Joys of Daycare

Awesome.  Thumper woke up with his poor eyes stuck shut at 3am on Thursday which prompted his two new but loving parents to freak out and take him to the emergency room.  Only to find out that he has conjunctivitis!  We notified his daycare that he wouldn't be coming in the next week and were told that five other little ones had it.  He only goes once per week so I'm glad that his little friends waited until now to give him this wonderful gift just as we are in the height of packing and coordinating our move!  Thumper does NOT like his eye ointment :-/

Brought to you by Legs

Kitty, Suits, and My Favorite Valentines

We said goodbye to our kitty yesterday and in the morning rush of trying to make it to the bus on time I didn't get to say much other than an I love you and a quick pet. I miss her already. She is moving East...back where she came from. She will be living with my mom and we are so happy she will be with someone who will love her as big as possible in the last years of her old kitty life. *update* I got to talk to kitty on the phone last night and she says she is very happy to be back and that she is keeping tabs on the other neighborhood cats from the safety of her window perch.

Everything else seems to be falling into place for our big road trip and move cross-country. Granted, multiple phone calls to multiple people in multiple departments have made that happen. I have been experiencing waves of excitement and waves of utter anxiety as I count down the days and determine that two weeks is not long enough...two weeks is an eternity... Keep in mind that there is a very small amount of moodiness that accompanies my roller coaster so try to be understanding if I talk at you 100mph or if I just burst into tears. I think these next two weeks will continue to get more emotional as we begin to say our goodbyes. Of course we would love to come back for Thanksgiving and Christmas, weddings and babies, but the only time we are guaranteed to be back in this state is two years from the day we start in whatever country to which we are assigned. Between posts Foreign Service Officers are authorized 30 days of home leave and they are flown back to their state of residence. I will accrue regular vacation time but who knows when/if we will be able to use it. Thirty days in 2+ years is all we can count on for sure so our goodbyes carry the added weight of time. Grandma has already committed to teaching Thumper how to Skype so he can call her whenever he likes! If you don't have Skype you best get on the bandwagon or Thumper will leave you in the dust! Okay that's not true, he will still be happy to squawk at you over the phone but he sure likes a good video chat.

In other news, we have to go shopping! Well Legs has to go shopping. I've been told that they make us wear suits for this job...every day! The only suit I own is the one I bought for the Foreign Service Oral Assessment a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, my Pacific Northwest fashion probably won't cut it in DC so I am bringing along my fashion advisor, George. I might just buy a pair of Tevas and socks for social times so I can really show off where I'm from. We will see what George thinks...and if Pancho will let me.

Lastly, happy Valentines Day! Pancho continues to romance me and made my day with beautiful loving words. Maybe he will write me a song and play it tonight on his guitar? We are having a stay-home date tonight and will pause the moving, packing, sorting, and panicking for the evening. Since Thumper can't eat chocolate yet, Legs will have to eat enough today to fortify his milk with a Valentines Day surprise...it's a big job but I'm up for the challenge. Pancho and I have been reflecting recently and are so utterly happy. We are honored to be parents to the most amazing little boy in the world and we are so thankful for the love and support of each other that grows by the day. Pancho and Thumper are my life and my biggest loves around. Everything is starting to sink in a bit more and we are feeling so fortunate to have the opportunities we have right now...to both be able to fulfill our dreams and raise our son to be a world citizen is more than we could ever ask for. And it's happening in just two weeks! *end wave of excitement* *start wave of anxiety*

Our First Steps

Pancho:

It’s really really really true!!!  My wife finally received an offer to become a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State after a little over a year on the register.  Travelling the world has been a dream of both of ours for as long as we can remember.  We’re leaving behind the dreary Seattle February weather to drive nearly 3,000 miles across the country with our 5 year old Italian Greyhound Bambi, our 7 month old son Thumper, my wife Legs, and myself Pancho (In case you’re wondering those are all fake names J) where Legs will start her basic Foreign Service Officer training in March 2012.

We have no idea where we may end up, and frankly we don’t really care.  Legs didn’t pursue the Foreign Service so we could lounge by a pool in some resort or dance on a table at Senor Frogs.  We’re looking for culture.  We’re looking for real people.  Whether those people are in an African desert or a Central American rain forest we want to live with them.  We want to walk a mile or two in their shoes, or sandals, or…bare feet.  I’m not sure how that works, but you get the idea.

Conveniently enough, my passion for renewable energy will likely help me find work, or “projects” wherever we go.  I currently work for a company which creates computer simulations to model electrical systems.  Since all of this work is done online, as long as we have electricity and internet, I’ll be able to continue to work anywhere in the world.  I also volunteer with a nonprofit organization called Community Solutions Initiative, where we develop low-cost and renewable electricity generating devices and components for use in developing countries.  Perhaps I’ll get to be the feet on the ground in CSI’s next big project!

We couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity.  It’s difficult to leave all of our family and friends behind in the States, but the fact is, we’re travelers.  We always have been, and we always will be.  Like Thumper’s socks say, “These feet are made for walkin’.”  Come March, we’re walking.