Girl Scouts

Last night was Tali's Girl Scout picnic wrapping up the year.  I liked this year's party a little more than last.  There was less pomp and circumstance and more fun.  The girls played a lot and Finn finally joined in after dinner.  I set up a yahoo account for Tali and we gave Nicole her address so the girls can keep in touch.  Tali is very good friends with Nicole's daughter, Ella.  The leaders think that there might also be a Girl Scout badge that has something to do with pen pals, so next year the troop and Tali can write back and forth.

Mark went to his mom's yesterday while I stayed home to get things done.  I got a call from the Secretary of State and she has to send some of my paperwork back.  She was able to process the birth certificates, but not the dr.s letters or the background checks.  Turns out I need an affadavit with those.  I knew I was doing something wrong, but I couldn't figure out what.  The notary was not able to sign off on them so I just sent them on, not knowing how to fix it.  I found an affadavit sample online that I can use.  Now I need a notary to sign them and then I have to take them to the county clerk and then send them back to the Secretary of State.  It would be alot easier to just have an attorney notary sign off on them because that would allow me to skip the county clerk step, but that costs a lot of money.  If we are able to get an appt. with Jim Monjot either today or Monday I will have him do it.  That would be the best scenario, but we'll see.

I called the Ecuadorian Embassy and someone actually picked up the phone!  I was so startled that I forgot all of the questions I wanted to ask.  We have been trying for months to get ahold of someone with no luck.  Supposedly the building was damaged in the earthquake around Washington last year so they were moving buildings.  I was able to ask him about processing Scout's paperwork.  $50 money order, and he assured me that it would be processed in a timely manner.  It looked like I was going to be under a terrible time crunch with Scout's paperwork since I wasn't going to be able to have her seen by a vet until Tuesday, but a vet is going to be there on Monday so we will go in then.  That should give me just enough time to get it to the USDA, back again, to the Embassy and back. 

I started trying to pack some stuff yesterday just to see how it was going to go.  I had bought some Space Saver bags and I was eager to try them out.  Those things are awesome!  We are allowing Finn and Tali to take all of their stuffed animals of which there are many.  They don't have a lot of toys and I wanted them to have some comforts from home.  Really, the only things they will have to take are their animals and legos.  We can get paper and art supplies there, and they are used to creating their own toys both inside and outside the house.  I bought both of them one of the cheapest Kindles since there aren't going to be many children's books in English.  So they have those too. I was able to get all of their clothes (and I brought a lot) into two bags.  One bag went into Tali's footlocker and one bag into Finn's.  They rest is filled with stuffed animals.  I cannot believe that I got all of their stuff into one footlocker each.  And they only weigh 30lbs.  I'll probably shove some of my cookbooks in there since I have 20lbs. to work with.

I think I'm going to need one footlocker for comforters and one for computer equipment.  We are bringing a king-size, queen-size and the two twin-size down comforters for warmth.  I am also bringing my duvet and pillow set.  I worked too hard saving up for that set and I love it. 

Oh, I also need a suitcase for our artwork and the kid's memory stuff.  I really need to get cracking on going through pictures.  The idea is to go to Walmart and scan all of them, but I need to go through them first in order to do that and for some reason I have been procrastinating. 

I am really enjoying my 6 a.m. walks with Scout.  I love seeing all of the birds...blue birds, goldfinches, cedar waxwings.  Can't forget the catbirds.  They are so funny. 

Ruth took Grandma's white chest.  She has the perfect house for it.  I wish there was some way to get our table over to Michele and Joe's. 

As of Monday we will have no tv.  I had to cut it off early so that Direct TV could send us the boxes to send the equipment back.  I'm going to miss all of my shows.  Bummer, but I guess I'd better get used to it.  I still can't figure out how to watch the shows on my computer. 

Our new camers, my new ipod docking station and my new ipad case should be arriving today.  Can't wait to start playing with the camera.  Dad recommended it to us and it looks awesome.  I'm glad it arrived in time for the party.

Block Party

We had a great time at the block party down at Groot's tonight.  They were nice enough to plan it around our departure date.  I had a chiropractor appt. before and then ran to the children's thrift store to try and find Tali some long-sleeve shirts.  I love going to the chiropractor.  So relaxing and I like feeling all put back together again the right way.  I only found 3 shirts for Tali, but I did find her a cute jeans jacket.  Then I hurried over to Kohls for some shorts and a couple of pairs of yoga pants. 

I got to the party late so I didn't get to see Ruth put Mark on the spot and ask him to tell everybody about our plans.  Finn said he was embarrassed because everyone was staring at them and he hid his face.  The food was good and so was the conversation.  It was cold though!  I had pants and a jacket on and I was still cold.  We would have stayed a bit longer if it had been a bit warmer.

Today we ran all over the place again.  We headed down to the Board of Ed in the morning and had a heck of a time finding a parking place because it was Marine Week.  It was kind of cool, but I still didn't like the guns and tanks.  The Marine Band was very good though.  After going through security like Fort Knox and being shuffled around from floor to floor to floor, we finally got all of our paperwork taken care of.  Let's just hope that customer service prevails and they do their jobs and get our stuff where it needs to be.  Then we headed to UPS again and I got all of the paperwork sent to the Ohio Secretary of State to be apostilled.  Meanwhile Mark went across the street to the post office to mail in our application for the mail forwarding service.  Its a pretty cool service.  They will scan all of your mail for you and you can view it on your computer.  If you want them to open it, they will open it and scan the contents and you can see that on the computer.  You can either have them send it to you or you can ask them to shred it. 

I also signed us up for Club Correos.  I was pretty proud of myself because the website was in Spanish and I managed to open an account.  Club Correos is a company that operates out of Miami.  They give you an address and you can have packages shipped to that address. Then they ship it to you in Ecuador.  It has to be under 8 lbs. and under $400 in order to avoid customs.  So, if I wanted to order something from Amazon I have it sent to the address in Miami and they send it to me.  Since many apartments and houses in Ecuador don't have addresses I will have to pick up any packages at the Post Office.  They will call you and tell you when they have arrived.  Neat.  You can send packages through the Ecuadorian Post Office, but there is no guarantee that your package will arrive.  Club Correos supposedly does a good job of making sure your stuff gets to you. 

Stress, Stress and more Stress

I am going to weigh about 200 lbs before this is all said and done.  I am so stressed.  The house sale was a huge success, but holy shit!  Friday was a whirlwind.  People started pouring in at 9:00a.m. and I could not catch my breath until noon.  I didn't even get to eat breakfast.  At least I had taken a shower before 9.  It really didn't let up all day.  Saturday was just as bad and even though we said it was over at 5:00, people still showed up in the evening hours.  Just when we sat down someone else would pull into the driveway.  Sunday was a bit slower, but still a steady stream of people.  We sold everything except the kitchen table, the couch and loveseat, and our bed.  So, I'm not complaining.  Everything that was left we packed up and put onto Gordon's trailer to be taken to Love, Inc., an organization that Gordon and Ruth are involved in.

Yesterday we headed down to STRS to finalize my roll-over and Mark's pension.  Everything is going well on that end.  We spent the evening with the cousins.  The kids walked up to Kroger's and picked out something to eat.  Finn and Tali enjoyed that. After we fed them we headed to North Star Cafe for a very expensive dinner.  The food was good, but a little high-priced for a walk-through cafe.  Chris was under the weather so we didn't stay long. 

Since we have all been out of school we have gone through our yearly week from hell with the kids.  Finn has been especially obnoxious.  But finally yesterday we had a break-through and I think he is back.  Hopefully.  I think (hope) seeing his mother cry put things into perspective.  He really was being a complete little shit. 

Today I worked on my "green notebook list" that I update hourly of things to do.  We have a driver from Quito to Cuenca, which is good news.  Jack Abercrombie.  He has this huge, adapted truck that will fit all of our luggage and us as well.  We contacted and shut off all of our utilities.  I got our Verizon phones synchronized so that we will still have service while in Miami and in Ecuador should we choose to keep it.  Minutes are expensive, but it will be nice to be able to text.  I made all of our dr. appts...dematologist, chiropractor, dentist, vet.  Plus a hair cut and color for me.  I contacted Great American Life and my annuity is ready.  I set up mailbox forwarding and got Finn's health check from the dr.  I sent a thank you letter to Devon at Vital Statistics thanking her for helping me with the birth certificates.  I sent my new email address out, emailed Marines for a visa check-up, and called LAN for a final check.  That phone call really got me going.  The guy was a total jerk.  First of all, there are no other flights at all on that day, the next, or ever other than the one we are on.  Which means that Scout just has to get on it.  Then the idiot told me that I could not take the number of suitcases that I wanted to take.  He kept saying that I needed to contact the individual airline. I thought that was who I was talking to!!!!!  Idiot!!!!  So, now I am completely freaked out again about Scout.   Then I went to Aphis to find the link to the animal requirements to give to someone on Facebook who is transporting their dog and NOW the requirements say that the health certificate needs to be in SPANISH too!  How am I going to get Scout to the vet to be seen by the vet, send the health certificate to the USDA vet in Pickerington, get the certificate back, have it translated, and then sent to the embassy in Washington all within 10 days of travel.  Breathe, breathe, breathe.

We went to the bank this afternoon to fill out the paperwork for my rollover.  That took awhile, but I think we have decided what to do.  Tomorrow we head to the district to have the fiscal officer sign off on my paperwork.  Then to the County Clerk to have the health certificates and background checks certified, then to a notary, then UPS to get everything sent out.

House Sale

This weekend is our Moving to Ecuador sale.  We pulled everything out and put into boxes yesterday.  Even if it doesn't sell, at least it will be boxed up and ready for The Salvation Army.  The kitchen is completely done except for the food cupboards.  There are a few things I left for cooking, and of course the pans I am bringing with us.  The neighbors are also having a garage sale, so around 3:00 Mark decided to put signs up since we had everything ready for the most part.  We sold about $120 worth of stuff.  Hopefully today will be a good day.  Jill and her husband, Wayne, stopped over and bought a few things. 

Yesterday we went and looked at a cargo van for the drive to Miami.  Patrick is going to go with us and make the return drive himself.  I am worried about him driving that whole way alone.  The reason we are asking him to drive it back is because the drop-off fee is ridiculous.  If we drop it off in Miami it costs $1600 vs. $341 to bring it back.  I wish we could get the 15 seater so he could have someone go with him, but you need a major credit card and all of our cards are closed.  Plus, with all of our luggage I'm not sure they would fit in the 15 seater since the seats take up most of the room.

I got our marriage certificate in the mail to be apostilled by the state of Pennsylvania.  Our birth certificates are in the mail and the kid's birth certificates should be arriving today or Monday.  I was really surprised by how nice and helpful the woman at Vital Statistics was.  She pulled the birth certificates for us and expedited the process.  Customer service still lives in some government agencies.  :)

My last day of school was nice.  15 kids showed up.  They got the room cleaned up in no time.  At the end of the day the girls started crying because they were going to miss each other.  Cathy and I were in disbelief.  They tortured each other all year and now they are sobbing?  It was pretty funny.  Then they sat on the floor in a circle and each one told their favorite 4th grade moment.  Many of them picked Put-in-Bay.  Then they all turned into a row on the ground facing us and made Cathy and I tell our favorite 4th grade moment.  They followed that will a huge group hug around us. 
They were still looking through the window into our room on the way down the hall lamenting about how much they were going to miss being in 4th grade.  We just shook our heads.  Unbelievable.  LOL

After work I went out with Erin and Mollie for a last hoorah.  Deanna and Danelle showed up later.  We had a good time, but I was feeling bad about not being at home with Mark on our last day so I left early. 

Mark just did some calculations on the van rental and with everything added up including extra days for Patrick to drive back, gas, a hotel room for Pat, and paying him it ends up only being a difference of $350.  So, I am thinking we should just drop it off.  That will give us more room in the van for the kids and then Patrick won't have to drive it home by himself.  That would make me feel so much better.

We are still working on getting all of our stuff and ourselves from Quito to Cuenca.  I thought I had someone lined up, but I didn't realize that all he had was an SUV.  That will not cut it.  No way will all of our stuff fit.  But, James and Caroline Drummond are working really hard on finding someone to get us there.  They said that we don't have to worry.  They will find us a way to get our family there safe and sound.  The expat community is so nice and helpful.  It really is a great group of people.  I have seen time and time again expats already living in Ecuador come to the aid of people moving there or just visiting.  It is such a supportive group.  I am looking forward to joining them. 

And Then There Was

ONE!  One more day and then our lives will begin to change forever. 

Mark and I met at Lincoln Park Pub for a celebratory beer tonight.  Erin, Ms. Pronty, Ilsa, Angel, Corrine and Barb joined us.  It felt nice to relax and laugh.  At the staff meeting Arod said that the 8th grade is staffed 67 to 1.  Incredible.  It has got to be a scare tactic.  There is no way you could even fit that many kids in a room. That has gotta change.  She also told us though that Denison's staffing would probably stay as it...58 to 1.  Dark days are ahead, that's for sure. 

Mark and I are feeling so strange.  We can't quite grasp what is happening to us.  We think about it and get a weird feeling, and then it slips away.  It just doesn't feel real. 

Tonight we watched the transit of Venus. It won't happen again for another 105 years.  We watched it through a pair of binoculars onto a piece of white cardboard.  Cool.

TWO

We had a really good weekend. On Saturday we went to Columbiana.  First we stopped by Krista's house and visited with Grandma.  Then we went to Laurie's house where everyone was meeting.  Mark had told me we were going to a party, but it was really a small get-together.  Four of his women friends and us.  A couple of guys were supposed to show up later, but we left before they got there.  All of the ladies were super sweet to me and the kids.  They were very, very nice and I felt very welcomed.  We enjoyed some good food, beer and good conversation.

On Sunday we had Tali's bday party.  Mom and Dad and Dad and Eileen came.  Pat also stopped by.  It was very relaxing.  We had lots of beer, pizza, and cake.  I forgot the stupid ice cream again.  I was so aggravated. 

I was feeling a bit sad today. The eight graders were coming to say good-bye and one of my former students, Jonathan Rodriguez, came to say hello. Jonathan graduated with honors from John Hay High School-Science and Medicine. He is off to Ohio State University in August on a full 4 year scholarship! Great kid. He is so tall and buff now. He could have picked me up and swung me around. In 4th grade I used to call him a bull in a china shop. LOL

Mark had their staffing meeting today.  Denison is being staffed at 1 to 58.

Faxed the paperwork to Great American Life.  Hopefully they get it to the district in a timely manner and the district does what it is supposed to do.  It would be very nice to have that check cut before we leave.  I tried to complete the homeschooling paperwork, but I am ready to give up.  I talked to the superintendent of Firelands, the principal at their school, three people at ESC, and two people at ODE.  No one can tell me what to do with the paperwork.  I find it very hard to believe that not one homeschooling family in Ohio is doing it from abroad.  I am feeling very frustrated with the whole thing. 

THREE

Yesterday was Family Fun Day.  Usually we have it outside and it is very nice.  We have a dance in the gym and we hire a DJ.  There is a dunk tank outside and some teachers and usually Mrs. Rodriguez get in it.  We have games all around the perimeter of the playground.  Things like fishing, golf, bowling, a cake walk, etc...  There is a large bouncy house and slide, and usually a basketball or baseball game for the older kids.  There is a popcorn machine, snow cone machine and a hotdog, chips, pop lunch.  The students are broken up into three age groups and circle through the activities.  It is a lot of fun and the kids have a blast.  This year it was pouring though so Mrs. Rodriguez had to get really creative.  She put the blow up stuff in the gym and the dance in the media center, which is in the middle of the school.  The activities and food were spread out around the first and second floors.  The dunk tank was outside under the awning.  She did a great job having everything ready.  The kids really had fun, but the music was SO loud that the windows in our room were rattling for 4 hours.  I walked around with kleenex in my ears.  For all of us being stuffed inside the school I think it went really well though.  We were all beat. 

After work we took Tali to get her ears pierced.  The lady did a nice job and they are perfectly centered.  Tali was really brave.  She yelled out the first time.  I don't think she understood how much it would hurt even though I told her.  She didn't cry though.  Much better than me!  I fainted when I got mine done.  We went to Moosehead for her birthday dinner.  Today we baked her cake together and she wants to decorate it tomorrow. 

Got Scout's shots taken care of today.  I didn't say anything to the Dr.  I just let it be, even though he really should be taken to task for not having Pongo's leg x-rayed.  Heading to Columbiana in about 1/2 hour to see Mark's mom and to go to a party with some of Mark's old childhood friends.