Unsettled but excited

We're at a point in our settling that we look pretty settled physically. We have pretty much everything we need (though a new laptop is definitely in the works next month, this one is getting decrepit). We're slowly getting into something of a routine. Our boys have now been at school for a full week. We have emerged from the franticness of initial settling and now have enough time to start planning ahead in more detail.

Unsettled inside
But we still feel unsettled inside. Little things, like getting used to new bikes, a new kitchen,  new routines, new vacuum cleaner, bigger shops that we have to drive to, school uniforms that need to be washed (and some ironed), riding as a group to and from school etc.

And bigger things like quietly struggling with the question, "What is our role for this year in Australia?" 

David is used to a rigidly structured school day, but now he doesn't have that. That's a big thing for him to get used to. Us both, actually. Little things that were previous pretty set like, who washes up the breakfast dishes or hangs out the clothes, need to be decided.

I'm used to sending everyone off to school and having the day to myself, without having someone else around to coordinate with, that includes who has the car. We're also used to being pretty independent because most of our daily tasks didn't require the car, so it didn't matter if I was going to do the shopping or to have coffee with a friend, or to a Bible study, as long as I was home by about 4 to let the boys into the house. It didn't matter if the boys had something before or after school, they could get themselves there and back independently.

My during-school hours over the last four years has included a lot of time at the computer doing various editing projects. While I'm very glad I've got someone else doing the magazine editing job (especially considering the internet challenges we've faced), it is still a change in my daily routine, especially noticeable now that the boys are at school.

But excited about the possibilities
There are, however, many possibilities and plans coming up that make it easier to cope with the unsettledness. 

One of these is pure play! Though I guess you could call it good parenting too. Today I booked plane tickets for our eldest son to go to Melbourne to compete at the Australian National Youth Wrestling Championships in September. David and I have decided to both go (we're travelling down on our wedding anniversary). That's exciting and I'm really looking forward to it.

Other future things to work toward and look forward to include visits to churches and other groups and times with friends over the coming months. For example, I'm having lunch with a dear childhood friend tomorrow. (Read here: I'm hugging myself with joy!)

So if we can just walk gently through this period of unsettledness we'll eventually come out the other side.