Home leave's finally for real

It was such a production to get all the arrangements made for Kevin to leave Port of Spain, I wasn't convinced we'd ever get to go on home leave. But just as planned, Laura, Owen and I are leaving D.C. for Houston on Tuesday morning, and Kevin will be flying up Wednesday. We'll be in and around Space City USA until Aug. 11, when we'll return to D.C. for Kevin to start training for his job in Milan.
So, if you're down that way, drop us a line so we can get together. Otherwise we'll expect a visit in D.C. sometime between August and June.

Laura puts Owen in his place

Luckily I was there to take a photo.

Owen as a swimsuit model

It's from L.L. Bean's 2009 clearance rack collection.

Celebrating America through socks

I'm not one for holiday-themed clothing, but our friend Brenda gave Owen these socks, and they're way cool.
Laura and I have been reviewing the words of The Star Spangled Banner. My favorite part is the end of all four verses: the land of the free and the home of the brave.
We're oh so blessed to call it home even if we don't live here all the time. We need to be just as thankful.

The waiting game

In the Foreign Service there are what are called travel orders. They list everything the employee is entitled to on each move as well as who is entitled (family members' airfare, for example). We're waiting for them now. Well, not right this minute because today's a federal holiday.
Our belongings will be packed out of Port of Spain next week, but we also need airline tickets for home leave. The orders affect both of those, too.
And Owen's and my medical clearances are at various stages, which needs to happen even though we're not going back to Port of Spain.

Two milestones of sorts

Because I have to renew my State Department medical clearance and Owen needs his initial one, we had doctor's appointmenst Friday and today.
The significant news Friday was that he now weighs 10 pounds, 10 ounces.
I guess he's gaining some of the weight I'm losing, as I found out today I've lost 31.5 pounds post-baby.

There are times in life you need a camera phone

But I don't have one, so you'll have to use your imagination.
We took a trip to Trader Joe's -- my favorite grocery store -- this afternoon. I bought a bouquet of flowers, which isn't unusual. Laura wanted to hold the flowers when we got in the car. Still normal.
As I was putting the other things into the car, she started screaming something about a cockroach and to get the flowers away from her. So I did.
OK, so it was a sizable roach. But it was DEAD. And now it's in the parking lot of the Bailey's Crossroads Trader Joe's.
She should be happy I didn't save it to take a photo of later.

My babies

Great game (and it even involves math -- sort of)

Laura's friend Arielle gave her Rat-a-Tat Cat as a going-away present when we left Trinidad. It's all about having the cards with the lowest numbers in the end. Well, that and cats and rats in outrageous costumes on each card. Laura still is struggling a bit with the actual strategy of the game, but it's great fun.

Funny things movers do

The State Department's summer transfer season has arrived, and that means the parking lot of our apartment complex is full of moving trucks every day. Yesterday when I was back and forth between floors doing laundry, I saw some boxes being packed out of an apartment upstairs from us.
Everyone who moves a lot, regardless of whether they're in the Foreign Service, has stories to tell. Whoever's boxes those were will be able to tell about the time the movers packed their handbags and pool toys together. Yeah, those things just beg to go into the same box. I hope the pool toys were dry. And that the bike helmets and knick knacks in another box together made sense to someone.