Departure

Well, here it is the post about Amanda and the boy's departure from our home to San Diego. They left yesterday morning 1/23/08 at 7:00 AM and arrived in San Diego in time to enjoy the warmth and sunshine of beautiful California. Amanda is working hard to get housing for her family before Glenn returns from Iraq. She is on a list and now that she is back in SD she can drive over to housing, call more frequently and be ready to move when her number is chosen. It's really quiet in our house. The TV doors are closed, the dog's are sleeping during the day instead of hiding, or stealing Jeff's socks and tormenting Amanda to get the sock back in one piece. Puzzles are in place, number puzzles have all their numbers. Matchbox cars are lined up for the next race and Jeff's Thomas Blanket sits on his bed, tidy and neat. When I got ready for work I remembered the times that I watched the door to their room, usually to hear his little voice on the other side as he knocked and said "grandma, you open the door a me?" Then he would rub his eyes and tell me that he waked up. Onto my bed with the dogs to watch Clifford while I finished getting ready for work. Jeff smiles and cuddles under the covers.

I put Glenn's lunch in the refrigerator last night and found a Starbuck's cup of Amanda's. She put it in there the day before she left because she always made sure she got every last drop of her Starbuck's coffee. Guess she forgot about it the night before she left. I threw it into the trash and laughed about the memories we have of Amanda's love for Starbucks coffee. Amanda would always ask if I wanted coffee from Starbucks (I'm a Dunkin Donut fan) and I would sometimes buy something and make various faces trying to get the coffee down. She finally admitted to me that I was a waste of good coffee from Starbucks.

Yes, the house is tidy. Everything is in place. You should see her room....perfect. But, is it? While I fully understand that they can't live with Glenn and me, I wish so much that they lived closer. I will miss our "bets" all the time...Amanda bets me $100. and wins very seldom to a point that Glenn tells her not to bet, that she will lose (all the way from Iraq). We never collect, we just glow in the right to brag that we won. I will miss our dinners together, watching the Garden Channel and expensive wedding shows. Bouncing Jack on my knee and his beautiful smile. Also, singing to Jack as I held him to rock him to sleep.

It was a nice experience. I loved getting to know the kids and buttering Jeff's bread. But I love the fact that they are on their way home to prepare their house for Glenn's return. Amanda's leaving defines Glenn's returning to his family. I'm happy to have been a part of that and a part of their lives for three months.