Getting Settled

Well we are starting to get settled in more each day. We are entirely unpacked and starting to get organized now. I feel like I really know my way around the area and can find just about anything I need to. Calvin completed his first full week of school and loved every minute! Everyday I would pick him up and he would be so excited to tell me what he did that day. Each day is a little different, one day they go to the school library and get to pick out a book to bring home, one day they go to the Computer Suite and work on the computer, and on Thursdays they have swimming lessons! He is really going to thrive at this school. He is even excited to work on his home work!

Alayna is a different story! She is still having a hard time adjusting to the new schedule with late afternoon naps and has to be woken up almost every morning to get ready to take Calvin to school. She is also not very happy about going to school yet. She crys when I drop her off and they say she does settle in later, but has a hard time whenever they transition to something different. On Wednesday she had a particularly rough day and was so tired she fell asleep at school while they were eating lunch! Poor thing! Hopefully in time she will adjust to everything.

We did accomplish a lot this week. I finally got a couple grocery shopping things accomplished. It is just not a one stop shop around here. I am probably going to need to hit 3 places just to get everything I need. Everything here is so unbelievably expensive! I actually placed a big order online for a bunch of grocery items that I use alot and had it shipped here. And even with paying shipping it came out cheaper! So we will shop online, get meat and dairy at the PX, and produce and incidentals at a local grocery store. Everything you do here is difficult and includes a lot of traffic to boot!

We also got to the US Embassy this week to get our badges. That was a great thing to accomplish. There is alot of activities to do there and there is a pool and playground for the kids as well as a medical clinic. The best part is that it is only about 10 minutes away and very easy to get to. They are having a Halloween party on the 31st with games and trick or treating for the kids. We are definitely going to attend that. Unfortunately we didn't plan on doing costumes this year so the kids are going to be stuck being the same thing as they were last year: A baseball player and a princess! Alayna is fine with that, but Calvin has asked to be Yoda! I told him he can be Yoda next year. The Embassy also hosts "Happy Hour" twice a week where you can go and have some food and a couple drinks. A lot of families attend this and I think we will be able to meet some other Americans that way as well.

Also this week Ryan was able to figure out his Off Days situation. He was only going to have off on Sundays, and that was a problem since Calvin has school that day and we wouldn't be able to do any family things. He was able to get it worked out that his Deputy (who is a civilian) Now has off on Thursday and Friday so Ryan can have off on Saturday and Sunday!!! We are very excited about this! It will give us one Family day and one day to actually get some things accomplished while only having one kid in tow.

Overall it was a good week. We are doing really well for only having been here 3 weeks. Please keep the emails and calls coming from home. We miss everyone!