Lots has happened since my last post. We did get the townhouse in Kingstowne, which is an area of Alexandria, Virginia. It is a really nice community and we will have access to unlimited playgrounds or tot lots as they are called here, pools, fitness centers and jogging trails. Originally we had ruled out a townhouse because we thought they were too small, but they are surprisingly spacious on the inside. We will be losing some square footage from our house in Kansas, but I think we will be just fine. We may need to downsize a bit, but we probably needed to do that anyhow.
Tomorrow the movers will be here to deliver our stuff from Kansas. I am excited, but dreading the work ahead of me. Nick has to work all day, but thankfully my friend Angie from Kansas will be here helping me for awhile. She lives up in Maryland now, and is in town visiting another friend and offered to stop in and help. I jumped at the chance because moving can be a bit hectic. Every box has to be accounted for on the inventory, and you have to tell the movers where to put everything. It will be fabulous to have help!
Nick and I have been keeping really busy while we have been waiting for our things. Most recently we have been cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. The previous tenants apparently cooked with a lot of oil, because the kitchen was very gross and sticky. It took us hours and hours to clean it up, but it was by far the worst room in the house. The carpets had been cleaned before we moved in so we were thankful for that. It took me awhile to dust this place because it has lots of pretty decorative woodwork. It only took a few days to get it up to our standard of clean, and then we were able to enjoy our weekend.
Over the past two weeks, Nick and I have been trying to do things here in the DC area that would be harder to do with small children. We figured while the kids are with our parents would be the best time, because who knows how long it will take to find a good babysitter. We have visited downtown DC a few times. Our first trip was an adventurous one. Our car got towed!!!! You would think that as seasoned travelers, we would have know better to read the signs fully. We thought parking was free after 4pm. So we paid the meter up until 4. Apparently, after 4pm you get towed! There is so much traffic here that they open up some of the parking areas into traffic lanes during rush hour. It wasn't too difficult to retrieve our car. We also received a $100 dollar ticket. So we figured we paid about $33 dollars an hour to park in a prime location! We have learned our lesson-always read the parking signs completely!
One Saturday Nick and I visited Arlington National Cemetery. He had been there recently with his boss to see the Iraq/Afghanistan area to pay their respects to their fallen comrades from the 1st Infantry Division. But he didn't get to see much else on his trip. We visited the grave sites of the Kennedy's and also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The cemetery is definitely overwhelming.
The next Sunday we visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was a very sobering experience. There isn't much to write except it is just very troubling how cruel humans can be to one another.
On a lighter note, we went in to Old Town Alexandria several times. There are lots of cute shops, restaurants and bars in this area of town. It is right along the river, and there is a festive air about the place. On Father's Day we enjoyed a nice meal at the Fish Market. Another night we had Thai food, something we couldn't do with Ben in tow (Sophie would probably love it!). We've also been for Indian food, one of my favorites. We hadn't had Indian food since Germany, and it did not disappoint. (We just couldn't seem to find an Indian restaurant in Kansas). Last night we decided to celebrate our anniversary a little early, and we dined at the Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant. It has been a place we have always wanted to go, but never had the chance. It was a bit pricey, but it was very, very delicious. Dessert was our favorite, and I probably would have licked my plate clean had I not been holding Addie.
This morning, we attended Mass in downtown DC at the National Basilica of the Shine to the Immaculate Conception. It was a beautiful cathedral and a beautiful service. We will definetly take our kids back, and visitors too!
We miss our kids terribly, and cannot wait until we see them on Friday. Life has just not been the same without them. I have never been away from either Ben or Sophie for more than one night. We are so thankful to our parents for taking such good care of them while we have been gone. We really couldn't have been able to house hunt and get set up with three kids in tow! We call them frequently, but they are usually too busy to talk to us. They have been having so much fun of their own. They have been swimming, to baseball games, to the zoo, to breakfast on the farm where they got to give a bottle to baby calfs. This weekend they went camping out at Nick's Aunt Amy and Uncle Kevin's house. I am glad that they are so well adjusted. I think Sophie has been giving everyone a run for their money though. She is currently infatuated with sticking things up her nose! Cheerios, corn, an onion and a piece of a hamburger to name a few. Don't worry, Grandma and Oma, we are on our way soon!
I hope to post some pictures of our new place soon! I will probably add some pictures to this post soon also, Blogger is giving me a bit of trouble right now.....
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Waiting.....
I just wanted to give everyone a quick update. Nick, Addie and I are still staying at Fort Belvoir temporary housing while we find a place to live. Actually, we have found a place, but it is taking forever to get the lease drawn up and to get the final stamp of approval from the owner of the townhouse we will be renting. Hopefully it will go through today or tomorrow, otherwise we may have to start the whole search over again. Needless to say, we are frustrated. I think it was easier and faster to buy our house in Kansas, that it has been to lease a place in the DC area.
Last Wednesday we started looking on our own at houses that we had found on the Internet. We were sure that we were going to find a nice house with a nice yard with an easy commute for Nick. Ha ha! How wrong we were! The first house was very nicely done, had a great Turkish owner (who talked to us forever) and was in a great location. But, it was tiny, tiny. We kept wishing it would have just one more room because there was no way we could cram ourselves into it. We left that house hopeful of finding something similar but bigger. No luck. In fact, all that we could find were 'Moldy oldies' (just as you advised Marie). I actually cried after we went into the last house. It was so awful inside, I don't think I would have let my dog stay there! That night we called our friends Marie and John, who we knew in Germany, and are now living here. Marie had lots of great advice, which helped us a lot on Thursday. On Thursday we switched gears and started looking at townhouses. There are everywhere here, are usually well maintained and close to the commuter lines, and are surprisingly spacious on the inside. We had originally ruled out a townhouse because of the size of the yards, but after Wednesday's tours of the moldy oldies, we decided a newer townhouse was the way to go. There was actually a great unit for rent just across the street from Marie, but by the time we called on it, it had already been leased. We were disappointed, but continued our search with the help of a realtor this time. To shorten things up, we looked at 5 units, and the one we chose was a clear winner. This unit has three bedrooms all on the same floor (sometimes a rarity in townhouses), three and a half baths, a finished walkout basement, a separate dining room, family room, eat in kitchen and a garage. It even has a small fenced backyard for Smokey. It is not as newly updated as Marie and John's place, but it really is a nice space and should suit us well. Now, if only the realtor will call us with some good news.
We'll keep you all updated as we have more news to share. With any luck we will have a roof over our heads soon and have our things from Kansas delivered before we go get the kids in Michigan next week!
Last Wednesday we started looking on our own at houses that we had found on the Internet. We were sure that we were going to find a nice house with a nice yard with an easy commute for Nick. Ha ha! How wrong we were! The first house was very nicely done, had a great Turkish owner (who talked to us forever) and was in a great location. But, it was tiny, tiny. We kept wishing it would have just one more room because there was no way we could cram ourselves into it. We left that house hopeful of finding something similar but bigger. No luck. In fact, all that we could find were 'Moldy oldies' (just as you advised Marie). I actually cried after we went into the last house. It was so awful inside, I don't think I would have let my dog stay there! That night we called our friends Marie and John, who we knew in Germany, and are now living here. Marie had lots of great advice, which helped us a lot on Thursday. On Thursday we switched gears and started looking at townhouses. There are everywhere here, are usually well maintained and close to the commuter lines, and are surprisingly spacious on the inside. We had originally ruled out a townhouse because of the size of the yards, but after Wednesday's tours of the moldy oldies, we decided a newer townhouse was the way to go. There was actually a great unit for rent just across the street from Marie, but by the time we called on it, it had already been leased. We were disappointed, but continued our search with the help of a realtor this time. To shorten things up, we looked at 5 units, and the one we chose was a clear winner. This unit has three bedrooms all on the same floor (sometimes a rarity in townhouses), three and a half baths, a finished walkout basement, a separate dining room, family room, eat in kitchen and a garage. It even has a small fenced backyard for Smokey. It is not as newly updated as Marie and John's place, but it really is a nice space and should suit us well. Now, if only the realtor will call us with some good news.
We'll keep you all updated as we have more news to share. With any luck we will have a roof over our heads soon and have our things from Kansas delivered before we go get the kids in Michigan next week!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
We're not in Kansas anymore......
That's right, the Cook Family is on the move! Things have been a little busy lately, and we haven't been able to post. The movers came last Monday and Tuesday, and miraculously packed and loaded our house in just two days. We spent the remainder of the week sleeping at a hotel and working on the house during the day. We were sad to say goodbye to 517 Tallgrass, but bigger and better things await us.
We are currently in Illinois, and will be to Michigan this afternoon. We've split our trip into two travel days since we have three kids now and our 100 pound dog! 14 hours is just out of reach for a one day trip. As usual, Sophie is not happy to be trapped in her car seat for hours on end. Benny is doing a great job entertaining himself in the far back with movies and coloring books. Little Addie slept the entire trip yesterday which made us very happy! And finally, Smokey is great but nervous, especially since he was boarded at the vet all week and has no idea what is going on. We're hoping today's trip goes smoothly......
Our plan is to spend a few days with our parents, and then Nick, Addie and I will head to the DC area to search for a house to rent. Hopefully we will find one quickly, get our things delivered and be back to Michigan by the 4th of July to retrieve our children and visit with family and friends. Our plans are all up in the air until we know more about Nick's schedule. He starts orientation for his fellowship on the 22nd and starts grad school at George Washington on the 7th of July.
We can't wait to see some of you in the next few weeks!
We are currently in Illinois, and will be to Michigan this afternoon. We've split our trip into two travel days since we have three kids now and our 100 pound dog! 14 hours is just out of reach for a one day trip. As usual, Sophie is not happy to be trapped in her car seat for hours on end. Benny is doing a great job entertaining himself in the far back with movies and coloring books. Little Addie slept the entire trip yesterday which made us very happy! And finally, Smokey is great but nervous, especially since he was boarded at the vet all week and has no idea what is going on. We're hoping today's trip goes smoothly......
Our plan is to spend a few days with our parents, and then Nick, Addie and I will head to the DC area to search for a house to rent. Hopefully we will find one quickly, get our things delivered and be back to Michigan by the 4th of July to retrieve our children and visit with family and friends. Our plans are all up in the air until we know more about Nick's schedule. He starts orientation for his fellowship on the 22nd and starts grad school at George Washington on the 7th of July.
We can't wait to see some of you in the next few weeks!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Graduation!
Thursday evening Ben graduated from preschool! It was a bittersweet time. It's hard to believe that he is about to start kindergarten. He started at St. Xavier preschool when he was just three years old. Almost three years later he is more than ready to move on. When he started he was a shy little boy ready to learn and explore. Now he knows all of his letters and numbers, days of the week, months of the year, continents and so much more. Most importantly, he has great self confidence and is so outgoing.
Pictured below are the graduating students. Only about 1/4 of them are from Ben's class. The others are morning students and students from the other class. Ben is in the upper left corner.
Mrs. Whitaker was Ben's teacher for all three years at St. Xavier. Next year will be her first year teaching without Benny in her class! We are really going to miss her. We wish that Sophie and Addie would have the opportunity to be in her class.
Graduation consisted of a musical program sung by the students. The kids sung about 15 songs with the help of Mrs. Whitaker and Mrs. Rubash at the piano. Our friends Jennifer, Christian and Taylor came and brought Benny balloons. He was so excited to see them in the audience. We sure will miss our time and friends at St. Xavier. We will miss playing outside everyday after school, and I will miss all of the fun projects that Benny brought home.
I tried to film some of the musical program. Enjoy these sweet preschoolers singing about God and their parents.
Pictured below are the graduating students. Only about 1/4 of them are from Ben's class. The others are morning students and students from the other class. Ben is in the upper left corner.
Mrs. Whitaker was Ben's teacher for all three years at St. Xavier. Next year will be her first year teaching without Benny in her class! We are really going to miss her. We wish that Sophie and Addie would have the opportunity to be in her class.
Graduation consisted of a musical program sung by the students. The kids sung about 15 songs with the help of Mrs. Whitaker and Mrs. Rubash at the piano. Our friends Jennifer, Christian and Taylor came and brought Benny balloons. He was so excited to see them in the audience. We sure will miss our time and friends at St. Xavier. We will miss playing outside everyday after school, and I will miss all of the fun projects that Benny brought home.
I tried to film some of the musical program. Enjoy these sweet preschoolers singing about God and their parents.
A Day at the Dairy Farm
Last Wednesday Benny's preschool class enjoyed a trip to a working dairy farm. It was a very fun, and very stinky day! Parents and siblings were invited too, and we had a great turnout. Nick was unable to join us, but I brought along Sophie and Addie. I think that Sophie may have had a better time than her big brother. The first thing she said to me when I woke her up on Wednesday, was "Cows, cows!". I told her that first we had to go to church group and play (she goes into the childcare there). Her response was "No play, cows!". By the time lunchtime rolled around, we were leaving church and heading to the dairy farm which is less than two miles from our house. I never knew we were so close to the farm, and now understand why it is so stinky here when we get a north wind!
We were taken on a tour of the farm when we first arrived. We saw the bottling room, the sterilizing room, and the the milking room (above). The boys especially were fascinated with the milking room.
After we saw the inner workings of the farm, we got to see the best part. The cows! The kids were able to get really close to these black and white girls, but the cows were pretty shy and would pull back.
After we saw the adult female cows, our tour guide took us to an open barn where they kept all of the baby cows. This was the highlight of the day! The kids loved looking at all of the baby cows. There must have been about 50, and two of them had just been born the day before. Ben and Sophie ran from pen to pen exploring. Sophie must have said "Oh, baby cow!" about 100 times on Wednesday and talked about the baby cows for the rest of the week.
"Oh, baby cows!"
I'll have to say that our day at the dairy farm was a hit! When we were finished with our tour the staff gave the kids cookies and samples of milk-white, strawberry and chocolate. I think Ben had three glasses of white milk while Sophie enjoyed some chocolate. I'll leave some videos of Sophie to sum up our fun and stinky day!
We were taken on a tour of the farm when we first arrived. We saw the bottling room, the sterilizing room, and the the milking room (above). The boys especially were fascinated with the milking room.
After we saw the inner workings of the farm, we got to see the best part. The cows! The kids were able to get really close to these black and white girls, but the cows were pretty shy and would pull back.
After we saw the adult female cows, our tour guide took us to an open barn where they kept all of the baby cows. This was the highlight of the day! The kids loved looking at all of the baby cows. There must have been about 50, and two of them had just been born the day before. Ben and Sophie ran from pen to pen exploring. Sophie must have said "Oh, baby cow!" about 100 times on Wednesday and talked about the baby cows for the rest of the week.
"Oh, baby cows!"
I'll have to say that our day at the dairy farm was a hit! When we were finished with our tour the staff gave the kids cookies and samples of milk-white, strawberry and chocolate. I think Ben had three glasses of white milk while Sophie enjoyed some chocolate. I'll leave some videos of Sophie to sum up our fun and stinky day!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Playing Catch Up
We've had a quite few weeks around here and not much to blog about. After Easter our home showings really seemed to drop off which was both a relief and a worry. I've been relieved because Nick is gone TDY (temporary duty for you non-military folks) for the third time in three weeks. As I mentioned before showing the house is stressful since you get hours notice to get everything clean and get out of there with the circus in tow. But, this past week, things picked up again and we had three showings. For the third time we were on some one's very short list, but again, they picked the other house. We were really bummed, and are starting to get nervous that we won't sell before we move.
Nick is working crazy hours and they still haven't found a replacement for him. The General jokes about keeping Nick around, but luckily he's already signed Nick's leave form and our packers are scheduled for the second week of June. We're hoping that anytime now they will find a replacement so we can get ready to get out of here! Nick usually works from 6am to 8pm, and has worked three of the past four weekends. It's not much fun because frequently he doesn't even see Sophie, and will only see Ben for an hour before he goes to bed. Thankfully, this craziness should be coming to a close. Last weekend however, we did get to enjoy a perk of the job. The USO brought the Lt. Dan Band to Fort Riley for a concert. The Lt. Dan Band is headed by Gary Sinise who is a huge supporter of the Army and the USO. He also happens to be a personal friend of "the General". Nick had to escort the General to the show, and I was invited to come along! It was great fun because we all rode together in the General's Army van and got VIP treatment. Now Nick had to work, but Addie and I tagged behind. First we went to a VIP party, and then we got to go into the Green room and meet the band! I was thrilled because, I am a big Gary Sinise fan. Unfortunately, I didn't get to shake his hand, but Nick stood right with him and the General for quite some time. Nick said he was very down to earth and humble. The Lt. Dan Band put on a great show. Gary doesn't sing at all, but plays the bass. The band is a cover band, and they covered everything! It was a long and loud concert and Miss Adeline slept through the entire thing! (Our other two children were with a wonderful new babysitter. Why is it that we find a great babysitter now that we are leaving?) It was fun to have a night out, even if it involved some work for Nick.
I'm still working on getting that 'perfect shot' for Adeline's baby announcement. She is turning two months old this week, so I probably should get around to that before the move. I did take these photos of her this morning. She was so alert and smiley that I couldn't resist having a little photo session.
Nick is working crazy hours and they still haven't found a replacement for him. The General jokes about keeping Nick around, but luckily he's already signed Nick's leave form and our packers are scheduled for the second week of June. We're hoping that anytime now they will find a replacement so we can get ready to get out of here! Nick usually works from 6am to 8pm, and has worked three of the past four weekends. It's not much fun because frequently he doesn't even see Sophie, and will only see Ben for an hour before he goes to bed. Thankfully, this craziness should be coming to a close. Last weekend however, we did get to enjoy a perk of the job. The USO brought the Lt. Dan Band to Fort Riley for a concert. The Lt. Dan Band is headed by Gary Sinise who is a huge supporter of the Army and the USO. He also happens to be a personal friend of "the General". Nick had to escort the General to the show, and I was invited to come along! It was great fun because we all rode together in the General's Army van and got VIP treatment. Now Nick had to work, but Addie and I tagged behind. First we went to a VIP party, and then we got to go into the Green room and meet the band! I was thrilled because, I am a big Gary Sinise fan. Unfortunately, I didn't get to shake his hand, but Nick stood right with him and the General for quite some time. Nick said he was very down to earth and humble. The Lt. Dan Band put on a great show. Gary doesn't sing at all, but plays the bass. The band is a cover band, and they covered everything! It was a long and loud concert and Miss Adeline slept through the entire thing! (Our other two children were with a wonderful new babysitter. Why is it that we find a great babysitter now that we are leaving?) It was fun to have a night out, even if it involved some work for Nick.
Soldier's who just returned from Iraq had the priority up front seating. Luckily we sat back from the speakers since we had Addie with us. The noise still didn't bother her though.
The next day was Mother's Day. It was great to celebrate being a mother to my three beautiful children! Ben and Sophie brought flowers into the bedroom while I was getting ready for church. They each had their own bouquet for me and were so proud! Some of the flowers are still living and Sophie keeps telling me "Mommy's flowers". Nick tried to teach her to say Happy Mother's Day, but all he got was "Happy Mommy". It still melted my heart. After church we had a big dinner with our friends Jennifer and Christian. Our priest, Father Al even joined us. He has spent lots of time lately with Nick and Christian. They meet with him weekly for a drink at his house while the kids are at CCD. Funny to be friends with a priest!
I'm still working on getting that 'perfect shot' for Adeline's baby announcement. She is turning two months old this week, so I probably should get around to that before the move. I did take these photos of her this morning. She was so alert and smiley that I couldn't resist having a little photo session.
We have a big week this week. It is the last week of school for Ben. On Wednesday we a taking a field trip to a working Dairy farm. That should be interesting with 15 preschoolers. On Thursday night we have Benny's preschool graduation, which he is very excited about. Friday Nick's parents will be joining us and meeting Addie for the first time. We will also have Addie baptised on Sunday. So, I promise lots more blogs soon!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sleeping Beauty and Sweet Smiles and Kisses
Our Baby Adeline is a Sleeping Beauty. We joke that it's her self defense mechanism against the chaos of our household. She has some wakeful time in the morning and in the evening, but during the hustle and bustle of the day, she is usually fast asleep. It doesn't help that I have to drive Benny to and from preschool each afternoon. Buckling her into her car seat is the fastest way to ensure that she falls sound asleep. She even sleeps through trips to the grocery store when I put her into the Baby Bjorn carrier. (How else does one make it through the store when you have two little ones? I have to have room in the cart for babies AND groceries!)
She still likes to sleep curled up in a little ball. She doesn't mind being swaddled, but she does prefer to be loose with her arms up in the air. If you look closely you will notice that her legs are pulled up out of the sleeper. When she wakes, she will start crying her absolute loudest because she can't straighten her legs out. It makes her really mad! At nighttime we put her into a gown to avoid this problem.
In the past week or two she really has begun to smile. Now I am certain that she is happy to see us and that her smiles aren't because of gas!
I tried to catch a few of her sweet smiles yesterday. (It's just so hard to get the camera to snap at the right time!)
She still likes to sleep curled up in a little ball. She doesn't mind being swaddled, but she does prefer to be loose with her arms up in the air. If you look closely you will notice that her legs are pulled up out of the sleeper. When she wakes, she will start crying her absolute loudest because she can't straighten her legs out. It makes her really mad! At nighttime we put her into a gown to avoid this problem.
In the past week or two she really has begun to smile. Now I am certain that she is happy to see us and that her smiles aren't because of gas!
I tried to catch a few of her sweet smiles yesterday. (It's just so hard to get the camera to snap at the right time!)
After taking a few pictures of our smiling girl, I decided to try and catch the smiles of all three kids. This was not an easy task, and after taking about 10 photos, I still didn't get the perfect shot.
Sophie loves for Nick and I to read to her in the chair in her room. I had propped Adeline up in the chair to try and get a cute picture of her, and Sophie decided to join her. Before long, she was hoping in and out of the chair 'reading' Adeline her favorite books.
After reading time was complete, we made some time for kisses.
Don't worry-I'm always just an arms reach away from these two when they are together. My worst fear is that Sophie will treat our real baby the same way she treats her baby dolls. (Which is gentle for the most part, but the babies are frequently dropped or thrown on the floor when she is done with them.)
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