*Let me preface this post by saying it is a long one...
Friday, October 1st I leave for Florida. I am a mix of emotions right now. I am excited and nervous. I am anxious and sad. I am grateful and reflective.
While I watch Lou carry around her newest baby doll and hear Landon playing upstairs I realize the sounds of home will be something I will miss the most. Of course, husband and the kids I will miss more than anything, but the familiar sounds of Lou waking up in the morning and Landon telling me good morning with his crazy bed-head hair which is so much part of my every day, I will miss! I will miss the goodnight kisses and the "I love yous" which Lou has just started saying.
I will miss my mom and dad. I will miss my dad calling me just to check up on my week or when we see each other in traffic in the mornings. I will miss our not too often marathon mother-daughter days. Our latest one was long over due, but I enjoyed being able to spend time with my mom, just me and her.
I will miss my (not so little, anymore) brother, Doug. I cannot believe he is 21. I will miss him coming over just to hang out or going out till the morning hours downtown. I will miss him when he comes home from MTSU to visit and calls to tell me he is almost home. Because his home (Memphis) will no longer be my home.
I will miss my Target and Walgreens runs with Emily. Though we haven't gotten to spend as much time with each other as we once did, we still pick up where we left off like we haven't skipped a beat! I know we will still have phone calls that last too long and hopefully some visits back and forth, but I think she knows I love her dearly no matter what!
I love my job. I love working at St. Jude. It is a wonderful place filled with brilliant people (nurses, physicians, etc) that do excellent work to treat and hopefully one day cure childhood cancer. The neuro-oncology team is unique; well at least I think so. We are little quirky and weird, and yet we are our own little entity. I will miss Dr. G and our Monday morning meetings where you never know what he will say. I will miss his visits to our office where most of the time it is business as usual but sometimes it is just to catch up on the day or to offer wisdom like only he can.
I will miss Oxford, MS. It is now fall and college football is in full swing. This normally means at least a few trips to Oxford to the Grove to cheer on the Rebels. We did make it to the season opener, but sadly our trips to Oxford have ended for the year. I love the Grove and being part of a wonderful tradition that I think only Ole Miss can offer. I will miss our tailgate friends, cocktails, and people watching (because the sight of coeds teetering in 4 inch heels in the grass is entertaining and the frat boys all dressed up in the red and blue is a sign of true school spirit).
I will miss my girls, Meghan and Samantha. Over the past 2 or so years, we have become co-workers but more importantly friends, exceptional friends. I will miss coming in to work and catching up on their weekends (unless we spent them together, then we are usually laughing at something that went on). I will miss our afternoon talks at work about love, life, and whatever else seems to be the topic at the moment. I will miss how we get each other even if one isn't talking. I will miss our endless inside jokes and silly movie quotes. I will miss our girls nights when we eat, drink, laugh and stay out way too late! More importantly, I will miss what they have become to me, a part of my family (the sisters I knew I wanted but never had)!
I will miss home. Dennis, he is my home. He is my stability. It will be hard being away from him. We haven't been apart for more than maybe 5 days at a time since we have been married. I will miss being able to go to sleep next to him and wake up beside him. I will miss spending time together after the kids have to gone to bed, even if it just watching TV until time to go to bed. I will miss taking care of him and him taking care of me.
Memphis, what can I say? My home for 29 years (1 year was in Jackson, TN). You may not be bright and shiny like some other cities. You may not have the best reputation when it comes to politics, crime, or the health of it's citizens; but you still have a piece of me. I grew up here. I got engaged here on the roof of the Peabody hotel. I married here at the Chi Omega headquarters. Both of my children were born here. My childhood memories consist of Mud Island, where I would dip my toes in and walk in the river path and seeing Disney on ice at the coliseum. I look back at high school where I learned to drive in mid-town and nearly caused the instructor a heart attack when I decided to not slow down when coming off of an interstate ramp that was clearly marked with 25mph (I think). I remember dates downtown and riding in the horse drawn carriage with Beven and Beamer (the dog and the horse, not my date's name). I remember my 21st Birthday starting out at BB Kings and ending at the Blue Monkey on Madison. My more recent memories of Redbirds Baseball games, Grizzlies games, and concerts at the Orpheum. And who could forget Memphis in May? This city has my love. I will miss it as well because it is where I learned, laughed, loved, cried, and left the people I have know my entire life.
So this week the farewell begins. It is bittersweet. A new adventure awaits in Florida.....
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Wheels on the Bus....
One day I may look back at this event and laugh, but right now, not. so. much.
Friday was an interesting milestone in the life of our 5 year old. Landon is now in kindergarten at a county school. It was rated one of the best in the county. We have thus far, been pleased with the school. It is fairly new, clean, and the the student to teacher ratio is not terrible.
Landon participates in after school care every day. Since me and the husband work past the time he gets out of school, he spends his afternoon with the ladies at the school's Y-care program. He seems to enjoy playing with the other kids and doesn't mind having to wait on us to pick him up.
Landon did ask to start riding the bus in the mornings. We reluctantly agreed. We are only about 3 blocks from the school, so we thought we would give it a try. We filled out the paperwork and Landon started riding the bus just about a week ago. Friday, for some reason his teacher through some comedy of errors (I say comedy with sarcasm, as I still don't find it all that humorous), placed Landon on the bus in the afternoon to go home. With no one there to receive Landon at our home and the teacher realizing the mistake, she called us to inform us our child was at our house. Luckily, our neighbor was able to watch him until we could get home.
Needless to say, I am rethinking the whole bus concept. It is pretty foreign to me anyways considering I went to private school throughout elementary and high school. He loves the bus (at 5 it doesn't take much to make them happy!), so I really hope from now on he is at school in the afternoons when we go to fetch him!!!!
Friday was an interesting milestone in the life of our 5 year old. Landon is now in kindergarten at a county school. It was rated one of the best in the county. We have thus far, been pleased with the school. It is fairly new, clean, and the the student to teacher ratio is not terrible.
Landon participates in after school care every day. Since me and the husband work past the time he gets out of school, he spends his afternoon with the ladies at the school's Y-care program. He seems to enjoy playing with the other kids and doesn't mind having to wait on us to pick him up.
Landon did ask to start riding the bus in the mornings. We reluctantly agreed. We are only about 3 blocks from the school, so we thought we would give it a try. We filled out the paperwork and Landon started riding the bus just about a week ago. Friday, for some reason his teacher through some comedy of errors (I say comedy with sarcasm, as I still don't find it all that humorous), placed Landon on the bus in the afternoon to go home. With no one there to receive Landon at our home and the teacher realizing the mistake, she called us to inform us our child was at our house. Luckily, our neighbor was able to watch him until we could get home.
Needless to say, I am rethinking the whole bus concept. It is pretty foreign to me anyways considering I went to private school throughout elementary and high school. He loves the bus (at 5 it doesn't take much to make them happy!), so I really hope from now on he is at school in the afternoons when we go to fetch him!!!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Transition....
Lately the word transition has been a staple in the Thompson house.
Merriam-Webster defines transition as a: " passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another".
Passage from one Stage: Landon has had a little struggle with the transition to kindergarten. He went to K-4 last year at the same place he had attended daycare since he was around 12 weeks old. We were hoping going to a new school, meeting new friends, having new teachers, etc would not be so tough on him. We are now on the third-fourth week of school and things seems to be calming down and he is getting the hang of the new routine. Landon, like his mommy is not a huge fan of change. He craves consistency in all he does. I am glad he seems to have the hang of it now, for the most part. Mommy is getting used to it too. When I drop him off at school I am no longer allowed to walk him to class. I drop him off in front of the entrance and he walks in by himself. What a big boy!
Passage from one Place: We are in the midst of major transition in our family as well. We have made the decision to move to Florida for me to embark on a new job. I have given notice at St. Jude and my last day is September 30th. I am really going to miss my co-workers, which are some of the best friends I have ever made. I am going to miss St. Jude in general. It is a wonderful place to work and I am very proud to say I have worked at St. Jude. I will miss the patients as well. Though be it strange to say I love working with brain tumor patients. I have always had a weird fascination with them.
Passage from one State: I leave for Florida on October 1st, solo. Dennis and the kids will remain in Memphis for no more than a month while we wait to see if the house will sell and if Dennis' job will fall into place like we hope it will. During this time I will begin work on October 4th. I figure if I am going to make this transition I might as well rip the band-aid and just go for it. I will work and look for us a town home while I wait for Dennis and the kids to join me.
I am really nervous and yet excited about this next chapter in our life. This is possibly the largest transition we will make besides the usual ones (getting married, having children, etc). We will be moving to a place where we don't know many people and do not have family near. It is about 7 hours from the closest family we have in Pensacola. We will be a 16 hour car ride from our parents and most of our family and friends.
We have both known nothing more than Memphis for most of our lives. I would love for my children to be able to experience something different. To be able at a moments notice pack up and go to the beach, the Keys, Isle of Capri, etc. I want my kids to love and appreciate the beauty and the wonder of the ocean as much as I do and all the creatures in it that God created. I look forward to mild winters with our toes in the warm sand in December.
So yes, this transition is huge and scary. This transition is filled with uncertainty as well as excitement. It is sad to leave all we know but joyful to look forward to all that will be. I will miss my children and Dennis like crazy for that first month but I keep telling myself even now, with four weeks to go that it is temporary and this transition will pass by quickly making way for a better transition when everyone comes to Florida to join me.
As summer begins to fade to fall in the South, it is truly a season of transition for us...
Merriam-Webster defines transition as a: " passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another".
Passage from one Stage: Landon has had a little struggle with the transition to kindergarten. He went to K-4 last year at the same place he had attended daycare since he was around 12 weeks old. We were hoping going to a new school, meeting new friends, having new teachers, etc would not be so tough on him. We are now on the third-fourth week of school and things seems to be calming down and he is getting the hang of the new routine. Landon, like his mommy is not a huge fan of change. He craves consistency in all he does. I am glad he seems to have the hang of it now, for the most part. Mommy is getting used to it too. When I drop him off at school I am no longer allowed to walk him to class. I drop him off in front of the entrance and he walks in by himself. What a big boy!
Passage from one Place: We are in the midst of major transition in our family as well. We have made the decision to move to Florida for me to embark on a new job. I have given notice at St. Jude and my last day is September 30th. I am really going to miss my co-workers, which are some of the best friends I have ever made. I am going to miss St. Jude in general. It is a wonderful place to work and I am very proud to say I have worked at St. Jude. I will miss the patients as well. Though be it strange to say I love working with brain tumor patients. I have always had a weird fascination with them.
Passage from one State: I leave for Florida on October 1st, solo. Dennis and the kids will remain in Memphis for no more than a month while we wait to see if the house will sell and if Dennis' job will fall into place like we hope it will. During this time I will begin work on October 4th. I figure if I am going to make this transition I might as well rip the band-aid and just go for it. I will work and look for us a town home while I wait for Dennis and the kids to join me.
I am really nervous and yet excited about this next chapter in our life. This is possibly the largest transition we will make besides the usual ones (getting married, having children, etc). We will be moving to a place where we don't know many people and do not have family near. It is about 7 hours from the closest family we have in Pensacola. We will be a 16 hour car ride from our parents and most of our family and friends.
We have both known nothing more than Memphis for most of our lives. I would love for my children to be able to experience something different. To be able at a moments notice pack up and go to the beach, the Keys, Isle of Capri, etc. I want my kids to love and appreciate the beauty and the wonder of the ocean as much as I do and all the creatures in it that God created. I look forward to mild winters with our toes in the warm sand in December.
So yes, this transition is huge and scary. This transition is filled with uncertainty as well as excitement. It is sad to leave all we know but joyful to look forward to all that will be. I will miss my children and Dennis like crazy for that first month but I keep telling myself even now, with four weeks to go that it is temporary and this transition will pass by quickly making way for a better transition when everyone comes to Florida to join me.
As summer begins to fade to fall in the South, it is truly a season of transition for us...
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Are You Ready?
Hotty Toddy! College Football season has officially begun! It is Labor Day weekend and that really means only one thing in the Thompson house! We are headed to Oxford, to the Grove, to see old friends and make new ones!
The true old Southern tradition that is the Grove calls my name about August of each year and the countdown begins! It is bittersweet this year as we will be moving soon and not able to make it to Oxford for many more parties in the Grove. So today we will live it up!!!
The true old Southern tradition that is the Grove calls my name about August of each year and the countdown begins! It is bittersweet this year as we will be moving soon and not able to make it to Oxford for many more parties in the Grove. So today we will live it up!!!
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