First Day of School Jitters

Well, today is the third day of school for Hannah and Kate. I am glad that the first day went so well for the girls, and both girls yesterday said that they played with other girls from their class, so I am hoping that this is a sign that they are beginning to know routines and make some friends.

 Because we are still in our temporary house we have to drive about 30 minutes in the morning. I have to wake the girls, get them fed, clothes and out the door with lunches and homework by 7:15. Phew...it is the third and I'm not sure I could do this every. single. day. I am thankful that September 17 is our close date, and that we will leave close enough to walk to the school! Here is the house...the girls posed for me as we passed the house...what good girls!

 Hannah reported that her first day was, "Awesome!" She met a new girl named Ginetta, and said her teacher, Ms. Guidici (Jew-da-see), was nice.

Kate said that she liked her class, but that she didn't want to go again. She held up her forefinger and thumb and said she "Cried only this much and only on the inside so no one noticed." Hearing this made me cry on the inside, but I told her she was very brave and that I love knowing how she feels so I can pray for her while we are apart. The second day was hard to motivate her to go, and she asked me to walk her to class which I did and then with a quick kiss I walked away with tears in my eyes and prayers flowing from my heart. She said the second day was fine, but also asked how many more days was she going to be in Kindergarten. I left the answer vague, thinking that 178 days might overwhelm her.

Here she is, first in her class...

Rachel Lee and I had a fun day together, but after our coffee time she cried for Tate-Tate. Then once we picked up Kate from Kindergarten she realized that Hannah was not with us (Kindergarten is half day and the other grades are full day so we have to get Kate at 11:30 and Hannah at 2:30) and she threw a massive tantrum at the school. It was awesome. I love being that mom with that kid anytime I'm in a new place.

Overall the girls are adjusting really well. It is a time filled with hugs and prayers as well as tears and encouragement and I'm not referring to just the girls...Jeff sure has his work cut out with this crew, and I praise God for his patience and sensitivity.

The Unexpected Accident

It was Friday, August 9, the last day that we were allowed to be in the house and the day of the ice cream social for the girls after their week of vacation Bible school. Jeff was trying to get everything we needed for our 2 month temporary housing time to fit in the car, and I was frantically trying to clean the house so we would get our deposit back. The girls were crazy and running wild. Recipe for disaster, right? Absolutely. But did Jeff or I stop? No...we had tasks to accomplish and places to get. I yelled out to Jeff that he could return the vacuum and cleaning supplies that we borrow from our dear neighbor, Ivy...I could imagine him mumbling under his breath, "Oh, really? I can return those items for you...please, let me." It was that kind of mood...tense. On the way back from Ivy's house Rachel Lee was balancing on the curb and fell off into the street and started scream. I dropped my sponge and ran outside. I picked her up and let her cry. She was still crying when we put her in the car and headed to the park, but by the time we were at the park she was better. Limping, but not crying. We asked our friends, Karen and Yolanda, who are pediatricians, and Yolanda said it was probably a growth plate fracture and we should take her to the doctor's Saturday. We let her continue playing, and as she was climbing up a ladder (and probably favoring her injured foot) she fell again and landed on her foot. From that moment until we were at the doctors the next day she would not walk on it. In fact, when she woke the next morning she stood up and said, "My foot hurting. I need med-sin" (medicine). So, in the midst of the chaos RL has a walking boot (cast) on her foot, which meant that at the family vacation she could not get it wet or go in the sand. Instead, she and I hung out quite a bit at the house and went for a few runs along the strand. She was a good sport the whole time, and looking back, the more restful pace of things for a week was just what I needed to prepare for this portion unsettled-settling time in San Fransisco. God works in the unexpected.

Last Playgroup with the Ladies

When I was new to San Diego we lived in a 2 bed/1 bath apartment in Summerset Gables. My first day alone with the kiddos I called my sister, Jenna, who lives in Aliso Viejo, and asked if we could meet half way between our houses for a coffee. I loaded Hannah, 22 months, and Kate, 6 months, into the car and headed out on a 1 hour drive (unfortunately with Camp Pendleton in the middle of our houses I drove a little extra than "half") to meet my sister for coffee. I just wanted someone to talk to...someone I was connected to. On the drive home from this coffee time, both girls slept (fortunately for me!) and I cried. I cried out to God for a friend. My heart was lonely and I am not the type of person that does well alone. The next day we the girls and I were playing inside the apartment when I spotted someone with 2 girls playing at the park directly in front of our apartment. I quickly gathered my crew and headed out to meet her. Her name was Ginette and I immediately asked if she had a playgroup that I could join, and praise the Lord, she was not nervous about my desperate state but welcomed me. She said that there was a group of ladies from her church (a church!) who got together once a week and I was welcome to come. This group of ladies has been such a support to me as a mom, as a wife, as a Christian, and as a woman. This lovely group of women and their kiddos came to celebrate a final playgroup time at my house and gave me a priceless gift: a photo book of our kids growing up together. A testament to God's answer to my cry that very first day I was in San Diego driving back from a coffee with my sister. He did not leave me alone then, and it gives me hope to know that He will build a community of support again here in San Fransisco.

Jeff's Last Day at the Salk

The girls and I picked Jeff up from work on his last day at the Salk. He had a few too many items to bike with, and while we waited for him to finish up I snapped a few last pictures of the girls playing in the Salk courtyard. Jeff finished his work August 2, and took the following week off to organize, pack, and take a house hunting trip before the family vacation in Cornado with the Murry side, and I am sure glad he took a week off...we used every spare minute!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 San Franscico list

It has been a crazy couple weeks for our Murry crew! God has been so close to us all during this time, and really has provided a lovely temporary house with a permanent house in the making. So, to remember some of these early days here in San Fransisco here is a list of things that have happened, or will happen:

 5. Five: the number of times we stopped along the way from Brea to San Franscisco so the girls could potty, eat or just get their wiggles out. After our fifth stop we were only 2 hours away from San Franscisco, so we made it clear to the girls that we were not stopping again until we were in San Franscisco. It would be a long two hours, and they could sleep, but we pleaded with them to not ask to stop again. Right after Jeff got back on the freeway he commented that he forgot to make sure that the bikes were tied on tightly, so he pulled off at the next stop, which was only a mile from the previous stop. The girls started clapping and cheering thinking that we had arrived in San Franscisco...their concept of time and travel is not quite there yet.

4. Four days in our temporary house, and the girls are settling into a more regular sleeping and eating routine. We had many days with missed naps, late bedtimes and meals at fast food places...and who know how many hours of screen time these girls have had these past few weeks!

3. Three times I have been with the girls running along the bay. Twice we made it to a park, and one time we got lost trying to find a park...there is a bonus mini-list for ya!

2. Two lists taped to the wall: one for prayers and one for praises. This is a place for us to talk to the girls about their concerns and to teach them to bring their worries and concerns to God. It is also a place for us to remember how much God has done during this time as we transition. I feel so blessed by the girls' insights and their honesty. Hannah is really nervous about friends. She has many times asked me to pray for a friend as kind to her as her cousin Amy. Although God only made one Amy (and praise God for her!) we are hoping for someone like her to befriend Hannah. Kate has not shared a lot during this time, but when her stomach hurts I take time to pray with her for her health. I think her stomach aches as subsiding, and I am trying to spend some good quality time with her, Ken and Barbie on the floor doing silly things. Playing with her has been a comfort to me as well. I praise God for the unique personalities of my older girls. And RL you ask, well, she is just as spunky and adventurous as always. Her laughter brightens our family, and Kate last night at dinner said, "Lee Lee, you're so cute and funny." That pretty much sums her up. She continues to tell people we meet that her name is "Two" and when they ask how old she is she says, "I five. I go to Kindergarten." It always makes us laugh, but I happen to think that the first day of school there may not be a lot of laughing from my little as her sisters go to school and she stays with mama...only time will tell!

 

1. One good God who is the same here as in San Diego, yesterday, today and tomorrow, and who is continuing to care, teach and provide for two grown adults and these three beauties. Praise God for all the wonderful ways we have seen Him care for us, and for the times we have prayed and waited for Him to give us His peace.