Thinking Allowed: Moving In

For some reason Zadie has been calling our move 'moving in' despite the fact that in a larger sense we are moving out. But there is some truth and positivity to her term as we will be moving in to an array of other homes and it sounds grander and forward thinking. As is generally the case with any large move the final days are hectic. There is always a sort of endless list of to dos that need to get done to wrap things up nicely. One surprisingly difficult and important task was the culling of our rock and shell collection down to a 1 liter yogurt container. For our last week in Canberra Aurora filled up her pockets daily and became a rock fairy. Gifting rocks to all her friends and classmates at school. It was a beautiful idea and much appreciated by all the rock recipients making both Aurora and I agree that the world would be better and more meaningful if all gifts were beautiful rocks and shells. This should also simplify all your Christmas shopping. We rented a small storage space and the children spend a lot of time fighting over who would get to come with me and ride the industrial elevator and try their hand at opening the combination lock. There was school and activities and work until the very last day. There were little tears of sadness and unshed larger tears of frustration. And most things went smoothly but not everything. Really we cold have done without the car battery dying mid move due to leaving the radio running. We could have done with less final day tasks. And we would have liked, for the sake of Australia, to not have to bid farewell in such a dramatic burn up everything smoke in the waters kind of way. But we made it out of Australia (aside from Jakob). I flew a low cost airplane where I was pleasantly surprised by how much we all enjoyed finding tasks to occupy ourselves in place of screens (reading, puzzles, school work, eating) and where at the end I was shocked when the couple sitting behind us informed me that they would have had ten children if they were as well behaved as mine. Wow makes me wonder what his kids were like because mine are pretty normal and rambunctious and loud. But we made it to Asia where we were received in a warm moist hug and endless possibilities of cold drinks at every corner.