Things you wish you had not ever found yourself saying

March 27, 2008 · 28 Comments

Having moved from London to Los Angeles last Friday, I found myself telling my husband on Sunday: “Oh, just let them watch a little more TV. How often do you move across eight time zones and then get a stomach bug? One more show won’t kill them.” Two silver linings, weak ones at best: 1) the UK changes its time a few weeks after the US, so we all only had to adjust to a seven hour time difference. 2) It was only a 24 hour bug, which we all got within two days of one another, and the repeated vomiting and other unpleasantries have ceased all around. I usually try not to whine here. But, between J’s two-and-a-half months of mysterious gastrointestinal issues, the conjunctivitis we all got before leaving the UK, the eleven hour flight, and transplanting children to what seems to them an entirely different planet, what we really, really did not need was vomit all over the beige carpet of our temporary housing. Things are a bit better now, and I’ll be putting up a more substantive post soon. For today, it’s my blog and I’ll cry if I want to.

Categories: Family · moving · parenting

28 responses so far ↓

ukrainemom // March 27, 2008 at 9:41 pm

You are allowed to cry. I am glad you guys are safely over the ocean and tucked in to a place there in L.A….albeit, with traces of vomit on the beige carpet.
De // March 27, 2008 at 9:53 pm

Well, you keep a stiff upper lip if you want to, but it’s no longer required. Meanwhile, I will blubber for you, because just reading this makes me want to dissolve in a puddle. I hate change and exhaustion and traveling and vomit, singularly and as a package deal.

Glad it was only a 24 hour bug. Hope you all are hale & hearty as soon as possible.
Blooming Desertpea // March 27, 2008 at 9:56 pm

I see you bought yourself the combo. Isn’t the usual setting - ack! Moving over the ocean really is a pain enough without all the rest.

I remember when we moved back from Australia, my one yr old got conjunctivitis and couldn’t sleep, my husband collapsed infront of the airplane toilet and got moved to first class which left me alone with two kids, the little one on my arm and nobody to help me. When we finally arrived at 6 am I fell ill with a fever … yup, thank you very much!

Glad you arrived in one piece, take one day at the time.

Hugs
the end of motherhood // March 27, 2008 at 10:52 pm

Oh, yes, do cry as much as you want to. The weather’s nice, isn’t it?
twosquaremeals // March 27, 2008 at 11:04 pm

You definitely have a right to whine. I’m so sorry! At least it was vomit on carpet in the temporary housing and not something you’ll have to live with for a long time. Though that’s not much comfort when you still have to clean it up. May the coming week be less crazy.
Jennifer H // March 27, 2008 at 11:26 pm

The question, “what fresh hell is this?” just came to mind. In your case, the hell was not-so-fresh, but I do hope it came out of the carpet.

Very glad you’re feeling better. Any culture shock yet? (From moving to LA, not from re-entering the US…
Burgh Baby's Mom // March 27, 2008 at 11:44 pm

I’d say that was a sufficiently crappy series of events that warranted a less substantive than usual post. I hope everything starts to settle down soon!
InTheFastLane // March 28, 2008 at 1:49 am

Oh no! I hope things have settled down now. You didn’t, by any chance, drop some of those stomach bugs over Indiana on your way to California, did you? I think one of us caught one…not be luckily.
karen // March 28, 2008 at 2:12 am

moving is horrid. nothing can make it better. many things can make it worse. hang in there.
Becky // March 28, 2008 at 2:19 am

You do whatever you want. It’s your blog, darlin’.

Hope that you’re feeling better soon. I hate those damn pesky bugs.
theramblinghousewife // March 28, 2008 at 2:27 am

So glad you made it!

Hope things settle down, quickly!
Stephanie // March 28, 2008 at 2:32 am

oh oh OH, you can complain about a weekend like that anytime you want. How miserable. I’m glad it’s over.
Sara // March 28, 2008 at 2:48 am

Im glad you made the trip safely and i hope everyone feels better soon
alejna // March 28, 2008 at 3:57 am

Oh, I’m sorry. That sounds harrowing. You should absolutely cry on your blog if you want to. Can I offer you a virtual tissue? (Or perhaps you’d better appreciate some virtual help cleaning up the carpet…

I hope you all recover quickly and settle in to the new locale.
Blog Antagonist // March 28, 2008 at 4:10 am

Goodness that sounds awful. We are contemplating and interstate move sometime in the future, and the sheer logistics are nightmarish. I can’t imagine an intercontintal move. With wee ones, no less. OY.

Relax and get better.
dragonfly // March 28, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Oh my, I hope you are all feeling better and are settled in soon.

I do not look forward to moving across the ocean in 2010, and have no idea where we’re going…anyway, the first trans-Atlantic move was no fun, and all I had to deal with was morning sickness.

And you can whine all you’d like. I try to restrain on my blog, but sometimes I just have to let it out!!
niobe // March 28, 2008 at 12:58 pm

The move and its associated horriblenesses sound awful. But I’m glad you’re here. (well, really *there,* but you know what I mean)
Jen // March 28, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Oh no! I hope you’re better and more settled in very soon.
Jacob // March 28, 2008 at 1:14 pm

Yikes! I hope everybody is feeling much, much better.
The unmaking of Americans « Wheels on the bus // March 28, 2008 at 1:48 pm

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Andrea // March 28, 2008 at 2:45 pm

Oh dear.

It can only get better?
Coco // March 28, 2008 at 3:07 pm

Well. That was a pretty crappy welcome home to America salute you got, so you’re absolutely entitled to cry.

Things will get better. Lots better. Soon.
Rebecca // March 28, 2008 at 3:36 pm

I’m glad you’re all safe - and I hope things get better from here.
kayak woman // March 28, 2008 at 4:30 pm

I *love* that last line. I think I’ve used it on a few occasions myself. Some days are just like that.

Welcome back to the United Snakes.
magpie // March 28, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Oh, hardship. Cry indeed. It’s better now I hope, since I’m a little late reading.
Kathryn // March 28, 2008 at 6:42 pm

I just can’t imagine. Moving is stressful enough without moving across the giant pond, sicknesses, and time changes. Ugh!
Ally // March 30, 2008 at 5:10 am

I couldn’t help but think happily that you’ll at least get treated right away here if you see a doc for the conjunctivitis…
Victoria // April 1, 2008 at 12:46 am

I’m happy to catch up with you here and find you made it well (okay, maybe not *well*, but in one piece… over to LA.

Take care!

Wheels on the bus