October and my best-laid plans

From time to time, Tim will say something about how he can't wait to get back to the good old US of A, and one of the kids will chime in agreeing. And then I will lecture them all, hands on hips, "Soon enough, we will be back in eastern North Carolina where there's one beach to go to, and we love it; and there will be one place to shop and one park and one place we like to eat sushi. And we'll love it. We can enjoy that familiarity for the rest of our lives. We get one shot at living here and making the most of it. One. (Says the woman who cried to her mom on the phone about having to come here.) When do you think the Marine Corps is going to send us to another country, to experience another culture, and see things we would never get to see otherwise? Never again, probably. This is it. And we've got 5 months left." (At that Tim's eyes light up. 5 months -- yay! Everyone else stopped listening to me long ago.)

I can get why Tim's in a hurry to leave, with his 10 hour days at a job he doesn't like. I will be happy to get back to the east coast too, but I know what lies between here and there: selling cars, pulling the kids out of school before the end of third quarter, organizing, packing, and living out of suitcases, and saying goodbyes. I don't even want to think about it.

Why the kids can't like being here for a few months, I'll never know. They are just along for the ride -- they don't have to work or figure out where or what to eat on any given day. But in an effort to make sure these naysayers can at least one day look back and appreciate being here, I try to put at least one or two new things to see or do together on the calendar. There are so many things I want to do with them here, and so little time.

October was going to be the best month yet. Then we got typhoons on two back-to-back weekends, forcing us to spend our Saturdays hunkered down inside. I had to cancel my long-anticipated weekend at Okuma with friends. I won't lie. My attitude stunk. But I rescheduled Okuma, and in the wake of the storms the weather has cooled and it has never been more beautiful. Life always has its ups or downs. I always wish I was a little better at coping when life interferes with my plans. Maybe one day.

We had a wonderful Halloween/ All Hallow's Eve, that began (for Joey and me) with a rosary on the beach with my bible study group this morning and ended with trick-or-treating.

Our neighborhood had crowds the likes of which people said they'd never seen. Everyone ran out of candy in no time. The three big kids ran off on their own, and came back with surprisingly little for how many houses they must have been to. I'd be suspicious of that, but we did see them running by from time to time, and I know they were too busy to be digging into their stash early. Tim and I walked around with our little Yoda, who was so cute and excited after his first few confusing minutes. I get candy? But I don't get to eat it now? We have to keep going? There were some scary houses, but the only time he got scared was when he saw a grownup in a costume. I couldn't get him to say "trick or treat", but he did say, "'Kyou!" (Thank you)

I have a feeling November is going to fly.