of whom are in our building.  She also seems to be adjusting well, but it is a big adjustment.  She is completely exhausted when she gets home!

A week into it, I can't say it is par for the course, but I am amazed at how adaptable everyone is.  Now, our home still feels like a hotel and the whole experience feels more like a vacation that my real life.  But I suppose that is fairly normal when you land in a new place like this.  We have found the Costco and the grocery stores, a Target and good running trails.  We are taking Alex to an orthodontist next week.

Today, Chris boarded the bus and headed off for his first day at the new job.  Tomorrow is the big day when we receive the long-awaited bid list.  We also receive our air shipment (UAB in FS speak) so we should have more clothes and some things that make life a bit more comfortable. I totally miss my spices and am thrilled that they will be arriving along with my blender and crockpot.  Cooking without any spices is definitely an interesting endeavor.

I'll leave you with some pictures so you can visualize where we are and what we are up to:

Boys room

View of Oakwood from our window

Oliver while travelling

Violet's bedroom