DH's Birthday, our Anniversary, our Brazil date...

For my DH, life began August 1st. We became a family on August 1st. Now, our new lives as expats are scheduled to begin on August 1st! While that is what the official paperwork says, it can move a little bit when we work out the details. I have heard that they like Thursday arrivals at posts, so we can probably count on that being moved up a day. Of course, if they can take us a week or two earlier, I wouldn't mind...

Since last I wrote, we finished up DS1's mission paperwork and doctor/dentist visits and he had an interview with the bishop. After the bishop receives a completed copy of the medical form (the doctor forgot to fill out a section and has re-sent one), DS1 will just have an interview with the stake president and his papers will go to Salt Lake. It shouldn't take too long for us to hear back after that.

I was wrong about that groundhog thing. I will admit that Phil may have been right this year. I thought that I had seen my last snowfall for two years two weeks ago, but there have been a few since, and there is still a chance of snow in the 10-day forecast. I think the coats will have to last another few weeks yet. March is supposed to start out in the 40s and 50s, but after a couple of days we are back to highs in the 30s. Yuck. I can hear my Minnesota friends offering me their sincerest condolences right about now. Let me remind them that I lived there for 38 YEARS and I deserve warmth. 'Cause I do. 'Cause I said so.

I am pleased to report that I have discovered a few second-hand stores that I am in love with. Unique is huge and I knew the chain already. It seems to have a steady turn-around of stock. There is also a little shop that is run by a local hospital system close by, a Goodwill not too far away, and another Goodwill right next to the FSI. So far, I have found a really durable, humongous duffel bag for $12 that will be perfect for checked baggage, as well as the two remaining carry-on suitcases that we needed. I have been looking for alternatives to capris for Brazil. I know some Mormon women are able to pull of shorts, but with my long legs, I haven't found any that are long enough. While we will have A/C in our bedrooms, common rooms won't have it at all. I have found a cute skirt and a dress so far that will do for casual wear. I also found a really nice dress that would work for a more formal brunch. I wish my sewing machine weren't in storage. I suppose I can put some material and patterns in my luggage and make some skirts when I get there. But, in the meantime, I will keep scoping out the thrift shops. I have to keep looking for duffel bags, anyway.

DH and I both took some tests this week. Mine was just the ACT Business Writing test. If I ever want to work at post, this test may help me get a job. It was easy. After passing the English Composition CLEP test a few years ago, I wasn't expecting it to be too hard, but after taking it, I have to say that it was a breeze. DH's test was more important and more difficult. He had his last formal assessment before his big Portuguese test in April. They do these every 8 weeks throughout the course to make sure they are keeping up. His came in at at least a 2+/2+. The examiner said she figures he is at a 3 in reading, but their informal test only goes up to 2+, so she couldn't tell. He needs a 3/3 to pass the test, so he is in really good shape! He mainly needs to eradicate a little more Spanish from his vocabulary. We don't anticipate anything but an examiner's bad day to get in the way of him passing the test. I'm really proud of him!

Daydreams

We are somewhere between four and six months from leaving for Brazil. The logistics are a little overwhelming, especially since we don't yet know when we are leaving, which means we can't get our housing assignment yet, which further means we can't do certain things, like buy small appliances that we will need if we get a house that has 220V electricity (homes owned by the U.S. in Brasilia were once re-wired to 110V, but they quit that practice and we could end up with either type). We still have to make a decision as to whether to sell our cars here and buy either one or two there, or possibly one here and one there. While these cause a little stress, I have one little bit of logistics that has a happy place in my daydreams. Wardrobes.

While chatting with DS6 before school today, I could barely focus on what he was saying. All I could think was how happy I would be to throw away his coat. Its zipper is broken, it has stains on it, and he is my youngest son. Easy decision - it goes. Folding laundry allows my daydreams to go wild. Frayed cuffs make me wonder whether the owner could get away with one fewer pair of pants now, or whether I need to hold onto them for just a little bit longer. Long-sleeved shirts in the possession of my three youngest children get mentally marked for the charity box, and I count down the days until Spring (the groundhog may think it is another 6 weeks, but I am pretty sure they won't last through the end of the month).

I am pretty sure my own closet will be nearly empty when I remove my winter wardrobe. When I look at what I have for Spring/Summer, I see 4 blouses, two skirts, two pairs of light slacks and the formal gown I bought for next year's Marine Ball. My dresser contains a half-dozen t-shirts and two pairs of capris. The shoe rack is only sporting one pair of flip-flops, some hiking sandals and a pair of Converse that are heavily grass-stained. I need to go shopping. In the meantime, what of the winter clothes will I keep in HHE, what will I bring with me in case of a visit to a cold climate, and what will go to charity? Decisions, decisions.

DH's wardrobe is pretty easy. He will be wearing suits to work and on Sundays to church in Brazil. He needs a few outfits for evenings, Saturdays and holidays, and he needs a tux for special events, like the Marine Ball. One of his suits has a shine to it, so if we buy two, he should be good to go. Maybe another pair or two of dress shoes is in order, as well.

Then, of course, there is DS1. He will submit his mission papers in about 2 weeks, after his final doctor's appointment. Who knows when he will be leaving? If sooner, we can pack him up and load him off before we leave for Brazil, and the wardrobe choices will be pretty obvious. If later, we take him to Brazil with us and send him off from there. Will he need another suit? He seems to have stopped growing, so he has one that should work for him. Anything in his wardrobe that is decent can be saved for his younger siblings, so making decisions as to what to do with his clothes won't be tough.

The middle children will be the toughest to make decisions about. What clothing is worth saving for younger siblings? What size is the smallest I will need in the future? Should I bother taking some winter clothes with us to Brazil in case of a visit to a cold climate? I imagine our R&R will be in the summer, but what if something else comes up? Is there room in our 7,000 lb shipment for even a set of winter clothes for each child? If I give up bringing something else and have to buy it for 3x the U.S. price, would the just-in-case mentality be worth it? Maybe buying new stuff in said cold climate if we happen upon one would make more sense. The kids' coats are all worn out. I knew it could be our last year with them, so I didn't buy any new ones this year (other than for DD), as they each had one that fit, even if they were a little worse for the wear. DD's won't fit her in another year, anyway, so what's the point of keeping that? I certainly won't buy her a new one on the off-chance she will need it.

I will continue daydreaming. If you have any advice, please be free with it. I like to think of every scenario, and when I miss something obvious, I kick myself. For example, when we packed for VA, we thought, "We won't need transformers and plug adapters until we get to wherever we are going, so they go in HHE." Newsflash - HHE doesn't arrive in the new country for 2-6 months, during which time, we will need those. I have no idea which box they are in, so I don't think we will be getting them before we leave unless they happen to be in another box we remove before we go. Drat!